Self Worth, A Thank You & A Cancellation ??????

How has your fortnight been??

This is a fairly lengthy?newsletter, so feel free to jump sections...

1. I forgot to Thank Phil,

2.? Sedrick's Adventures in Hopeland,

3. Katie, A New?Chapter,

4. Cancellation of author talk,

5. In other news.

...or grab a cuppa and have a read through all of them. ??

As always, please feel free to share what's happening in your world with me by responding to this email.

What's been happening in my world?

It's been a weird couple of weeks.? I've been angry.? I don't get angry but I was triggered by something. I also felt excited, happy and joyful so it wasn't all doom and gloom, it just made me realise many things about myself.??

I have been undervaluing myself.? I've allowed myself to be a doormat.? I like to think I'm a nice person and I'll help anyone whenever and however I can, but when companies want your services for free, it's time to draw the line.?

I looked up self-worth in the Collins English Dictionary and this jumped out at me.?

Unaccountable Noun

Self-worth is the feeling that you have good qualities and have achieved good things.

Try not to link your sense of self-worth to the opinions of others.

Especially this bit.???????.?

I hate letting people down, but I also know I have to get better at setting boundaries. I'm good at what I do and I realise I've lived in fear for so long that I had lost sight of who I am.

Do you sometimes feel like this?

I went to an exercise class earlier in the week and we did a lot of work around energy.? Another trigger as I realised my energy had been depleted.? Luckily Barry did a fabulous breathing exercise to help us all replenish our energy so I do that every day now.?

If you are feeling a little off-kilter, take a moment to try this:

1. Sit quietly and try to relax,
2. Slowly breathe in through your nose to a count of 4,
3. Hold the breath for a count of 4,
4. Breathe out through your mouth for a count of 5,
5. Repeat until you feel calmer.

If you enjoyed this little breathing exercise and you would like to try a short guided meditation please click here.

(This meditation is taken from my debut novel, Katie A New Chapter .)

I hope this helps.

Now, on with the newsletter.?

1. I Forgot to Thank Phil!

How bad am I??

Lost in the excitement of having Katie, A New Chapter now published as an audiobook , I forgot to thank Phil for the use of his studio . The atmosphere there is wonderful and Phil is so helpful and accommodating.? Thank you, Phil .

2. Sedrick's Adventures in Hopeland

Here's another snippet and illustration from Sedrick's Adventures in Hopeland

“What about education, the police, the forces and science?” Sedrick asked, unable to think of other important things but felt sure these were the main ones.

Sofia and Bart, still giggling to themselves, “We read, write and talk to each other, mainly, that’s how we learn.”

“But don’t you have teachers? Like, adult teachers?”

“Yes, they are all teachers. But I’ll let you into a little secret,” Sofia whispered in Sedrick’s ear, “the adults learn more from us than we do from them.”

“Don’t be silly, Sofia,”

“It’s true, isn’t it, Bart?”

“Sure is, we all do all the above, we all teach, we all learn. We all police and we’re all scientists.”

Sedrick loved the feel of the place. He had so many questions.

?Lisa M Billingham & Steph Pound

Please look Steph up and follow her on social media .

3. Katie, A New Chapter - Audiobook

The audiobook version, (narrated by me,)?of?Katie, A New Chapter ?is now available through most retailers. Audible takes longer to process but whatever your favoured streaming app is, Katie should be waiting for you there.?

Here are a few links to begin with.

Kobo , Nook audiobooks , Google Play ?&?Libro FM .

4. My Speaking

Stuff happens!

Unfortunately, this talk has had to be cancelled. When I originally booked to speak at Script Haven it wasn't a cocktail evening.? Sadly ticket sales haven't gone well so it has had to be cancelled.?

If you're even in the area though, do pop in, it's a lovely indie bookshop.

5. Creative Writing Workshops for Children

I had such a great time reading a snippet from Sedrick's Adventures in Hopeland to the children last week, that?I attended an online networking event for educators.? ?It?wasn't what I expected but it was fabulous.? I had a brilliant meeting afterwards with Adam Hatfield who was the speaker at this event.? Following this inspiring and enlightening meeting I have now put together workshops for schools.?

Email me for more information.

Finally...

I'm a multi-genre author, inspirational speaker and workshop facilitator. I run bespoke workshops in schools, businesses and prisons. For more information email [email protected]

Don't forget to share how you're doing with me.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my newsletter, please feel free to share it with anyone you think may benefit, or ask them to subscribe via my website.

Lots of Love, Light & Gratitude,

Lisa xxx ??????