My new empowerment course.

I've done 3 empowerment courses this year (4 with the one I am
currently doing) and I have learnt a lot from them.

Two done by a lady called Julie are amazing. She's a fun and bubbly
person and she's used the techniques herself, so she know's what she's
talking about.

Then I did a 3 week course with a woman called Sandra, who is my
facebook friend now. Her course is very similar to Julie's two
courses, but very good. It's like CBT in a beginner's format.

I found doing Julie's two courses first helped, as you start thinking
that you can be a more confident person, and then Sandra's course
tell's you how to tell your mind to stop putting you down and change
the way you think.

I don't know if that makes sense.

What I'm trying to say is that you have to BELIEVE you can change in
order to start to change.

Having the seed's sewn that I could start to love and accept myself,
and everything that happened, made me able to start to change.

And I have made a really good journey, which I will discuss on another
post later.

The new course I am doing is the first course I've attended run by a
man (Doug. I know him through my employment course and through my
volunteering) and it's kind of like the last piece of a jigsaw.

Doug's course is filling in the bits that weren't covered entirely in
Sandra or Julie's courses, and it's probably the last empowerment
course I will attend for a while, as I've done them all.

Famous last words. I'll probably sign up for another one next week lol.

But it's interesting as well that I'm seeing thing's from a man's
point of view, as the other empowerment courses were run by women, and
I am attending out of curiosity to see what is different from the
women, in the way of what matter's confidence wise.

I'm waffling, I know. I just think that it's interesting to see how
men and women see confidence as different thing's. The man's main
point of view is to have a healthy body, and to exercise, where as the
women's main point's of view were to take time for yourself.


My new empowerment course is great. I'm learning new stuff, and
refreshing old stuff, and I'm enjoying it.

I know I waffled about nothing, and probably made no sense, and I
apologize for that.

I'd love to run an empowerment group. It must be satisfying to give
people the tool's to have a better life. I'd love it.

And, after all, I've attended plenty. I've done lots of research.

A happier post. Let Loose.

I'm not sure how many of you lovely people will remember the 90's band, Let Loose.

I was a huge fan. I think 'Crazy for you' is a classic tune if you grew up in the '90's. It's a brilliant pop song.

"I'm crazy, crazy for you /and there's nothing that I won't do".

I also loved their debut album. I remember having it on cassette tape, and I think that I actually wore out the tape playing it that much.

Anyhow, why am I waffling on about a band I liked when I was 14?. Before I answer, I just remembered that one of the guy's (I think it was Rob) used to be on a daytime quiz show called 'Waffle' quite a bit. I used to watch it when I was off school. I just randomly remembered that.

Right, back to why I'm posting about Let Loose. It was my birthday recently, and my mum bought me the cd of the debut album. It was a brilliant present. It was a reminder of what I liked and who I used to be.

Note to self: It doesn't work with Boyzone. I loved Boyzone growing up and now I can't stand Ronan Keating's voice. I have to switch off when I hear him start to sing. It's weird. I only tolerate Boyzone song's I really love now.

Back, again, to Let Loose. Even playing the cd again brings back happy memories of the girl I used to be. The girl I'd love to be again.

It may be a cd of a band who had 5 minutes of fame 20 years again, but for me, it's a step back to getting the old me back again.

Oh, and I was 13 not 14 when the album first came out. In 1994. I still remember playing 'the best in me' and my Grandma, who really didn't like modern stuff, liking it. Being a grown up, and listening to the lyric's now, I don't think she'd like it quite as much now.

It's strange what music can do. And, to quote ABBA 'Thank you for the music'. It's something I couldn't live without.

I alway's suffered from anxiety.

I don't remember the day my anxiety started, but I do remember the first time I felt so scared that something bad was going to happen.

I was on a school trip. Camping (which I hate), or the closest thing to camping I will ever experience, and there was no phones up there in the place I was.

This was the time before internet and mobiles (yes, I am that old).

I remember being so afraid that someone I loved would die and I wouldn't know as I would be so far away. I just cried and cried. It got so bad, my head teacher was going to send me home.

And, typically me, I enjoyed myself the night before we were about to come home. If they put the disco on when I arrived, and not when I was about to leave, I think it would have made all the difference.

In all fairness, though, I do remember being anxious about everything as a kid. I'd wake up in the middle of the night to check the house wasn't on fire or no one was breaking in.

I couldn't sleep until I'd check. It sound's ridicolous, but that's how my mind works.

And I thought it was all a recent thing, but it's not. I've always been anxious, and I don't know why.

I don't know why I've picked up this doom and gloom attitude from. I remember even a couple of years ago, I'd have a 'routine' and if I didn't do that, I'd cry uncontrollably.

I sound like a mad woman. I don't know why I'm remembering all this now, but I am. I think my EFT is a little to blame for unearthing all these memories. I mean that in a good way.

I think in order to really be cured, I think I may have to discover what happened when I was a kid. I know it's one of two things, and neither of them are things that are good.

I think it's time I talked about them both, though, to my therapist. See if she can help me put it to bed once and for all.

So, where am I in life?.

Well, I am still living in the hostel. It's been a weird year, and I'd
be quite happy to never have a year like the last one ever again. My
housing is still quite depressing, so I will just glide over it and
move onto a happier subject.

I have done a lot of personal development courses this year. I'm onto
my 4th course this year. I'm learning to have a better life.

I'm also doing volunteer work in a community cafe, for a mental health
charity. It's something that I love doing, and It's brilliant. Really
the high point in my life.

And it was my birthday recently, and my brilliant boyfriend bought me
a beautiful necklace. A purple heart one. It's lovely.

There are a few positives in my life at the moment.

Time to re-start this blog again.

I've been absent from this blog for a long time. During the period of
my life that has, without a doubt, been the worst point of my life, I
didn't 'connect' with what I wrote on here.

I was reading back post's and it felt like someone else had posted
them. This was my feeling's and my life, and I felt like a stranger
had written them.

I did start another blog, mainly because I needed somewhere to put all
my feeling's and emotion's into.

Well, last night I decided to read back on my blog and it was happily
connecting to me. All of the crap I've gone through in the last year
has made me such a wiser, stronger person. I started this blog so I
could chart my progress into being someone who is making changes
towards a better life.

And my other blog didn't have stories and poem's on it, like this one does.

That blog wasn't personal. This one is.

Writing this post is like talking to an old friend. I have so much to
tell you, and so much to share.

It's a cliche but it's true. I had to take a step backwards in order
to re-discover who I was.

And I'm back. This is me. The crazy woman who talks Monkees and Person
of interest and shares random quotes.

And it's good to be back. I missed me. And this little blog is a part
of who I am.

What i've learned about myself.

Living at the hostel hasn't been all bad. Ok, about 98% bad, but i have learnt a few thing's about myself as i've lived there.
 
I am too trusting at times. That's something i have decided i need to work on.
 
I don't judge people easilly. If someone is willing to change their lives, then i think we should help and encourage, and not judge for their previous behaviour. There was a girl who was a recovering drug addict, and some people there gave her a hard time, and she was struggling at times, but she talked to people through the hard times, and she got her place in rehab (where she is now).
 
I do judge people if they're a thief, alcoholic, druggie or general low life. Like i said above, if you wanna change your life, offer support. If not, then that's there call. That's the type of people i judge. I can empathize with a few of them, but i don't know why you'd wanna waste your life getting drunk or high, or inflicting misery on others.
 
I can live without materialistic thing's. I don't have much money left over after i pay my rent, so i don't get the chance to buy much.
 
I can cook, and enjoy it.
 
I am responsable, and enjoy looking after myself, and other's.
 
That's what i learnt in the last few months.

Living here is destroying my faith in humanity.

I like to try to see the good in everyone. Niave, i know, but that's the way i am. If i can help someone, i will.

Living in this house, though, has got me doubting humanity, in general. Another 'nice' person has turned out to be a thief, and i'm wondering if there's anyone here who isn't a criminal, of some sort.

I know, hand on heart, there's about 5 people here i trust. My mum, the woman she goes to bingo with, the other woman my mum's age, who just moved in, The gay guy downstairs, the handyman and the couple upstairs.

They've all had stuff stolen, and they're the people i chat to, when i'm cooking in the kitchen. Everyone else, i don't have much to do with.

How can someone steal from someone else in the same situation as themselves?. I really don't understand the mentality of people, sometimes.