Look carefully...

"Joy is not made of diamonds. It is made of ordinary moments, strung together like pearls on a thread of days." — Mary Oliver

Last night, I went on a little dog walk with Bertie—my four-legged furry sidekick, spiritual guide, and serial fox-poo roller. We weren’t doing anything fancy. Just your last walk on the beach before bed. And then bam! Disney moment.

Out of the shadows, a hedgehog appeared.

Not scurrying. Not hiding. Just… trolling along like a tiny spiky Zen master.

Bertie, to his credit, gave it a curious sniff and the hedgehog (I swear) waved. No drama. No teeth. No chaos. Just an unexpected hello from the undergrowth.

The moon was out too. Almost full, pink in the cheeks. The sky also doing that moody twilight blush like it had just read a romantic text.

And that’s when it hit me—this was the micropause. A sliver of stillness. A moment of small wonder. The kind of thing you miss when you’re racing to get somewhere, scrolling mindlessly, or catastrophising about your to-do list (guilty).

Would I have noticed my spiky little friend even just a week ago? Probably not.

But last night, I noticed. And when I got home and googled “spiritual meaning of hedgehog” (obviously), I read this:

“It can be seen as a positive omen, signifying harmony and protection within your home or spiritual space, and a reminder to enjoy life’s simple pleasures.”

Which feels exactly right. A little confirmation from the universe that these daily pauses, these moments of noticing—they matter. They soften us. They return us to ourselves. And allow us to make friends with waving hedgehogs.

Don't forget it’s the Heart Leap writing hour at 9am today. Bring your notebook, your cuppa, and your inner hedgehog. (Zoom link below)

Prompt of the Day: What small, beautiful thing did you notice recently—something you might have missed if you weren’t paying attention? Write about it.

Heart Leap is about tools, ideas, and people who help us make a leap in thinking so we feel inspired and uplifted rather than trapped, stuck, and downhearted.

Heart Leap is for writers who want to write and get their words out into the world but who find writing a hard slog but don’t want to give up the dream. Think of Heart Leap as your very own cosy writing nook, which gives support and accountability .

I run two writing hours a week at 9am (BST) on a Tuesday and Thursday and a ‘writing rehab’ on the first Wednesday of the month at 7pm (BST) where we discuss ways to boost our creativity, set ourselves delightful artist’s dates and realistic writing goals while drinking tea.

Heart Leap is for people starting again, literally or metaphorically.