I want to talk about books. Not just any old books - I mean the books that either sit on your shelves, unloved and unread, or the books that you keep for years after you’ve first read them, waiting to be called to them once more. One of the books that had languished unread on my shelves for some time was Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. I bought it years ago when it was … [Read more...] about Discovering a new story in the pages of an old book
BLOG
The thrill of appearing outside yourself
There’s no getting away from the fact that I was a shy child. All through my school years my reports praised my conscientiousness and good standard of work but repeatedly criticised me for not speaking up. A typical comment was: “Beverley is a quiet girl who would benefit from participating more in class discussions.” My teachers didn’t seem to consider my shyness might be a factor in this, or … [Read more...] about The thrill of appearing outside yourself
I hurt, therefore I’m telling a story…
In the early part of 2012 I was churning out a blog every day. But when an emotional tsunami hit me in June of that year, I barely wrote a word. However, there was one piece that did emerge around that time, about the nature of suffering. I was certainly suffering at the time, so I have a useful benchmark. I know that I am not suffering now. But the understanding that suffering is just a story … [Read more...] about I hurt, therefore I’m telling a story…
How I changed my life with my own breath
When you come across a therapy that is measurably life-changing, you want to shout it from the rooftops. And, trust me, I rarely describe anything as life-changing. So here’s the thing: breath work changed my life. So much so that I have now qualified as a Breath4Life™ Breath Work practitioner to help other people change their lives. It’s not easy to put into words how powerful this process … [Read more...] about How I changed my life with my own breath
Why it’s important to share your authentic leadership story
You may have heard of Sheryl Sandberg. She's the COO of Facebook and in 2010 she was invited to give a talk at TED - the conference where thought-leaders share their one big idea. She decided to call it Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders. "I was planning to give a speech chock full of facts and figures, and nothing personal," Sandberg recently acknowledged. So far, so predictable. Had she … [Read more...] about Why it’s important to share your authentic leadership story
Why I co-founded The Story Party
I believe there's no such thing as an ordinary life. And, like Christina Baldwin, the eloquent author of Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives Through the Power and Practice of Story, I take delight in the "subtle magnificence of ordinary people". I also believe that it's vital for magnificently "ordinary" people to share their stories. As Baldwin says, "We require story in order to link our … [Read more...] about Why I co-founded The Story Party