Tag Archives: Purpose

Today I met a Firefighter

At full tide down at the 40′, you never know who you’ll get into conversation with.  I’m there, we’re chatting about the pull of the tide and the next thing, whilst we’re maintaining strict eye level contact as we discreetly peel off our wet togs and get dressed, I’m chatting to one of the nicest guys I’ve met for a long time.  Stephen O’Reilly.  Firefighter.  Instantly I like him.  Firefighters have to be good people and you know instantly when you meet someone if this is someone you want to chat with, or politely disengage!   The 40′ attracts a very correct crowd of people, in case you are wondering.

A Quick Dip in the Irish Sea by Heather McKay

A Quick Dip in the Irish Sea by Heather McKay

Now don’t misunderstand me, this post is not about attraction in that sense of the word, it’s about social dynamics.  Stephen is so enthusiastic about what he does in addition to his job as a firefighter, I find the more he talks, the more I want to hear. Anyhow, the conversation flows easily and he asks what I do, WORDS,  I say, well it’s much more than words – it’s about how we use them. It’s about who you are. Now we’re flying and I get to find out so much more about what drives Stephen and now I understand why he drives across the city to dive into the sea and make the most of one of our most wonderful natural resources.   Check out grown.ie. It’s a cool company, who stand by their ethics. I love the clarity of their brand ‘messaging’ and yes, Stephen is a great brand ambassador. The point of all this?  Life is one big conversation and I just love it.

 

 

Mindfulness – A passing Fad?

I recently wrote on Mindfuilness for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association and drew on my experience of living with Annette Evans and her husband Roland who has MND.  Against all odds I feel they embody all that is indeed Mindfulness. Click to read full article   Mindfulness… A Passing Fad

[quote align=”left” color=”#999999″]Mindfulness … ” A form of secular prayer” Roland Evans October 2014[/quote]

Check out Roland’s book,The Marshlander Chronicles –  ALL proceeds will go to the IMNDA, 

 

 

25 women, 21 countries

I recently read on-line about a recent Citizenship ceromony in New Zealand, where 25 women from 21 different countires were awarded their citizenship by NZ Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae. [quote align=”left” color=”#999999″]Before today, New Zealand was your home, but now it is your country[/quote]
This had me thinking about the question of belonging.  Where we are from, where we live and where we feel our loyalties lie.  And if, should the need ever arise, what lengths would we go to defend our country. I am an Irish Citizen. Whenever I travel, I take great pride in talking of the country that has been my home for some 20 years now. There are many other facets that form part of my identity.  The issue of belonging raises the real question of who I really am and how different we all are…

[quote align=”left” color=”#999999″]There are no difficult people, just people who are different, with whom we have yet to learn how best to communicate[/quote]
 221-121aClick to contact Janie for more on the 221:121 Workshops

 

why what you do matters

One of the women on a recent workshop was recovering from a serious brain injury.  Everyone has their story and though we were not party to hers, by the end of the morning, this woman who I’ll call Sarah, I believe had found her purpose.  This was one of my ‘Communicate with Greater Confidence’ workshops geared to providing understanding of how we communicate with others, the learning process, understanding personality types, how to connect.  Sarah has a gift and I believe that morning, through speaking from the heart, she came to realise through her own learning of how to deal with brain trauma, she could help others through public speaking. Helping others to cope with brain trauma and not be afraid.  Every time I teach, I learn.   I love what I do.  In giving someone the confidence to stand up and speak out, to shine a light on their potential and light that spark, I get a huge buzz.  Sarah’s accident was no accident, I feel it happened for a reason, so that she may now really live.