Day 1

'If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got.' source unknown.

I won't be the first nor the last to start writing a blog about lifestyle change in the New Year. Nor will I be the first women to look in the mirror and say I want to live and feel healthy, get in touch with nature, feel happy and live my dreams. This is a blog with two points one as it says on the tin is an account of my findings of how to live harmoniously with nature and also to mark the accomplishments of my pursuit of life goals, whilst hopefully inspiring readers to do the same.

But before we get to that, a bit of backstory to put it all into context....

I have spent 2009 going through a period of reflection 2010 must now we a period of action. To put it another way I honestly believe that man's only barrier is himself, having energy, perseverance, pushing past fear are stumbling blocks we all fall down on at some point and for me the significant changes of 2009 were not personal achievements but positive mental shift. For example ...

I spent whole evenings in 2009 talking the ear of my partner of possibilities, and it wasn't until I was sat in the bath one night with a glass of red wine that it occured to me. I work for an international creativity company, innovating businesses and boosting the creative economy as well as supporting individual artists in every field imaginable. Musing on the prospect of telling my dream- specifically the 'If I won the lottery I would ... ' one - to my employers it amused me to think of how small and insignificant it would seem from their perspective. It was a moment of freedom to imagine their response and it was then that I asked myself, why is opening a holistic and sensual gift shop in any way something which can only be achieved with the help of those big money balls?

Tip 1: Pour your worries into someone else's shoes -or at least look at you life from another perspective. Think of the most positive and successful people you know and as yourself how they would react to it?

I had a lot of the skills I needed, I'd worked in business support for 18 months, taking a backstage role yet picking up a lot along the way. I realised I lacked self-confidence, -perhaps not obvious on the surface but always bubbling beneath - so I booked myself an appointment with a local hypnotherapist who was very good and one of the best things hat came from that is she distanced me emotionally from any bad experience's I'd had in the past.

Talking about hypnotherapist I would highly recommend Paul McKenna's, Change your life in 7 Days. I can't tell you if he did change my life in that time especially as I read it in two days, but its very motivational and very good for finding out exactly what you do really want from life without what I like to call practicality filters. I've done this all my life, people have asked me what I want to do and I've thought about it and given answers according to 'what I believe is realistically possible to do' which is a completely different question and an act of sabotaging yourself before you've even started.

I've been lucky I suppose in that from an early age I have been a writer and chose to study writing at Degree and Masters level - much to the bewilderment of many family members and the Yorkshire community. I knew then and know now that writing novels was never going to be a full time pursuit, not because I don't enjoy it, I do immensely, but because of the isolation a writer faces, hours alone with your characters on your lap-top. However I am in a stronger position that many of you who may be stepping out into daring to believe in their dreams because I have become a connoisseur in 'but that's not going to get you a proper job' looks or, 'young and naive.' looks or just 'why?'. I've discovered over the years there are a few remedies to this.

1. Realise they just don't get it, more fool them, you're not going to let the odd few narrow minded people get in the way of living your dreams.

2. Speak confidently, assertively and intelligently on your subject. Its the Susan Boyle effect, sound like you know what you're talking about with passion and the hardest critics will warm to you.

3. Involve them, bring them into your world, ask questions and advice from them and from engaging comes understanding.

4. Ignore them and remember people's actions don't neccesarilly reflect thier true opinions, they may be showing bravado to friends, or worried and don't want you to fail, feel vulnerable because it is an area they don't know very well and therefore are out of thier comfort zone. Or thousands of other reasons which don't revolve around thinking less of you.

Or you may not care what others think, in which case wonderful but don't forget you'll need other people to help you along the way.

to be continued.