ADVERSITY

Our nation of youths have really had a rough time this week and throughout the whole year in the 'Class of 2020' and as a parent myself of both an A level and GCSE student this year - it has been quite an extraordinary rollercoaster of events. We have all been through immense personal and professional trauma since March and the shock and trials and tribulations have given us back time and patience and stillness with inner reflection, perspective and establishing what is truly important in our own lives.

Family, friends, health and getting outdoors have featured strongly for the masses and now the 'new normal' is enabling us to dine on pimped up al-fresco terraces and to seek sun and solace from our troubled existence and some have been lucky enough to escape to far flung climes before quarantine has cramped their style.

Gratitude helps us for the little things and predominantly for health and the podcast that I co-founded and host present - The Influential Women Podcast always uplifts me to interview and focus on my inspirational and motivational guests who are thrivers and survivors. Their real-life stories about their own influences, their challenges and setbacks, life lessons and life hacks and mantras for how they live their lives whether authors or broadcasters, campaigners or advocates or community spokespeople - it really brings a new mindset and perspective to the listener. I learn something every time I speak to them and take a gift literally from their presence and their wisdom, even online rather than my previous face to face interviews and although I miss the energy of face to face I still am grateful to get contentment and wonder from the thoughts from every female guest. We have had so many uplifting guests who have shared how to deal with trauma, ill health, captivity and confidence and how to pick yourself up and appreciate what is right infront of you.

I personally had emergency life-saving surgery only literally a fortnight ago and the perspective it gave me after the initial shock has made me appreciate my incredible children and their and my health and everything that is right in front of me even more than I did before. I also now have an even greater respect for the selflessness of the NHS staff and key workers and how they just want to be truly human in making you feel better - I thanked them on a feature on my local BBC Radio Suffolk station and dedicated a feature and a music track to them as the angels that they are.

Life is precious, friends are gifts and kindness is rare but essential, everyone is stressed and family is paramount but establishing some flow-time for your own self-care, to take time to indulge yourself and even get outdoors or think about how and why you feel what life is throwing at you and how you process it and come back from it and 'keep on keeping on' is what it is all about with resilience, strength, fortitude and patience.

Partner with us with our podcast, join our tribe of listeners on all podcasting platforms searching for The Influential Women podcast and even help us grow by becoming a Patreon or advertiser/sponsor to support us taking the production to a bigger audience as part of the radio and audio show. I have followed my passion for radio and audio and been hosting and guest presenting on several new health and wellbeing shows in lockdown and am currently seeking new health and wellbeing and empowering female brand sponsors and other corporates who are wanting to align on these essential values of health and wellbeing for their staff and to give back to inspire, heal, help and lift others for what truly matters in overcoming adversity.

Together we are stronger. Take care everybody and make every day and minute count.