Aligned & Curious

In my 20's, I walked into an office and told them why they wanted to employ me.
It wasn't in response to a job advert, it was from a letter (like an actual pen and paper letter!) inviting myself for a chat with them.
By the end of the meeting I had talked them through their business needs, made myself an essential factor in those plans and created a job title.
I left with a job offer.
I left my home town, moved over 100 miles away and proceeded to meet some of the best people I have in my life, (and have awesome nights out like this!)
Where is she now?
Where is that sass, that confidence, that self belief.
We often see posts asking, 'what would you say to your younger self'. But I wonder, what would that younger self have to say to 50 year old me!!
What advice would the younger you give to yourself right now?
Drop me a line if you'd like a free 15 minute call to find out more about how I can support you.

"How's your morning going"
"Well, I just tried to put my cup of tea on instead of my glasses, which I think probably says it all!"
What things have you done recently that answer a question better than words!?

Sometimes I think it helps to share the reality behind the public face.
I've had the most wonderful week meeting clients and a really lovely weekend.
Connection. Laughter. The sea.
Outside in sunshine and rain.
A wonderful long community walk with The Pilates Company this morning.
Fresh air, movement, conversation, being around genuinely lovely people.
The kind of things that light me up.
And yet this afternoon, here I am, up curled in a ball on the sofa, completely unable to function.
Old versions of me would have judged this.
Told myself I was lazy.
Too sensitive.
Judging myself for not coping with all the normal things in life.
Failing.
That if something was 'good for me', I shouldn’t feel wiped out afterwards.
Burnout taught me differently.
I now understand that you can be doing what you love AND still require recovery.
That doing what you love, doesn't mean being limitless.
That capacity matters.
That your nervous system needs care just as much as your mind does.
This post isn’t in any way about sympathy, in fact it's a celebration.
It’s about honesty.
Learning what supports you.
Learning what drains you.
Learning that recovery is part of the process, not proof you’re broken.
Learning that rest can be a celebration of listening to your body.
That awareness changes so much.
This is a huge part of the work I now do through coaching too.
Helping people reconnect with themselves beneath the expectations, the masks, the constant pushing through.
Not becoming a different person.
Coming back to yourself.
If this resonates, please share a comment or drop me a DM.

As I sat down with a client the other day, they told me they weren't sure what to bring to our session, they just felt like they wanted to move more.
So instead of just talking about movement, we embodied it and headed out for a walking coaching session.
Movement and being outdoors shifts the energy.
We have it drilled into us from such a young age that sitting still and thinking is the way forward, and we forget there are other ways.
Your body often knows what you need before your mind catches up.
What would you love to bring to a session out in nature?

www.alignedandcurious.co.uk is now live!

Please do check it out. There is more to come and updates will follow soon, but wanted to share the first look with you all.

Sharing the ripple effect of a smile!
I looked for a glimmer of blue sky today.
I tried really hard!
I listened to the songs of birds, and noticed the air felt a tiny bit warmer, but not even a glimmer of blue sky.
So I walked in the rain and grinned!
I giggled with a couple who were both wearing shorts on the prom in the pouring rain, and I grinned some more.
So here I am, sharing the ripple effect of a smile.
Because some days are grey.
And some days finding your own smile is tough, really tough.
If today is one of those days, I hope a little ripple of a smile helps, even if it's just a tiny bit.

Time for sunshine!
I took this the other day and thought I'd share, in case anyone, like me, needs to see some blue sky and sunshine!!