I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest with You

Consider the boundaries you need to conserve your energy and operate at your best.

And then, knowing I could meet my needs and stop listening at any time, I felt a freedom to listen. I wanted to listen.

She was being polite and kind to be polite and kind, which meant she wasn’t being polite and kind. We abandon our needs as well as that of our friends by turning up dishonourably. I truly believe that if we knew someone was coming to meet us in those circumstances, we would be deeply offended.

joy is in the doing, not the finishing.

If we’re designed to be loved and connected

Hang on, I seem to be starting my book at the end. I may not be the greatest literary mind, but even I know the best way to start a book might be from the beginning.

Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others. Anytime we can listen to true self and give the care it requires, we do it not only for ourselves but for the many others whose lives we touch.

If we’d stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time.

I’m sure a week or two of rest and you’ll be fine.’ When you try resting for weeks every few months and nothing changes, that gets a little wearisome. However,

Nature trusts the process. And a great reward of surrender is to learn that recovery of any kind is a process. [...]. We don't have to constantly try to control our circumstances and berate ourselves for not being better in each moment. We are a process. Loved just by being alive as we are right now.

Joy and play are genuine ways to keep healthy, fight disease and prolong your life

Looking towards joy is the most important of rewiring the stress response

It's play that recharges and restores

And a timetable means I’m super relaxed hosting because, for example, I’ve said before people arrive that I want them out by 9.30 pm so I can go to bed. Such freedom. At 9.25 pm, if they’re looking too comfortable, I start shouting, ‘Open the Uber app, please!’ A friend of mine plays ‘Climb Ev’ry Mountain’ very loudly when she’s hit a wall of overwhelm and wants people to leave. They know she’s serious and they all have a massive sing-along as they head to the door. Genius!

But I am someone who wants to tear down the curtain and see the real play as soon as possible.