Hi Erin
A funny, not so funny story this week. About the stretch for finding gratitude.
Last Thursday was my birthday. A memorable one for sure. Like many Victorians, I experienced a night of scary winds, power cuts and massive trees falling down. As a mother of young children, I’m guilty of glamourizing the lifestyle on the documentary series Alone. Hang out in the woods, alone with no power? Sounds fine. What are these grown men whining about?
Cue waking up on my birthday with a freezing cold house and no coffee.
Other than a few fallen branches, a sleepless night and a lot of mess, the storm was pretty kind to me. In contrast, several friends have been stuck on their properties for 5 days or more. No power, water, internet or phone.
There has been a permanent soundtrack of chainsaws in the background plus the smell of 2 stroke fuel and wood smoke. Out and about the damage from fallen trees is nothing like I’ve ever seen before. I’m lucky.
The day after my birthday a van pulls up and a lady hands me a floral arrangement. I think “how lovely someone sent birthday flowers” and quickly look at the card:
“Deepest condolence at this difficult time”
Nope, not birthday flowers for me, but condolence flowers intended for someone else. If that’s not the Universe pushing me to work on my gratitude, I don’t know what is!
It’s not always a joy finding things to be grateful for. Especially when there are detours we didn’t want.
I’ve had to change goals and rework what ‘work’ looks like more times than I can count in the last 12 months. Friends are starting to joke that I’m cursed, because every time I sit down to write Parents of the Pandemic we go into lockdown again, and my timeline changes. Books have a life of their own, and businesses have a life of their own too.
If you are still leaning into acceptance of detours and things you can’t control, know you are not alone!
P.S these flowers are from my photo shoot for More Than a Healthy Baby, not the condolence flowers
featured posts:
I was talking to Elly Tomkins the other day. We’ve bonded over our shared interests in being Disruptors – women who trained as psychologists but whose businesses don’t fit what people expected of us. We were talking about self-doubt and where it stems from. I can easily identify one my origin stories and thought I’d […]
READ THE POST
More from Around the Site
featured posts:
How often are you catching yourself in your own BS beliefs? This morning, I was looking for an old newsletter I’d written a few years ago on the topic of blocking beliefs. It began with: An old chestnut that’s been coming up in mentoring this week is the blocking belief that “I can’t create something […]
READ THE POST
More from Around the Site
featured posts:
Does your website align with your vision? What do I mean by this? Imagine your goal is to reduce your 1:1 therapy (or even phase out of it) by offering lush weekend retreats in a tropical location somewhere. Maybe you’ve told your partner and your best friend that this is the dream. You’ve got inspirational […]
READ THE POST
More from Around the Site
featured posts:
Whenever a teacher said “and now we’re going to play a fun game!” Did you too instantly feel sick in the pit of your stomach thinking “I’m not fooled. This is probably not going to be fun” I see you… trying to sell a product or service to your people and grow and audience and you’re also procrastinating […]
READ THE POST
More from Around the Site
featured posts:
Recently I was chatting to Dr Renee White from the Science of Motherhood. Renee mentioned how she’s a visual person and sees core moments in life as coloured orbs – much like in the movie Inside Out. As I was listening to our podcast episode yesterday, I had my own ‘ooh that’s a core memory […]
READ THE POST
More from Around the Site
featured posts:
Who doesn’t love to have a sticky beak into what other people struggle with in business? One of my favourite things about coaching women through setting up a new perinatal business is that we can quickly catch sabotaging. When you’re on your own, you often miss or ignore all the little sneaky things that you’ll […]
READ THE POST
More from Around the Site
featured posts:
I guess if you want a short answer, then the word I’d use is ‘paro’. I’ve discussed this helpful word before. It refers to the feeling we all get that somehow whatever choices we make will be wrong. The beautiful visual explanation for it again is here Daily life as a mum can feel like self-care […]
READ THE POST
More from Around the Site
featured posts:
“I don’t know why I didn’t fight back” “I don’t know why I just stood there and watched my partner held down” “I agreed to so much stuff I didn’t really agree to because they said “well, you don’t want to end up with a dead baby” “I wanted to say something. I knew what […]
READ THE POST
More from Around the Site
featured posts:
When I was 23, I didn’t spend the summer partying or going to the beach or even getting a summer job like everyone else I knew. I spent it studying. In secret with a wierd mixture of curiosity and shame. I could tell you it’s because I ama nerd. Always have been, It’s not the […]
READ THE POST
More from Around the Site
On the Air
Mum as You Are Podcast
Mum as You are is my bite sized, unfancy and unplanned podcast. In weekly episodes of 15 minutes or less, I share a roadmap for finding your way back to self-compassion.
My Services
I specialise in birth trauma and perinatal mental health. I also write books, create courses & provide clinical supervision & business mentoring.
Get my newsletter
Get business & life shortcuts & game-changing tools for visibility & confidence. I integrate mothering, mental health & a spot of whimsy.
I love getting pen pals! Slow down, breathe & delight in my random, whimisical stories.
