One of the benefits of writing regular blogs – which I have been doing on and off since December 2011 – is that you can scroll through your archive and get a glimpse into your mindset at particular points in your story.
This is what I wrote in June 2012, in the run-up to the London Olympics: “I sense that I’m not alone in feeling that 2012 is a momentous year, one in which people are starting to do what they really want to do and be who they are meant to be… As I continue along my path, the direction I’ve taken has not necessarily been the one I mapped out when I took my first step. I thought I’d always be a writer, not a speaker, but that perception is shifting.”
I was right – 2012 was indeed a momentous year, for the country as well as for me personally. The London Olympics were a spectacular success. There was a huge upswelling of national pride, and even the media was full of good news for those two precious weeks. In hindsight, we were experiencing Peak Great Britain.
I felt the upswell myself – especially as, at that time, I lived in a road that was filled with cheerful Olympics volunteers ushering people towards the equestrian events in London’s Greenwich Park. They created a cocoon of joy and optimism that I was only to happy to be inside.
And God knows I needed it to offset the desolation I was feeling. I’d separated from my husband that June, and he wanted to leave before the Olympics started. He moved out the day before the opening ceremony.
Immersing myself in the emotional highs and lows of the London Olympics helped me to navigate a very difficult time in my life. And I discovered it is possible to feel grief and joy simultaneously.
But there was another, much more positive reason that 2012 was a momentous year. As I hinted at in my pre-Olympics blog, that was when I embarked on my unexpected journey to becoming a speaker, storyteller and public speaking coach and trainer.
Tears and triumphs
Four years later, having gone through the harrowing process of getting divorced, I found myself in the highs and lows again – enjoying the triumphs of Rio 2016, but grieving the loss of my sister-in-law, who passed away a few days before it started.
Now here I am, watching the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics and revelling in the triumphs of Team GB – especially Tom Daley and Adam Peaty. Again I’m experiencing such a strange mix of emotions – pride, joy, sadness, grief – remembering London 2012 and Rio 2016 as I shed tears over these incredible stories unfolding on TV.
We all have these markers in life – public events that coincide with personal struggles. The Olympics happen to be one of mine. While our elite athletes take giant strides, I take baby steps in processing the past and moving forward with my life.
I find it so interesting that, in the nine years since I began my adventures in public speaking, I’m now coming back to that point I mentioned in my June 2012 blog: “I thought I’d always be a writer.”
Even though I’m still happily playing in the public speaking arena, I have returned with renewed vigour to my first love – writing.
It’s fascinating to observe, in hindsight, that my foray into the spoken word was not a path that would take me in a totally different direction – it was necessary in order for me to reconnect with my passion for the written word.
Now that’s what I call a full circle moment.
Why it’s worth forming a blog habit
I often look back at my old blogs and rediscover insights, or realise that I’ve had an idea for a new blog that either repeats or builds on a theme I’ve explored before.
In the blog that I wrote before the London Olympics, I believed that 2012 was the year for people to “do what they really want to do and be who they are meant to be”. It turns out that I was at the start of that process, and I’m still figuring out who I’m meant to be. A writer is definitely part of who I’m meant to be, and more writing is what I really want to do.
But it’s so useful to have this reference point – it helps me to track my progress and evolution through the cycles of life.
Have you formed a blog habit? If not, would you like to? If so, what’s stopping you?
Perhaps you too can be inspired by the Olympics to start keeping a record of your own highs and lows. I promise you it’s worth it.
And we are reaping the benefits of you returning to writing Beverley. I enjoy reading your blogs and appreciate your honest and heartfelt opinions.
Thanks so much – I appreciate your kind feedback.
I just found your blog today and have been reading through your entries! First, ill say that I love and appreciate your writing style. As a university student, much of what I read on a day to day basis is AI generated and written in the most concise and efficient way. I forgot what it felt like to read something written by a human. I’ve never met you, but it I can feel you through the screen.
I’m a research and innovations designer and I write summaries, key insight, design criteria for the projects I work on (so much of what i write doesn’t speak to what I believe, but what the data is telling). For my senior portfolio, I’m challenging myself to write and figure out what I, as a designer, believe. I really resonated with the feelings you communicated in 2012. I’m not sure what I want to do within art yet, but I’m starting to feel I can and want to do more that just uncover opportunities for companies and brands to exploit and create profit.
I don’t know what my future will look like or how I will apply my thoughts, but this blog entry inspires me to continue to write how I feel. It won’t only allow me to track my progress, but it allows me to section of time where I can focus on exploring what I think.
I just found your comment today and am so touched by your kind words! Thank you for finding my blog and taking the time to send me this message. How amazing that you can feel me through the screen – I can’t think of a better endorsement of my style of writing. Wishing you all the best with your writing. Always write from the heart and be human!