encouragement
Now, if you’ve been around here before, you’ll know that I have beef with a lot of things. Today’s beef? The cult of now.
This is a tale about making bread. But it’s not really about making bread.
It’s about keeping going when you don’t feel like you’re making a difference
This post is half permission slip and half a bunch of practical ways you can cope when life goes wonky, you have unexpected bad stuff to deal with but somehow you’ve still got to keep going.
**Hello Couragemakers! I am so happy to be back after a pretty long break – a lot longer than I expected. A lot of things have happened during my time away which I won’t bog you down with, but let’s just say that it’s been a pretty ugly couple of months, which involved losing someone […]
You do not owe anything to anyone, regardless of how they make you feel otherwise. You do not owe anyone an explanation for who you are or how you live your life. That decision is up to you alone.
You will change. You will go through experiences that alter and develop the fundamentals of who you are. That’s life - that is how you grow and develop as the person only you can be.
It’s fair to say that as kind-hearted creatives, we spend a lot of the time feeling like we’re swimming against the tide. We contemplate things which others think are plain odd (my Dad is SO sick of being asked if he’d rather be a bench or a tree) and generally spend a lot of time […]
I talked a while ago on here about being guilty of future tripping. Getting so lost in what we want to do in the future, and not focusing on the present. I also mentioned that I had big changes which I would share when I was ready. And I’m ready. Turning my life upside down In […]
There’s this myth out there that self care is eeeaasy. It’s like this ridiculously simple thing that needs no attention. Simple as running a bath right? It’s not easy If this whole self care thing was easy, we wouldn’t end up burnt out, exhausted and coming down with colds after stressful weeks. If self care was easy, […]
A lot of us set ourselves high expectations. Sometimes they’re not realistic, and we spend time beating ourselves up, full of self sabotage. That’s why I want to share my story of ‘failure’ with you today. A month ago, I wrote here on my blog about this year being the year to complete NaNoWriMo (50,000 […]
“It would be easier, and quicker if I just did it.” “It will cause an argument if I said no, and I hate conflict” Sound familiar? I thought so. So let’s take a couple of scenarios: 1. You’re at work and your colleague is taking a loooong time to do a basic task. Sometimes you […]
dream-chasing
So, I don’t know if you’ve noticed lately, but the online world is a pretty noisy place. I think along the way, people have become unsurprisingly pretty disillusioned.
As long as I can remember, this whole New Year, New You shit has reduced me to rants. While the temptation to start anew is alluring, it’s just simply not possible. To paraphrase a piece on this subject I wrote a while ago, I don’t believe in reinventing yourself.
This is a tale about making bread. But it’s not really about making bread.
It’s about keeping going when you don’t feel like you’re making a difference
You do not owe anything to anyone, regardless of how they make you feel otherwise. You do not owe anyone an explanation for who you are or how you live your life. That decision is up to you alone.
You will change. You will go through experiences that alter and develop the fundamentals of who you are. That’s life - that is how you grow and develop as the person only you can be.
Okay, Couragemakers who struggle with self-doubt, listen up. Sometimes on this creative and dream chasing journey, we all need reminders which are a bit more of a kick up the ass. Today is one of those days. So here’s the thing: If you are looking for evidence that you’re shit, you’re going to find […]
When I was 22, I watched something that made me feel understood in a way that I had never felt understood before that moment. It was a two-part documentary on young people who were living and struggling with OCD – just like me. The series focused on an OCD bootcamp, with participants coming out of […]
I wrote a lot about dream chasing before me and Mr. Meg left for our three-month trip around the US. About the big pause, about the not so glamorous side of dream chasing and about the need to write your own adventure story. Now it’s time to talk about when dreams becomes reality and when […]
While I’ve been in the US, I’ve really learned how huge Halloween is over here. The decorations vary from pretty to over the top, the candy looks delicious and there’s definitely something in the air. I’ve definitely seen my fair share of scary skeletons, but I think there’s definitely something a lot scarier that none […]
There’s something people don’t tell you when you start to stand up for yourselves and following the beat of your drum. And that’s this: often you’ll lose someone along the way. Somewhere between finding your voice and dealing with dreamshitters, something changes. You stand taller. You talk with conviction. You start to lose your people […]
How many people know your inner-most dreams? Not the ones that sound good when you’re meeting new people, or the half-beat ones you tell your family. But the ones that you struggle to barely whisper to yourself. The ones you’re too scared to say out loud. The ones that sometimes you’re too afraid to tell […]
I used to think self care was hard. Impossible even. That was until I started working for myself, started my career as a freelancers/entrepreneur/small business owner/whatever the name of the day is. Then I started to think that it was another ball game completely. Before we go any further, I want to just make sure […]
Lately I’ve been getting really honest about the not so glamorous side of dream chasing, and how my life is changing now I’m actively seeking to be the woman who chases adventures instead of passively wanting to write about these women. And I want to touch upon something I’ve not really talked a huge amount […]
A quick aside before I begin – I just want to say that I’m not meaning to sound ungrateful, or like I have a rod stuck up my ass. When I started That Hummingbird Life, I made a commitment to myself that I would always be honest (maybe sometimes a bit too honest) and this post is […]
Here’s a truth for you: I have spent my whole life wanting to write about women who go on adventures. Women who decide to choose themselves and follow their own path, wherever it takes them. Women who buy a one way plane ticket and greet life with a smile and a fuck it attitude. Women […]
When I first started writing, at a very young age, I was obsessed by how other writers achieved success. What writing habits did they adopt? Where did they write? Did they type or hand write? How did they map their novels? What kind of pen were they using? I thought this knowledge was the secret […]
I want to talk about something today that we don’t really like to talk about, or admit. We all feel like frauds. Who am I to be doing this? Why should someone pay me attention/money to do this? What if they find out that I feel like a mess and discover I’m a massive fraud? […]
How many people know your inner-most dreams? Not the ones that sound good when you’re meeting new people, or the half-beat ones you tell your family. But the ones that you struggle to barely whisper to yourself. The ones you’re too scared to say out loud. The ones that sometimes you’re too afraid to tell […]
I just want to start by saying that I love Brené Brown. I’ve watched the TED talks, bought the books, didn’t buy the t-shirt because it was too expensive. And I love the ‘others’ too – you know who I mean. The big name people talking about big ideas and concepts in profound way. I find […]
Waiting for a permission slip to do life, is like waiting for your Hogwarts letter. It’s something you desperately wish you had, but something that isn’t going to happen. It would be great if someone knocked on your door, told you that your plans are worthwhile and you’re the right person to execute them, but […]
It’s a couple of days after my 25th birthday and I’ve been thinking a lot lately about life. About how slow time goes now I’m not having the same mundane day over and over again working at a job I hated. About how I have so many goals but because I only keep them in my head, […]
This is for anyone who knows what it feels like to get your ass kicked and still insists on coming out on the other side more alive, present, whole, and human than you ever dreamed possible. You’re not alone. I get it. To say what you’ve been through “sucks” is a gross understatement and if […]
The truth will set you free, right? It also has a tendency to make you pretty unpopular. But, we don’t care about popularity around here. We care about dream chasing, living for a purpose, and standing up yourself even when it’s doesn’t make you a cool kid. Sometimes, especially when it doesn’t make you a […]
Sometimes it seems like our lives are made up of a seemingly random occurrence of events. We mark some of our experiences down as mundane and unremarkable, and others become stories of adventure and excitement for the people around us. Let’s take some adventures that I’ve had in my life so far. I’ve ridden a donkey in […]
When it comes to standing up for yourself, changing habits, achieving goals, and basically anything in life, there’s one thing that’s going to help. And that’s starting to celebrate the shit out of your small wins. So, what is a small win? It’s doing something small that will help you achieve a larger goal, or […]
Some people are just dreamshitters, soul crushers and downright mean.* I think you know who I’m talking about. That friend who patronises your ideas and points out all the flaws in any plan before you’ve even finished your sentence. The teachers, the older relatives who want you to just be realistic. Or the people who […]
courage
A huge myth about introverts is that we’re all these quiet timid people. I call bullshit.
Some of the most chatty people I know are introverts — people who can fill silence with non-stop chatter, who end up chatting to any one on the bus and like to have a good loud laugh.
In extremely exciting news, The Couragemakers Podcast launched this week! And it has blown my mind. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to speak to women all over the world, women like you and me – mission driven doers, makers and world shakers, about their dreams, their stories, and get really vulnerable and courageous about what […]
I could bet you my future wedding with Macklemore/Ryan Gosling that you don’t want to be Regular Joe From The Status Quo. Why? Because you’re here, you’re reading this blog for a start. I know you want to make a difference. You want to live a wholehearted life. You don’t want to be the same […]
I’m sat on the sofa, diagonally across from my best friend. We’ve been talking about recording a podcast episode (all about self care) long enough and today’s the day that on a whim we’re decided we’re going to do it. We’ve written a list of what we want to talk about, the laptop is set up […]
The other day I saw a card that read ‘stepping out of your comfort zone has never killed anyone’. At the time, I chuckled and kept on walking. I was on the way home from work and when you’re commuting in London, you don’t really stop, stare and think. (People will stand on you.) Stepping outside of your comfort […]
creative business
You’re going to have days you feel uninspired. You’re going to have times where you literally can’t think of any ideas, and you’re going to have days where that feeling makes you feel shitty. But what do you do when they happen?
There’s something that’s been on my mind for a while now, which I’ve struggled to put into words and felt pretty nervous to write about. And if online businesses and blogging have taught me anything, it’s that when you feel like that, that’s *exactly* when you should be hitting publish and starting the conversation. So […]
The blog is back! After a creative break this summer, I’m so excited to go back to blogging at least once a week, and I have SO many posts planned to help you shine brighter, put yourself out in the world as you are and thrive wholeheartedly in a world that sometimes feels like it’s […]
If you put yourself out there on a regular occasion, by showing your life and your work online or IRL, this is for you. And if you dream of one day doing that, this is definitely for you. When I started That Hummingbird Life – nearly 3 years ago now – shit really started to […]
I don’t know about you, but there seems to be so much similarity in so much of the stuff we see online. Blog posts look the same, Instagram feeds look the same, e-courses look identical but with perhaps a shift in colour scheme. And it can get so fucking boring. And I think it […]
If you are a creative, a blogger, a business owner or a one person band and you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re going to want to read this! I am pissed off. Blogging and generally being online started as a way of expressing ourselves. Limited customisation options, and it was all about the writing and actually connecting […]
I used to think self care was hard. Impossible even. That was until I started working for myself, started my career as a freelancers/entrepreneur/small business owner/whatever the name of the day is. Then I started to think that it was another ball game completely. Before we go any further, I want to just make sure […]
I want to share with you something I’ve been struggling with for a long time. And that’s this idea that you can only do the work you love if you’re willing to be a starving artist. I come from the non profit world and I also have an activist background. So it’ll come as no […]
When I first started writing, at a very young age, I was obsessed by how other writers achieved success. What writing habits did they adopt? Where did they write? Did they type or hand write? How did they map their novels? What kind of pen were they using? I thought this knowledge was the secret […]
epic posts
As creative and multi-passionate women, it’s fair to say that we all struggle with getting shit done. Now, before you start judging yourself, and beating yourself up, know that you’re not alone: we all struggle.
Welcome to this super post all about self care! If you’ve ever thought about self care, struggled with self care, or don’t know what the hell self care is, this post is for you. If you’ve ever felt stressed, found it hard to justify doing things just for you, or been burnt out, this post […]
Feeling like giving up for me, is on the same level of scariness as losing your enthusiasm (read that epic post here). When I feel like giving up, I go really deep into a spiral of shame, frustration, depression, and to be honest, I usually sink into an all out existential crisis. And this is […]
I talk a lot about celebrating the shit out of your small wins. I mean a lot. Celebrating your small wins helps you to propel you to doing things you thought you wouldn’t be able to, helps you to take a chance on yourself and helps you to find new opportunities. It’s also the difference […]
At times, there can be nothing scarier than losing your enthusiasm. Losing your enthusiasm for life, losing enthusiasm for passion projects that you were once so excited about, losing your enthusiasm for your dreams. Believe me, I’ve been there and it feels like a seriously lonely place. Enthusiasm is a massive driver for me, and […]
I like gratitude. We live in a fast-paced culture where we’re always teetering between future tripping or stressing out about what needs to happen right now. It’s fair to say we’re not very good at being present. We can miss out on so many things, and gratitude can be a really good way of staying in […]
I’ve ranted a lot lately. About online gurus, about get rich quick schemes, and other bullshit that creates an alluring trap for couragemakers like you and me but ends up with us feeling worse in the long run. Now, believe it or not, the self-help (or as dream chasing as I prefer to call it) […]
I want to tackle the controversy of online gurus. You know, the people online who have millions of followers and tell you that you can be happy, if you just choose to be happy – and then wealth will follow! And you just need to do this one little thing, and you’ll basically be Bill Gates! Yep, them. It […]
self-care
Welcome to this super post all about self care! If you’ve ever thought about self care, struggled with self care, or don’t know what the hell self care is, this post is for you. If you’ve ever felt stressed, found it hard to justify doing things just for you, or been burnt out, this post […]
There’s something people don’t tell you when you start to stand up for yourselves and following the beat of your drum. And that’s this: often you’ll lose someone along the way. Somewhere between finding your voice and dealing with dreamshitters, something changes. You stand taller. You talk with conviction. You start to lose your people […]
This week I want to debunk some myths and share with you something I’ve been struggling with lately. And that’s this notion that self care has to be beautiful. It has to be these set of serene moments that are simultaneously Natural Geographic worthy, as well as worthy for high esteemed food blogs. And these serene […]
I used to think self care was hard. Impossible even. That was until I started working for myself, started my career as a freelancers/entrepreneur/small business owner/whatever the name of the day is. Then I started to think that it was another ball game completely. Before we go any further, I want to just make sure […]
I absolutely bloody love napping. I really think it’s one of life’s simplest luxuries. And I can say with pride (maybe too much pride), that I have NAILED the art of napping. All it takes is a good playlist, my epic flamingo blanket and sometimes my huge cuddly bear (come on, we’re all adults and I […]
You know when you have one of those days where you’re trying to put milk in the kitchen drawer and peanut butter in the fridge? Today is one of those days. This morning, I found myself completely puzzled as to why my tea wasn’t turning brown to only realise that I was pouring hot water […]
I’ve ranted a lot lately. About online gurus, about get rich quick schemes, and other bullshit that creates an alluring trap for couragemakers like you and me but ends up with us feeling worse in the long run. Now, believe it or not, the self-help (or as dream chasing as I prefer to call it) […]
It won’t come as a surprise to hear that I’ve spent a great proportion of life struggling with guilt, feeling selfish and going full pelt, with no thought to the effect on myself. A lot of us do. I’ve talked a lot on my blog about how things have changed for me in the past couple […]
About five years ago, I read a quote that I haven’t been able to get out of my head since. I can’t remember who said it, it was possibly Marx but haven’t been able to find it since. Basically it went something to the tune of this: If you want to change the world, don’t waste […]
I’m gonna be honest with you – I am exhausted. Things have been pretty hard lately. I’ve moved house, started a new job and haven’t had much time for rest. Emotionally, and physically, I’m exhausted. So, I wanted to share with you some things to keep at the front of your mind when you’re overcome with […]
mental health
If you put yourself out there on a regular occasion, by showing your life and your work online or IRL, this is for you. And if you dream of one day doing that, this is definitely for you. When I started That Hummingbird Life – nearly 3 years ago now – shit really started to […]
Wow. Some days the world feels really fucked up – those days seem to be happening more than not right now. And it can be really hard, especially as idealists and people working to put good shit in the world, to maintain any kind of hope, any kind of optimism and belief that there are […]
This week I want to debunk some myths and share with you something I’ve been struggling with lately. And that’s this notion that self care has to be beautiful. It has to be these set of serene moments that are simultaneously Natural Geographic worthy, as well as worthy for high esteemed food blogs. And these serene […]
I would say worrying is definitely one of my top 5 skills. I can worry until the cow’s come home. I can worry about ANYTHING. And I have a pretty creative imagination when it comes to turning a non-situation into something epic-ly awful. And if you’re anything like me, you also probably have a tendency to […]
I’ve had quite a few confidence shattering experiences over the last five years. And there’s a notable difference between how I presented myself five years ago than now. Somewhere along the way though , I learned that it’s possible to love myself, that I’m much more introverted than I thought I was and that when […]
When I ran the New Year’s Revolution challenge at the start of the year, I set myself a challenge for 2016. And that was to become more visible. And share my many stories. For me that meant putting my whole self out there. Not hiding behind a screen or a mask, but showing up, as […]
Sometimes you watch or read something and it knocks the wind out of you. You wonder where it’s been all your life. And you have a new way of understanding yourself. And you feel less alone. That’s what happened when I first saw Neil Hughes’ TED Talk about walking on custard and anxiety. I’ve struggled […]
I want to talk about something today that we don’t really like to talk about, or admit. We all feel like frauds. Who am I to be doing this? Why should someone pay me attention/money to do this? What if they find out that I feel like a mess and discover I’m a massive fraud? […]
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I’ve been in lots of situations where the response from the people I moan to, or open up to to, has been along the lines of:
“Well think what they must have been through to end up like that.”
“Don’t get angry, have compassion because they clearly need it as they’re in a lot of emotional pain.”