He said it couldn’t be done and I believed him

As the New Year approaches, we’re having a don’t drain me, radiate me week, which basically means we’re clearing out the clutter in our home, ready to bring in new energy for the new year.  The rules are Keep, Loft, Charity, Chuck.

Earlier this year we bought a moby wrap sling for our baby.  It arrived in a cute little pouch the same colour as the sling.  After taking the sling out of its pouch, Hubby boldy said “you’re never getting that back in there”.  I looked at the sling, looked at its home and thought “yep, you’re right there honey”.  I didn’t give it a second thought and for the last 5 months, the sling has lived on top of its pouch, not once did I try to fit it.  Wherever we went, the sling always ended up in another bag.

The sling, no longer being used, was destined for the loft along with its never been used little pouch.  I looked at the sling, looked at the pouch and thought, the pouch has gotta go.  Just before I chucked it, I had another thought “what if the sling fits back into its home? What if I gave it a go, after all nothing lost other than a bit of time…. ”

And would you know, the sling fitted very neatly into its little bag, no struggling, no pushing, it just fitted in easily and effortlessly.  A little wry smile formed on my face and I gave myself a gentle nudge for taking on someone else’s belief, it may only be a sling and a pouch but hey, I should have known better!

What about you, how many times have you taken on somebody else’s belief system, without giving it a second thought?

What dreams have you given up on because somebody said it couldn’t be done?

Are you going to keep listening to others before listening to yourself, in the long run selling yourself short and missing out on what’s important to you?

2012 is going to be a BIG year for many people, be prudent and watch those non-serving beliefs, whether they’re yours or someone else’s!

Love,

Natasha x

Think you’re Ungifted? Think Again!

For many years I believed I had zero gifts and talents.  I believed I didn’t possess any specific skills, as I wasn’t good enough at any one thing.  I believed having a job you truly loved was for the very small minority.

These beliefs were further solidified every time I sent my CV to a company applying for a new job……and there were tons of those.  In fact, in a 12 year period I changed job 8 times, can you imagine how many CV’s I had to re-write and send!

Whenever I pulled out my CV, I’d always look at the ‘interests’ section and release a big sigh “why aren’t I any good at anything?”. I could never think of anything else to write other than ‘socialising, reading books, traveling & organising charity events’.  It was my story and one I told to whomever would listen.  It went something like this ‘I wish I was good at something, every time I send my CV for a job, I can never think of anything to write in the interests section, can you?  I mean I wasn’t born with any particular talents, not like the lucky ones who are good at singing or dancing or acting or painting or playing sports or musical instruments’.

My story happened to be the truth, I wasn’t any good at those things.  So I trudged along searching for a job that at least made me happy and felt rewarding.  Every time I thought I had it, it didn’t take long before I was bored to tears, going on a new search for the next best thing.  And that was my life, always searching for something more but never quite finding what I wanted.  This left me feeling unhappy, unfulfilled and unsuccessful.

Looking back from where I am now, I can giggle at the way I saw myself.  Ungifted PAH! I couldn’t have been further from the truth.  I have gifts coming out of my ears, the problem I had back then was that I had no idea how to identify them.

This is the same for those of you who also think and believe you aren’t Gifted.  You are a Gifted Soul!  How do I know?  Because your Soul wouldn’t have chosen to incarnate in this and every lifetime if you didn’t have Gifts to share with the world.  You also wouldn’t be reading this article right now

Here are 3 ways you can start to recognise your inherent Gifts:

1. What did you love to do as a child?

I was always the centre of attention wanting to put on a show and make people smile.  On play dates, I would gather all of my friends and direct & act in some sort of play, then I would actively find the audience.  This was the Performer Gift in me, fully expressing itself.  Sadly these gifts stopped being nurtured as I grew into an adult.  Thankfully, I recovered them and now successfully use these Gifts to speak to large audiences and host Workshops.  And there was me thinking for all those years, I wasn’t good at any one thing!

If you have children, you can easily pick up their Gifts by observing how they play and what they enjoy doing most.  Make it a top priority to nurture these Gifts in them, they’ll thank you when they’re older!

Close your eyes, cast your mind back to play times, either with friends or when you were alone, watch the child that you were, as though you were watching someone you know.  What is this little person doing naturally and effortlessly?  Write them down and let yourself connect with them.

2. What are you a collector of?

Unexpressed Gifts have to reveal themselves in some way.  Take a look at the things you collect without thinking of them as a collection or hobby.  Here’s an example for you.  A woman came to me because she felt her life was stuck and she didn’t know how to move forward.  I asked her to take a look around her home and pick out things she had an abundance of.  Very quickly, through a little giggle, she said there were pens everywhere.  When I asked her if she journaled or took time to write, she said no but it was something she always wanted to do.

I told her straight out, “your Soul is telling you you have the Gift of Writing, start by journaling what’s on your mind, exercise your writing muscle and soon enough it will flow out of you without you having to try’ .  She took a moment and connected with this part of her and immediately felt unstuck.  This was also true for another client who collected notepads and journals.  She has such a beautiful way of expressing herself through her writing but never saw it as a gift to pursue.  And then there’s yours truly who had been collecting pens and notepads for years without ever thinking there was a reason why!  The message here to all three of us (and you if you do the same) was to get writing and let those Gifts flourish!

What do you collect and what are they reflecting back at you?  Take some time to be quiet and still, you have all the answers!

3. What do people tell you you’re good at but you pass it off as nothing?

Your friends and family will have told you a million times ‘Oh you’re so good at ………’ and each time you’ll shrug it off and pass a comment along the lines of ……how easy it is and anyone can do it.  Stop right there!  Not everyone can do what you do, the way you do it, these are your Gifts and you are Unique.  Combined, your Gifts and Talents are like no others.

Ask the people closest to you what you do that they can’t and straight away you’ll get an insight into your Gifts.  You express your Gifts and Talents easily and effortlessly, that’s why you’re able to do them so well without ever realising how valuable they are.

Take some time to become aware of the things you do easily, which others don’t find as easy to do.  Then take notice of the situations you tend to be in when these Gifts are flowing.  You’ll be amazed at what you’ll discover about yourself.

Finally, just know, you are here for a reason, you have lots to share with the world, you are a Gifted Soul!

Share the love and Share this article with anyone who could benefit, just make sure you revert them to this page to read it!

Love,

Natasha x

P.S. Another of one of my Gifts is being able to help people re-awaken their Gifts.  If you want to help in this area, drop me a line:  info@natashaabudarham.com

Compromise or Have it All?

My husband prefers strawberry jam and I prefer raspberry.  Rather than buy 2 jars of jam, I always used to buy just the strawberry.  Every time I’d reach for the jam, I always wished I had the flavour I preferred but just made do.  I compromised my desire for raspberry jam for my partner, whom I loved.  Seems silly doesn’t it, why didn’t I just go for it and buy an extra jar of jam, ultimately giving myself what I desired and what my husband desired, a win win situation.

I compromised.

Thinking I was coming from a place of love, I gave my husband what he wanted and denied myself what I wanted.  I didn’t share the love with myself.  Ok, so it was only jam but the thing was, it then moved onto the yoghurts.  I rarely bought myself a raspberry yoghurt, it was always strawberry.

I never asked my husband to compromise, I always gave that job to myself.

Then it moved onto trifles, now don’t get me wrong I don’t buy many trifles but I LOVE raspberry trifle but because I’d compromised on the jam and the yoghurt, I compromised on the trifle too.

Do you get where I’m going here?

Let’s take a look at the definition of Compromise: the acceptance of standards that are lower than is desirable.

I was accepting standards that were lower than desirable.  I was selling myself short.  I was giving up on my desires.

Once you compromise in one part of your life, it becomes an acceptable behaviour and in turn gives your permission to compromise in other areas.  I wasn’t worthy of raspberry jam, yoghurt and trifle so why would I be worthy of my other desires?

I’m pleased to say, I knocked that behaviour on the head and ALWAYS have 2 jars of jam and make sure if I fancy a yoghurt or trifle I get what I want.

I no longer compromise because I am worthy.

The love I share with others, I also share with myself.

I go for my desires and ultimately my dreams.

Never again will I compromise on what I want because that’s mediocre living.  Life isn’t about mediocrity, life is about having it all.

You, me, everybody, can have it all.

So let me leave you with this question, where are you compromising in your life and what can you do to change that?

Love,

Natasha x

Find Your Feminine F.L.O.W. (Fulfilment, Love, Opportunity, Wealth) Tip #1

To find your Feminine FLOW (Fulfilment, Love, Opportunity & Wealth) you must first clear your clutter. Start by making a decision to heal the childhood traumas that are affecting your present & ultimately your future. This is essential, otherwise your capabilities will always be capped.

Living YOUR Purpose musing, journal entry 11 April 2011

Living YOUR Purpose isn’t about pushing or chasing or living someone else’s dream or forgetting you have a purpose.  Living YOUR Purpose is about being YOU, the REAL YOU without letting fear, doubt or worry get in your way.  The REAL YOU is the authentic you, the transparent you, the you that is in its natural state of ease and flow.

Pushing and chasing and living someone else’s dream and forgetting you have a purpose isn’t natural, it goes against the grain of who you really are on a fundamental level.

It keeps you stuck, unhappy, in fear, desperate.

Living YOUR Purpose isn’t just about the work you do, it’s about EVERYTHING you do. When you deny yourself of YOU, you aren’t allowing your authentic self to shine through.

Clear your stuff.

Heal your wounds.

Break the non-serving cycles.

Become emotionally available.

When you do you’ll let the REAL YOU shine through.

Love Natasha x

Are you ready to Breakthrough your Success Barriers?

I don’t know about you, but breaking through the barriers that keep me small are at the top of my to do list.  It was only a couple of weeks ago when I had a head on collision with two major barriers that I didn’t realise were lurking in my reality.  My birthday, 16 June, was the day after the total eclipse of the moon, which brought about massive shifts for many people.   In order to shift and transform the realities that no longer serve you, you have to face that which is causing you a low vibration.

In my case, I had a good old dose of the ‘I’m a failure and I can’t do anything right’.  I cried, had a mini tantrum, cried some more then had a great healing session with one of my closest friends, Sasha Allenby and in less than an hour we managed to move through this pattern that I’d been holding onto for 7 years!  Thank goodness Sasha was on hand to get me through it because otherwise I’m not sure my birthday would have turned out to be as beautiful as it was.

The next day I experienced another huge transformation.  Little did I know that I’d been a carrier of the ‘there’s not enough’ syndrome.  I tell ya, that one took a while to uncover, who would have thought, me of all people held that belief inside me..well it just goes to show, even when you’re in the coaching/mentoring/healing business, you still have to work on yourself to clear the pesky little patterns that keep ya capping your capabilities.

Why am I telling you all this?

First of all, I want you to know that I’m human and I go through tough times just as much as you do.  Secondly, if I’m experiencing this stuff and clearing it successfully, then I want to help you do exactly the same.  When I raise my vibration and ultimately my consciousness, I open up the space to allow you to do it too.

So here’s the deal, I had a great opportunity to be part of ‘The Shift – Women On Purpose’ Telesummit organised by Christine Laureano.  Twelve teachers living life on purpose came together to bring you valuable teachings to help you on your journey.

You can still watch these for free just click on the link below and register:

http://wahmcart.com/x.php?adminid=2630&id=9756

As part of my commitment to you, I’d like to work with some of you who are committed to your own success and hence want to breakthrough the current barrier which is holding you back from achieving more Happiness, Fulfilment and Success.  All you have to do, if you haven’t already is watch my video, take notes and answer some questions.  When you’ve you’ve answered the questions I’d like to offer you some time with me.  Now this time is precious and limited, I have a 7 week old baby and for me to give you my time, I have to make sure she’s looked after by someone else.

So here’s the scoop.  I’m offering you 2 x 45 minute breakthrough sessions, you’ll get pre-work, post-work and during the 3 weeks you’ll get homeplay (homework to those who don’t know what homeplay is), plus email support.

All of this for just £147.  Bargain!

If it’s time for you to get closer to living a life you love, then answer the following questions based on my video for ‘The Shift – Women On Purpose’ and email them back to info@natashaabudarham.com.  The first 5 people to correctly answer the questions get to do some serious inner alignment and guess what happens when you align on the inside…yep, you profit on the outside, whether that’s in your business, relationships, health, career, spirituality….any aspect of your life!

Here’s the questions:

1. What are the 3 fundamental steps that I share during the video?

2. List the 5 steps in the ‘Flow Through Process’

3. What AHA’s, insights or learnings did you have through watching the video?

Here’s the link to ‘The Shift – Women On Purpose’: http://wahmcart.com/x.php?adminid=2630&id=9756

You’re half way through the year, be good to yourself and make it your best year yet!

To your Ultimate Happiness, Fulfilment & Success!

Love,

Natasha x

It’s what women want!

Last weekend was magnificent.  I hosted a 2 day Women’s Event in Brussels, Reach for your Dreams: Clarity, Clearing & Creativity (CCC Event), along with 2 very powerful women Helen Kerrison & Linda Nuyts.  My intention was to bring a group of women together & help them gain clarity around their struggles, clear the way for a different outcome & create a new reality for themselves. This is exactly what happened and much to everyone’s surprise, every woman left with so much more.

Every woman in the room had a story to tell, a struggle to lose & a desire to shift their life up a notch.  These women allowed themselves to be vulnerable and in return honed in on an inner power that will always be by there side.  Watching their growth in such a short amount of time was awe-inspiring, so much so that I knew this event had to be replicated & I’ve already set the dates!

On day 1, I told the women this was the start of a ‘movement’, whereby they would be paving the way for other women to say no to settling for second best and yes to having it all.  And that’s exactly what they have done, each one of them felt something very special forming between themselves as a group and also for future women who join us at our events.  When you decide to change something in your life, like letting go of a relationship that is no longer making you happy, giving up a job that you hate in search of one that you love, finding the happiness, meaning or fulfilment that seems to elude you, in fact any change at all, having someone by your side, someone who understands what you’re going through is priceless.  This is what 18 women have created especially for you; a safe place where you can discover what you really want out of your life, find out who you really are and overcome the obstacles that have stopped you from reaching for your dreams.

These women have said they want to support you in return for being supported, all you have to do is join us in UK or Brussels in March for one of the events and you too become part of the ‘movement’.  This event is like no other, you don’t join us for 2 days, experience massive shifts and then leave to fend for yourself.  After this event, you are invited to join the online forum, allowing you to stay connected with me, the speakers & the other women and you are invited to the next CCC event at a much reduced price.

Claudia Fortes said “Two days of transformation and the beginning of a journey to find my true self and my purpose in life. Surrounded by the most wonderful group of powerful and loving women. Guided by the amazing Natasha Abudarham and Helen Kerrison. The shift in me is there and the steps are now for me to follow”

The question I’ll leave you with is “are you going to join us and become part of the new wave of woman who says no to settling for second best and yes to having it all?”

I very much hope you do!

You can watch some video testimonials half way down HERE and all the event details for U.K. and Brussels are at the HERE.

Love,

Natasha

This is what happens when you are mentored by Natasha Abudarham

Marie Phillips joined my 6 month “Go Get It Mentorship” programme in June 2010, this is what she has to say about it

“I was not in a good place when I first started the mentorship.  I was recovering from a broken wrist and had developed a strange syndrome called Algo Distrophy, which, much to my dismay, takes two years to “mend”.  I was extremely worried, not only for my hand, but for my job, my future and what would become of me.   I’m not used to being in-active, I was wracked with guilt for my work colleagues, not just because of the heavy workload they had to carry, but, before falling, I was fast beginning to lose interest in my wonderful job and wanted a changed but never dared admit it!!  I totally blamed myself for being stupid enough to fall in the first place; felt that the world was passing me by, and was afraid that my reign as indispensible “superwoman” would come to an end!!

It was a real boost to be able to talk to like-minded people in Natasha’s Mentorship Group who didn’t say “just relax, you’re getting paid for doing nothing so what’s your problem?”  Natasha made me realise how much “fear” and “trauma” I had stored in my hand, and led me to re-think how I was handling the situation, and helped me to be more specific in defining how I tackled it, from an energy point of view. This was a major shift for me. It wasn’t just about tapping on a broken wrist but targeting the deep emotions I was experiencing through my hand – I had never realised just how much trauma was stored in there and how badly it needed to get out!!.  With Natasha’s help, I stopped “blaming” myself, and indeed my poor hand – I began to accept that it had happened and realised that it didn’t have to be all doom and gloom. I finally had an opportunity and the time to do some work on myself, which I had been longing to do for some time!   From then on I was much more in a “thankful” mode…. “Poor me” went out the window!

I learned so much from Natasha in the months that followed – I self-sabotage myself, but now I can recognise the signs, an invaluable asset!  I was petrified of public speaking, my worst nightmare, but with help and encouragement, and a lot of new tools in my tool-bag to help me with a huge lack of self-confidence, I was able to stand in front of 250 people and give a talk, AND, actually enjoyed it – I can “hold” a room after all and I intend to do it again!!  I had serious blocks about being in-debt and owing money, so much so that at 55 years of age, I’ve never owned a home before – suffice is to say that I move in to my new home in March, and YES, its all mine, and it was not the traumatic experience I thought it would be at all!   I learned that forgiving somebody doesn’t mean you condone their behaviour, that was a biggie for me, I’ve managed to let get of so much in our sessions together, particularly when it came to family, and indeed ancestors.  I learned that I don’t have to be everybody’s dog’s body for them to love me……  Letting go of that alone has changed my life and how I deal with my family, particularly my children. I am loved and I am good enough!!

The list of what I learned about myself seems endless, I could go on and on.  But if I were to sum it up in one word, it would be “empowerment”.  With Natasha’s help I literally empowered myself to do a multitude of things I’ve dreamed of doing. When you realise there is nothing holding you back except yourself……well, there is only one thing to do and that’s … get on with it!  I am, by nature, a “doer”, (in the past usually to my own detriment) – but with Natasha’s guidance, I’ve learned to say “no”, but more importantly, I’ve also learned that it’s all right to just “be”.   I’m so much nicer and kinder to myself than I used to be, and very much more appreciative.  Consequently, my world has definitely changed for the better, I have greater faith in myself and I get nowhere near as overwhelmed as I used to.  I have a much clearer idea of what I want to do with my life, especially where my career is concerned and have so much more confidence in my abilities.  I have learned, FINALLY, after all these years to delegate…….. my work colleagues are very impressed indeed ………..and our team is happier than it ever was!

Natasha has a great gift of being able to get to the heart of the issue….  All of our sessions together, either on skype, phone or in person, all resulted in major “Ah Ha” moments for me….. big eye openers and major shifts in my thinking.  I cannot thank her enough for all the help and encouragement she has given me in the last year.  I have devoured her recommended reading list and have to say, all the books were exactly what I needed, and when I needed them.   In summing up, I’m a firm believer in the old saying “when the pupil is ready, the teacher will appear” – well, I was, and she did!  Thank you Natasha!!”

Marie Phillips, P.A. in the European Commission

Are you consciously creating 2011 or leaving it to chance?

Up until 3 years ago, I used to leave my life to chance and the reason I did that was because I didn’t know any better.  I didn’t know there were specific ways to make big positive changes in my life other than hoping, wishing and praying that things could be different.  Thankfully that is a thing of the past and I’m now able to really live life on my terms by consciously creating a life I love.  Now don’t get me wrong, life isn’t always a breeze, I do face challenges in the same way you do, the difference is that I’m able to navigate my way through them in a way that serves my highest good rather than sends me on a mission of self destruct.

Here are the building blocks I use to consciously create a life I love

1. Know what you want

It sounds simple doesn’t it, but it isn’t always so.  Many people are still stuck in what they don’t want and therefore keep receiving more of the same!  I suggest you sit down in a quiet space where you won’t get disturbed, make sure you have some paper, a pen, a cup of tea and get yourself comfy.  Write down all the things you didn’t want in 2010 but got anyway.  This isn’t the time to judge, criticise or blame yourself or anyone else, this is a time of growth and expansion, so stay out of that low vibration and look at it for what it is.  When you’ve got a minimum of 10 things, ask yourself “if I don’t want this in 2011, what do I want?”.  Make sure you use positive words, this means dis-cluding words like “no, not, don’t, can’t”.  Now add any other goals you want to achieve in the next 12 months.  Go through your list and take out your top 10 aspirations for 2011.  From now on focus only on what you want to achieve, rather than what you didn’t do last year or what you haven’t got right now.  If your focusing on the latter, this is the vibrational frequency you’re sending out to the universe and you’re only going to get more of the same back!

By knowing what I want personally and in my business in 2011, I’ve set 10 firm intentions and I’ve made a commitment to achieving them.  If you can believe it, a couple of them have started to manifest already!  Of course the rest aren’t going to happen on their own, I need to keep my eye on the prize and take the necessary action steps to get there.  This is exactly the same for you too, no resting on your laurels expecting your dream life to fall into place, there’s work to do.  I love my motto “Align on the inside, profit on the outside!”

2. Break the Cycle

Know that you will come up against resistance, sabotage, fear and other stuff that will get in the way of you achieving what you want.  This is normal and can be worked through, you just have to be aware of what’s happening and break the pattern, habit, belief or behaviour which is causing it.  This is when having a Coach, Mentor or Teacher comes in really handy because these cycles are often deep rooted in nature and require someone with skill to get you through them.  I’ve learned that the biggest hurdle when consciously creating a life I love is me!  The same goes for you, so, don’t waste anymore time, take the leap and get over yourself, life gets so much easier when you do.

In the last 3 years I’ve done plenty of ‘inner work’ and let go of many of the things that once held me back from achieving my true potential.  The inner healing has been amazing, if somewhat painful at times.  In doing so, I feel lighter, a deeper sense of happiness and have a connection with my true self like never before.  I know that I have the ability to achieve what I want, so if something isn’t working out, it’s easy for me to pinpoint what is really going on and do what needs to be done to shift myself to a higher place.  I’ve selected my Coach for next year and I can’t wait to take my business to a whole new level, whilst continuing to explore the depths of who I am on a spiritual level.  There will always be ‘work’ to do on myself and I love knowing that with help I can move through anything that gets in my way.

3. Find your tribe

This is so important, your tribe are the people you can turn to no matter what.  They are normally on the same path as you and get where you’re at.  These are the people who have also chosen to engage in their own personal and spiritual awareness and want to create their own reality based on a life they love.  They love you, support you and will be there for you when you need them.  Often they aren’t your parents, family or friends you’ve had since childhood.

When I first started on this path, I didn’t know anyone in Belgium who was on the same path as me.  At times I felt like I was going crazy, until I enrolled in an online Mastermind group.  This was my saving grace!  Each week we would meet over the phone/internet and our teacher would guide us through our challenges whilst sharing new insights with us.  I grew so quickly during these calls, they were invaluable.  It didn’t matter that I was on the calls at 10pm and didn’t get to bed until midnight, I needed this spiritual food and boy did I get fed.  Soon this wasn’t enough, I needed more, so I started my own monthly group and at the first session 16 people turned up, I was amazed!  Two years later the group has about 12 women who still meet regularly and are firm friends.  I hosted the last group in my home this month, it was so rewarding knowing that I had created something so important, not just for me but for the rest of the group also.

In May I re-worked my 2010 goals.  As I knew I was moving back to UK, I set a new intention to manifest my tribe, I wrote “I have a network of friends that I love to spend time with”.  Within a matter of weeks I had made new friends in the UK without ever meeting them and they continue to come into my life.  I’m so excited to get back home as I know I have found my tribe.  Don’t underestimate the power of your intentions nor your tribe!

4. Never give up believing!

There are so many people who give up just before they’re about to hit their high!  It’s such a shame to see people let go of their dreams just because the going got tough and their trust, belief and faith waned.  There is always something waiting for you, much bigger than you can anticipate, but it may take an element of being in the unknown for a while before it comes your way. Keep going, don’t stop and always grab the help that you need when you need it before it’s too late!

I’ve always had an optimistic nature and followed my heart.  There are times when I’ve fallen so hard but dusted myself down and got back up again even stronger than before.  Being on this wonderful path of self discovery ensures that I never give up believing, I’ve enjoyed too much over the last 2 years and it wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t trust, believe and hold the faith that there was a better life waiting for me.  There’s only 1 person who can make sure you get what you want and that’s you!

So there we have it my friends, some guidance to help you consciously create a 2011 with Happiness, Fulfilment and Success!

If it’s time for you to have the guidance, support and mentoring to help you achieve your dreams in 2011, contact me to find out about my new coaching program.  Whatever you want is out there waiting for you to grab hold of it with both hands, don’t let it slip through your fingers again, you’re worth living a life you love.

Love,

Natasha

As always comments and questions are welcome!

What do you do when your plans don’t plan out?

Have you ever made plans that fill you with excitement only to be let down at the last minute?  ”Oh yes!” I’m hearing you all say.  In fact, I don’t think there’s a single soul who hasn’t ever had this experience.  Briefly reminisce the last time this happened and recall how you dealt with the situation.  Did you gracefully accept the situation and move on without it causing any further negative effects or did you launch straight into disasterdom?

Why am I asking you these questions?  Well, this Christmas was set to be a calming delight, the first Christmas as Husband & Wife and the first time we would be spending it in our home, eating just one Christmas dinner.  For the last five years, we’ve spent Christmas day with both our Mums, eating two Christmas dinners and racing around trying to fit everyone in.  As we were staying in Brussels this year, it meant I could relax being five months pregnant and enjoy taking my time packing up our belongings before we move to UK on 2 Jan.

That was the plan and I was excited.

Then everything changed.  My plans were more than scuppered and it was out of my control.

All I could do was practice what I preach and walk my talk.  My experience has been invaluable and I want to share it with you.

Four days before Christmas my Husband, Chris was told that his Nan had had a stroke and had bleeding on the brain, it was just a matter of time before she transitioned.  Chris was deeply upset and wanted to get back to UK to say his last goodbye.  The snow was causing havoc and any which way he tried to get home there seemed to be a problem.  It was 22 Dec and I had a feeling that if he went, he wouldn’t be home for Christmas.  On top of that our cat Mia was really sick and I felt that we may need to get her to the vets at some point, something I wasn’t able to do on my own with all the snow.

Chris kept checking flights and as soon as one came up, he packed a bag and headed off.  I was happy he’d managed to get home and remained positive that we’d be reunited on Christmas Eve and if he wasn’t I trusted that there would be a reason for it to be that way.  After Chris left, I spoke to the vet as Mia hadn’t eaten all day and seemed to be deteriorating.  We agreed to help her transition the following week.  I have 2 cats, Mia and Pudding, they’ve been with me for the last 13 years and have filled my life with love and comfort and have always been such great company.  I called Mia a human cat because she literally needed to have human touch and knew exactly what I was saying when I spoke to her, she was also extremely intelligent and was the fastest fly catcher I’ve ever seen.  She loved to be picked up, stroked and cuddled and often got into bed with me, head on pillow, paws around me.  She was my equivalent of a baby.

Within a matter of hours of making the decision to help Mia, she seemed to get worse and the pain of seeing her suffer told me it really was time for her to go.  I contacted the vet again and agreed that we should bring the time forward to Christmas Eve.  Chris was due back on his flight from UK in the afternoon and we were going to take her together.  The thought of Mia not being around was so painful but I knew this couldn’t be about me, it had to be about her and I had to let her go.  At the same time, it was something that both Chris and I needed to do together, she was an integral part of our family and we had to say our goodbyes as a family.

The next morning I lay in bed with Mia, being in the present and enjoying our last cuddles together.  I was talking to her, letting her know all was well and she’d soon be enjoying a beautiful peaceful sleep where she could rest in comfort.  The snow had been melting the day before and the roads were quite clear, so you can imagine my horror when I opened the front door and my street was covered with a huge amount of snow and it wasn’t letting up anytime soon.  I instantly burst into tears, crying uncontrollably, I knew Brussels airport would be closed and Chris wouldn’t be home that day.  There was no way of me getting Mia to the vet.  I was distraught thinking of my baby having to suffer another day.  I could deal with Chris not being here for Christmas, I just couldn’t deal with him not being here to help me help Mia.

I got onto the internet and it was confirmed, Brussels airport was closed.  There was no way I was going to be able to drive, the snow was too thick and my heart was breaking.  This was a tough, emotionally challenging day and I knew I had to reach out for support from people who were in a position to support me.  With this support I was able to clear my head and let go of any attachments to how my Christmas was supposed to be.  I couldn’t change anything, I just had to deal with it and find a solution that worked.  It was important for me to stay out of any drama that could turn the situation into something more than it was.  By practicing what I preach to my clients, I was able to turn the could-be disaster of Christmas into a delight.

The truth is we create our reality every second of every day, it’s up to us to be vigilant when it comes to creating that which doesn’t serve us.  The Natasha of a few years ago would have created a drama and Christmas would have been a disaster, instead it took an awareness from my side to consciously create a reality that allowed me to enjoy Christmas day, even though my plans didn’t plan out.

Chris finally got home late on Boxing night and we took Mia to peacefully transition the following morning.  It was a painfully emotional day and I know there is more emotion to release, I’m just thankful I was able to salvage some of the festive season.

A big thank you goes out to Helen Kerrison , an amazing friend, for spending a wonderful Christmas day with me and to all my friends & family, including Facebook friends, who shared their love and prayers when I really needed it.

Love,

Natasha

P.S. As always, your comments and questions are welcome!

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