On any journey we need our supporters and cheerleaders. Surround yourself with believers, with inspirational and courageous people, with explorers and star gazers, with people who have a growth mindset and are open to change. Steer clear of nay sayers and bubble bursters. Every morning it takes everything you have to gather up your strength to keep going. The last thing you need is negativity and fear: you are fighting off those demons on your own without having others add fuel to the fire. Say no thank you to unsolicited advice. Know deeply your own self. Be open to discussions with curiosity and compassion at their core. Many may want you to stay in the box they have placed you in. Jump out of the box if you want to make a change in your life. Some may get a fright. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter. As long as you are being true to yourself. Some may want to jump out of their own box and join you.
Be uplifted and guided by people who are wise and generous with their heart. Keep close those who know and understand you – your up side and your down side.
Find your tribe.
Equally important is becoming comfortable in solitude and our own company. This quiet is where we rest and restore. This sacred space is where we actually make the thing happen. No one else can do it for us at the end of the day. Whether it’s dealing with our demons or creating our offering to the world. It can be a bloody messy crazy place at times. We need to work through some shit on our own. The sense of empowerment, after moving through those times with our own inner resources, is life changing.
So, I just want to say a huge thank you to the people who have supported me in the last year (years) as I have emerged from one stage of my life to another.
Renee from Done By Nine
Design + Digital Marketing
Renee is a magic maker. Renee and Jordan saw what I was trying to do. It was a long search to find a marketing/website design company I aligned with but worth it. Renee has the patience of a saint, although I may have taken that to it’s limit after submitting a 169 page draft for the “About Me” section of my website and a 375 page document for the “My Story” section. The novel will come another day folks. Renee unwittingly became my part time therapist at times during the process. She will now probably need one of her own. We all need a good therapist/coach/mentor after all. Mostly though, it was such a fun process.
It’s important to find people who speak your language and Renee and Jordan do that. Better still, they learnt my language (which is a rather technically incompetent one). They worked with me as opposed to throwing their ego and jargon about all over the place. So much appreciation.
Laura Shallcrass
Illustrator
Illustrator of Beautiful things. Laura’s art celebrates nature’s beauty. Her works speak to and support mental health, preservation of the environment and female power. Values which all align with mine. I have been drinking out of one of Laura’s beautifully designed floral drink bottles for years. Now I get to enjoy her art every day here on my website. I hope you do too. From chrysalis to butterfly we emerge from the dark..…
Jodie James
Photographer
So great to use a local which is always where I choose to start. I remember when I lived up on a hill. The one with the view out to the Matukituki. I’d watch Jodie race down the quiet suburban street driving, at surely, a speed of at least 175kph. I wondered why she was always in such a hurry. I thought perhaps I should invite her inside to chill out at one of my meditation sessions. Jodie, I learnt later, was a part time fire fighter and had places to be. Total respect. I went to Jodie many years ago with an idea for a business: one of many, a cleaning/ home services company where the client has a choice of uniforms that they can request the housekeeper show up in. Happy fun onesie penguin outfit, military, French maid ….. It’s a great idea eh! If you would like to buy the rights please give me a call. Anyway, life took a turn and I never got to use her photographic and marketing services for that one. So it was wonderful to finally work with Jodie here for my website.
My friends and family
Who have had no idea what the f**k I’ve been up to. For those who have respected and understood this space that I have needed to be in. It’s so important to keep that energy close to your heart and to take care when and how you share it. Thank you to the few who have had a taste of this process and helped with various aspects. Thank you for the mountain walks, the 6 monthly coffee catch ups, the just always being there. Thank you.
To those who I have loved and learned from
Even when things turned to shit. It’s taken a lot of cultivation but I have managed to use that manure to fertilise the garden. I even found rose petals under the spade. Thank you. I would not be on this path if not for those lessons and experiences.
The Wānaka community
I love this place and have done since I first stood up at TC in 1984, a kea beside me, that view in front of me, the smell of snow in my nostrils, the taste of a cheese roll from the Dough Bin in my mouth. I love the familiar smiles and nods, the worn track of Mt Iron under my feet, the comfort of a community who are resilient, outdoor, environment, nature enthusiasts. The town has changed and is changing though, as all things do. 21 years is a long time. More on that another time.
Harry and Eva
My babies. I may now drown my keyboard in tears. Just because I love you so much. I so respect your values and how you choose to live your lives. We’ve been a team of three for most of the time. So many laughs and so much learning. A team of four, with Hamish your dad, even if you do go from house to house…
Special shout out to Eva who has been, and still is, my writing muse. The only one in NZ who I shared my Substack and other platforms of writing with. The One who sits and listens to my pages of random stories first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Your interest, attentive listening, and enthusiasm fuels me. Thank you baby.
Oh and thanks to me.
Adam Kay dedicates his book “This is Going to Hurt” to himself, “without whom this book would not have been possible.” I love that. I encourage everyone to pause and thank yourself for a moment. To look at what you have done in your life. To look for what you have to be grateful for.
Anyway I better stop here. It’s turning into a eulogy. But don’t you think it’s important to acknowledge those who have supported you and continue to support you on your journey, while you are still alive.