I am writing to you from Leeds (I let out a sigh of relief because my body feels so at home here and it is so nice to be out of the big smoke!)
I am up in Leeds for various completions connected to teaching aerial, my beautiful marriage, and an amazing ancestral visit prompted by a craniosacral session with the wonderful Tanya Richam-Odoi (if you are based in the North and don’t know Tanya… trust me you want to know her and her amazing healing art!), as well as to celebrate a dear friend’s 40th.
While here, I had an experience that reminded me of a memory from when I was around 13. That experience at age 13 showed me the power my voice holds and highlighted three crucial principles of Truth that now guide my coaching work:
1. The power of inner truth (and following our intuition)
2. Letting go of binaries (good/bad/weak/strong) and into empowered (or in this case fired up!) truth
3. The ripple effect that happens when we show up for our truth
Aged 12, I moved from Faversham in the South East of England to Bristol in the South West. At the new school, from day 1, I noticed a lot of bullying and power dynamics (which I think is normal for year 8 of secondary school), but in which some teachers were complicit. I felt powerless to do it for a long time as a small 13-year-old (sometimes I was even complicit to avoid being bullied myself)… but one day, the fire in my belly bubbled up into finally standing up to it in a self-expression that even took me by surprise!
One boy in my class (let’s call him Jonas) who got picked on a lot was very bright, not great at sports, and very shy. Unfortunately, the school gym teacher (let’s call him Mr Homer) seemed to enjoy highlighting that, and each week when we played volleyball, Mr Homer would say we couldn’t move on until the person serving had got the ball over the net. Each week, Mr Homer would pick Jonas to serve. I felt my humiliation grow as Mr Homer shouted and shouted at him to get the ball over the net. One day, I got so angry that I flipped my lid (as my Wheel of Consent and Held students will be familiar to!) at Mr Homer, shouting, “It is so obvious you are picking Jonas to serve each week because you are a bully and your behaviour makes you look foolish not Jonas”
When I spoke up in that gym, I wasn’t following a rulebook and I didn’t have a plan, and I recognize a fight or flight response was also present in the fire in my belly that said ‘This is not ok!’… But it felt so good to say “No!”
After my outburst, I remember feeling scared, thinking “Who am I to stand up to this teacher?” and sure that I would be in trouble for my behaviour. I wondered what my classmates would think of me: would I become subject to the bullying next? Would I be made to leave the class or worse suspended? I may have had a detention (I genuinely don’t remember what happened next!), but other than nothing! And Mr Homer stopped picking on Jonas there and then, and he didn’t do it again. My classmates seemed to respect me for speaking up too.
Recently, Jonas (now very much an adult and doing well in life) reached out to say thank you and that he would never forget that someone stood up for him.
Realising the impact my speaking up had on him made me realise a few (more) things about the importance of trusting our inner truth and that sometimes things that might seem ‘wild’ or ‘firey’ or ‘unhinged’ hold the seeds of power: they can be our greatest contributions, give us creative fire and lead to change.
I thought I had two choices until that day: to stay quiet to maintain ‘harmony’, or speak up and face consequences, but what I discovered was a third way: that when I stood for truth I created true harmony in the long run, because Mr Homer didn’t do that again, and by being me to the full, Jonas (and perhaps even some other students) had permission to be themselves more fully.
Our unique creative expression isn’t about staying quiet, conforming, or even trying to improve ourselves in areas we don’t enjoy (such as serving in volleyball)… it is about listening to our truth, following what fires us up, and being the most expansive expression of our heart and the star that we really are.
When Jonas reached out, I understood that actions aligned with our inner truth create ripples that we can’t always predict and that there is magic in embodying that. It showed me the magic that happens when we dare to trust our inner voice.
Following our intuition and inner wisdom may seem risky or impractical, but is the most direct path to both material success and soul-level fulfilment. Being on our inspired (Goddxx) Path inspires others to trust their own gifts and intuition and creates a catalyst for change.
I have a FREE event for Goddxx Graduates on the 27th February 2025
The Goddxx Path and Glow interviews are OPEN
The FREE Creativity Circle starts on the 3-6th March 2025
I have a FREE event for Goddxx graduates on the 7th March 2025
There is a FREE Land of Plenty session on the 9th March 2025
The Goddxx Path Taster day is on the 30th March 2025
Okan (An Ella Mesma/ Maya & Toussaint Production) premieres in London on the 11th April!
Embodied Alchemy starts on the 16th April
The retreat to Mexico is ready for March 2026
And wow! Today is the last day of The Wheel of Consent! I feel all the feels because it has been such a profound journey. If you were on the course with me, thanks so much for your magic!