Tic Toc Tic Toc

It is almost three years since I started working full time with UnitedMind, almost six years since UnitedMind became a limited company, more than ten years since UnitedMind was founded, and it has been an amazing journey so far.

UnitedMind is 'only' relating to my professional life and yet it is so much more.

The lives I have had the privilege to be part of and the wonderful miracles I have seen happening in people who have made the changes I talk about in my trainings in real life - nothing can replace that, a true Kodak moment on all levels not just the visual.

Even when it's tough and challenging there is always something wonderful in it for me and the value of what I do doesn't fall into the lap of a corporate manager who harvests all the goodies. Instead it belongs to everyone who I have been fortunate to laugh with over the years.

One of the things I sometimes mention when I speak at carers' or other health related events is my life with health altering news.

I don't know if I will be affected in the future but at the moment I am really chuffed that Laughter Yoga has added a dimension to my life which has in many ways counter-balanced the upsets and fears of maybe - just maybe - having MS.

Many of you who read this post may already know my story but I hope you will read to the end anyway as it may provide a bit of reflection on the serious matter of caring and losing.

My family lost my elder sister in 1991 when she was only 31 years old, leaving a family with two young daughters behind to cope with life from then on.

In hindsight - and that is an easy one - there are many things that I could have done differently in terms of being there for my family instead of being absorbed in my money-driven work and me-me-me thinking. Amazing how life and views on life change when you grow up and grow out of money-focus - but I wasn't there yet...

My nieces are two amazing, strong young women who are on their own journeys in this lives and I salute them with love, pride and more love. When I saw my brainscan back in 2008 my sadness was that my own daughter would perhaps grow up without a mum in her life. But no matter what, there is always someone who cares so much that the family you have is kept well and glued together.

When I went to the Crossroads Carers Pampers Day on Friday where I was running two laughter workshops, I met two of the three gentlemen I'd had the pleasure of laughing with the prior two years at Crossroads events. Their friend wasn't there. He is now in a carehome because of old age.

I sat down and spoke with the two of them who had come to the Pamper Day. Although their friend was still around they did not have the means of transportation to visit him very often and they really missed him. All of them had lost their wives after caring for them for some time and now they had each other. They would always be The Three Musketeers.

It is great to take the time to show your own human side and compassion, be vulnerable and share a bit of yourself when people are in need of a good listener and in need of letting out the emotions and sadness that is often there when life changes.

There is always time to listen!

'Busy' is something we created in our left brain to make us look important and un-affected but it does not create valuable connections except with the paycheck.

The quote that stuck with me from a cancer patient was:

'It is the little kindnesses that makes the unbearable bearable'.