You may remember that I ran a workshop recently called ‘Fine To Fabulous’ with Jennie HK (pictured with me above). Well, quite a large chunk of the workshop involved the women in the group defining where their dissatisfaction lay and what they would commit to doing in order to improve that area of their life. One of the participants, Louise, bravely admitted she wanted to be a writer and today I am very excited to attach to this blog her first piece of writing which has been submitted to a magazine for publication. I am incredibly impressed with how quickly Louise has put her desire to write into action and so grateful that she chose to write so glowingly about our workshop.
And, a big thank-you to Tara for taking the image above to accompany the article. www.photographybytaraandclaire.com
Here it is! Written by Louise Medhurst: loumedhurst@gmail.com
Here we are at the beginning of February – and what of our new year’s resolutions? Gone out with the recycling? Most of mine have. The exercise regime fell away by the second week of the year, and wine passed my lips shortly thereafter. I have, however, kept one promise to myself, and that is to try and get myself out of my rut of mediocrity.
On the one hand I have the “perfect” life – beautiful home, supportive husband, two healthy and happy children, but on the other a deep-rooted dissatisfaction. I haven’t done a days paid work in years, my career never really happened and I have never identified exactly what it is I want to do. I want to get out of the everything is fine mind set into something altogether more positive, more fabulous, more inspired.
The first step towards my resolution was taken when a friend suggested I might like to check out a new workshop called Fine to Fabulous – Give Yourself Permission to Shine! I did just that, and signed up straight away. So, a couple of weeks ago, I turned up at the stunning, Alexander House Hotel, near Gatwick Airport, unsure of what I was going to learn or experience, but crucially, with an open mind.
The workshop was run by two local businesswomen, Katie Phillips of Daring and Mighty and Jennie HK of The Lifestyle Design Studio. Two smart women who had had exciting careers before becoming mums. “We woke up one day to discover we had lost our shine,” explained Katie. “Our confidence had taken a battering and we felt that our options were suddenly limited. Independently we invested a lot of time and money searching to understand why we felt the way we did and what we could do about it.”
“Naturally the why and the way forward was different for each of us but the fundamentals behind the process was the same. The beauty of the process is that it can be applied to whatever area of your life that you want to focus on. Initially for me it was a stronger sense of self and for Jennie, her career”.
Jennie continued, “so many women give up good careers when their children come along, and although their children are their primary focus and all consuming, lots of women feel they have lost some of their identity and their sparkle. We’re all about reclaiming that sparkle and putting some pep back into your life. Go on, just dare yourself to be amazing again.
“We chose the gorgeous hotel because quite frankly our clients deserve it. We wanted everyone to feel that they were treating themselves to some adult time in a child-free environment.”
If I’m honest, I was a little nervous when I arrived. Sitting within a group of strangers, laying your heart on the line certainly doesn’t come easily to me. I shouldn’t have worried. We were set some homework before we arrived, the results served as both an icebreaker and an introduction. Some had lived through appalling tragedy and experienced devastating heartbreak and others, like myself, were just out of sorts and wanted to seize control of their lives back.
Jennie and Katie guided us through the day with a combination of theory, practice, meditation, role-playing and hands on creativity. We were taught techniques to help us channel negative energy and make it work for us in a positive way. “There is just so much to cover in this area, Katie and I deliberately designed the workshop as a foundation on which our clients can grow and develop, either through further work and courses with Katie and I, or on their own, said Jennie.”
Katie summed up, “it was the first Fine to Fabulous workshop and we were both surprised and delighted at the depth of reaction from our clients. There was plenty of laughter and many tears throughout the day, but to see the change in all of us was really rewarding.”
From my own perspective, I definitely left Alexander House with a renewed and revived sense of purpose. Although it is obvious now, in everything we do, we have a choice. We can react to that choice, or respond to it. By choosing to respond I am experiencing greater clarity and more sense of purpose. My relationship with my children is strengthening and I am excited about what is round the corner. I no longer am happy to accept “fine” as a way of life. I want something more and with the techniques I learnt, am working towards it – starting with this article.
I was not alone in feeling this shift in myself, Paula Thompson agreed, “I learned so much more about myself, and how to live in the now. I feel so determined to change things in my relationship and not to carry on coasting along for an easy life. You reminded us how to do the simple things.”
The self-development industry continues to grow. Schools have started introducing certain elements into the curriculum. I therefore urge you to keep an open mind and try it. The Fine to Fabulous workshop is a pretty good place to start. As Katie and Jennie say, “You are a unique and beautiful person. Accept it and believe it – give yourself permission to shine.”
Next Fine to Fabulous workshop, Alexander House Hotel, Monday 20th February, £137
