Are You a Confident Person? #MondayBlogs

Are you a confident person?  I have fleeting moments where I am one-hundred-per-cent certain of myself, but equally as many days when I feel unsure and anxious.  Wouldn’t it be lovely to wake up every day full of positive energy?

During my teens and into my adult years, my dad instilled in me the art of ‘acting the part’ when it came to confidence.  He would often tell me to “walk tall with your shoulders back, chest out, and your chin up.” 

Act the part.

It does work.  I have acted confidently on numerous occasions and tricked myself into believing it by using my dad’s sound advice.  When I took part in my first solo holiday in 2006, I was complimented by our tour guide for looking like a seasoned traveller.  When I walked into the bar to meet her for the first time, she had assumed I wasn’t part of her group of singles because I looked so confident.  She went on to tell me how she could normally spot a new solo traveller because they looked frightened to death and often rounded their shoulders or crossed their arms.  I let her in on my secret – I was petrified when I walked into that bar but my dad’s words were echoing in my mind and so I stood up tall and proud. 

Organise Your Space and Free Your Mind

Clearing clutter is one of my favourite topics, and I have blogged about it several times here on Resolution Challenge.  I have experienced first hand, how clearing my work or home space can affect my mood, my finances and my wellbeing. 

Being clutter free however, isn't always so easy.  My parents are currently in the process of moving house and 'downsizing' is a perfect excuse to throw out anything that is no longer of value.  It is also the perfect way to offload a tonne of Tupperware on your unsuspecting daughter! (Thanks Mum x)

When faced with an overflowing pile of god-knows-what, it helps to work out a strategy.  You need to be organised.  Several boxes can be filled with unloved items and taken to charity shops or car boots.  Old clothes, that haven't been worn in a while, can be swapped between girl friends - hold a girl's night in with a bottle of wine and a few nibbles and pretend you're at London Fashion Week.

Why You Should Love Your To-Do List

Ticking off the goals on your resolution list can leave you feeling elated, but what happens when you have that one goal that gets left behind, forgotten or constantly added to the 'do it next year' list.

'Do my ironing' has made every one of my resolution lists since 1998 and guess what?  I never did get it all done!  This year however, I decided enough was enough and that particular goal was going to be scratched from the list.  I then wrote a blog post about Thinking Outside The Box and suddenly I had my answer - I handed over responsibility to an ironing service.  I cannot begin to tell you how good it felt to relinquish that goal.

Feel That Fear - Then Step Forward

How many opportunities have you passed up because you were too fearful to try?  I've done this more times than I care to remember and in a way, writing my blog became my unique way of feeling that fear and then taking the next step.

freedigitalphotos.net

I committed to journaling my story as I took on fifty-two challenges last year and knowing I had an audience who would laugh and cry along with me, made facing those fears less overwhelming.

One of my favourite self-help authors, Peter Jones, put fear in to perspective for me very neatly in his book 'How to do Everything and Be Happy.'  He said that if we have those funny, tummy turning feelings then it means something in our life is about to change - it's your choice if you want to step forward and accept that change.  This was all I needed to hear to understand that I was reasonably normal and it was okay to 'feel the fear.'  After reading his book, I began to take more of those forward steps.

How To Have 100 Happy Days

My regular readers know how much I enjoy a good challenge.  After successfully completing my fifty-two challenges last year I was excited about the prospect of finding a few new and unusual 'projects' for this year.

In January I took part in Cancer Research's Dryathlete challenge.  I am looking at a number of personal challenges over the coming months which will help me to evolve at home and work.  All very worthwhile but where is the fun? 

I then stumbled across a Twitter revolution - the #100HappyDays challenge, now THIS was more like it. 

The concept is to take one photograph every day for a hundred days, of something that makes you happy.  You add the hashtag #100HappyDays and post your photo on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram (or on all three if you are that talented with social media!)

I'm a Writer...Get Me Out Of Here

The UK is currently gripped in the comedic clutches of 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here' mania.  Launched in 2002, the reality show makes for cringe worthy yet compelling viewing.

For those of you who don't know (where have you been?) our national treasures, Ant and Dec, send twelve celebrities deep into the Australian jungle, set them a series of hideous challenges and allow us, the viewers, to vote on their fate - simples!

We can send supermodels over a hundred foot ravine on a tightrope or make a sports hero eat kangaroo testicles - who wouldn't want to watch that?!

As my November challenge is all about my participation in NaNoWriMo I began to look at the similarities between the popular reality show and NaNo.  You may be surprised...

Holiday Blog Tour #4 - City Breaks

Who said a city break had to be for couples looking for a romantic getaway?

Don't get me wrong, as we sat on the train heading to London we were surrounded by doe eye'd lovers, but it certainly didn't deter this single mum and her band of teens.

There are plenty of cities here in the UK for us to choose from for an overnight stay, each one offering it's visitors a wealth of historical sights, attractions and hotels. 

If you are planning a trip around the UK or visiting us from afar, take a look on Wikipedia for an impressive list of cities; Bath, Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Sheffield, York, Wells...these are just a few from an extensive list which also covers Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Holiday Blog Tour #2 - Day Tripper

The sun is still shining here in England and as I continue on my August challenge - to get out and about more with the kids - it has made our outings all the more enjoyable.

As our 'Blog Tour' continues we have moved North, leaving the wondrous Cornish coastline behind and have nestled in the green fields of Somerset.

A county rich in cider and cheese, caves and beaches and of course, world famous music festivals.

This week's post zones in on day trips and Somerset has more attractions than days in the year so you will be spoilt for choice.  In our mad dash up the country I have only managed to touch on two of the attractions available so please do visit www.visitsomerset.co.uk for more wonderful trips to enhance your holiday or fill a day off.

I'm going to start with my own personal favourite - Glastonbury.  I'm not going to ask you to pull on your wellingtons and festival gear for this day trip, Glastonbury may be well known for Glastonbury Festival but for me this is a place of mysteries, myth and legend.  King Arthur is believed to have been active here, South Cadbury being a possible site for Camelot.

Glastonbury itself is a mecca for anyone interested in holistic living, crystals and new age.  Jeans, t-shirts and faery wings are the norm!

On a day trip to this magical place you can take in the range of quaint shops, visit the Abbey with its impressive grounds (perfect for picnic's so plan ahead and pack your chicken wraps and crudités) and finish with a walk up to Glastonbury Tor which has stunning three hundred and sixty degree views from the summit.

Entry to Glastonbury Abbey is:-

• Adult £6
• Children £4 (5 - 15 years)
• Seniors £5

Luckily my children love Glastonbury as much as I do and have explored every inch of the Abbey and purchased many a crystal from the quaint high street shops, but what if you don't have a family of hippy's?  Where do you go on your day trip then?


I would suggest you head towards the River Axe and the nearby Wookey Hole Caves.  These are Britain's most spectacular caves which have existed for over a million years.  Earliest man, hunting with stone weapons lived in the caves as did the Celtic people of the Iron Age.  It was believed that an evil old woman resided in the caves in the 18th Century, she was turned to stone by a monk using holy water.  The legend of the Wookey Witch is still strong today and you can see her skull in the museum, found in 1912 by archaeologist Herbert Balch.


The caves are incredibly impressive and I marvelled at how anyone could live there as I descended Hell's Ladder to the Witch's Kitchen, surrounded by shining stalagmites as they erupt from the rock around me and dodge the dripping stalactites.

The legends are brought to life by the wonderful guides who, in my opinion, must be able to recite the history of the caves in their sleep!

Once you return to the surface the fun continues and there are plenty of attractions for kids of all ages.  Wookey Hole has a paper mill, pirate island adventure golf, cave museum and cave diving museum.  There is a circus show and circus museum (complete with petrified mermaids discovered on the coast of Bali in 1823), mirror maze and old penny arcade.  There is a dinosaur park and my own personal favourite - Fairy Land.  It's a fantastic day out for all the family and you just never know who you might bump into!

The restaurant does serve a fantastic homemade steak pie but there are plenty of picnic benches if you want to take your own lunch.

Wookey Hole Caves are open all year (except Christmas Day and Boxing Day), 7 days a week.

• Adult - £18
• Child - £12 (3 - 14 years)
• Seniors - £12

You can save 20% if you book online.

I love Somerset and return as often as I can, there is so much to keep the kids entertained but if, like me, you're drawn to the legends and rugged landscapes then pack up the car and head off on your next day off.

Take in the traditional market towns, country houses and parks.  Visit the Georgian splendour of Bath or Wells, the smallest city in England, a medieval jewel at the foot of the Mendip Hills.

Of course for all the book lovers out there, no trip to Somerset is complete without exploring the open moorland of Exmoor National Park and breathing in the air of Lorna Doone's county.

Do you have a favourite place to visit?  A favourite escape for a day trip?  I'd love to hear about it so please share it with us here.

Holiday Blog Tour #1 - Destination Cornwall

Happy August!  Welcome to this month's challenge, 'Get out and about more with the kids'.

This week's post comes to you from sunny Cornwall.  We are staying in a beautiful village called Downderry near Looe on the South Coast of England.

I spent my childhood exploring the coves, crabbing and rock pooling along the Cornish coastline but for some reason I've never been back with my own children.

May Challenge ends on a Very High Note.

June has arrived and so has the sunshine, before I tackle June's goal on my Resolution Challenge I have to report on the Grand Finale for May's challenge, 'Do Something I've Never Done Before'.

When I decided to do this year's challenge on New Year's Eve, I had the basic idea in place.  It has evolved over the months but I knew there were certain goals I had put off over the years and this challenge would be the motivation I needed to see them through.

Writing, creative pursuits, weight loss...all respectable goals, but I wanted to show my clients and my children that it doesn't hurt to think outside the box. 

Never at any point did it cross my mind that screaming my lungs out as I plummeted through the trees, lassoed to a strip of wire would appear on my To Do list!

World Circus Day - 3 ways to Celebrate including Book Giveaway

Clutching a bag of popcorn in her small hand she gazed up at the expanse of painted stars; vibrant shades of yellow, blue, green and pink covered the ceiling.
The sweet scent of toffee apples mingled with the woody aroma of the sawdust under her feet and as the lights dimmed her eyes grew wide with wonder...

Can you remember your first trip to the Circus?

On Saturday 20th April it's the 4th World Circus Day.  What are you doing to celebrate?

• Join In or Hold Your Own Event

Log on to World Circus Day website to find out about Circus events in your part of the world, take the kids to a show or hold your own event at home with your pet as the star!  There are so many events planned across the globe so you are sure to find something.