I want to share with you something I’ve been struggling with for a long time. And that’s this idea that you can only do the work you love if you’re willing to be a starving artist. I come from the non profit world and I also have an activist background. So it’ll come as no […]
Read MoreA quick aside before I begin – I just want to say that I’m not meaning to sound ungrateful, or like I have a rod stuck up my ass. When I started That Hummingbird Life, I made a commitment to myself that I would always be honest (maybe sometimes a bit too honest) and this post is […]
Read MoreI’ve had quite a few confidence shattering experiences over the last five years. And there’s a notable difference between how I presented myself five years ago than now. Somewhere along the way though , I learned that it’s possible to love myself, that I’m much more introverted than I thought I was and that when […]
Read MoreHere’s a truth for you: I have spent my whole life wanting to write about women who go on adventures. Women who decide to choose themselves and follow their own path, wherever it takes them. Women who buy a one way plane ticket and greet life with a smile and a fuck it attitude. Women […]
Read MoreI absolutely bloody love napping. I really think it’s one of life’s simplest luxuries. And I can say with pride (maybe too much pride), that I have NAILED the art of napping. All it takes is a good playlist, my epic flamingo blanket and sometimes my huge cuddly bear (come on, we’re all adults and I […]
Read MoreWhen I ran the New Year’s Revolution challenge at the start of the year, I set myself a challenge for 2016. And that was to become more visible. And share my many stories. For me that meant putting my whole self out there. Not hiding behind a screen or a mask, but showing up, as […]
Read MoreWhen I first started writing, at a very young age, I was obsessed by how other writers achieved success. What writing habits did they adopt? Where did they write? Did they type or hand write? How did they map their novels? What kind of pen were they using? I thought this knowledge was the secret […]
Read MoreSometimes you watch or read something and it knocks the wind out of you. You wonder where it’s been all your life. And you have a new way of understanding yourself. And you feel less alone. That’s what happened when I first saw Neil Hughes’ TED Talk about walking on custard and anxiety. I’ve struggled […]
Read MoreI want to talk about something today that we don’t really like to talk about, or admit. We all feel like frauds. Who am I to be doing this? Why should someone pay me attention/money to do this? What if they find out that I feel like a mess and discover I’m a massive fraud? […]
Read MoreLife Lesson 1: Good ideas always come in the shower. Especially when you’re singing loud to ‘Go Your Own Way’ (this version is the best!) Life Lesson 2: Not everyone cares if you go your own way. They might not care about what you do in general. Stay with me on this one. You know […]
Read MoreThis post was going to be something entirely different, but it turns out sometimes life happens and the story has to pan out before the main point becomes clear. Let me back up. I recently went to a 3 day country music festival and was in my absolute element. Seriously, if anything makes me feel […]
Read MoreI talk a lot about celebrating the shit out of your small wins. I mean a lot. Celebrating your small wins helps you to propel you to doing things you thought you wouldn’t be able to, helps you to take a chance on yourself and helps you to find new opportunities. It’s also the difference […]
Read MoreYou know when you have one of those days where you’re trying to put milk in the kitchen drawer and peanut butter in the fridge? Today is one of those days. This morning, I found myself completely puzzled as to why my tea wasn’t turning brown to only realise that I was pouring hot water […]
Read MoreDream chasing is a funny thing. The term gets bounded around like there’s nothing easier in the world. Yet we don’t really speak about our dreams. Often not even to ourselves. We may have our vision boards in Pinterest (stay tuned for an upcoming post on using Pinterest to create your Vision Board), we may […]
Read MoreHow many people know your inner-most dreams? Not the ones that sound good when you’re meeting new people, or the half-beat ones you tell your family. But the ones that you struggle to barely whisper to yourself. The ones you’re too scared to say out loud. The ones that sometimes you’re too afraid to tell […]
Read MoreIn extremely exciting news, The Couragemakers Podcast launched this week! And it has blown my mind. I started Couragemakers because I wanted to speak to women all over the world, women like you and me – mission driven doers, makers and world shakers, about their dreams, their stories, and get really vulnerable and courageous about what […]
Read MoreThis is the start of a brand new chapter. This is a new beginning. I’m starting my life over. The new me begins today. I’ve thought all of those things on lots and lots of occasions. And you know what? It’s never worked out for me. It has lasted maybe two days, and I’ve slipped, […]
Read MoreI just want to start by saying that I love Brené Brown. I’ve watched the TED talks, bought the books, didn’t buy the t-shirt because it was too expensive. And I love the ‘others’ too – you know who I mean. The big name people talking about big ideas and concepts in profound way. I find […]
Read MoreAt times, there can be nothing scarier than losing your enthusiasm. Losing your enthusiasm for life, losing enthusiasm for passion projects that you were once so excited about, losing your enthusiasm for your dreams. Believe me, I’ve been there and it feels like a seriously lonely place. Enthusiasm is a massive driver for me, and […]
Read MoreSometimes doing the work is really really hard. You might be a writer, you might be a painter, or a blogger, or you might sell handmade things on Etsy. Or you might have a dream of owning your own business, or be in college doing final exams to graduate in a subject you adore. But for some reason, even though you know exactly the steps you need to to do the work, you just can’t do them. Everything around you becomes SO much more appealing. Checking your email suddenly becomes the most urgent thing you need to do - wait, there’s a corner in the living room that needs tidying - oh and the dishes need to go away. And you might as well phone bank and sort out your debit card at the same time - and while you’re on the phone, it would be nice if you called your brother to see how he is.
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