Beyond The Body (My Journey of a Plant-Based Diet)

This is a longer article from the archives of my computer files. It touches on some things I have talked about in previous posts and articles, such as the catalyst for my vegan journey and the relationship between creativity and a plant based diet, but also some new things that I haven’t previously written about before but have featured in talks and and interviews I have had with some of the people featured.

I have been plant-based since late 2011 and this story documents so much of that journey, and why for me it’s always been about so much more than the food on my plate.

I wasn’t sure what photo to use to accompany this piece… but as the ‘gateway ‘ was a Nakd bar, I thought I share one of the first recipes I ever made for my blog. My family call these ‘smoosh bars’ although now I more commonly roll the mix into balls and refer to them as bliss balls… if you have been following me on social media for a while you’ll know I still make them regularly (usually weekly!) to this very day.

Read the original post with recipe (note I have since simplified the recipe, scroll down for more bliss ball/bar recipe ideas)

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I want to tell you a little story.

A moment in time, that became the gateway to my plant-based vegan journey. A moment that became my gateway to understanding that a vegan diet was not just 'kale and cucumber'

In 2010 my life was incredibly ordinary. Everything was very mediocre. Not bad, but really not great either. Towards the end of that year I met a guy, a vegan guy.

One weekend on our third date, we went for a walk around a park which led into the town centre where the office building of the company he owned was based. We had grabbed some lunch from the supermarket and were debating where to sit and eat it. He asked if I'd like to come up and see his office as it was on the 12th floor of the building and had a great view over the town. It would be empty and we could sit and eat lunch there.

He was right, the view was amazing.

He took a ‘Nakd bar’ (equivalent to Larabar in the US) out of his carrier bag and I looked over curiously, since I had already finished all my food! Breaking it in half he held out his hand, with a bemused and slightly quizzical look on his face.

"It’s just dates, nuts and cocoa all smooshed up together…it tastes exactly like chocolate”, he told me.

"Yeah right" I smiled back.

But I very was curious, and to be honest didn’t want to offend since it was only the third date and all! So I took it.

Mind blown. It DID taste exactly like chocolate!

In that precise moment in time, as I sat on a chair on the 12th floor of an empty office block with a guy I barely knew… my entire life changed. In that precise moment I realised that a vegan diet was indeed about more than just kale and cucumber... I was holding the proof in my hand!

I still vividly remember thinking, 'maybe this guy is not so crazy after all!'

At that time veganism was not at all mainstream (I’d even had to ask him to explain to me exactly what it meant!) Vegan food options were not widely available and Nakd bars were pretty much the only type of vegan treat you could buy, and only typically available in health food shops. Plus they were very expensive!

From that moment forward my curiosity got the better of me.

I made vegan cakes and cookies that he could eat at every given opportunity. I went and bought a £20 food processor on Amazon so I could make my own chocolate ‘smoosh bars’. It wasn’t until about nine months later than my ‘Including Cake’ recipe blog was born, by which time I was now totally immersed, following a 99% healthy, wholefood plant-based diet myself and seeing so many shifts in all areas of my life- physically, mentally and spiritually.

In conversations with others, I often refer to myself as an 'accidental vegan', since it had never even been on my radar. Life simply presented me with a guy, who happened to offer me a piece of chocolate Nakd bar one day and in doing so turned my world around,

Over the last ten years since that moment (as of 2021), I have grown and evolved so deeply and I attribute so much of this to shifting to a plant-based wholefood diet.

I often talk about nutrition being the gateway to our optimal self, because it literally creates the foundation for the journey, it provides us with the building blocks at a cellular level.

Of course I appreciate there are many of interpretations of a ‘healthy diet’ but my focus here is specifically my experience of the benefits of a plant-based diet and not only my experiences, but those of so many clients, colleagues and friends around the world who have shared with me their incredible shifts too.

Let’s first consider some of the fundamental benefits of a plant-based diet in relation to our physical wellbeing.

In removing the animal products we create a more alkaline environment, which is often referred to as the ‘healing diet’. One of the things I personally noticed almost immediately when I’d made the shift was that the speed of muscle recovery after heavy gym training was significantly improved, there was less inflammation in my body and so less muscle soreness.

Reduction in inflammation across the body, enables the muscles to work more efficiently with less energy expenditure- giving us more energy to use elsewhere.

That is also referred to as ‘high net gain nutrition’, where we are spending a small amount of digestive energy for a big nutritional return.

We are in the age of discoveries, yet so many people still suffer an energy crisis - they are constantly fatigued, susceptible to tension and anxiety, disease and depression. People seem to vary between complete disregard for what they eat and a fanatical obsession with proteins, vitamins, minerals and calories. As a society we have disregarded going back to basics. Back to abundant plant-based wholefoods.

We don’t even have to eat a lot of food to be well nourished, in fact it’s the nutritional density that matters, that is the ratio between the amount of calories in a given food to it’s nutritional value- vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants. Brightly and intensely coloured fruits and veg are highest in antioxidants. We want to consume as much of each nutrient relative to the amount of calories. If we base our diets on the nutrient dense plant-based wholefoods, we’ll be sure of getting the highest level of nutrition in.

Another noticeable sign very early on in my transition, was my increased energy and reduced need for sleep. I’d literally be bouncing out of bed early in the morning, something that had never happened before! When we eat alkaline foods overall nutritional stress goes down which also reduces the levels of cortisol- the stress hormone, enabling higher quality sleep.

It was experiencing positive physical changes like this, that gave me huge motivation to continue the exploration.

Shifting across to a mind-body viewpoint, a wholefood plant-based diet, by its very nature means that we are eating closer to the Source. The more refined and processed the foods we eat, the more we are travelling away from the original source, and so arguably the energy from the ‘life source’ is reduced. This effect is even more dramatically enhanced when we shift to a more ‘raw vegan’ diet also known as a ‘high vibrational’ or ‘living food’ diet.

A high vibrational diet is described as a diet consists of foods that are ‘alive’ and that positively benefit the person, as well as the planet as a whole. High vibration means having more light, and thus less density. Plants exemplify this by photosynthesizing light into energy.

Spiritual nutrition also ties in with the idea of eating closer to source. Originating in Buddhist and Hindu communities is the idea of ’Ahimsa’, where the wellbeing of everything that is related to the food itself is considered. It is though that a more plant-based diet offers access to the higher self. Mahatma Gandhi was a great exponent of ahimsa, saying, “The way to truth lies through ahimsa.”

Recently, I spent some time living with a number of different spiritual communities around the world, all of which followed a plant-based vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. It was fascinating to observe the ways in which their diet and lifestyle was so interconnected.

In speaking with a resident at one of the centres I stayed at, he talked of a deep sense of wellbeing and a knowledge that “Every day I am living and eating with a purpose that extends beyond myself.” I found myself nodding and realising that for me too, there is so much truth in that statement.

Prior to switching to a plant-based wholefood diet, I had not considered myself a particularly spiritual person, yet now these were the people I was drawn to and most resonated with. I also found that the ethical side and ‘wider view’ of a vegan lifestyle was slowly beginning to catch up with me, and link arms with the nutritional standpoint that had first caught my attention and lead me down the road in the beginning.

As my fascination with a plant based-diet grew, I found myself more and more drawn into conversations with others who had found themselves on a similar path, often triggered by very different start points.

I began a series of interviews as a platform for sharing the stories of those who have created powerful transformation in their lives through plant-based nutrition as the gateway to change. Nutrition is a powerful catalyst... but, as I soon discovered, it is just the beginning. It creates a threshold to allow you to step more powerfully into your own story of wellness in ways you would never have thought possible.

The first person I interviewed was a guy I met whilst in Portugal. He’d turned his entire life on it’s head, leaving the UK and his successful building company to set up an off-grid community and retreat centre in the Portuguese mountains.

I was fascinated as to what triggered this. He told me that it was through years of battling debilitating Crohn’s disease that at times almost killed him and according to the medical profession was ‘incurable’, but was then totally cured by switching to a plant-based whole food diet as a last resort. What began as a ‘30-day plant-based challenge’ following advice from a trusted friend turned into his life’s purpose.

What is fascinating is that he also realised that after about six months of being fully plant-based, the asthma that had plagued him his entire life, with attacks often landing him in hospital, had totally disappeared.

He told me; “My whole life has done 180 degree shift, most of my friends back home don’t know me any more. I am a better version of myself. After the initial 30-days I wanted more, what else could I do? The next thing was yoga and meditation, what could I do with my body and mind. I had been a typical gym lad, wanting to build big bulky muscle, and so yoga could not have been a bigger shift for me. I began questioning everything else in my life. I went with what felt right for me in my heart”.

Whilst the stories of those I interviewed could not have been more different, there were some fascinating patterns that quickly began to emerge.

Another lady, now the creator of a healthy food and lifestyle magazine, told me; “You start on the journey with what you’re eating but then your mind opens up and you find your intuition becomes more empowered as your nutrition improves.”

Another interview alludes to this same sense of mind-body shift;

“Two weeks after going vegan the eczema that had plagued me for years just disappeared. The fact that I saw the physical benefit straightaway gave me the motivation to continue. After a few months had past I noticed I had not had a single depressive episode or self harmed. I would say that through a vegan diet I am completely cured of depression. I feel content and grounded in myself.”

In all my conversations, the sense of ‘expansion’ was very apparent and also very much part of my own story.

Once we stop and question something so integral such as diet, something that is so deeply conditioned to be perceived a certain way in our society, and we realise there are other solutions… it creates a cascade of questioning. The better we feel the more we question and the more in tune we become with our inner knowing.

Very soon another question began to rise within me.

Does a plant-based diet increase your innate creativity?

This had been something I had been feeling for some time. When I made the shift to a plant-based wholefood diet, my own creativity skyrocketed. I had always been a creative person in the traditional ‘arty’ sense, but now coupled with the questioning mentality, my creativity and curiosity knew no bounds.

I also had a sense that creativity and a sense of wellbeing were inextricably and powerfully linked. Indeed, a quick search on-line brings up numerous articles and research literature on how being more creative improves our mental and physical health. This deeper approach to well-being is often described as "eudaimonic well-being" and focuses on living life in a full and deeply satisfying way.

Creativity is fundamental to the experience of being human.

The deep connection between creativity and meaning was noted long ago by the creativity researcher Frank X. Barron. Through his pioneering research on some of the most creative people of his generation, Barron came to realize that creative people have the remarkable capacity to become intimate with themselves. According to psychologist Ruth Richards, they “dare to look within, even at one’s irrational and less conscious material, including one’s ‘shadow’ materials”. Richards refers to this capacity as “courageous openness".

As Richards puts it, “A creative style of living, coping with difficulties and weaving possibilities, can not only produce useful accomplishments for self and world but can offer the creator new resilience, perspective, aliveness in the moment, joy, and purpose in life.”

In the words of Brene Brown; "Creativity is the way I share my soul with the world." I see creativity as giving yourself permission to see things differently. Tilting your perspective, maybe mere millimeters, to create the world anew and shine a light into previously undiscovered corners.

For me the shift is primarily two-fold;

Once we go against the norms and think outside the box in terms of what we put on our plates, it opens up space to question the world beyond the confines of society’s expectations and gives us courage to step into our authentic truth in so many other ways.

Alongside this, the nourishment for our body through eating closer to source creates a ‘lightness’, an increased energy at a cellular level and something of a spiritual connection within, although I didn’t realise this initially and still find it hard to put into words today.

I decided to reach out to see if others shared my thoughts and feelings around a plant-based diet and innate creativity. I put this question out to various plant-based communities:

“Do you feel as though your creativity, spirituality or personal development has increased significantly since switching to a plant-based vegan diet?”

I received an overwhelming majority of ‘Yes’s to my poll, approx 70%. Some beautiful comments were shared which strongly reinforced for me this powerful dietary link and mindset catalyst.

Here are some of the words that were shared:

“Yes! absolutely it has! I have been vegan just over a year and it has had a positive impact on all areas of my life. I think on a deeper level, I am more connected to the earth and I am more peaceful. I have had more creative ideas and energy to make them a reality.”

“I went vegetarian the beginning of last year and have gone vegan this month, I have to say my creativity has increased! I am drawing and painting again, something I haven't done in a long time. Also in the way I am being creative in my wardrobe and dressing more how I want too!”

“I am much more creative since going vegan. I'm not sure if it has to do with nutrition as much as living a more authentic and value based lifestyle. It has pushed me out of the dissatisfied way I had been living. I'm also more fearless, I try new things all the time. “

“A vegetarian for 30 years, I then embraced a raw vegan lifestyle about 3 years ago which totally changed me. I suddenly felt connected with the earth, with nature, with life in a way I never had before. Alive, creative, excited.... It was transformative! 3 years down the line I don't eat a wholly raw diet any more, I eat a mostly vegan diet (eggs from my pet ducks when they're laying) but with a high proportion of raw because when you eat raw foods you really feel the life-force, the energy, of those foods going into your body and it's wonderful.”

“I can certainly relate to this. I’ve metamorphosed from a bored meal provider into an enthusiastic, energetic and lovable (well my family believe so) server of wholesome foods. One’s creative energies seem to open up in so many areas of one’s life.”

“Yes, not only in cooking but other ways too. I always have been the type to look outside the box anyway, but this perspective on life has changed the way I look at things even more.”

It’s not just feedback on social media that align with this way of thinking. I dug a little deeper and found various articles also alluding to this sense of creativity and connectedness.

Back in 2008 Steve Pavlina wrote a long article focussed on ‘diet and energy’. It document’s the authors thoughts around his shift to a raw vegan diet. He states, the most significant and biggest change was definitely increased creative output.

“I feel more creatively inspired than ever, so I’ve been doing more creative work than I used to, shifting between blogging, speaking, journaling, business planning, concocting raw food dishes, and other outlets. I now feel very uncomfortable if I go more than a couple days without creating new material. It’s like I’m overly aroused with creative energy and feel compelled to express it.”

I was also fascinated by the question he asked in the article; “Are you resisting a more energetic state of being?

“If you improve your diet and then feel much more energetic (physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually), how will you channel all that extra energy? Where will you direct it? How will you use it to fuel greater creative output?

I think those questions need to be addressed before you’re ready to make the shift. Otherwise it’s too easy to fall back into your old comfort zone.”

This is fascinating to me, and something I had never before considered in that light. When I work with coaching clients or speak with friends who are struggling with aspects of their nutritional journey, or indeed any aspect of stepping up and changing their life for the better, the idea that clinging to our comfort zone, or as Steve put’s it ‘resisting a more energetic state of being’ begins to make a lot of sense.

Whilst we all, no doubt, want to achieve a state of optimal well-being, we also need to be ready for it. No more hiding behind the stories we tell ourselves that keep us playing small.

I believe there is a powerful truth in the ‘knowing’. That when you know more; when you have experienced it in the heart of your being, then there is no ‘un-knowing’.

Exploring Veganism and a plant-based diet goes beyond the body and expands the mind in so many dimensions, and a mind expanded cannot return to it’s old dimensions.

NOTE: This story was first published in 2017 in Athena Publishing: Your Well-Being. A book that showcases wellness, nutrition, alternative medicine and natural health therapies that improve the quality of life physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

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Why I walked 80,000 steps in one day...

For me, nutrition, has always been about more than the food on my plate. I talked about that more in this post as it’s such a big part of why Boost Your Bowl was born.

When I went plant-based in 2011, it opened my mind to a whole new way of approaching my life and it became the gateway to finding my best self in body, mind and spirit.

I've also been a very active person for my entire life. Constantly being ferried between different after school clubs by my parents in my childhood years. Then in my adult years, being an avid gym-goer and pole fitness instructor.

Last year, I joined an OCR Sports Training team, which has been such a wonderful opportunity to feel part of a team again. Something I'd been missing for so long without realising as I’ve working for myself from home since the beginning of 2013. Interestingly it also re-awakened my competitive side that I thought I'd long-buried! (to the extent the guys on the team nicknamed me ‘Competitive Jo’)

I've taken part in a few team challenges and group runs during lockdown which has helped keep me sane and stay connected and also helped create a sense of forward momentum whilst living in a time of such uncertainty.

But yesterday, I did something that was one of my biggest personal challenges yet.

I walked 80,000 steps, which was a total of approximately 70 kilometres, in aid of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. This was part of a wider sponsored fitness challenge I’d been involved with over the last few months, but this particular challenge I took on solo.

I set out armed with a massive tub of overnight oats, (packed with plenty of Toppers of course) and I made a big batch of chocolate bliss balls to keep my energy up. I’ll share my favourite bliss ball recipe on the blog soon.

I started walking at 7:15am in a village near Newmarket and then I proceeded to walk back the Icknield Way trail towards my end point in Bedfordshire, closer to home. It took just over 13 hours on non-stop walking and was dark by the end. It also rained pretty heavily in the afternoon, so I was cold, wet and totally exhausted by the time I completed it.

This was the pic I shared on Facebook the day before…

In times like these that I realise the mind and the body are such a powerful tag team.

When I say nutrition is about 'so much more than the food on my plate', I truly believe it to be the most powerful start point to create our solid, strong foundation. But it is by no means the only piece in the puzzle.

We need to fuel our bodies well, but it's so often out minds that will get us over the biggest hurdles, or indeed it is often our minds that can block our way.

When we bring our mind into the equation and more deeply delve into our own personal development in a holistic way, this is where the magic truly happens.

For me, yesterday was the perfect example of that in my own life.

I'd been feeling a bit lethargic and a bit low in motivation and if I'm honest, struggling with feelings of anxiety in the weeks coming out of lockdown.

But I also know that, for me, movement is always the most powerful tool to bring me back into my body and bring me back into an empowered mental attitude.

So I took that knowledge and applied it.

This is my story, but I am sure I am not alone in these feelings. So I encourage you, if you're feeling a bit low on motivation, a bit 'meh', or disempowered and unsure of how to navigate the next weeks and months to come.

Take back your power.

Shake things up.

Fuel your body and mind in the ways that you know serve you best and allow that momentum to build. I promise, good nutrition and moving your body will never fail to elevate your life.

Push yourself to the edge of your comfort zone and lean into that space where fear and excitement co-exist, whatever that might look like for you.

That is always the space where the magic happens.

Me when i’d finished over 13 hours later. Cold, wet and aching… but very proud!

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Use the power of your voice to write copy faster and more authentically

I've been using the process of voice recording to write copy for my website, blog posts, articles and longer form social media content for quite some time now.

A few years in fact.

Not only do I love it because it's a faster process compared with sitting down to type, but there are some more subtle but equally, if not more, significant reasons why using your voice to write your copy is so powerful.

Here are my top six reasons to start using your voice to write your copy.

(p.s. Case in point... I 'wrote' this blog as a recorded audio note whilst sitting on a blanket in the sun in my garden. Then edited the transcript ready to publish in a just few mins later on in the evening.)

1) No pre-editing.

When you sit down to write with a pen or to type on your keyboard. The speed at which you type is much slower than the speed at which you think and therefore, by that very nature you pre-edit the words you type n the page.

Whilst this might not seem like a negative thing, the problem is that we're not consciously choosing or aware of what we're pre-editing out, so many of the gems of wisdom can be lost.

Whereas if you use a method of voice recording, to simply speak into the world those thoughts in your head on whatever particular topic, you are able to capture everything that comes into your mind without judgment or expectation and most importantly without pre-editing.

As you listen back to you audio or read through the transcript, and work through words on your page to tidy and pull them into shape, you can be sure that you won't miss out those gems of wisdom that would never have shown up, if I hadn't been for the voice recording process.

2) Whenever, wherever.

Often when I'm recording voice notes, I might have an idea land when I'm out on a walk or when I've just parked up in my car and I'm about to go into an appointment. I probably wouldn't have my notebook or laptop with me and likely very little time. But I've got my phone and with it the ability to record voice notes.

The amount of words that you can speak into a phone in just one minute would take many more minutes of the equivalent time to write down, even if you did have access to your keyboard in those spontaneous random moments when your idea just popped up. So recording voice notes allows you to fully capture those 'aha moments', wherever you might be.

3) Greater context for later recall.

Off the back of my last point, often I'm not in a position to do anything with that thought right there and then so if I scribble something down on a notepad usually it's just a few phrases or a sentence at most, simply because I haven't got time to express much more than that.

Yet, when I come back to the note a couple of days, a week or sometimes a month later, those words often don't mean anything to me anymore.

Whereas, if I capture those words in an audio note, not only can I capture more context in those few seconds, I can also re-immerse myself in the energy of my, voice so if there's something I was excited about, I can hear that excitement. It's much more likely I'll be able to tap back into the energy and take action from that place. This is something I would miss entirely with a quick handwritten phrase scribbled on a notepad.

4) A heart-centered approach.

With practice, voice recorded notes are very much a heart-centered 'channelling' process. There's not really any thinking involved. You are literally speaking the words out loud as they come through. It's like a stream of consciousness process, not something we usually do for copywriting - where our brains get highly involved.

So, by just allowing the words to roll off your tongue, you capture things in a very authentic, honest and heart-centred way. Not tainted with and 'rules and expectations' of writing or your industry standards or audience, that during the traditional writing process can make our words sound very generic if we are not aware.

5) Overcome the overwhelm of a blank canvas.

When we sit down to write, knowing where to start can sometimes be overwhelming.

So avoid that and just start talking. It doesn't matter what you say, just start talking absolute waffle if you like - give yourself that permission! It might take a few minutes to settle and get going, but when you find your flow and you can feel the shift. You know when you're tapping into the good stuff.

So then when it comes to listening back or when you come to edit the transcript, you can skip the first few waffly minutes because you knew that was just you warming up and getting started. Jump ahead to where the good stuff starts flowing and work from there.

6) Make it easier for your team.

Sometimes you might not be doing all the copywriting/editing yourself, you may have a team that works with you. For example, you have a social media manager, or maybe as someone who compiles blog posts for your business.

If you speak the essence of that you want to capture into a voice recording, your colleagues can pick up on that energy more directly. This can impact how words are laid down a page, such as where you might decide to use different headings depending on how important that particular sentence was - your voice will dictate that. That tonal quality does not translate in written notes alone.

So if you do have others on your team that work from your copy, giving them something to work with that's multi-dimensional, that's got texture from your voice can be so much more helpful in translating your intentions.

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Whether you already use voice recording in your own process or this is the first time you have considered it in this way, I hope this has given you plenty of new food for thought to put onto practice!

Join me for a live training of my process!

I would also love to invite you to explore this further with me as part of a live training I am hosting next Tuesday 11th August at 7:30pm BST (recording also available if you can't make it live) - we'll explore the specific processes I work through for myself and with my clients and the various ways this can be used for multiple aspects of you business copy creation strategy.

Launching... Coach On Call!

I officially launched a new service last week... did you see it ? :-)

Well, technically it's two new services:

✨ 'Coach On Call' for wellness business owners looking for support in elevating their business.

✨ 'Health Coach On Call' for those looking for support to elevate their personal health and wellness.

When I was initially putting together the copy for the Coach On Call pages. I realised it was very difficult to describe the impact of something that for most people would be an entirely new experience.

I knew this firsthand because the clients I trialled the process with, with whom I'd shared the description on my draft sales page, admitted to me that they hadn't really understood what the point of it was initially.

Yet, by the end of their day working with me in this way, they were filled with so much excitement about how incredible the process had worked out for them.

(Listen to the audio below that shares real-time client voice notes on what the process meant for them, these notes weren’t promoted by me and I only thought to put this audio reel together in retrospect in case it could be helpful for others).

“I've never done anything like this before. This has been absolutely brilliant to focus on my business whilst letting life carry on. I'm still present at home whilst processing ideas and working on my business.” - Linda Goodchild (Creator of the Healthcare Companion)

“Working with Jo for the day was phenomenal. My head was full of procrastination because I really couldn’t see how I was going to move forward. Just having a place to share my ideas and thoughts allowed me to see the step past the ideas. This process has helped me identify my next steps and take action where I once felt overwhelm”. - JuJu O’reilly (Health Food Business Founder)

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To put this new service in even greater context, I’m sharing with you my thoughts on what I think the four most powerful aspects of this process are, and why...

1) You don't need to carve out an uninterrupted hour or two.

This is a very different process from what I would traditionally call a 'Power Hour' where we thrash out what it is you're struggling with over the course of an hour. While those sessions can be amazing, this is an opportunity to have a back and forth conversation over the course of a day. These are snippets of time within a much larger timeframe. Life will be happening alongside.

2) There's no pressure.

You won't feel put on the spot, there's no need to come up with answers in the moment. There's zero pressure. This works both ways. I can serve you more powerfully When I don't feel pressure to respond on the spot. It creates much greater opportunity to really think and reflect on what it is that is being shared.

There is no video, so you don't need to do your hair or your makeup. You can even wear your pyjamas if you want to!

This is a very non-pressured and very gentle process. But don't be fooled we'll be digging deep.

I actually think that when you're not 'live' in front of someone, subconsciously the mental barriers drop away and you can actually allow yourself to be immersed in the process more deeply that you would have otherwise. It's a fascinating process.

3) Action-taking is built into this process.

In a traditional 'power hour' or 'discovery session' a lot of the action taking is hypothetical because we're talking through the things you will do after the session ends.

The problem I find with this is that whilst you're in a high energy mode in the moment whilst we're talking and generating ideas, as soon as the call ends and life takes hold and distracts you away, inevitably, the moment drifts.

Maybe the confidence drops. Maybe the clarity or the vision is lost. When hours or days later you look at your notes, you can't recall what they meant anymore.

During Coach On Call, action taking and conversation take place in the moment, all day long.

4) There is time for reflection and processing.

There is time to process and reflect on what is most meaningful to you, how it feels for you, how things are shifting.

Maybe in the middle of the day, you need to make the kids lunch or take the dog for a walk. All these pockets of time during the day when you don't feel as though you're actively working on your business or your project, is all golden time for assimilating information to process where you're at.

That reflection and processing aspect is lost a Power Hour, simply because there's not physically time for it.

So this is a very experiential and very immersive process.

So the fact that…

• You don't have to carve out a big chunk of time.

• There is no pressure.

• Action-taking is inherently part of the process.

• There is time to reflect and process everything we're discussing in real-time

…Makes this a really unique and really powerful opportunity to work together.

Feeling curious but still not sure?

I invite you to add me on Voxer (johodson), send me a message via voice or text and i’ll happily gift you a free 15 minute taster session to answer any questions, give you some quick-fire support or simply so you can get a taster of how it could work on the day!

For full information and to book your day, follow the links below:

Ideas to stay connected in times of unexpected downtime

I was speaking with a new friend recently about ‘living in the moment’. As someone who is more tyoically an overthinker, it has been challenging to adopt this mindset but so necessary. My life as a digital nomad is full of uncertainty month to month and the best thing I can do is be present to the moments and opportunities that may present themselves.

This mindset has helped me so much in recent days.

I don't consume any news sources and have been using social media a lot less than I was so had felt largely unphased by the whole Coronavirus drama.

Yet with all my weekend plans being cancelled, my forthcoming housesit in Spain no longer going ahead and mass confusion surrounding the coming months, last night I could not help but be drawn into the energy and uncertain waters.

Yet this morning I woke up with creative energies surging through me.

Whilst there may be so much in life we can not control, we can always control our response to any situation, no many how tough it may seem and I know right now it feels hard for many.

Whilst right now we may be needing to create social distance, this does not mean we need to feel disconnected and fearful inside.

I see this as a time to connect in different ways.

To approach life with new perspectives.

To think outside the box.

To find new solutions.

And I find that incredibly exciting. A collective opportunity to shake ourselves out of the trance of daily living.

And it's not just this moment. We all have 'unexpected downtime' thrust upon us from time to time... whilst this time it may be the Coronavirus affecting society as a whole, at others times it could be a broken leg, a redundancy, an illness... things that force you to step back and change the course of your life temporarily.

We all have a wonderful innate capacity for creativity. We can use this opportunity to take ownership of life and not be victimised.

So I created a list to get you started. Ways to stay connected your yourself and those around you in times of unexpected downtime.

What would you add to this list?

I have also attached it as a PDF HERE… so you can download for yourself (no email required!)

P.s I am also organising Wellbeing Walks local to me at the RSPB Nature Reserve in Sandy both tomorrow (Monday 16th March) and Friday 20th at 11am if anyone who like to join me to take a mindful moment and a breather from the chaos. See the event link here and get in touch with me asap.

Sending much love to everyone affected by the current pandemic.

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Not 'bad' enough... (a story of pain to purpose)

Last year I was given the opportunity to give a talk at the launch of an event called Pain to Purpose. Hosted by my wonderful friend Vanessa of Grow Friday, the whole focus of this event was to vulnerably share our stories of pain through to purpose.

I felt present once to the energy of this event as New Year 2020 rolled round and I reflected on life, the wins the losses and moments in between…

I decided to take on a deep dive personal development workshop, to challenge the limiting beliefs and blocks that I know still hold me back, things I touched on in that vulnerable stage presentation.

Which brings me back to that moment…

I sat there in the audience, on a chair to the side of the stage waiting for my turn to stand. I was the opening speaker for the main section of the evening that had begun with a series of open mic sessions. People came to the mic to share for 10 or 15 minutes each, their stories of struggle and their stories of triumph through adversity. There were some really beautiful, painful, powerful recollections. Deep vulnerable sharing.

I distinctly remember thinking, Wow. Who am I to be speaking on this stage as one of the key speakers? My story isn't 'bad enough' to be sharing here!

I still clearly remember those words forming in my mind.

My story isn't 'bad enough', I haven't suffered enough to be standing and sharing here. Who am I to share my pain when it is nothing compared to theirs.

Getting passionate here… the talk was in a dark atmospheric basement venue (hence the low lit shot)

These feelings were still swirling around inside me as I took to the stage to begin my talk and so with honesty and openness, I shared exactly that. I placed my fears on the table.

I shared that these feelings were swirling within me. I shared I didn't think my story of pain was 'bad enough' in comparison. As soon as I said it out loud I smiled and there was some giggles in the room and I laughed as well. We laughed together in the recognition of how silly that sounded out loud.

My struggles, no matter how small they may seem, are worthy of acknowledgement. My 'pain to purpose' story was worthy to share.

It's not a competition to see how 'bad' we've each had it in life. Yet, sometimes in society it feels like that's where we're being pushed towards. There's comparisonitis in every corner about how good our lives can be but there's also the darker comparisonitis of how bad we've had it - like a oneupmanship of the worst kind.

So for those of us, like me, who fall somewhere in the middle, who have struggled with seemingly smaller things in a sea of trauma we see in the news every day, we dismiss our struggles for not being worthy.

For not being 'bad' enough.

We don't ask for help because it's not 'bad' enough to justify someones time and resources. We feel foolish, feeling as though we should be able to sort this ourselves because really in comparison to what some people have been through, it's really not that bad. Suck it up.

And that's the story I've been telling myself for a long, long time.

That's the story that came to a climax in that room as I heard those powerful stories shared before me. And by openly speaking my fears into the room in that moment, I gave myself permission to share my story. I acknowledged my struggles.

I see so much of this repeating in the book I’m currently writing. I'd been stalling for so long in putting my thoughts into words because I didn't think my story was worthy enough to tell. It wasn't 'bad' enough. My pain and struggles are nothing in comparison to what some people go through. So why share it at all? Who would it even help?

Yet, I know there are so many people like me, maybe even the majority, who struggle with these seemingly smaller things, things that on the outside don't seem a big deal. Where the thoughts creep beneath the surface of our minds… who am I to be talking of my pain when so many other people have had it far worse.

But here I am on stage and in my book, talking about my pain.

Talking about my power.

Talking about my struggles.

Talking about my strengths.

Because I know there are so many other people, like me, who sit in the middle of the spectrum with the struggles that they simply don't give credit to. That they dismiss because it's not that 'bad'.

I'm here to hold out my hand and invite you to own your story. Your struggles and your strengths, your tragedy and triumph, your highs and your lows…

They are worthy.

They are significant.

They can have a voice.

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When we judge others we are only ever judging ourselves

On days that I struggle with my own self worth and feelings of 'enough-ness', I know that it's happening because I feel so triggered by posts on Facebook and Instagram that normally wouldn't impact me.

I know that on days I'm struggling with my self worth, the voices in my head get louder. The voices in my head speak to me much more negatively. On days where I struggle with my own self worth, I believe them.

But the biggest sign that I've come to observe, is that on days I struggle with my own self worth, is when I'm judging people around me.

I'll tentatively admit that I used to be quite a 'judgey' person. If I'm totally honest, I used to feel superior quite often. But I didn't really have much awareness of it, I had no context for comparison and I didn't question it.

These days I've done a lot more inner work on myself, I've done a lot more self reflection. I've grown a lot more and learnt what it is to connect to humanity at a deeper level, and for the most part those judgments have naturally dropped away.

So on days where I feel those judgments creeping in and the voices of comparison kick up, I know there's some work I need to do my own sense of self-worth.

Recently, when I was having a particularly wobbly day, I went to a Pilates class at my local gym in the evening. I sat cross legged on my mat getting ready for the class to start. The teacher was fiddling with setting up the music and I was gazing into the huge mirrored wall at the front of the room.

Looking into the mirror, I could see everyone else sat to the side of me and behind me on their own mats. And as I glanced around the room, I immediately began judging people.

I began judging the older guy sitting to my left hunched over with bad posture.

I began judging the overweight lady sat behind me.

I began judging the lady on my right who still had her trainers on and didn't look like she was about to take them off anytime soon.

I began judging others to make myself feel better.

And then in noticing I was judging others, I began judging myself.

I tried to shake these feelings off. Because I felt really icky. I didn't want them. I felt ashamed thinking these things. How dare I judge someone else! How dare I use this as a way to feel better than them!

And yet in the moments of those judgments and the inner reality check, a little voice in my head was still whispering, "Yeah, but you know it's true, you are better than them". Then immediately another voice inside would come along to slam that one down.

It was intense.

As the class got underway I began to settle down. But the judgments didn't leave me entirely.

As we were moving through the the sequences and the poses, instead of staying in my own lane with my own thoughts, and being present in my own body, I caught myself steeling glances around the room to see what other people were doing.

To see whether I was the most flexible one there.

To see if I had the best form when holding the Plank or the Teaser.

To see how well the overweight lady behind me was doing in comparison.

I still needed to make myself feel 'better than' in order to make myself feel 'good enough'.

I cringed as I walked home after that class. I felt a heavy with judgment. I felt heavy with the knowledge that I'd sent such a negative energy out towards the other people in the room. That i'd made no effort to connect with a smile to anyone else.

Because at those times I feel a struggle with my own sense of self worth, at those times I struggle with my own insecurities, instead of reaching out and finding connection in the humanity we all share, my reaction is to pull away and disconnect from the aspects of people's lives that I cannot experientially relate to.

I use difference as a reason to disconnect.

I can't understand first hand what life is like lived in their shoes and so I pull away and judge them for it. It's a 'fear' thing and it only shows up when I'm sitting in my own insecurities.

Now today, just a few days later, I'm in a very different place. I recall how judgmental I felt but I'm compassionate towards myself, instead of hating on myself. I'm compassionate towards those parts of me, the shadow side, because I know I'm not really 'judgey Jo' at my core. It's not who I am deep down.

For the most part. I love people. I embrace people. I see the beauty and the 'humaneness' that we all are inside regardless of what our wrapper might look like.

And I know that's my truth.

And I know that two days ago, it was simply my own insecurities showing up and being projected on those around me.

So I show my self compassion. I send myself the love that I needed then.

As I sit here reflecting, gazing into that mirrored wall in my mind's eye, I look the people around me in the room, the same people who were there in real life just a few days ago and I feel nothing but love.

There is no judgment.

As I rewind that tape and play out that same scenario in my mind's eye, I feel connected. I feel whole. I feel just as worthy as everybody else in the room.

Because when we judge others we are only ever judging ourselves.

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How vulnerability calls to the deep humanness in each of us

I have explored the topic of vulnerability pretty extensively in my own life since 2015 when I first learned of the work by Brene Brown and it blew my mind with its ability to connect us deeply when I least expected it to! Little did I know at that point in time the depth of the journey I would be taken on.

Recently, whilst tidying up some files on my Macbook, I found this article I first wrote to be featured in Smart Healthy Women magazine back in late 2017. All of it still rings true and so I am sharing for you here too.

I’d love to hear your own insights on vulnerability and how this has enhanced your life, as it continues to be a treasure trove for me in getting to know myself more deeply, and has been the gateway for leading me through the messy to the magical.

Embracing Vulnerability

The idea of life being a celebration of the 'journey' and not the 'destination' is not a particularly new concept, I see it bounced around in quotes on Pinterest and on the web in various forms, but it can so easily be overused and it’s meaning lost and diluted.

I really loved Brene Brown’s spin on things…

“It’s not about winning, it’s not about losing, it’s about showing up and being seen.”

'Showing up' is an incredibly powerful statement. Sometimes we can fool ourselves into thinking we are stepping into our power and living up to our potential by making plans, thinking about what we will do, reading all the books, speaking the speak....

BUT 'showing up' is in the doing. It's the stepping out into real life and putting those thoughts into actions. It's entering new unknown territory. It’s the risk-taking and the potential for failure. It takes us out of hiding- whether that be physical or mental, there is no going back once that step has been taken.

Showing up is the real crux of embracing our vulnerability.

Showing up is saying 'yes' to life.

Saying ‘yes’ is surrendering and trusting the process.

Trusting the process is deeply entwined with embracing vulnerability.

We talk about ‘trust’ as something we ‘build’, as if it’s a structure or thing that we need to gain more of over time, but in that building there also seems to be something deeply powerful and necessary about letting go.

That ‘letting go’ brings us out of our heads and down into our hearts. That ‘letting go’ allows us to stop thinking, to stop worrying that someone won’t catch us if we fall. It allows us to relax a part of our minds so that we can focus on what’s right in front of us and stop concerning ourselves what’s going on when we are not there.

Trust is not one way but many ways of being. Trust is your relationship to the unknown, it’s a slow and steady practice of learning about the capacity of the world.

Some time ago I was at home just getting settled to go to bed when a question popped into my head and wouldn’t leave me alone.

“What does being brave mean to me, and how can I show up ‘bravely’ in my life?”

I have no idea whatsoever why that question popped into my head, but as it did I also had the soundtrack ‘Brave’ by Sara Barielles playing through my mind…

“Say what you wanna say

And let the words fall out

Honestly, I wanna see you be brave”

When we are younger our parents may say ‘be brave’ when we fall over and scrape a knee, to help try and stop our tears.

Being brave in the face of pain is a very traditional association, but I think it goes much deeper than this in how we show up in the world as we get older and more of societies expectations bear down upon us.

Is bravery a direct correlation to the level of unknown and uncontrollable outcomes and moving forward regardless?

For me, bravery is about stepping beyond your personal comfort zone… that’s where the fear factor and the unknown both lie. Being ‘brave’ can show up in the smallest of actions; exposing vulnerability and simply speaking out loud what’s on your mind instead of holding it inside is often a huge act of bravery.

One thing that has created a huge mental shift for me is the realisation that allowing yourself to be truly vulnerable within interactions with others creates great strength and not weakness... the opposite of what I would have previously assumed.

It blew my mind when I first saw this in action, as a leader took to the stage at a coaching event and began his opening speech with the words, “One thing I don’t want you to know about me is…”

I had so much more respect for him as a result.

Vulnerability calls to the deep humanness in each of us, it holds out a hand of connection. It says ‘me too’.

Vulnerability is an act of exposing our own deep truths and in doing so we act as a mirror for others vulnerabilities. We risk rejection when others are not ready or able to meet us in that space.

As Brene Brown writes, the root of the word courage is cor - the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage meant "To speak one's mind by telling all one's heart."

We each have our own story tell, and only by truly owning that story in our hearts and embracing our vulnerability, can we unleash it’s power.

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