From my heart to yours as you leave home.

Day 14 (Wednesday 14th December 2016)

14 major earthquakes (with magnitudes of 7 or above on the Richter Scale) 

have occurred during 2016 (compared with 19 in 2015, 12 in 2014 and 19 in 2013).

The worst earthquake of the year, with a magnitude of 7.8, occurred in Ecuador 

on 16th April (see photo) - with a death toll of 673. The second most devastating for 

human life, although only 6.2 in magnitude, was in Italy, 

on August 24th, and resulted in the death of 299 people.

What amazing blogs we have shared to date, full of highs, lows and love. Today's is one brimming with maternal devotion - a piece written by Maggie Marriott: it is a personal message to her two daughters (who are both now away at university). Maggie proposed all her own pictures and you might like to know that the drawings were actually done by her daughters to whom this post is addressed.

Maggie is a leadership coach and business consultant and the owner of the Gloucester-based organisational change consultancy Enki. She specialises in designing bespoke solutions for organisations that need or wish for change and has a personal flair for delivering difficult messages and working with troubled leaders. Maggie is a highly qualified Gestalt practitioner (she won the British Gestalt Journal Essay Prize for 2015) and she believes in enabling humane change via the approaches she devises. Being highly analytical and systematic, Maggie commenced her career as an IT programmer and worked for many years in the Public sector moving from a technical team leader to a business change specialist. Maggie believes in supporting and encouraging others; since 2014 she has been a mentor for the Aspire Foundation. You can connect with Maggie on Twitter - her handle is @maggiermarriott. When not working or helping people, Maggie is a voracious reader and relishes learning and gaining new experiences. I think the advice she provides below gives a good feel for Maggie and the way she views life.

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From my heart to yours as you leave home

On love…..

Never let gender, race or religion limit your love for someone.

Your heart will be broken and you may break hearts. Love anyway.

Some people will be in your life for just a short time. It’s ok.

Choose curiosity instead of judgement

On the future….

You don’t need to know what to do in the future, just take the next step and new choices will emerge.

If you don’t make a mess you won’t make anything. Take risks. Make a mess.

Say yes to as many things as you can and say no when it feels right.

Make sure you can always look yourself in the mirror

On being human…

You’ll get things wrong. Forgive yourself.

Listen to your body; it’s always talking to you.

Eating a little bit of what you fancy does you good.

If you like what someone’s wearing or what they’re doing, tell them. Tell them now, even if you don’t know them.

And always know…

I will be here for you if you call, ready to help you fly high again.

Silent Nights and Untravelled Paths - Day 43

Day 43 (12th January 2015)

43AD - London was founded by the Romans

It was intended to be a communications hub, just above the tidal stretch of the Thames

Picture - an aerial view of Roman London or Londinium by Pat Nicolle

Today's post comes from the wonderful Janine Baillie-Stewart who lives and works in Cape Town, South Africa. She has a BA in Psychology and has made an excellent career for herself in HR. She is acknowldedged as on of South Africa's most social HR professionals (she and I met via Twitter, her handle is @JanineBS. We failed to meet up IRL at a tweetup when I was last in Cape Town due to family illness - but I look forward to next time.)

She writes a delightful blog about life, work and the things that matter to her.

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"Silent Night, Holy Night.."

My Dad's voice rings out on Christmas Eve. He would start singing carols and slowly cajole the whole family to join in. As a young girl I was always torn between singing along and wanting to stay outside and peer into the dark summer sky, hoping to see Santa's sleigh.

Many years later, I am the parent and my girls are all grown up and know that Santa is not real.

Father Christmas cooling off near Cape Town

This year I pause and reflect on the path of my life.

From childhood to adulthood.

Finishing High School I had no idea what I wanted to become. At some point I yearned to be an astronomer, but discovered that with my average Maths mark that would not be possible. 

Female astronaut, by Sarah Dworak 

I do not recall any burning ambition about what I wanted my life to be like. I went to University hoping I would discover my deepest passion.

And then life happened.

I have written before of a number of tipping points in my life.

My Mom died when I was 13, so my teenage years were extremely turbulent. Suffice to say that I was rebellious, outspoken with strong views on almost everything. My Dad called me (and still does) Number 7 - named after a donkey on a TV show from the 80's. The donkey's character was as stubborn as hell, hence my nickname.

Mad Jack and # 7 in TV series Grizzly Adams

At University my Dad was convinced I would become a political activist but strangely enough I mellowed out enjoying the freedom of early adulthood and the creative friendships which are synonymous with student life.

Then marriage and two children. My wonderful girls who mean the world to me. My life would be barren without them. I marvel how both are becoming wonderful young ladies.



3 Beautiful Baillie-Stewarts

My second tipping point was my divorce. My first real experience of failure. I never ever expected that I would fall into the category of "Divorced".

Those who have shared a similar experience will vouch for the embarrassment, self degradation,  sense of failure and torment which go with a divorce. Your perception of self is rocked to its very core. Although the stigma of divorce is much less these days, one still finds people who judge and perceive you as "different".

I am now grateful for my divorce as it altered my view of life completely.

Perceptions of what success, a good life and being true to oneself changed. Slowly, I cared less what the soccer moms thought and cared more about what I thought.

Decision making went from "we" to "me". I needed to discover what was important to me. A realisation that, to this point in my life, I had not yet defined what I wanted out of life.

A journey of self discovery began. A path not traveled yet.

My third tipping point was a massive career change. I had many lessons to learn from this too. Through this period I slowly began to understand that I am not defined by the work I do. I encountered HR colleagues who coached me through this transition. A wonderful community of people who understand. I found support in dear friends and those who know me.

It has taken me a long while to realise that it is OK to not do mail at night. To switch off and to do the things which give me pleasure. I am not my job. It is something I do and it gives me great joy but life is more than 9 to 5.

Better balance

I have found my love for travel. Experiences more than things. Adventures in strange countries with my daughters are a constant source of energy and enlightenment for me.

The path is not yet done and I am sure my perceptions of what matters will continue to change and evolve.

This path traveled is mine. 

This year I plan to sing "Silent Night, Holy Night" and get my girls to join in.

Silent Night sung by Sinead O'Connor, 2007