*Clink, Chat & Catch Up!* airs every Wednesday and features an interview with an inspirational person who is following their passion and dreams, and the story behind how they did it! *cork popping* Our goal here at the Bubbly Talk Radio Network is to give the people that listen to us a platform to spread the word on their passions, because after all, that is what we're all about!

I may avoid watching and reading wall to wall news. But like everyone in the UK , one story has been surrounding us all in the last 24 hours, without possiblity of escape. I write today, not because I choose to give power, exposure or attention to the actions of two individuals, but because as a mother of a daughter, I believe to be around the same age as the young man who sadly lost his life, my heart hurts, it literally aches with pain for his mother and his family.

Now I'm all about positivity, as anyone who reads my blog, has worked with me or knows me will tell you.I always look for the greater meaning, or the gift that we can draw from even the most saddening and difficult situaitions. It's very hard to see the gift in this horrific incedent. But we have to make good this loss, as human beings, as spiritual beings, we cannot allow this to pass without in some way learning from it.

I posted this quote; often attributed to Ghandi on my facebook status last night, a simple statement after yesterday's tragic events. So many of my friends and followers agreed, liked and commented. If there's one important lesson we can take from this, it's that if we allow FEAR in and push LOVE out, then these two individuals will have started a ripple that will go on and on, striking at the very core of life here in the UK.

I include here the famous song from a true peaceful warrior of his time; John Lennon, he championed LOVE as being the answer. The lyrics ask us to  Imagine all the people living life in peace... and that's where I truly feel we need to focus our energy.

I understand the feelings of anger. Anger is a truly powerful force, but if we can just take the energy and channel it into LOVING action, into championing PEACE then we can make a positive stand against such violent actions. In seeing that we are all connected and all part of a greater whole, then we stand a chance of making this painful lesson have meaning, to be the seed of LOVE , not HATE or FEAR, a seed that can be the catalyst to the new, to a shift of overwhelming postive force. No matter what your, beliefs, religious, non- religious, spiritual, cultural, there is one thread that runs throughout and that is; LOVE is always the answer. If we have differences, then lets examine them, lets discuss them lovingly and with empathy, courage and a real desire to understand one another. We may not all be able to agree, we may not be more right, or more wrong than one another, but then; just then, we may be able to be respectful of each other, be in harmony and live alongside one another, in an intergrated, not segregated way.

Well what a week it was last week, talk about contrasting emotions. As any other person, I experience the full range of emotions in my life, but rarely can I claim to have felt  them all in the same week!

For followers of my blogs and posts, I think it would be fair to say that I always look at life with a half full, rather than half empty view point. And this week would be no exception. There were moments in the past week though, as any other spiritual being having a human experince, where even I had some ups and downs on the roller coaster of life.

Sometimes it does all come at us at once and at speed, sometimes we are on that roller coaster with no choice but hang on and go along for the ride. Now we can do so with fear and trepidation, with screams and tears, or we can just take a deep breath and accept what comes to us along the ride and do the best we can at any given moment.

My week began with the first sight of the cover of "Get a LIfe!-the guide book" and a publishing date of the 30th November this year. Wow I cant begin to express the excitement and the sense of achievement to know that this piece of work , this out pouring of my heart and soul would very soon be a tangible object, that can be held in your hands and read by many. It's certainly a tick marked against my bucket list,it holds a real sense of meaning  and purpose for me. A feeling of total elation is how I would describe it! So musch like the excitement of the roller coaster you could say.

So what else happened in my roller coaster week you might ask?

Well you know sometimes you decide to do something on the spur of the moment? Well I did just that! Don't get me wrong I love spontaneity, but in this case I probably made a bit more work for myself than I truly had the capacity to deliver ( note to self, learn just what you can fit in, in one week!) I decided along with my gorgeous man Jon to decorate the sun room/ utility room, which sounds simple and straight forward right? Well it pretty much was, except that was in addition to fitting a new carpet, building new seating in the pergola in the garden, organising a 50th Birthday party for Jon, shopping for said party, carrying out our normal working week... oh and did I mention the trip to Glenfiled hospital for my beautiful daughter Sarah to have heart surgery??? So much like realising you're on the roller coaster, the attendant has secured you into your seat.... and there's absolutley no chance at this point you can get off!

Yes, you did read that correctly, my daughter Sarah had heart surgery on Friday, (It was at this the point of the roller coaster ride I  truly did want to scream and cry and very much wish I could get of, I felt completely in the hands and control of the driver or in this case surgeons, but all I could do was take that very big breath and wait the three hour long surgery to see her come back to me)..... and yes,thankfully she did and is making a good recovery.  I then had a house full of guests on Saturday for a birthday BBQ which fast became  rendition of "You will always find me in the kitchen at party's" for all of our guests due to the unseasonal drenching of the new said garden seating arrangements in the garden pergola!

Now I know we are all super heros in disguise, but maybe sometimes, just sometimes we have to recognise that we're not superhuman.

This I now recognise... thanks universe for that little lesson.
 
Sarah's surgery was a huge success I might add,and  the bonus of her being alowed home the very next day, despite her wobbling around still no doubt under the influence of heavy anesthetic she's making an amazing recovery.Epic bruising aside its absolutely amazing!And for that I'm truly grateful.

The party went wonderfully well, and Jon celebrated his half century surrounded by family friends and a mighty fine cake ( thanks to his dad) All in the kitchen ,but still it was a very lovely view of the new garden seating area!

I even, in between all this managed to fit in cutting the grass ( which is no mean feat on sodden grass ) around Holly House, and fit in all the normal house hold chores, oh and try to keep up with the emails and messages!

Don't get me wrong I'm not moaning or complaining, just recognising that sometimes life is full, fit to bursting, it can be challenging to fit it all in, to find the balance..... oh yes nearly forgot, did I mention I also fitted in writing and delivering a talk/ speaking engagement to a group of wonderful business women from WiRE on "Finding your balance" aptly enough..... I'm just recognising that sometimes we have to know when to stop, when to be still and when to say no. A bit like realising that maybe the roller coaster was just a bit beyond what you had planned for.

Just like anyone, I sometimes miss that point, I go hurtling past it and then ( As i did this morning, weary and tired, emotional and everso slightly overwhelmed) I realised, I just needed to stop, apply my own oxygen mask and ask for help. To stop and to get back to my own point of balance. In order that I could replenish my own petrol tank of energy, to be able to support others.

So why do I share my roller coaster week with you?

Well, to say just this..... It's perefctly ok to stop, its ok to be still, its ok to give yourself permission to give yourself time to find own balance. And it's perfectly ok to recognise you're a human being and experiencing the full gammut of emotion is part of that life experience, even if it does come at you all in the same week!

So remember to fill up your own tank, to apply your own oxygen mask, before you can helpothers.Give yourself some TLC, because you're worth it!

Until next time,
Make every moment count,
Lisa xxx