I cannot believe I am spending my Bank Holiday Monday updating my SEO pages. Half an hour ago, I had never heard of an SEO page. Even now, I only have the very faintest idea what they are (something to do with how google finds your web pages in case your were wondering). Thank goodness for idiot proof guides - you techie types are saving my life! And if you do have a clue about this stuff - I'd love to hear from you.
Now, I'm writing a blog page. Again, haven't got the foggiest idea what I'm doing and not what I thought would happen when I got up this morning (incidentally, my train driver husband will be home from work in 2 hours and I'm supposed to have an IKEA Billy Bookcase assembled by then....even doing something as scary as computer stuff is more appealing than self-assembly furniture on a Bank Holiday). Apparently Blogs are very important for your google rankings....and I do love writing. I thought I'd just write about how scary a time this is. Maybe you can relate?
A few years ago, an opportunity to do some yoga based, pregnancy exercise workshops with NCT arose. I was rather outside my comfort zone to say the least, but keen to reinvigorate my teaching of physical skills and relaxation for birth. To my surprise, I loved it and began to teach it every week in Ruislip, Middlesex. I still love it.
Just a few months ago, an opportunity to make this NCT Pregnancy Relaxation and Exercise Class my own business (thank you NCT!), leapt up and hit me between the eyes. I didn't see it coming and I still haven't quite come to terms with it; and yet, I've no choice but to run to keep up with the consequences of my 'yes'. I feel as though I've jumped off a cliff. One friend said, 'Maybe you have wings you didn't know about, and you're about to use them?' another said, 'maybe instead of stepping off a cliff, you've actually stepped on to an escalator?' At the moment, I'm too stuck in that wide-eyed terror stage to say. Perhaps you can relate? It seems so simple to say 'Yes! It's time! Let's have a baby!'
And my goodness, you jump off that cliff! It can be a bumpy road. I know many of you have received some very big knocks, just to get to the conception stage, or that nerve racking 12 week scan, let alone beyond. You may be near the end of your pregnancy wondering why the days have suddenly speeded up and are propelling you far too quickly towards motherhood (or 2nd, 3rd babies). Perhaps you're enjoying that second trimester break from fatigue and sickness but wondering what's up ahead.
Can I encourage you today? As I take my wobbly, shaky steps of birthing and mothering my 'BellyTots baby' perhaps we can hold hands, as it were, as you birth your real life baby. Lets just keep saying yes, and keep stepping out into the unknown - together. We might feel like hiding under the covers and never coming out - perhaps it's not a bad idea to have some (short!) times when we do that. Mostly though, lets be brave and just do it.
Millions of warrior women before us have birthed their babies...and their businesses....why not us? Perhaps as we look back at them, they look strong and sturdy, but maybe at the time, they felt as wobbly as we do now. Maybe life is all about the next wobbly baby steps; maybe that is a good definition of living in the present - as opposed to the future or the past. Maybe life was never meant to be confident, sure-footed steps. Maybe constantly looking for that is a mistake I've made too often? Lets be a band of wobbly-stepped women, encouraging each other and reaching out to each other. We can do this!......I think..........!
Ok, ok.....I'm going to start on the bookcase........sigh ;).