Fairytales

Many moons ago a little girl was born with sparkly blue eyes. She was smart and special, but that wasn't what she was told. Or how she felt inside. So, slowly but surely she started to hide her light so that nobody could see her.

Time marched on and she lost her way walking deeper and deeper into the forest. The glimmer of hope in 'weight loss' caught her attention. 'Surely that must be the right path', she said, 'everyone seems to be doing it'. So she followed that path for many years. Every time she lost weight it found her again. But losing weight didn't make her feel any brighter.

She lost days, weeks, months, years trying to find her way to the edge of the forest. She did not know which way to turn. She'd tried everything. 'There's just no way out', she sighed.

Then one day she stumbled across a book seemingly waiting for her beside the path. That book was to change her life and remind her of that little light inside. She started to do the food and something wonderful started to happen. She began to notice the birds singing and could see the sunrays through the mist of the morning. 'Surely they weren't there before', she asked quizzically, to nobody in particular.

Time passed and she travelled further and further down that path. It just felt right. Before long she could see that she was nearing the edge of the forest. It started to open up right in front of her very eyes. There was a sign in the distance which she could barely make out. It pointed towards the village of ‘Freedom’. She had made her way out of the forest!

On the way to the village she could feel the warmth of the sun on her face and she began to glow. She saw for the first time that she had choices, she had ALWAYS had choices, but it was so much easier to give her power away and stay small. That way she could not be held accountable. She had never listened to her *self* before. ‘What if I were to listen and find out what *I* really want’, she asked.

So she started to really listen. And take notice of what she wanted out of life. Not just take notice, but take action. She no longer hides in the forest as Freedom is such a beautiful place to live. And her big blue eyes have started to sparkle again.

To be continued…

All right!

It'll be all right.  And if it isn't, it'll STILL be all right.

There was a time when I would have laughed at that phrase.  Can you not remember, Sparkles, those dark times when you would flare up at the slightest noise/look/whatever and the world would fall apart?  It didn't take a lot to dissolve into a sobbing heap on the floor - all because I'd run out of milk or other such crime.

But the more I do the food, the more it's coming true.  And that's all right by me!

Home again, home again

Well, Maine was good - so gooooood!  I loved everything about it - the food, the company - oh and that beach :)  Well worth the 6,500 mile round-trip!

We meditated, talked, shopped and hung out.  It was incredibly restorative.  There was time for reflection and time for just being.  I swear time slowed down while I was there - we seemed to fit so much in without it being overwhelming.

Being home feels different this year.  To be honest, I think everything feels different right now.  I am very much in the flow and know that I can handle it - whatever 'it' happens to be.  I don't think I've felt like this before.

I'm sleeping a lot - I know it's not just jetlag LOL.  On the surface it looks as though we just ate and drew, but I think we did much more than that!

Recovery, and spending time with people who get it - you just can't beat it.

A journey

There I was, heart in my mouth as I climbed aboard the train for the first time.  It was a big deal.  I had never travelled on my own before, so this was going to be interesting.  How old was I?  18 and travelling to college interviews?  Nope - my Dad took me to those - try twenty years later than that!

I left for the first Radiant Recovery Brits lunch in London full of trepidation but with more than a little help and persuasion from some very supportive step 7ers.  Thankfully, I was met by a welcoming committee - if I had had to negotiate the underground on my own I do believe I would have stayed at home that day.  I had such a wonderful time with people who 'get it'.

It's funny how doing the food allows horizons to be broadened.  Two years later I was in a taxi on the way to the airport.  I flew to Amsterdam on my own and then on to Boston with two fellow step 7 friends for a seminar.  I haven't looked back, well, unless my timings get a bit wonky or I start dreaming of gluten free bread that is!

It's a heck of a journey, but I'm so grateful for it!!