How does your past experience shape your approach to eating now? Can we change our future? I think so ⏬ “Eyes bigger than… ???? “ I was reminded of this phrase whilst eating my lunch recently. I was starving. So made a very decent sized […]
How do you deal with a big change in what you had carefully planned? At the weekend we were meant to plant our hedge. The trench was dug in readiness last week for 100s of plants to go in. And then it rained, a lot […]
Do you have a seemingly unconnected job in your past which has given you skills you use now?
After taking delivery of these beauties I am facing a weekend of revisiting a past career as a garden designer ????
????And it got me thinking about life experience. And life experience in terms of what we do for a living.
As a child I wanted to be a ballet dancer but at the age of 9 I was told I was the wrong shape so not to bother. As a young teenager I decided I wanted to be a fighter pilot. Different times meant that as a woman I wasn’t allowed. They offered me air traffic controller as an alternative option ????
After this influence it meant that I never quite found the answer to the question ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’
Until I was in my mid 40’s when I found my purpose and set up The Southey Way (growing up is still not an option!)
Between then and now, in rough order, I have been:
Typist
Recruitment consultant
Secretary
PA
Contracts manager
PR
HR
Project manager
Outplacement consultant
IT Trainer
Personal development trainer& coach
Unemployed abroad
Mother
Gardener
Garden designer
And now Health & Fitness coach/Mentor
If I had to put all those professions on a CV it could look like a right hodge podge with no logical flow.
And that thought could be justified.
However now, looking back at my working life, it all makes sense. As they have all contributed to how I work now.
All these jobs have given me such a wide range of learning, influences, and experience that I use on a daily basis to help support each and every one of my superstars on their life paths.
????My magic is in listening and hearing people. In building those relationship with individuals and providing what they need at a given moment in time.
Sometimes the path we take doesn’t have a visible destination. Or we can’t currently see it.
By looking back at where we have already travelled we can see the purpose to the past journey and the path opening up into the future.
What seemingly unconnected job in your past helps you in your work now?
……………………
Group, Online or 121 Memberships – what works for you best? You choose. PM me for a chat to find your best solution.
I have a habit of messing up taking videos of important stuff – as you can see from this clip of my daughter’s first ever rock step climb in Wales this weekend. In my excitement I pressed the record button twice ???? I like to […]
A Story about … The Shed Social March’s Shed Social was epic ???? We got warm and cosy over Dr. Jenny Gordon fresh baked scones ???? and talked about so many things. Some work, some personal and some just plain funny ???? The Shed social has no […]
Do you get them? What do you do?
For those of you not familiar with the term CBA stands for Can’t Be Arsed
We all have those days, even people who seem to regularly have all their ducks in a row!
Some signs of a CBA day looming:
This time of year can trigger more of those CBA moments than normal with the unpredictable weather, the darkness and dreariness.
It can all seem too much. The desire to bin out and just hunker down under a blanket with a plateful of biscuits and hide from the world can be very strong! Or is that just me? ????????♀️
Here’s how I manage a big case of the CBA’s.
I give it a score out of 10. And then take action accordingly.
1-5 out of 10 – A mild CBA DAY
Often a mindset change can change the course of the day. So planning and actioning a few tiny steps can get me back on track
And then moving on to something small and not arduous that will give me the feeling of achieving something that day.
Like:
Action is so much easier to take once you start taking it. And the tiny steps create momentum to the small steps that then make the larger steps more manageable ????????
6-9 out of 10 – A medium CBA Day
These are the times when the overwhelm seems overwhelming!
These are the times I treat myself to permission to change the plan for the day.
Some things I do
CBA days can feel overwhelming.
But we can still choose how we act.
What causes your CBA days? And what actions do you take?
…………………………….
Group, Online or 121 Memberships – what works for you best? You choose. Contact me for a chat to find your best solution.
Have you felt it was truly personal with your PT or coach? I’m often asked what makes me different from other health & fitness professionals. Here’s one of the main ones: For me, it’s personal. By that, I mean I’m all in for each and […]
Do you get them? What do you do? 🤔 For those of you not familiar with the term CBA stands for Can’t Be Arsed We all have those days, even people who seem to regularly have all their ducks in a row! 🦆🦆🦆🦆 Some signs […]
Long Story Short: Why is The Southey Way logo a starfish?
Did you know that there are over 1900 different types of Starfish?
And this number is, amazingly, growing.
Did you know Starfish can regenerate?
Most can regenerate damaged parts or lost arms. How cool is that?
Also, Starfish can have more than 5 arms?
There are some with 9. That must take some coordination!
I didn’t know much about Starfish until someone told me they knew why I wore a starfish necklace, whilst doing what I do with The Southey Way.
Since I had been given the necklace about 10 years before by my kids, there was no way this person knew why I wore it.
But sometimes the world works in mysterious ways. And the conversation I had with this lady, changed my brand identity instantly and for the better. Turns out she did know, and now so do I!
If you want to know why, read on…
Short Story Long: How my Starfish became the symbol of why I do what I do for me, my clients and with everyone I meet!
About 5 years ago I was at a networking meeting where I was giving a talk about why I do what I do at The Southey Way. I shared my personal Story (you can read it here if you haven’t already heard it) and the reason I was driven to help others find their path through the health and wellbeing minefield to their best and happiest life.
I love doing this. It’s often the best way to illustrate the power we all have inside us to live our best lives. It pretty much always gets received well and resonates with others.
But this time it was weird.
After the initial banter at the start I started to share my story proper, and the room went quiet. I remember thinking to myself (whilst I carried on talking) how weird it was that everyone was just looking at me. Either they were bored out of their minds, or they were listening intently. Ever have one of those moments?! I decided that I’d choose the later and carry on. I’d find out soon enough which it actually was!
So I kept on carrying on.
At the end of the meeting there was a queue lined up waiting to talk with me. I guess they must have liked it!
Whilst I was chatting, I noticed a lady at the end waiting to speak with me. Every time someone came up behind her, she would move herself back to the end of the queue. Interesting!
Finally, after about 40 minutes we met. She thanked me for my talk and shared her story saying how much mine had resonated with her. (Always such a privilege to be trusted with the stories of others) And just before she left she uttered these words “And I know why you wear that starfish necklace”
Now, this necklace I have worn every day since my children bought it for me 10 years ago. It was the first present that they chose together to celebrate my birthday. It has always held a special piece of my heart because of that. But there was no way this wonderful lady could have ever known this fact.
So I asked her why she thought I wore the starfish. And she said, I will email you why.
By the time I got back home, her email was waiting in my inbox. And this is what it contained….
As soon as I read this, I knew she was right. She DID know why. I just hadn’t made the connection before ready the story. This story was the perfect representation of what I aim to achieve, my purpose behind The Southey Way.
The very next day I went to my graphic designer, she traced my starfish from my necklace and my starfish logo was born.
Since then, I’ve learned a bit about starfish. And there are some facts that tie in us as individual people within humanity.
There are over 1900 different types of Starfish
These amazing creatures are all beautifully different, as are we!
Starfish can regenerate
It’s never too late to heal and grow
Starfish can have more than 5 arms. There are some with 9.
We can change and adapt in our lives, if we choose
Often, when people I know see a starfish, they send me a picture.
Clients see starfish all the time. It helps remind them of their focus.
Friends have given me birthday and Christmas gifts with starfish on.
My daughter (who works with me now) has a turquoise starfish that she wears.
So now you know why my brand is the starfish. And I wear it with pride!
Until next time, Stay Strong Superstar
Sara x
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Sara Southey from The Southey Way
Not just a personal trainer!
Health & Fitness for you, helping you thrive and not just survive
Body, mind and soul
Specialising in helping each individual person take control of their life and create their own unique sustainable health & wellbeing habits to thrive and not just survive
Welcome to A Story With… As someone I have had conversations with, you probably know I’m a little ‘different’ When I was thinking about how to stay in touch with you, I looked for something different to do and A Story with… was born. I […]