January 2014

 

Welcome to the Dare to Blossom Newsletter
 

Happy New Year - starting soon in New Zealand and making it's way around the globe

 In this issue:

Reflections: on 2013 and looking ahead

New Year Special: a one hour Skype or telephone Rediscovery Session

Book review: "The Night Circus"

Reflections: on 2013

This has been an interesting piece to write. I sat down before Christmas thinking I would make a start and be ahead of things. But ...... this just didn't want to be written then. It wasn't working at all. There is a right time for everything, and when I find that time the writing just flows. If I try to force the words out onto the page it can feel almost literally painful. If I write anything at all, it probably won't ring true.




This picture (taken in my garden on Christmas Day) - illustrates how I feel sometimes. I could be the little ladybird in a big world. I think the ladybirds are hibernating as we find many of them in among the leaves, this one is on an echium plant.  At this time of year, particularly for those of us in the Northern hemisphere, Christmas is a time for snuggling in, for shutting out the world.

When I am able to open my eyes and look back at the last year just ending and forward to the months ahead in 2014 - then I can prepare myself to spread my wings and fly - as the ladybird can any time it wishes. In my personal review of 2013, I would like to thank everyone who I have had contact with; every one of you has brought something special and unique. We have shared laughs and heartaches; sorrows and giggles; ice-creams on the beach in November; windy walks. Even if we have not physically been together this year, we have shared love and conversations; jokes and presents; insights and irritations; triumphs and trials.

Last year at this time I wrote about 'not-knowing' and uncertainty and I included these words:

"At this moment, on 31st December 2012, I do not know what form this work will take. If you choose to keep reading these monthly missives I will treasure your company along the way to find out 'what happens next'."

One of my most personally satisfying and significant achievements has been continuing to write these newsletters, and the weekly Dare to Blossom Rediscovery Card reflections. Writing every week has been a challenge, as has finding the courage to press the 'Send' button at times. I know now that I have set out on a path that I will be following for some time. I will be writing the piece for the last card, number 50, sometime in May or early June 2014. After that I will be using my in-depth experience of the process to be your companion on your own journey if you so wish.

Between Christmas and New Year I had a coaching session with Soleira Green. It was perfect timing, Soleira encouraged me to recognise my achievements over the two years and to look forward to what I could create in the next year. My view is that everyone working with people (whether you call it 'coaching' or not) benefits from this type of support. I can't see myself clearly without a mirror and someone to ask the questions that lead me beyond what I already know into future possibilities. If I try to control and plan too tightly I may be limiting myself, restricting my creativity, stifling what could emerge if I have the trust to follow.

My word for this year is 'Clarity' and I started the session with Soleira with that thought. I mentioned my idea of adding value and depth to the Dare to Blossom Rediscovery Cards process by developing an on-line course. During our conversation and sharing of insights, this emerged as something I can now see much more clearly. An in-depth course that would last 50 weeks, one for each card, building on my experiences of using them in that way. There would be support from me as your companion along the way in your exploration of your own inner wisdom and that journey of coming home to yourself. This might be through email, and also regular (perhaps weekly) one-to-one coaching on the phone or Skype. Possibly some workshops or retreats during the year as well. I know through work with my own support team (of coaches, healers, wise friends) - and through the breakthroughs that my clients make - how crucial that one-to-one time can be in acting as the catalyst in helping thoughts crystallise and come to life.

There is a lot more to emerge as yet, and many questions: would everyone on the course be told which card was the topic each week? Or would you draw your own card from your pack and then access the appropriate prompts from the on-line course? What do you think would suit you if you were to do this? Please email me if you have any thoughts of suggestions, I will look forward to hearing from you.


Recently someone asked me how I describe what I do, and I wrote: "My work is in supporting people to find meaning in their lives and be at peace with where they are. Then to explore how they can change and develop if they wish."

Reflecting now, I would expand on that: through the Rediscovery Process I come home to myself and recognise I am whole and have everything I need within me.  Then, if I choose, I link into the source within that connects every living thing and move into the next level of my being, acknowledging and using my true power. So the next stage in rediscovery is connecting with your source, to the "Power Within", exploring how you can enjoy and embody that in your life and your world, creating the new from the currently unknown potential within - "Sourceful Living". This the journey I am embarking on now and will be sharing with you as the months pass next year, developing another programme to build on the Dare to Blossom Rediscovery Process. as I said this time last year: watch this space to follow what happens next!

For you: some suggestions for your journal or meditation reflections:
- What is your word for this New Year and the twelve months to follow?
- You may wish to pick several and then sit with them for a while or use flow-writing to explore the messages they bring.
- Are there any themes emerging?
- Do you want to draw, paint or create a collage to mark this New Year process?

 

Special Offer: a one hour Skype or telephone Rediscovery Session

If you would like to try out Rediscovery Coaching for yourself, I have a limited number of slots available at the special price of £45 for a one hour Skype or telephone session, if booked before 31 January 2014. Just email me and suggest some times that would suit you and we can book your time to start your own voyage of rediscovery. This may take you anywhere: planning actions to take you forward tomorrow; looking ahead into the future; exploring past and present relationships; diving into your future potential - it is up to you and your source within.

Here is part of a testimonial following a recent Rediscovery call:

"I love the simplicity and the depth of the Rediscovery journey. For me, it is no longer about looking 'out there' for wisdom, guidance or insight, but instead digging deep and mining the rich seams of my own self, so that I can come more fully into the wholeness of my being. Mary, with her focused attention and presence, holds the space for whatever needs to emerge from deep within myself, and bears witness to that in way that is both potent, and powerful."

To read  more of this account and some other experiences, click here. If you do not yet have your own set of Dare to Blossom Rediscovery Cards, there is a further discount (£10 plus postage instead of £12) for January if you purchase a pack at the same time as booking a Rediscovery Session. And during your session, if you do not have the cards I can draw them for you from a brand new pack - then you can either buy that special pack afterwards, or I will take photos and send them to you.

Book Review: "The Night Circus"

Christmas is one of the times I have the luxury of curling up with a good novel and reading for hours at a time. This year I bought The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern from Cygnus Books, and I have just loved reading it. She creates a world of mystery and magic; strange characters and love stories. There are very few books that I could literally just go back to the beginning and read again immediately -and this is one. It joins my all time favourites alongside classics such as The Secret Garden, The Hobbit and The Little White Horse. 


Thank you - for being my companion this year, for your support and comments, for sharing your suggestions and thoughts. Wishing you a joyful and fulfilling year in 2014. Here is a beautiful rendition of 'Auld Lang Syne' to mark the start of 2014.
.

As always, please feel free to comment below with your thoughts. 

If you would like to own a set of cards to explore their power for yourself please visit the dedicated page.

Thank you dear friends for visiting with me again this week and sharing my musings.

Until next time,

with love,
Mary

*if you have any difficulty accessing the 'blogspot' service, you can also read here on the Daring to Blossom website, or find 'Dare to Blossom Life Coaching' on Facebook.

Support

19 December 2013 After writing about 'Purpose' last week, and sending it out into the world, I felt very wobbly and vulnerable. Exposed and a little nervous about how my thoughts would be received. I needn't have worried - I am learning that when I feel that way, that is just the piece of writing that really connects with those of you reading. The amount of support I received back in the way of comments and sharing of experiences has been heart-warming and has reaffirmed my commitment to this process. A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to respond. And to everyone who reads this, whether you have time or inclination to write to me or not. So, when I drew this card I laughed, having already felt and appreciated 'Support'. It is also a chance to reflect on the many people in my 'support network'. My closest family and friends, my fellow coaches, my work colleagues, all my contacts on-line in various forums (fora?) and Facebook. All the authors whose work has inspired and challenged me. The artists and photographers whose images delight and move me. The strangers whose smile in the street or kind words can change a day. My cats - over the years a series of beloved companions, who give affection (even if 'cupboard love'!), cuddles and laughter. The wonderful natural environment all around that often brings messages for me. The colour is warm deep pink, feeling to me like a wonderful soft blanket of love to wrap myself in and snuggle up. And speaking of pink - this was sent to me by Soleira Green, with perfect timing (of course!), and is a wonderful story of love and support, so I felt it is good to share it here, The Tutu Project Finally, a 'seasonal' picture - we haven't had snow here yet this year, (though there is a mention of the possibility of some in the forecast), so I've found a photo from January 2010 for you. It was taken just outside our gate, the New Zealand flax (phormium) plants looking rather dramatic. As always, please feel free to comment below with your thoughts and comments.  If you would like to own a set of cards to explore their power for yourself please visit the dedicated page. **Remember: last chance to enter the draw for a free pack of Dare to Blossom Rediscovery Cards - email me with your postal address by 5 pm (GMT) on Friday 20 December.** There will be no weekly newsletter next week as Thursday is Boxing Day. I'll be sending you the first monthly newsletter for 2014 on 31st December so look out for that as there will be a special offer for you to start the New Year with a Rediscovery Session if you wish. Thank you dear friends for visiting with me again this week and sharing my musings. Until next time, with love, Mary *if you have any difficulty accessing the 'blogspot' service, you can also read here on the Daring to Blossom website, or find 'Dare to Blossom Life Coaching' on Facebook.

Purpose

12 December 2013 Just after I drew this card last week, I had a booking for a Rediscovery Session via Skype with a friend who has become a regular client. I think I can say it was an amazing experience for both of us. Afterwards, I thought to myself "This is my purpose in life, I wish I could do this all the time." Then I fell into the trap of feeling sorry for myself because I am not in a position where I can spend my days only working with people in this way. Then I stopped myself: what exactly had I been doing during that conversation? Very little: I was listening, providing thinking time, holding the space for her to explore. A few questions, in this example mainly the repetition of one question: "And is there anything else?" It truly was magical how deep a process this was, starting with a simple word on a piece of card with a coloured background. In truth, what had made the Rediscovery Session work was nothing I was doing but how I was being. So if I can adjust my viewpoint to that of being not doing, that can change everything. For me, it changes my attitude to the other work I do to pay the bills (and to all the other tasks and chores in daily life). If my purpose is to be a certain way, and to be in the feeling of coming home to myself that brings - then my purpose is always with me and always accessible. Where ever I am, what ever I am doing. The practice of being my purpose is an on-going process. If I can remain focused on being not doing I find it easier not to slip into the negativity and critical self-talk that pops up so easily.  Action is important to get things done, make things happen. The way I am being while taking those actions alters my own experience. It probably also alters the experience of those around me, though that is not for me to say. As I was writing the first part of this yesterday morning, I looked up and saw the sunrise dawning out of my window. At that moment I knew exactly what to do, grab my camera and my coat and get outside to enjoy the glory of that moment. A moment that will never be repeated in quite the same way. Here are two photos, one taken early when the sun was just starting to rise, the other later when the magical colours had suffused the whole sky. The second was taken looking directly up over my head, and these colours always bring to mind that expression from a childhood story (I can't remember which one, do you know?) "Sky blue pink". Don't forget to email with your postal address if you would like to enter the draw for a set of Dare to Blossom Rediscovery Cards which closes on 20th December. And look out for a special offer in January on Rediscovery Sessions so you can experience the process for yourself if you wish. (Of course, you can contact me at any time for a free consultation to find out more about my services.) As always, please feel free to comment with your thoughts and comments.  If you would like to own a set of cards to explore their power for yourself please visit the dedicated page. Thank you dear friends for visiting with me again this week and sharing my musings. Until next time, with love, Mary *if you have any difficulty accessing the 'blogspot' service, you can also read here on the Daring to Blossom website, or find 'Dare to Blossom Life Coaching' on Facebook.

Understanding

5 December 2013 This is one of the 'skew-whiff' photographs. As I explained to those of you who have been reading since the beginning, I took pictures of all fifty cards outside in my garden in quite a short time, as if I had simply drawn them out and laid them on a table. Thinking of that now, I wonder why I thought it necessary to explain? Did I feel you would judge me as less than 'perfect' - that unattainable goal? Was I perhaps asking for your understanding or compassion? How many of us can claim to understand another person? Even in simple communications, between two people speaking the same language, there is plenty of potential for misunderstanding. Where feelings and emotions are involved - is it even possible? I am realising with the recent reading, journalling and thinking I have been doing, that I surely do not understand myself a lot of the time. Going to the dictionary hasn't provided much illumination for me this time, such a range of definitions: comprehension, interpretation, ability to judge and make decisions, perception. These are all correct of course. Then I came to "sympathetic awareness or tolerance". In the context of how this card has worked for me this week, that rings more true right now. Being aware of myself and of other people, and the interactions between us. Being aware of my own state of mind and how it impacts on me and on others. Not necessarily being able to (or even trying to) explain or comprehend, simply being with.... whatever it is in that moment.  (This is not relevant where there is a immediate threat or danger, then the awareness that is appropriate may be "Move quickly, there's a car coming!" or similar) One website I found (here) exploring the origin and history of the word, refers to 'stand in the midst of'. This conjures a picture for me, of standing in the midst of a situation, simply being there and experiencing, understanding without trying too hard to comprehend or explain, to interpret or to judge. The aqua blue of the background to this card brings a summer sea to my mind, looking down off the cliffs towards the sandy seabed, the sea clear and cool. A feeling that if I trust, understanding will come if it is needed. And maybe some things do not need to be understood?  For some reason it has been very hard to write about this card, I'm not sure why. Perhaps practising being OK with not understanding, (in the same way as being OK with not knowing) is a challenge. I am in the middle of reading 'Infinite Possibilities' by Mike Dooley (of 'Notes from the Universe') - and there he discusses 'understanding' in depth, I will read more....... I'll leave you with a picture of a favourite place for me, that came to mind immediately when I thought of a 'summer sea': It is on the cliffs at Trevone, near Padstow, on the glorious North Cornwall coast. As always, please feel free to add your thoughts and comments below.  If you would like to own a set of cards to explore their power for yourself please visit the dedicated page. In case you missed the Dare to Blossom December Newsletter, here is a chance for you to win a set of the cards. It is simply a draw, though I do very much appreciate any thoughts of comments you would like to send to me. Win Dare to Blossom Rediscovery cards  A little seasonal competition for you (well, a draw really) - just email me at mary@daretoblossom.co.uk.  Include your mailing address in case you win. Your name will be entered in a random draw for a pack of Dare to Blossom Rediscovery Cards. The closing date is 20th December so that you should receive them before New Year and be able to begin using them to rediscover your inner wisdom during 2014. Thank you dear friends for visiting with me again this week and sharing my musings. Until next time, with love, Mary *if you have any difficulty accessing the 'blogspot' service, you can also read here on the Daring to Blossom website, or find 'Dare to Blossom Life Coaching' on Facebook.