January 2017

When I go on holiday, I like to get to the guts of a new place. If there’s something gritty to see, I’m in. I love to wander around, finding things I’ve never seen before and I savour the experience of newness. I suppose when I travel, I’m looking for the heart of a place, always. Travel is when I feel most alive. Steve – on the other hand – loves to kick back, lay on a sunbed, read a book and swim. That’s his bliss and something I rarely enjoy doing for long, not when there is a world to be discovered and new people to meet! So we’re always looking for compromises on holidays, to ensure both get what we need. And, of course, we must bring the boys into our planning today as well, and they need action, always action. We’ve learnt to keep ‘em busy to ensure they’re happy. Happy kids when travelling is a very good thing after all! Four people to please, all so different, it is never easy getting the formula right. But with Steve squirming around in bed for two days in gut ripping agony – we’ve all been there right? – I didn’t want to be too far away in case he needed me. So the choice was taken away, and I had to sit on the beach and learn to enjoy peace.   As I sit here, watching my boys throwing themselves into the waves on the Arabian Peninsula, I can tell you, they are in heaven! Beautiful azure water is a feature of the UAE, as is pristine white sand. If you want a beach break, this is a wonderful place to visit. I’m not in the ocean with the boys though, because it’s winter here (high 20s Celsius during the day so hardly cold) but the water just isn’t warm enough at this time of year – for me anyway! No worries for the boys though, and just about everyone else on this beach. Practically no one else seems to mind the colder temperatures…. Yeah, alright, I’m a wimp! By being forced to chill and just hang with the boys, I’m getting a glimpse into the magic of holidays for a diverse selection of people from across this gorgeous world. A fantastically pregnant woman in a bikini squats to take a selfie with her family frolicking in the waves behind her. I never braved a bikini when I was pregnant. I admire her. Then there are the families holidaying with toddlers who are building their first sandcastles together. That’s a special memory. We have fitness enthusiasts running along the beach. Couples enjoying romantic walks and cuddles. Teenagers enjoying their families, but getting to that stage of demanding more independence too. I most enjoy watching them sneak a pervat other teenagers when they feel brave enough. Remember those days? Bodies – all shapes and sizes. On display. Free. And a collective shout of excitement as a wild pod of dolphins swims in the ocean near us. How bloody amazing are dolphins? Gorgeous. My on-going challenge, since I became a parent, is finding the peace and quiet to get a clear head and ponder what’s next with life. That’s something I miss – quiet head time. So a sick husband has given me a little gift. He’s given me the opportunity to be still. To not do anything. To not think about anything. To just watch. Just appreciate. I had no choice but to do it with Steve out of action for two days and it’s been awesome. He’s hated it – serious guilt – but he’s missed out on some perfect holiday time for him too. Bless.   I’ve never been very good at this relaxing stuff, but maybe I should try a little harder. It’s not bad, not bad at all. Anyone else not good at switching off? Or am I the solo nutter here? Yours, without the bollocks Andrea If you want to stay in touch, I’m active in lots of places, including Twitter here, Google+ here, Instagram here, and Facebook too. I share lots of stuff about the things I care about, not just my own view. I’d also love it if you shared my blog, especially if you think anyone you know will be interested or entertained. That’s what it’s all about today – giving to and supporting each other xxxxx    

I asked my boys what’s in store for 2017 and my charming eight year old son, Jax, said simply: it’s going to be epic mum. I don’t know where he gets his words from, but I reckon he could be onto something. While we can’t afford to stand idly by as the world teeters on the brink of who-knows-what, I am grateful we all got a massive kick in the ass in 2016, because now is the time to fight for the world we want together. I’m ready for battle – you?   So today, on my 47th birthday (shit, that sounds so old!!!), which co-incides with a new chapter for all of us, I am looking forward to an amazing year. And that amazing stuff always starts at home, with my loves. My youngest, Jax, is going into big boy grade three this year and while I will continue to be poopy mumma, and told regularly that I’m the worst mum eva, that I ruin everything, and you know, continue to receive the incredible love that spews out of the sweet mouths of babes, I reckon this is going to be an epic year for the Jaxster. He’s finally getting focused. Then there is Lex, who is going into full time therapy this year to deal with the auditory processing issues that have evolved since his tonsils and adenoids were removed in 2010. I know this is it. This is the final thing we need to do to get Lex caught up and on track for the best life ever. He’s a remarkable dude our Lexy, but the journey has been a grinding one for all of us, and if there’s one lesson I want to share with any parent dealing with issues that no one seems to be able to put a finger on, it is this: believe in yourself and leave no stone unturned. And my darling Steve. Travelling so much last year and expecting more in 2017. But he’s remarkable at what he does and has enjoyed great success in 2016 – I’m so proud of him and don’t tell him that enough. I’m also incredibly thankful because his success has given me the space and freedom to pursue my dreams. How can you thank someone enough for that? I will definitely repay him with success, so he too can have a period of freedom to do whatever he wants to do – if that’s playing golf every day and being the main parent, awesome. He’s a great man Steve. Understated in his talents, generous and excessive to a fault, I love this man of mine and thank my lucky stars every day we found each other. Then looking ahead to my year. I need to slow things down. It got too chaotic and too crazy last year, mainly because I’m really shit at saying no to people. So I need to learn to say no, and I also must learn how to manage all of the different communication channels coming at me. I’ve got about 12 different social messaging inboxes (plus the normal ones like email, sms, etc..) and they’re all like Twitter feeds in their ferocity. An important tip for 2017: if you really want to get in touch with me 1. Nag me and 2. Communicate across multiple channels. Believe me, I like being nagged by people I care about, because it really is amazing how quickly messages disappear into the bowels of inboxes these days, especially when you have a whole lot of spam in the mix too. My word, the spam! But it’s going to be an amazing year. I’ve picked up incredible opportunities as The Digital Conversationalist, and 2017 is all about refining my offering and continuing to focus on the most important things – working with great people and doing work I love. I’m ready. It’s going to be fast and furious, but it’s going to be awesome. I must say, if you want an example of persistence paying off, I hope I can be that example for you. Never ever give up, no matter how long it takes. I really do encourage everyone to identify that dream you have for yourself and then relentlessly pursue it, no matter the barriers that come your way. I have constantly faced barriers, but I ignored them, jumped them, side-stepped them, etc.. and kept my eyes on the goal, even when I was the only one who believed in where I was going. Persistence and stubbornness are positive qualities sometimes… It works, it really does. Moving on, another thing I expect in 2017 is for firsts to be in abundance again. I did a bunch of firsts last year – things that made me squirm with embarrassment and general uncomfortable-ness, but you don’t make progress doing the same things right? My first videos, my first webinar, and so much more. Definitely a lot of firsts. And firsts will continue and I’ll continue to squirm, but I’m going to do them anyway. I have a goal to achieve (to make the world a better place), so being brave enough to step into the unknown is a critical part of succeeding. I hope you realize I don’t do anything from an arrogant point of view. I never think I’m right. I know I have much to learn. I’m just trying to do my bit to make the world around me a better place. That’s all that motivates me to do what I do. I hope that comes across. Travel is big on the list this year too. I will get to the US in 2017, as there are so many pals to catch up with – too many I haven’t seen since I left Boston and NYC in 2001! That needs to change and we need to compare wrinkles, because it’s been long enough for us to get a few of those. Europe too – I have a long overdue date in Marrakech