Well, finally 2017 is over, and not a moment too soon.
The year started well for me, with a fabulous training course in March, which allowed me to teach Kinetic Shift, a technique that can be used with or without hypnosis to transform some very stubborn problems powerfully and quickly.
At the end of June, I attended a course on Thought Field Therapy (TFT), or Tapping, with the wonderful Janet Thomson of ‘The Placebo Diet’. Lovely course and hugely inspiring.
The first Kinetic Shift course my colleague Dan and I ran in July was great fun and a momentous success, although it was damn hard work.
The day after the training was my birthday, for which I planned a relaxing day, and packing for the holiday booked for the following day.
On the morning of my birthday, I received a phone call from my Mother, informing me she wasn’t well. She sounded more than just ‘not well’, she was panicking. She is normally quite independent, and as an elderly widow copes admirably and stays active.
This particular morning it sounded rather urgent, so I dropped my plans and headed over to Manchester. I found her in an emotional state having had a bad fall a few weeks previously, and still having difficulty moving around like she used to, having lost confidence to do so.
My sister was away on holiday, I was about to go away for a week, and she had just learned that her next-door neighbour who is a nurse and pops in to see her regularly, was also going away for a few days. She had a panic attack, but also insisted there was something physically wrong and the doctor was called. The doctor did see her and assured her there was nothing wrong beyond the usual age-related problems she had been suffering, rheumatism and such, but Mum was afraid to be left alone.
I had to cancel my much needed holiday, and spent 3 weeks with her. That is never an easy situation at the best of times. During this time, there were 2 trips to A&E, resulting in tests and scans. Eventually, it was discovered that there was some damage to her neck (possibly from the fall that she refused to get treatment for), resulting in an operation. Thankfully, the op was a success and she is recovering well.
Meanwhile, I had lost focus on my business and my drive to continue building on the work I had been doing to re-establish myself since moving from Somerset to Leeds 2 ½ years ago was taking more energy than I had left.
Mum had paid for us to book another holiday. The first one wasn’t insured as we were off to stay with friends in Germany, then to Cologne for the Amphi Festival. So we re-booked a ‘Relax in the warmth by the beach in November’ instead, to get some energy back. Unfortunately, Monarch went out of business a month before we were due to travel. Still waiting for the insurance, I scraped together, borrowed and attacked credit cards to got to Fuerteventura. I NEEDED A HOLIDAY.
And the holiday was wonderful. Sunshine, sea, sangria, good food, and rest.
Back home in the normal world still working on advertising and building up my client list. I moved to a different clinic in October, which is far more appropriate for my clients. A beautiful purpose-suited clinic in the city centre.
Meanwhile I am focused on bringing my marketing into the digital age. Not a natural transition for me having been a therapist in business 20 years. I started when websites for small business were a new ‘thing’, and my local ‘Town Crier’ was where I placed my adverts. And I was busy!
Now most things are done online, and much online is via video.
Not helpful when your internet is really slow.
So I have come to a decision.
I am going to spend less time on Facebook, reading Facebook, updating Facebook, feeling pressured to attend courses advertised on Facebook, responding to Facebook and running my business with Facebook. There is so much posted, it is a distraction.
I will spend more time and energy keeping my website up to date.
There, that feels better.
During this trying 6 months, a beautiful lady who was to marry a good friend of mine lost her life at only 44. I had only known her a short time, but I am devastated, as is he.
Things need to be put into perspective. It has obviously been a trying year for me personally, but I do have somewhere to call home. I enjoy reasonable health, and I see positive things in my future both in business, and socially.
On a very PLUS note, in December I was invited to a reunion with friends from 37ish years ago. The club ‘Pip’s’ In Manchester was where I spent many a Saturday night dancing to the likes of David Bowie and Roxy Music. Three of the original DJs were present, doing their DJ thing. I got to catch up with some of my ‘old’ crowd. Planning to meet up with them again, and some of the others who couldn’t make it. What a fantastic way to end the year.