Surrender

30 January 2014 This word has been appearing everywhere since I drew the card, in that rule of 'raised awareness'. or is it synchronicity? I can't remember where or any references, it has appeared in various different contexts. One thought that has stayed in my mind are "Do we surrender to distractions?" This is so easy to do in today's world. Sometimes switching off and simplifying is the hardest thing to do. I also saw "surrender to the moment". Another way to think of being in the Now; living in the present moment; truly appreciating what is here, now, right in front of me. Instead of brooding on the past or worrying about the future. One of the 'now' things I have had to surrender to this week is feeling under the weather with a sore throat and cold. Just the usual thing that I just carry on regardless through. I will still 'carry on' to some extent, and also be aware when I need to surrender to my own body's need for care and rest, keep warm and allow the cold to pass as soon as possible. Reading what I have written there I am smiling at myself, the 'dutiful' self never wanting to let people down. The self that can make a distinction between 'carrying on regardless' and carrying on 'to some extent'...... hmmmm. Such a deeply ingrained sense of always putting others first, is that a good trait or not? Is it simply a matter of degree? Should the healer always heal herself first? Or care for others above their own well-being? Most of us probably attempt to navigate somewhere in the middle? Maybe what is important is the awareness, of what I am doing and why. Now, in this present moment, I cannot even think about these choices - with my fuzzy head and tired body I need to surrender to self-care and juggling what I need to do today the best I can.  The colour of the background is that soft dark green, and feels safe, comfortable, nurturing.  I know many of you are natural carers - by sharing this from my rather vulnerable feeling as I write, I do not intend to ask you to feel sorry for me, rather to look at what it is you choose to 'surrender' to, is the choice serving you, and others? The new month of February will soon be here and the Dare to Blossom February Newsletter is waiting to be written - or rather to emerge, as it tends to do once I settle down to it.  Here in Cornwall the days are very slowly beginning to lengthen, the snowdrops are already out and daffodil shoots showing as green spears. Our hazel trees have had catkins for some time, and other trees and bushes all have that feeling of being just about to burst into bud. a feeling of dormant energy rising and expectancy for the new season to come. 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. 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.

Belief

23 January 2014 A short word with such a weight to it. I can't think where to start. Things that come to mind: "belief systems" - that may trap us in a particular way of thinking, for example 'the earth is flat', 'man can't fly', 'men don't like clever girls'. Someone saying "I'll believe it when I see it!", usually with a note of sarcasm in their voice. Wayne'Dyer's neat turning around of that into "I'll see it when I believe it." Sometimes I feel bombarded on all sides by strongly held beliefs, often opposing ones. Religions, political systems, even scientific theories all have their 'believers' to defend them, I feel I want to run away and hide. Thinking about my own beliefs, maybe I am about to fall into the same trap: telling you what I believe.  All I can do is connect in the ways that work for me: meditation helps me by tuning into my own body and then the big space within that opens up and shows me ..... the things that I experience to be true for me. Being out in the natural world has the same effect. The feeling of being a part of a tapestry of life reaching from the smallest leaf and blade of grass, through the giant trees, the rocks and earth and sky, out into the universe we can see of planets and stars, and beyond. Is it fair to say that every person, whatever their beliefs, has a connection with nature if or when they have the opportunity? Even when I can't get out, the wonders of nature are all around. I took this photograph of a Romanesco broccoli the other day before I cut it up to cook - it was so beautiful it seemed like a shame but at least I can save the image of the extraordinary complexity of nature's design. And appreciate the flavour and texture as I eat my meal. Thinking more about expressing my own beliefs, am I being too timid and worried about 'causing offence'? Maybe the important thing is not to assume that my beliefs are 'right'? My way is different to your way - does that matter? I have no answers. All I can do is live my life one day at a time, doing the best I can in the circumstances in which I find myself. The way I choose to do that is through gratitude and love. And forgiveness - for others, and for myself when I may feel I have been less than I could have been: clumsy or thoughtless perhaps; insensitive or hurried - it was still the best that I could do in that moment. Sometimes it is helpful to balance the effects of my behaviour on others with an apology, at other times it is all in my mind anyway and not perceived by anyone else. What else? 'Belief' also brings to mind self-belief. Not in that sense of believing I am 'right', rather in believing in what I do, what I stand for. Believing that I can have an effect in the world; in some small way it is all 'worth it'. In my family life, and with my friends; in my paid work and the work I do here sharing my thoughts and experiences. I will never know where the ripples may reach. Each of us has an effect with our actions: our choice is to make that conscious or unconscious; with care and love for others or uncaring and unaware. Self-belief can also be that quality that enables me to "dance as if no one is watching, sing as if no one is listening" and not to care if they are anyway. To laugh with myself in joy at being child-like and silly; at having fun playing. The background colour of this card feels to me, today, like the blue of a clear sky when it seems as if I can almost feel the intensity of the blue as something tactile and at the same time infinite. It brings a memory of lying on my back in the heather and wild thyme on top of a hill on the edge of Dartmoor when I was a child, feeling as if I could float up and disappear into the blueness of the sky. Notices A reminder about the January special offer, plus a chance to enter a draw to win a Rediscovery Session: 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. To enter a draw to win a free Rediscovery Session, just reply to this email stating that you would like to enter, before 9.00 pm on 31st January. (one entry per person, this is also offered on the Dare to Blossom facebook page) 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. 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.

Serenity

16 January 2014 Serenity - such a wonderful quality to bring into my life. The Serenity Prayer always comes to mind when I hear this word, and has been a comfort to me over many years. By wonderful synchronicity, the day after I drew this card the daily prompt for Satya Robyn's 31 Days of Waking Up course contained 'serenity' in the title and the prayer in the text:   “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.” I think I was first introduced to this sometime during my recovery from surgery in 1994 following my diagnosis with cervical cancer. This year is the twentieth anniversary of that difficult time and every year (and every day in fact) I celebrate the fact that I came through that experience stronger and more resilient. It feels as if my path in life shifted in profound ways - or maybe I don't mean that, maybe I mean I returned to my true path after straying in my "un-awareness" as a young woman. In another wonderful piece of cosmic timing, the anniversary of the actual date of my life-saving operation is at the end of May, and will more-or-less coincide with the time when I finish this journey of sharing my weekly thoughts on the cards with you. All is proceeding with a deep feeling of purpose and right timing.. The word 'Serenity' also brings to mind the image of a swan, calm and regal, floating on a tranquil river in summer sunshine. I have been told that I can create a feeling of being calm and serene - something that is wonderful to hear. In the past I have perhaps undermined the power of that thought by joking about paddling like mad under the calm surface. That may be true for real swans sometimes - and it may also be true that often they are able to maintain their calm position with just a few strokes of their webbed feet, without stress or undue effort. So my aim is to be more like a swan in calm water, just floating, going with the flow, allowing myself to be carried along by the river of life. Always being aware and alert in case I need to correct my course, rather than needing a loud and shocking wake-up call such as a serious illness. I haven't had the opportunity to take any photographs of swans on calm rivers, so I will share with you another sunrise photo. As well as the soft and complex colours of the clouds, I felt drawn to the clear, calm pale blue of the dawn sky beyond. In another piece of perfect timing for me, I saw this 'Conscious Writing Retreat' and decided in an instant to book it. It is at the end of May (that anniversary again!), and will be an ideal environment to consider my next development in coming home to myself. A final piece of synchronicity is that the person running the retreat, Julia McCutchen, was at Element Books, one of the publishers I contacted back in 1997 in relation to getting Flying in the Face of Fear: Surviving Cervical Cancer out to the world. Although she wasn't able to help then, I am delighted to be meeting her at last in May. The retreat sounds idyllic: a combination of yoga, walking, good food and company with guided and solo writing, all in the amazing (and serene, I am sure) location of Abbey House in Glastonbury. If this appeals, do have a look - it would be wonderful to spend time with you there. Normally I would include notices about events in the Dare to Blossom monthly newsletter, but I didn't want you to miss a chance of booking this at the Early Bird price:. 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. 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.

Caring

9 January 2014 My first reaction on drawing this card was somewhat human grumpy-person motivated (if that makes sense! this is a flow writing piece today). I feel I do a lot of caring, am very caring, maybe too much so. Then I feel ashamed of feeling that way and expressing it here. My next thought is about caring for myself. That old, old issue of looking after myself in order to then be able to give of my best to others. In contrast to playing a 'martyr' role. In a way, this illustrates something I have been thinking about recently. I have been reading The Shadow Effect by Deepak Chopra, Debbie Ford and Marianne Williamson. I have read the first section, by Deepak Chopra, and I am now part-way through Debbie's. So much there helps me understand myself and my reactions a little more. As people go through life they learn how to fit in within their family, community and society. They become accustomed to what is expected, what is acceptable. Over time hiding parts of ourselves becomes so 'normal' that we don't realise we are doing it. Small children speak out with absolute honesty about what they see: "Mummy, that man has a very big nose." "Daddy, why has that lady got a black eye?" As they grow up they learn that it is not 'polite' to speak that way. We all learn to hide the parts of ourselves we feel ashamed of; things we've done; mistakes we've made. We also hide those things we feel may be too big, too grand, too dazzling. Parts of ourselves are suppressed in case people think we are 'showing off', or 'too big for her boots'. Both of those extremes are part of us. When we can welcome them in and recognise our gifts and lessons, acknowledge and express emotions honestly - then we become more whole. More able to be truly caring. By having love and compassion for ourselves, we are then able to love and care for others in a way that is for their greatest good, rather than serving our own ends When we become our bigger selves we give others permission to shine too. This photo taken in Topsham, Devon in November 2012, illustrates 'light and dark' for me: without those dark low clouds, the brightness of the sky, and the reflection in the water and wet mud of the estuary would not be so striking. I am not quite sure how my first 'grumpy person' thoughts took me on this journey - perhaps to show here that being honest with myself, and with you, about my first reactions, can lead to clarity and insights that I might otherwise have missed. I haven't really written much about the word that prompted these thoughts. If I drew 'Caring' another time I might write about all the people whose care I am grateful for - starting from my parents, my sister and brother, my wider family. Teachers at school and later; friends all through my life; colleagues at work; professionals to whom I was a stranger but who often went out of their way to help. My thanks to each of you. And now - I have written about those people, and that is how the process works, especially if I allow the writing to flow and see what thoughts appear on the paper, without being filtered through my internal critic. The green of the background to this card is gentle and nurturing, a colour of nature. A green I could sink into like a dry mossy bank on a summer's day. 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. The special offer for a Rediscovery Session is still open until the end of January, just email me if you do not have the details. 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.

Abundance

2 January 2014 Perfect!  This card was drawn before Christmas and has been my companion for the two weeks as I had a break from writing these weekly offerings. I couldn't have wished for a better card. I have been reminded to be grateful for the abundance I have - physical things such as warmth, food, clothing - not to mention many seasonal treats. And the less tangible abundance: friends, family, all my connections around the world. The wonders of the natural world, and all the beautiful and amazing things made by human beings too. The background colour is the turquoise blue/green of a spring sky or a clear sea. There is very little I can find to say in words today about 'Abundance'. I am so grateful for the abundance I have myself and so aware that others do not have so much. Each of us has the source within that, when we are able to connect and celebrate this, sustains through good times and bad. And everyone has some access to nature that enables and empowers connection - if we are prepared to open our eyes and see. I will share a photo I took recently on the cliffs near Trevone. Setting out for a walk I was disappointed to see rain clouds blowing in from the sea - and then astounded by the beauty of the scene that greeted me. Some of you may have seen this already when I posted it (and another stunning image of the other end of the rainbow) on the Dare to Blossom Life Coaching page on Facebook - if you are active there and would like to link up, please do pop over and 'Like' (if you truly do like what I am sharing of course!). The piece below is repeated from the January Dare to Blossom Newsletter, in case you don't read that. And, to answer a question, it doesn't matter where in the world you are located. 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. 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. 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.