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Writing From Within - Writing as a Healing Tool

22/6/2015

This morning I was stuck in the past, in the old patterns in my life that no longer serve me.
These patterns stop me from being my authentic self. They literally stop me in my tracks.
So how do I get going again?
When I'm aware I'm stuck and attempt to keep going the ‘stuck’ feeling manifests into something bigger than Ben Hur. I feel overwhelmed and incapable of moving forward in a positive way.
So how do I move forward?
I acknowledge my feelings and I write them down.
I write with no censorship.
I write it as I feel it and I keep writing until I have exhausted the ‘stuck’ and everything associated with the ‘stuck’.
At some point I come out the other side and I move forward.
It is at this point I find me.
I recommend "Writing as a Healing Tool". It works for me.
Jude xoxoxo

LINKS

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Judy-Taylor-Grief-Healing-Love-Inspiration-Hope-724885690872207/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/JudyTaylor2014
Amazon Author’s page:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B018LQJ5SC
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPGoVDdQ3PG1YLJs4fA3QgA
Join Our Mailing List:
http://www.positivesigns.com.au/join-mailing-list.html
Audio Visualisations:
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/PositiveSigns

REMEMBER to add posigns@bigpond.net.au to your address book so we land in your Inbox.

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Mind Body Spirit Festival - John's POV

8/6/2015

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SATURDAY 6th JUNE 2015 - MBS FESTIVAL DAY #1

It's mid-morning and we're up and out and heading into the Mind Body Spirit Festival at the Melbourne Exhibition Building. Today Jude is signing and promoting her ‘MUM MOMENTS – Journey Through Grief’ book on the Phoenix stand while tomorrow is her 'Writing As A Healing Tool' Presentation to a live audience. (links below)

Phoenix look after the Australian distribution of the paperback for us and sharing space with their many well known authors is a wonderful opportunity to get Jude’s book out to a whole new audience. It’s also good to be chatting to other authors on the stand and see how the whole things works.

Plus there’s an interesting look-see into the MBS Festival from behind the scenes, how tomorrow’s presentation in the Speakers Lounge is physically set up, planning everything we’ll need and generally making sure we're organised in advance. So as we spend time slowly cruising up and down and around the streets behind the venue looking for somewhere to park I’m hoping it will all be an exciting weekend.

We finally find a park, make our way inside, book in, get our ID badges and find Phoenix. They have a large stand where two busy aisles meet a busy thoroughfare with a zillion people constantly cruising past. We set up alongside other authors on their presentation table and Jude settles in. She loves this stuff and is in her element already. It begins.

While Jude is doing her thing, meeting people and discussing the ‘Mum Moments’ journey I take the chance to wander around. There are so many stalls and so many products on sale its a little overwhelming but I start sensibly by finding a good strong latte. Coffee and I agreed to get along many years ago as long as it's made by a good barista, it’s impressively strong and I limit myself to one a day. There is always some trepidation in buying from those less-permanent mobile stands but this is a nice coffee so I'm happy. Now I’m ready for anything.

Mind Body Spirit covers a lot of subjects and, as I mentioned, that’s what I find inside. There are people promoting everything from crystals to natural nougat to Chinese acupressure to whatever you can find or do for your Mind, Body and/or Spirit and pretty soon I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Maybe it’s not the best decision to work my way around such a busy, closely-packed venue with fresh strong caffeine surging through my system and I need to take a break after an hour or so. The energy in there is a mish-mash of everything all happening at once and a busy-ness like a peak hour railway platform. The term ‘Controlled Franticity’ comes to mind so I add that to my computer dictionary. Maybe there’s a Wikipedia of new terms I can add it to or a Guinness Book Of Records entry for useless descriptives? Maybe not.

I check on Jude and she’s happily chatting with people at the Phoenix stand. She’s already spoken with a lot of people still grieving the loss of a loved ones and one lady who lost her mum just this last week. Jude tells me they are all so relieved to find someone who understands their grieving and who lets them know their confusions to do with the extremes of grieving are a normal part of the process.

I escape the building and regroup with a mixed curry at the Crown Casino food hall, sharing a table with 2 ladies talking about the festival and planning the rest of their weekend. It seems they are having an exciting time and can’t wait to tell Tina and Doris, whoever they are. I try hard not to eavesdrop but it’s difficult when they talk so loud, even with their mouths full. Maybe I’ll bring some earplugs tomorrow?

SUNDAY 7th JUNE 2015 - MBS FESTIVAL DAY #2
Today our son turns 23 but he's fast asleep as we get organised for day #2 and head out the door. Birthdays are well celebrated at our place but this one won't kick in as a celebration for us as a family until tonight when we get together at a very nice restaurant of Jack's choosing.

This might sound upside-down but it suits us all. Jack stays up very late every night unless he is coaching tennis in the morning and, right now, the French Open is on pay TV. For some weird reason it's a different time zone in France so his late nights have become later. And because it’s Sunday he won't surface till this afternoon when he'll relax on the couch and catch up with whatever favourite TV series he missed because of the tennis. At the ripe old age of 23 he lives a relatively uncomplicated life.

Meanwhile, back at the MBS Festival parking is a nightmare with cars cruising everywhere waiting to pounce on anyone leaving. And we thought yesterday was bad. So I drop Judy off as close as possible and start my own cruising of adjacent streets, hoping after a while to find a park before I run out of petrol. After all, its Sunday in the city, there’s a massive festival on and I only have a full tank. Tricky. And surely someone is leaving soon? No..?.. how about later? Tonight? Tomorrow?...

By the time I’ve parked in the next state and caught a plane flight back.... ha ha, just kidding... though the space I finally found is about ten times further away than yesterday. It's a good thing I only have to drag my heavy cabin-luggage bag full of stuff, yeah?

Now, today we come equipped with extra copies of the book, extra business cards and more 'Join Our Mailing List' forms we ran out of yesterday. The book is attracting a range of people, many who are carrying issues to do with unresolved grief and Jude is offering hugs to those in need. Jude is giving a lot of hugs.

It's another reminder that grief is a powerful emotional force to be reckoned with and so many of us carry confusions and guilt around it. I mean, how many rules do there seem to be about grieving anyway?

Which is very sad, when you think about it. Everyone experiences grief, it is a normal part of life because 'life' here in this physical world means living AND dying. Death is inevitable for us all and everyone we know. But our western logic sometimes isn’t very logical and those 'rules' get in the way. How to grieve... how not to grieve...

Time passes, suddenly it's 'coffee time' and I decide to see if the same 'mobile cafe' I went to yesterday can do it again. It can, so I take that as a positive sign and head back across to the Casino food hall for my lunch as well. Life is good.

The day goes quickly. We send a selfie to our boy with a big happy birthday and check in with our daughter who is in the middle of cramming for her university exams. I take a moment to reflect on where I was and what I was doing this day 23 years ago when Jack was born. Time flies, yeah?

Many of Jude’s Facebook friends from Melbourne pop in over the weekend. With her Mum Moments page closing in on 6000 likes despite Facebook continually dropping people off for some reason she knows so many more people than this time last year and the festival is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to catch up. I take a few more photos for this blog and give Jude a break on the stand where I also get to learn about the other books and cards Phoenix's other authors are presenting. Life is an exciting learning opportunity despite the sore feet and tiredness closing in on me by later afternoon and I’m hoping Jude's stamina holds up for her presentation. 3 days ago she was in bed with the flu.

Jude’s ‘Writing As A Healing Tool’ presentation goes really well. Being scheduled at the end of the day on a Sunday there was always the chance she’d be talking to the cleaners but the seats are filled with an assortment of friendly faces and everyone pays attention. I sit mid-way back with Jude’s I-pad to shoot the video we have up on our Youtube page and settle in for the next three quarters of an hour.

And please feel free to remind me to get a proper tripod next time as my arms start to feel uncomfortable after about five minutes and get a little wobbly not long after that. Jude, too, has a dinky knee and our doctor/sport physio guru has her under orders to not stand longer than fifteen minutes at a time whenever possible. Good thing it’s only a 45 min presentation. Ha ha…. oops…

The thought that we both might fall apart at any moment strikes me as funny so I try zooming in the video image to distract myself. I don’t have an I-Pad but the video controls turn out to be pretty easy. Maybe Apple could somehow build a tripod into the design?

END BIT
By the time we're heading back to the car we're still feeling good. Earlier this afternoon I had to walk back to where I parked this morning to grab another box of books and took the opportunity to find somewhere closer so we don’t have to go far now. Jude’s knee is holding up and my arms survived the video-ing and we share a sense of a job well done.

We battle the evening traffic, meet up with the kids at Jack’s restaurant of choice and celebrate our boy’s birthday in style. The food is excellent and the company perfect. Plus, as a final positive to end the day, the restaurant owner commented to Jude as we were leaving that he thought our kids must be boyfriend-girlfriend because they got on so well. He said they chatted so easily and obviously enjoyed each other’s company while waiting for us to arrive. Life is good.

(Link to MBS 'Writing As A Healing Tool' video highlights)

LINKS
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Judy-Taylor-Grief-Healing-Love-Inspiration-Hope-724885690872207/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/JudyTaylor2014
Amazon Author’s page:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B018LQJ5SC
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPGoVDdQ3PG1YLJs4fA3QgA
Join Our Mailing List:
http://www.positivesigns.com.au/join-mailing-list.html
Audio Visualisations:
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/PositiveSigns

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Mind Body Spirit Festival - Jude's Perspective

7/6/2015

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TOUCHING HEARTS

My weekend was all about me and I loved it. Being me is one of the most empowering experiences of my life.

This weekend was dedicated to being at the Melbourne Mind Body Spirit Festival signing copies of my book ‘Mum Moments - Journey Through Grief’ at the Phoenix Books Music DVD stand before presenting a seminar, 'Writing as a Healing Tool'.

It was so much more than signing books for me.

Helping people open their hearts and get in touch with their feelings was my highlight. Allowing people to sob as I offered them a hug while they told me their story was a beautiful heart-warming exchange.

There were many that were ready to take the step and pick up my book and begin embracing their journey. There were others who were not ready to step into the emotions just yet. Others wandered by at a distance several times throughout the day, grief radiating from their faces as though they wanted to embrace their feelings yet were never quite able to step forward. I know in my heart they will take steps in their own time and space. Grief can be like that.

For me I know just being there touched hearts and I know each person I connected with touched my heart too.

A FEEL GOOD EXPERIENCE …

Whilst signing books at the Phoenix stand at the Melbourne Mind Body Spirit Festival On Saturday I looked down to find some money at my feet. It was eight $100 notes held in an elastic band. Whoopee … what a find … $800.

I checked to see if anyone at the stand owned it. Alas no one did. So I handed it in to the festival organisers who said they would donate it to charity if no one claimed it. I pondered the thought that for me $800 would come in handy as I went back to my purpose of sharing my story to help and support others.

It occurred to me how it would feel to lose this money and I visualised it being returned to the owner. When I left at the end of the day it was still at the MBS reception.

On the Sunday when I arrived at the Phoenix stand one of the authors told me the owner of the money had come to visit me to give me a hug and say thank you. As I wasn't there at the time she left $50 for me as a thank you. What a lovely surprise.

The festival organisers came to see me at different times during the day to tell me their personal versions of how the lady returned to find her money and her joy to discover someone had handed it in.

I felt special knowing I had made a difference in her life.

The following day I had a phone call from the owner of the money, Sarah, thanking me once again. She deeply appreciated my honesty and I was touched by her gracious words.

Whilst $800 is a considerable amount of money the joy I feel in my heart from returning it to its owner is worth so much more to me.

All in all it was a weekend full of adventure.

(LINK to MBS - 'WRITING AS A HEALING TOOL' Video Highlights HERE)

LINKS
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Judy-Taylor-Grief-Healing-Love-Inspiration-Hope-724885690872207/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/JudyTaylor2014
Amazon Author’s page:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B018LQJ5SC
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPGoVDdQ3PG1YLJs4fA3QgA
Join Our Mailing List:
http://www.positivesigns.com.au/join-mailing-list.html
Audio Visualisations:
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/PositiveSigns

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Things We Learn On Airplanes

2/6/2015

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by John Taylor

So, how about these ups and downs, yeah? Feeling good one day and feeling like s..t the next. A roller coaster ride.

You see, Jude’s got this bug. Melbourne is good for bugs at this time of year and the whole family has had this one to some degree. Mine took about two weeks to get fully through but it was only a few days that were really bad. It’s nothing too serious, just an uncomfortable inconvenience like most bugs that come around. During that worst bit I did the ‘right thing’ by taking it easy, staying away from people and spending as much time as I could either resting in bed or slowing down as much as I could.

But the Jude is having a harder time because she doesn’t like to stop when there is so much to do. She’s what people call ‘driven’, something I have always admired about her. For me, I have to put energy into my ‘driven’. It comes more naturally to her.

You probably notice how she does a lot of interacting on her Mum Moments Facebook page? She totally loves that stuff and is helping people whenever she can. But that kind of ‘driven’ often keeps her up late and her sleep can be a little all over the place. Having friends on the other side of the planet can do that… staying up late on social media I mean. So she’s probably a bit worn out which probably makes her a bit more vulnerable to these bugs. Not so good.

Now, I’m a great believer in appreciating that everything happens for a reason and these seasonal bugs are just another example of that. I’m thinking they are a reminder that (a) we are not invincible after all and (b) sometimes we just have to slow down and look after ourselves.

But looking after ourselves can be a challenge too, especially when there is ‘so much to do’.

Have you ever sat in an airplane and paid attention to the safety demonstrations? They say, very clearly, that we need to look after ourselves before we look after our children. Their example is we need to place our own oxygen mask on first and then help our child with theirs.

At first I thought this was around the wrong way. Shouldn’t we look after our kids and/or others first? Isn’t it selfish (or whatever) to look after ourselves when our kids and/or others are in need or in danger?

But then it became clear…

WE need to be strong so we CAN BETTER look after others

If we are weak or sick or vulnerable then how can we possible do our best to help anyone? I’m not talking car crash / airplane emergencies or anything, I’m talking the day-to-day stuff.

So here’s Jude in bed feeling miserable with a bug saying “I have all these things to do. This is sooooo frustrating! Aaaaahhhhh!!!...”.

Me: “Stay in bed, Jude. Rest. There’s no hurry. Look after yourself.”

Jude (trying hard to smile through the coughing): “Easy for you to say.”

Me: “Think airplane emergency procedures.”

Jude (trying not to smile): “Don’t give me that airplanemergencyprocedures right now… I’m sick.”

I’m making a warm therapeutic Manuka honey drink for her now and maybe I’ll take the laptop in later. The Manuka honey is good for the bug while the laptop is good for her soul. I work on finding Jude a life-balance as part of her healing therapy.

I also make me a double black coffee and grab a muesli bar. I know that I’ll be visiting our favourite Dr Barista later for my latte therapy but, right now I figure I gotta stay strong so I can look after my girl. I found that little bit of wisdom on an airplane.

LINKS
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Judy-Taylor-Grief-Healing-Love-Inspiration-Hope-724885690872207/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/JudyTaylor2014
Amazon Author’s page:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B018LQJ5SC
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPGoVDdQ3PG1YLJs4fA3QgA
Join Our Mailing List:
http://www.positivesigns.com.au/join-mailing-list.html
Audio Visualisations:
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/PositiveSigns

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Writing From Within - Writing as a Healing Tool

Mind Body Spirit Festival - John's POV

Mind Body Spirit Festival - Jude's Perspective

Things We Learn On Airplanes

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Categoriesgrief, mourning, loss, death, grieving, feelings, stress management, mum, mom, ma, mother, self awareness, self help, intuition, inner-knowing, self expression, stress, healing, holistic healing, Maeve Binchy, Marian Keyes, Monica McInerney,

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grief, mourning, loss, death, grieving, feelings, stress management, mum, mom, ma, mother, self awareness, self help, intuition, inner-knowing, self expression, stress, healing, holistic healing, Maeve Binchy, Marian Keyes, Monica McInerney,