Transitions: space, time and skills for change

Sally Brampton link again...

The stalwart Sally Brampton on why there is no point in a life without connection- and a refreshing absence of small talk.

Completely daft! But it just shows that the girl can leave Edinburgh but you can't take Edinburgh out of the girl...or something like that..

The more I think about, the more gardening is an honest metaphor for life...some things live, some things die, some things spread themselves about, others don't..and the pattern of the seasons always gives another chance..

Alistair the Optimist is a brave and truthful man- see his video and read his story..click on the link.

Our Living Life Adventurously video is up on the website and Youtube! Voiced by me (well, never going to be a pro at that!) and with great photos- it captures, we hope, the joy and peace of the programme- do check it out by clicking on the link..

Feeling very blue about the doubledip recession and all that jazz that seems never-ending..then out in the garden there is this fabulous papaver ruprifragum, a vivid and captivating orange. It's taken 4 years from seed. There is a lesson there...

Coming soon! With the magic of some great photos from Peter Murray at La Ferme Loubetas, a new slideshow with voiceover will appear next week- describing the full story of 'Living Life Adventurously' our new programme for women 9-13 October 2012...Hope you can't wait!

Gillian Elizabeth lives in the Ariege in France and writes a great gardening blog as well as being a Twitter bod (@GillyinAriege) and she quoted these lines today which struck home very usefully
"You can’t always get what you want
… But if you try sometimes
… you just might find
You get what you need.
Rolling Stones ‘Let It Bleed’ album, 1969"...

Great photos of 'Living Life Adventurously'- do take a peek...

Take 5 mins for this- a remarkable encounter and very moving. I am struck by the difference in the guy's face between when he introduces the film and at the end of the encounter..how much we can express and how much we can suppress...

And to cap it all..Sarah's poetry collection is called 'You do not need another self-help book'...apologies!

The lovely Sarah Salway, Canterbury Laureate and great friend of ours, reading a poem called 'Dust' from her new collection entitled 'You don't need another self-help book'. Sarah will be leading a new developmental workshop with Alison IN December this year- watch this space!

I love Brene Brown- and this really made me laugh- mass protest against perfection!

And the science has it! HBR article demonstrated the science behind the verifiable conclusion that it IS the small things, happening often (and which we don't pay enough attention to) that generate a feeling of happiness...PHEW..the lottery win is not now needed.

Dory Previn- has died. This is for her.

Slightly pompous framing of Antonia Fraser reading a poem by Harold Pinter about when they first got together...for Valentine's Day. I love the spareness of the language.

Good old Moodscope! This is very funny and also has good stuff in it...

Good old Moodscope! This is very funny and also has good stuff in it...

Good old Moodscope! This is very funny and also has good stuff in it...

WOW- this morning's total is £790- we' ve raised this with all of your help for Womankind Worldwide through our upcoming fundraiser Womens Development Day 'Living Life Adventurously' Sat March 10 in London. Our target is £2000- so keep 'em coming! Come and join us- click on the lick.

Great quote this morning from Martin Luther King-
"You don't have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step."

Jo Crawford of 'Crafting the Sacred' said a great thing yesterday...How would it feel to finally forgive yourself' Click on link for more...Thanks Jo for permission to quote you.

Sarah says on Twitter this morning..."just because you're not always skipping through tulips with joy doesn't mean that something's wrong with you." Love today's Universe email

What to do when it becomes unbearable...

This link takes you to Ruby Wax's new website, BlackDogTribe. On this page there is a video entitled 'Depression'. If you know someone who has experienced this, are worried about someone who may be depressed or just want to know what depression is- look at this video, it will help.

This is a 4 minute delight- a sharp song by Dory Previn coupled with great stills from MadMen...

Are you 'introverted'- like me? This great little piece takes the sting out of networking- frequently my worst nightmare- and reminds me how to do it safely and get recovery time...

OOps, LINK not LICK! beg your pardon...

Oh, Seth Godin is such good value- here he is, on how you can't get to the next rope until you let go of the one you are holding on to...click on the lick for more wisdom..

A very touching little film..love and positivity in the face of a terrible experience..

The top 5 regrets of people who are dying- sounds hard to take, but flip them round and there's lots to think about that's positive and constructive for us now...

Sally Brampton: a 'from the heart article' about enjoying friends now...

Go on! Treat yourself- fabulous mini workshops led by great people, food, singing, good cause, clothes to swap and lots more- COME on Sat 10 March to our 'Living Life Adventurously' Women's Development Day in central London...see link for more...

Pink snow like marshmallow over the Pyrenees at dawn today-beautiful- like the mountain photo on our header, only with a pink wash...

A fantastic article about perserverance, human dignity, fear, relationships, micrenterprise, creativity...AND sanitary towels. Amazing.

Brene Brown, a really gifted teacher, on defining shame and why it matters..Dark stuff that needs to be called out..it's about 10 mins long..

I have a really nice little red notebook that I got from Patti Horrocks at the end of a workshop- it was going to become my gratitude log- it must be dug out today and STARTED!

A brrave blog that says 'Actually, I'm not feeling okay' and what happened when she said that....

Is there a real you? Julian Baggini thinks not- and it's both liberating, challenging and fascinating at one and the same time...

TfL have published a wonderful little section in their 'Art on the Underground' section. It gives little stories of random acts of kindness on London transport. We're all into well-being! Excellent.

Blue Monday seems to be the focus everywhere...let's give ourselves a break and not look for self-fulfilling prophesies!

This video is really worth a look- great message and very clever...

This really sets the stage for thinking differently about ageing and potential...see Jane Fonda at Ted Talks

This is a good one, I think..
"Never be afraid to try, remember..Amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic.."

Did you know that young men in London between 15 and 34 are more likely to die of suicide than for any other reason? CALM is campaigning to support young men with depression. This article shows the other side of happiness in London.

Be a 'Crazy One' this year and re-discover what you can bring to the world....

Lull yourself for 4 minutes with Nick Hennessey and 2 friends in his kitchen..he's the one on the left. Nick is our tutor on 'Opening the Gate' in November...

Enough of quotes! What about Ginger Rogers at 92? That's inspirational...WOW!

Into quotes at the moment- given my tea consumption this one is particularly apt...Eleanor Roosevelt apparently said " ..A woman is like a teabag; you never know how strong it is until it's in hot water.."

A friend introduced me to these lines from Philip Larkin..
"...what it held stood ready to be loosed with all the power that being changed can give.."
from 'The Whitsun Weddings'

Get into Twitter and the mad, life-saving world of Philip Ardagh's tips..here's one for free..

"Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag, weigh them down with rocks and toss them in a lake. Then rent out their bedrooms"

Today is another day when I remind myself that slowly really does do it- and what I have to resist is the urge to rush. Hard-wired for rushing, me, though...so it's a challenge.

Have a very merry Xmas and enjoy this- from a friend's archive...

Oh no! Caught myself reaching for that extra whatever in the supermarket- the completely irrational 'stock up for Xmas' nerve had been activated, probably by the tinsel!

Suzanne Moore speaks out for the value of uncertainty and urges us to embrace it...YES! Battling the comforts of certainty and the need to be right is tough- but what we need just now...

Meet Lindy Wafula- an exceptional young woman who is determined to make a difference...Stay with it, it's about 18 minutes long..

I in 4 of us will need help with depression or worse in our lives...Ruby Wax talks about what happened to her and what she is doing about it...I love the connection between experience and action!

Moodscope reminded me that the word 'inspiration' is rooted in 'breathing in' and was used in that way in mediaeval English. Good honest draughts of fresh inspiration were available at Aspire last week..In French, 'inspire' still means 'breathe in'..
Check out Moodscope by clicking on the link- I find it really helpful...

Moodscope reminded me that the word 'inspiration' is rooted in 'breathing in' and was used in that way in mediaeval English. Good honest draughts of fresh inspiration were available at Aspire last week..In French, 'inspire' still means 'breathe in'..
Check out Moodscope by clicking on the link- I find it really helpful...

Fantastic evening with Sarah Salway and Andy Piasecki at our 'Re(Connect)' workshop last Thursday- join Srah and I for family history meets creative journaling in February (see Transitions Workshops)- it'll be unforgettable.

Jean and I are off to the Aspire conference today to reconnect with our womens developmnet roots, network, enjoy people and insights..can't wait...

Self-pity is the enemy of contentment...or self-absorption cuts you off from possibilities..

The Sistine Chapel as you will never have seen it, complete with invisible choir.

Sit down, relax and listen to the story...remember how stilling that was as a child? Nick Hennessey in action...Nick will be with us in 2012

What to do if you fall over a dog....

'Red Chocolate Elephants' may be arriving in the UK this year- very excited about this great resource for children suffering suicide bereavement and Diana Sands' superb work...work in progress...

Here's a better 'Scottish Grannie' link...

For those of us who have or had Scottish Grannies- this is why we all should have one...

This is such good sense and just what the doctor ordered this morning..

Sent to me from friends- these wise words:
'...People cry not because they are weak but because they have been strong for too long..."

Autumn is a thoughtful time of year, don't you think?

What memories 'run' us sometimes? Those things that sit at the back of our mind and nip out now and then to sting us- how about noticing that's what they are- memories- not neccessarily real?

A lovely bit of silliness for the weekend...click on my name!

I am noticing my moods. Not spending hours on it- but with the help of moodscope (try the link). Interesting how noticing them immediately deflates their 'power'...

Herte is Steve Jobs voicing an early Apple advert- it's a good way to remember him...

We're talking about laughing...here's how to do it...click on the link for an old friend's baby showing how...

Feeling down? Take a look at this...

'Moving through Transitions' was at central London CIPD last night- many thanks to Hudsons (hosts for the venue) and our audience/group, who overcame a very warm evening to spend 2 hours with us...Click on the link for more information about central London CIPD events..

Who are the people around you who are your 'stress carriers'? The ones whose appearance cause you to sigh out loud... How would it be to turn the volume down on them?

Carry on teetering- it's the edge that takes you to new places- it's a question of developing the tolerance of the edge....

"This is a book about giving a damn. It's about caring about what you do and (as importantly) who you do it for. Professional apathy is a relic of a dead era and, as Seth teaches brilliantly, a mentality you cling to at great peril. Everyone with a pulse and a paycheque should be living We Are All Weird."

This sounds just the ticket for me- see the link.

What happens when you stop doing things you have always done? About to find out...

This little film has real creativity and humanity- have a look...

Noticing when you have learnt something isn't automatic- it really helps to review experiences with others- it builds that 'learning muscle'...

Gardening is such a forgiving activity- things don't work out but they die naturally and then they give you the chance to renew and regrow...

'Who were you before you were what you are today?' Angela Dunbar asked this question recently...a way of re-connecting with your earlier life and maybe some parts of your life that you have forgotten..What comes up?