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Hard to be believe but there was a time when I had forgotten what made me happy! It’s a distant memory but one that repeats in my head as it was a time of great transformation in my life. Here’s just a snippet of one of the things that helped my journey.

After being at home with the kids for 12 years, I felt exhausted, fed up, bored and, if I’m honest, I wasn’t really sure who I was anymore. I know it’s the same for many women!

I knew something had to change, but I didn’t know what.

One day I spotted an £8 Groupon deal for a Bellydance Bootcamp!!
I loved dancing, so I decided to be brave and go..on my own!
I was nervous. I remember telling myself that if I saw lots of young, slim women, I’d turn around and leave. 😂

But I walked through that door… and everything changed.

I discovered something that was just for me.

I made friends. I started looking forward to my classes every week. I became more confident, I loved moving my body and, most importantly, I was having fun again.

Over the next 6 or 7 years, belly dancing became such a huge part of my life. I performed on stage, challenged myself and even wrote about my journey as a guest writer in a book.

I don’t go to classes anymore (must start some form of dancing again) but I’ll always be grateful for what it gave me at that time.
It gave me back a little bit of joy.
And sometimes that’s all it takes.
One little thing that makes you smile.
One thing you do purely because you enjoy it.
One moment where you remember you!
So maybe ask yourself today:
What used to bring me joy? And is there a little piece of that joy I can bring back into my life?

When was the last time you did something just because you enjoyed it?

Not because it was productive.
Not because someone else needed you to.
Not because it was something you should be doing.

Just because you wanted to.

Maybe it’s dancing in your kitchen, meeting a friend, picking up an old hobby, going for a walk, listening to music or simply sitting with your favourite cup of tea.

Ask yourself today:

“What brings me joy — and when did I last make time for it?”

Sometimes reclaiming joy starts with something really small.

Forgiveness was really really hard for me, but not any more. I’ve learned so much about letting go.

There are people in my life who have hurt me deeply. And I won’t lie, there have also been times when I’ve hurt others. I suppose that’s part of being human.

For a long time, I carried the pain, anger and resentment. I replayed what people had said, how they had said it, what they meant by it… and it became consuming.

Until I realised something.

The person suffering the most was actually me.

What someone said or did was on them. It was a reflection of where they were at that moment.

And then I realised… vice versa.

How many times have I said or done something I shouldn’t have because I was angry, hurt, upset or going through a difficult time?

That doesn’t make what happened right. But learning to see things from another person’s perspective, and having compassion for their humanity (and my own), helped me let go.

Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting or saying it was okay.

Sometimes it simply means choosing to leave the hurt behind, so you can move forward without carrying the weight of it.

We are all human. We all make mistakes. And sometimes forgiveness is something we need to give ourselves too.

Forgiveness doesn’t always mean forgiving someone else.
Sometimes, the person we need to forgive is ourselves.
For the mistake we made.
For the time we stayed too long.
For the things we wish we’d done differently.
For not knowing then what we know now.
We can be so hard on ourselves for the choices we made in the past, forgetting that we made them with the knowledge, experience and circumstances we had at the time.

So today, ask yourself:

“What would change if I stopped judging my past self and started showing her a little more compassion?”

You’ve heard the saying many times “just forgive & forget” or ”forgive and move on”
Forgiveness doesn’t mean saying what happened was okay.
It doesn’t mean forgetting.
It doesn’t mean allowing someone to hurt you again.
Sometimes forgiveness is simply deciding that you don’t want what happened to have a permanent place in your heart.
You can acknowledge the hurt.
You can learn from it.
You can choose your boundaries.
And you can still decide to let go of the anger you’re carrying.
Forgiveness isn’t always about them.
Sometimes it’s about giving yourself permission to move forward. 🤍

Looking after yourself doesn’t have to be complicated.
Some days it’s a nourishing meal.
Some days it’s a walk in nature.
Some days it’s an early night.
Next time you’re making a choice, ask yourself:

“Will this nourish me?”

Not just your body…
But your mind.
Your energy.
Your soul.
Small choices, made consistently, often have the biggest impact. 💚

We spend so much time trying to change our bodies
Lose weight
Get fitter
Look younger

But what if we started with gratitude instead?
What if we thanked our bodies for everything they do before asking them to do more?
A healthier relationship with our bodies often begins with a kinder conversation.

I’ve always been a people pleaser!

Looking back, I think a lot of it came from how I was brought up. Growing up, I don’t remember anyone talking about boundaries. I just remember feeling that keeping everyone happy was the right thing to do.
The truth is, I genuinely love helping people. It brings me joy to support others, and I don’t think that part of me will ever change.
But as I’ve got older, I’ve realised something…
Helping everyone can sometimes mean neglecting yourself.

I’ve become much better at protecting my time and energy, although those people-pleasing tendencies still pop up now and again. I still find it hard to say no, especially when I know someone genuinely needs help.

These days, before I say yes, I pause and ask myself:
Am I helping because I truly want to… or because I’d feel guilty if I didn’t?
That one question has changed so much for me.
Looking back, I don’t regret being kind.
I don’t regret helping people.
I just wish I’d realised sooner that I didn’t have to lose myself in the process.
Kindness and boundaries can exist together. I’m still learning that every day.
Has anyone else found setting boundaries difficult?

Before you say yes… pause.

Ask yourself:

• Do I have the time?

• Do I have the energy?

• Am I saying yes because I want to… or because I’d feel guilty?

That 10-second pause can make all the difference.
Sometimes the healthiest boundary isn’t saying no.
It’s giving yourself permission to pause before you say yes.

Every time we say yes, we’re saying no to something else.
It might be our time.
Our energy.
Our peace.

For years, I thought having boundaries meant being selfish.
Now I see them differently.
Boundaries aren’t about shutting people out.
They’re about making sure there’s enough of you left for the people and things that matter most… including yourself.