May 1st: Begin again! 7 things I learned that helped me live a happier life this year.

As I reach a 1000 subscribers on my Heart Leap substack about creating a happy, creative, simple life - here's what I have learned. Plus I'm giving a way a 12 months of free coaching.

A year ago, I wrote this…

“So I started the day with a big old cry (in a good way). It's been a strange old year but today te-da...I got my first paid subscriber on my new substack newsletter HEART LEAP. I have worked as a writer and editor 'for hire' for over 25 years and today, I've started my own thing called The Heart Leap Club - a self development club for those who have made a big leap and are starting again. I've just moved to the wild coast of Northumberland, have left London and a big job as the Editor-in-Chief of Psychologies magazine behind and am starting again and want to create a simple, happy life in tiny apartment in the rooftops of Alnwick.
I'm excited and a little scared but today was a big day because someone believed in me enough to pay £7 and become my first paid subscriber.
And so it begins...How do you create a good beginning?”

A year on, I cried again because today, exactly a year to the day, I just got my 1000th subscriber on Substack.

And I got my official badge.

I’m so grateful and happy to you all for joining me on this journey.

It’s not been easy to start from scratch.

In a giant sweeping of the decks - I suddenly had no job, no home, no community, no partner and my son had gone off to uni.

I have felt very alone at times and scared and sad.

But in the last year, things have been coming together - I have a home, a community, a ‘job’ , a boyfriend and my son and I are becoming grown up friends.

These are 7 things I have learned that helped me live a happier life this year:

1. When you stop growing, you start dying.

2. No matter hard, feel your negative feelings and you will eventually feel better and get back into the flow of life.

3. Always make the brave decision.

4. The Wheel of Fortune will go up and down, be resilient and learn to be with what is if you can’t change things and try and have a sense of humour about it.

5. Always align with The Force (May the Force be with us all!) and listen to your wise self versus your inner critic.

6. Always find ways to be creative. Creativity gets you back into the flow of life.

7. Create a safe place to retreat to when it all gets too much- buy an electric blanket for your bed and create a nest.

   P.S When I left Psychologies magazine, I missed my work family and readers so much.

   I loved my job as Editor and the tribe of readers I hung out with for 8 lovely years.

   Last year on May 2^nd 2023, I was encouraged to start by substack by the wonderful

   Claire Venus

   And it means the world to me that I now have 1000 readers who have subscribed.

   Thank you for supporting me.

   It’s been such a joy to create a new Heart Leap Universe and to connect with all you creators, writers and heartleapers.

   To celebrate this BIG milestone, I am giving away one year-long founding membership worth £999 to one subscriber.

   This means:

   ·       Access to the archive of over 196 posts about how to build a happy, creative, simple life.

   ·       Twelve 60-minute coaching calls with me and I will support you to make your own big leap– with the opportunity to guest write for Heart Leap.

   ·       Free entry to 100 writing hours throughout the year.

   What do you need to do to enter?

   Restack this note and tag me in in

   Or subscribe for free, or if you’re feeling generous – become a paid membership by 8th May 2023.

   If you’re already a subscriber, just restack me.

   I will pick a ‘winner’ by the 9^th May

   [update: Jen Thomas was our winner! Watch out for Jen’s guest posts coming soon]

   

   Photo by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash