A Substack with a Difference!
This one is going to make you smile!
***I’ve recorded this text in audio format if you might enjoy listening to my words as to reading them…or maybe you might like me to read them as you read them either….
This week’s newsletter is a little different to other weeks….I know I know…I can hear you because you are sooo right!!! Lou does indeed like to keep things fresh haha ;) I do try my best to test myself and to push my creative brain out there to find new ways to communicate and also to mix up the topics too….They do say variety is the spice of life right? You know me, I love trying out different things so I decided for today’s release I would focus on the good things in my life and in this world. Hopefully somewhere between my words, I might help you smile, feel happy or maybe even lift your spirits. I am a writer and a voice that wants to be in service to others and every week I aim for my contribution to be one that helps others. I hope I help you in even a small joyful way! )
Let’s start here with a legend I know being brave!
This week one of my best friends
decided to lean into her light and with bravery being the key to her next move on her creative path, she did it. She took a leap of faith and I was so proud of my friend as she stepped forward and did something I think a year ago she would have not done. Lauren has switched on paid subscription on her substack page and just like mine, we both are keeping our substack space open to everyone, money or no money. The only reason we have paid subscriptions switched on now is to leave the option there if anyone wants to support us in a financial way. We are both writing our substacks from a place of love for writing but also from a place where we want to share our passion for words in a hopeful, healing and joyful way. We want free and paid subscribers to be able to access the same content and there is no difference between which subscriber you are. We are just so grateful you are subscribed to our words so that way we can stay connected and also you might help us build our audiences. (if you aren’t signed up yet to be connected to this home, I’d love if you might hit this button here :
As writers, and in this case I’m speaking on Lauren’s behalf but I know she agrees, it take a lot of work to deliver creatively every week consistently as we do but we would not be doing anything else because it is our love, our passion and ultimately it is our gift. And we do it because of YOU! YOU keep us writing. You are the reason we are here! And to share your gift int his world when it comes from deep inside us is the bravest move of all I think and hopefully our words are a gift to your inboxes every week. I’m a big believer in supporting other writers as together we can really help each other and the more we share and help each other, the more people we can reach and that really is magic in itself. What is life all about if not to help each other right?
To connect back in with the brave move Lauren made, I share this bravery of her’s this week because I know how hard it is to make these kind of moves when being a creative. And also I hope it might encourage you if you were thinking of being brave yourself in this way. It’s really hard to put a value on yourself and when you do, you nearly feel bad about it…..When I turned on the option to offer paid subscriptions here on my own page as well as free I felt so vulnerable and so bad in the same measure, I nearly didn’t do it….But once I did, I knew it was the right thing as when you are a creative entrepreneur and you are self employed, these are the moves that need to happen to keep the run show on the road, to keep the bills paid and also amazingly I couldn’t believe there were people out there who really wanted to contribute finiancially to my work! I am so so grateful to you all, everyone who reads and listens to my substack each week……It is not easy being brave in this world and I’m pretty sure a lot of you reading or listening to this will say you feel the same too… When it comes to pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones, it is not an easy thing to do in this life. But amazingly once we do it, we never look back and for me anyways, once it’s done, you think to yourself ‘what was holding me back all this time’ and really the only thing ever holding me back is me……
In the case of my friend, the wonderful
I know she would agree with me by sharing that in this moment in the middle of the year, June being the half way marker of 2023, she leaned into her light, leaned into her fears and doubts and she pushed open a door that was not easy to open but was so worth opening. It opens her home of words to even more people and it also allows for people to show how much they appreciate and value her work by another route. A win for everyone! I know for me, I love supporting people who are putting good out to the world and it is so important when that good, is the very personal and intimate gift of your life on the page each week. But it is truly lovely to be able to support the good eggs of this world right?
I was once asked what or who inspires me or what makes me light up? And my answer is always the same - The people who are brave in their daily lives is who I admire most. Whether it’s something serious or something personal, the process of risking your vulnerability and putting yourself forward or out there is something I will always admire in a person. It’s a trait that cannot be valued because it’s actually invaluable and the risk to that person personally who steps forward and makes that brave move will always be something I love to see.
And even furthermore it lights me up when it’s someone I hold in my inner circle & think is a very cool human. Is there anything better than seeing the people we love and care for find happiness and joy in this world? I think not! Simply because this world is more often than not tough and unforgiving in so many ways so when joy comes knocking, I not only answer the door but I invite it in for a party!
I don’t think there is anything more rewarding in this life than seeing good people make brave moves and then see them receive the deserved love and support in return. We need to be more open about our support for people who are working hard and are being brave. We need to be more supportive in a vocal way when people need us to remind them what good humans they are. I feel the more open we are about spreading the good word about good people, the more infectious that goodness is. The world is so heavy with bad news and sad stories these days, that I really feel it contributes in a big way to the many people who are burdened with darkness in their minds and hearts and also why so many people we are now losing to suicide. We need to combat the darkness with light and it’s up to us to stand up and shine our lights out - a bit like the care bears of our childhoods….We have lost so many people locally to suicide and it is absolutely heartbreaking and always a stark reminder to me, why I do what I do and what drives me to write, communicate and create. I want to always try my best to be a beacon of hope for others as so many are that for me. So many people are so good, so gifted, so talented and often they are the ones we don’t tell enough. I love telling people they are brilliant (especially when they are actually brilliant) and of course it’s just a double joy when they are people you know deserve the best in this life and the least we can do is remind them that we see their light! I count myself so lucky to have so many good people around me, and of course my substack and facebook family - well I have no words for ye legends! Ye are exactly that! LEGENDS!!!!
So to conclude this section of thought, in life we can either stay in our comfort zones forever and hey, i’ve done my fair share of comfort zones but I think at this marker of my life, I’ve got much better at stepping out and taking risks in ways I could never have thought I could have without the wonderful inner circle of people who believe in me. And see that is the key. Being brave is terrifying when you are on your own but when people who believe in you step close, that step is so worth taking!
Well done
on taking that brave step this week, we’re all very proud of you! And here’s to lots more steps of bravery going forward. If you have a story of bravery or relate to this share please comment down below or if you want me to give a shout out to someone, I would be thrilled to shine the light on them here!Okeyedokey to keep the positive vibes going…….
Some of my favourite sayings that keep me motoring and keep me looking up:
You are braver that you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think…..
Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.
Everything is possible if you’ve got enough nerve.
Live for the moments you can’t put into words.
Happiness doesn’t depend upon who you are or what you have; It depends on what you think.
What lies behind you and what lies in front of you pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.
Believe you can and you are half way there.
Children can see magic because they look for it.
Don’t let the fear of what could happen stop anything from happening.
Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground
The final two just for YOU:
The best is yet to com!
Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground!
Some of my favourite things:
Sunrises!
Sunsets!
The Moon!
The Stars!
The Sky!
The voice!
Hugs!
Friends - The ones that really matter!
Waking up every morning!
Coldplay!
Lying back down on my bed at the end of the day!
The feeling of my head on the pillow as I close my eyes!
Family - the ones who really care about you!
Quiet time!
Music!
Eye Contact!
People who give you their time!
A good listener!
Nature!
Smiles!
Ice cream!
Laughter!
Love!
Pizza!
Someone who wants the best for you!
Someone who reminds you that you deserve the best!
Conversations!
Messages from the right people!
Loved ones who are recognised for their goodness, kindness and their light!
In the comments feel free to leave your list of favourite things….I’d love to see what you love?
This made me giggle this week:
We should start referring to ‘age’ as ‘levels’ instead of years because ‘I’m at level 39’ sounds more badass than just being an old person haha :)
Book recommendation from Lou this week:
The Five Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz & Don Jose Ruiz
I think it’s worth sharing the five agreements - This book is really helpful in expanding your mind about yourself. A friend recommended this book to me many many years ago - a priest actually and it was a real breakthrough companion as I started to make some big changes in my life. Amazingly only in recent weeks another friend mentioned she wanted to read it & I was reminded of its value and worth in my life. This is why this book is brilliant. I thought this would be a really good moment to share some of the backgrounds to the five agreements…..
The 5 Agreements:
Be Impeccable with your WORD
Simply broken down this means we must think about the words we speak, share and write. I think this is such an important one especially in this fast paced world that seems to have an awful lot to say. I remember reading this chapter in a time when I was grieving intensely and I witnessing a lot of people reacting to death in different ways. I decided after seeing the negative effect of people’s words when hurting was a very vulnerable place and that if I could try my best going forward to ‘mind my words’ as best I could. That statement ‘if you have nothing good to say, say nothing at all’ springs to mind but equally I took some really intense time pondering on my words going forward in my life. So I started to take a really focused intention that I listened first and slowly responded to someone rather than reacting without thought. I know lots of people might see me as a ‘talker’ but I spend hours upon hours thinking to myself. I also consider myself a very good listener and try my best when in conversation to sit back and listen to the other person’s story so when my words are spoken, they are chosen with considered thought. I’m not perfect but I definitely think I’ve got much better at this in recent years.
Stop Taking Everything Personally
Now this is a very difficult one to accept. But my god if you can bring this mindset into your life I promise you, your life will shift in ways that you could never imagine. For this one, I find myself being really good at it at certain phases of my life and then I forget about it and then i take things personally and then I have to give myself a good talking to and say really loudly ‘LOU STOP TAKING EVERYTHING PERSONALLY’. I’m not sure if you know the radio presenter Doireann Garrihy - her dad Eugene has a saying ‘nobody gives a shite about you’…..apologies for my bad language but I think it’s a good way to know the imposter syndrome - the fear - the over thinking lou - out of me…..It’s not that people don’t care about you - we all know we have loved ones who really give a shite about us……but sometimes we need to shake ourselves down in little day to day over thinking or if something is holding us back and just remember not to take everything personally. Stuff just happens, people just make certain decisions, the majority of time they are not thinking of us, of anyone, maybe even they are not even thinking of themselves….This is a really good agreement to write on a piece of paper on your wall….I’ve just put mine up on the wall again….
Stop Making Assumptions and Focus Your Energy on the Actual Truth
Another great one…..I am guilty of this one as well….I’ve tried to improve over the years but there is still room for a lot more improvement ….and I guess who isn’t guilty of this one… We live in a world driven by assumptions and now more than ever our brains are invaded with this type of thinking……But again it’s up to us to change us….I can’t change you. You can’t change me. I am the only one that can change me…..And I think I’ve got better since again thinking deeply about this agreement…..Less assumptions Lou and more open mindedness until I know the full truth of a situation…Also most of the time, when you assume something, 99% of the time you are wrong….well maybe not 99%….if your gut instinct is involved this case might be different but if you are assuming a truth without actually facts, you can be often very wrong so best to hold off your judgement…This is a great tip to try and remind yourself not to assume a truth unless you are know it’s the case. Again it’s another way of thinking so to break this habit you must make yourself aware of it in the moment….hold on Lou are you jumping to an assumption, so hold off whatever words you might like to speak, hold off that message you want to send and most importantly just hold off until you know the actual truth of a situation.
Do Your Best and Incorporate The Agreements into your Life
Well doing your best….that is always a good piece of advice. No matter how you want to beat yourself up in this world, once you are doing your best, that is all that matters and you should always lean into that fact when you go to give yourself a hard time. Good people are always trying their best and when they fail to make the right moves or we become weak and call the situation wrong or maybe hurt someone, we must give ourselves grace and accept our failings and move forward. Moving forward to try the next time to do better. No more or no more less than that.
Be Skeptical but Learn to Listen.
Well this is another interesting one…..To be skeptical means to not be easily convinced….and well learning to listen….that is always a wise statement at any age or stage of our lives….We definitely live in a world that are fast to talk but not as quick to slow down and listen….so this piece of advice sure is priceless. And for me once again I need to take it on board often. I need to remind myself to listen careful as information is being given to me in whatever means and to be open to hearing the whole story out and one of the most important factors I believe is to also think about what you are hearing. We have the gift of rational, logical thought and often we jump to conclusion or accept certain ways of thinking when we should actually hold our fast jumps and listen carefully to what is being said and how it is being said to. Definitely a wise agreement that at any age can be applied and more often than not can say a lot of unease and even arguments.
So as you can sense, I really love the book of the five agreements and feel they can be applied to all ages and all generations because no matter our situation, these lessons or ideas can really help add value to our lives. They can also help us find peace within us and I hope I always remember how important it is to keep an awareness of how I react to situations and that maybe I might just remember that its not my place to react in most instances. Hope you enjoy this piece of writing and maybe just maybe you might find light in the five agreements too!
The only person not at Harry Styles was ME!!!!
I probably was the only Irish person not at Slane Castle last week but I had committed my weekend to the Ballivor Horse Show and other engagements so no amount of wishing I was there was, was going to have me there. On a side note, Ireland is full of castles….if you do ever visit this small island…..Anyways back to my train of thought, last weekend the one and only Harry Styles was here and he played of of our biggest venues - Slane Castle. Of course he was top notch as we all have known Harry to be at this stage and in fairness to him, his songs are very very catchy. You couldn’t but love Harry. He’s done so well since One Direction and he deserves all the luck and happiness he gets because he has worked for it all. Top class show put on last weekend and here’s a clip from Harry and the legendary Irish audience. Hope you enjoy:
A funny Irish news story from this week:
Okeydokey, that brings us to the end of this week’s substack. I hope you enjoyed it and no doubt next week will probably be a whole new mix of fun….God only knows what I’ll come up with….I have so many ideas so you can expect lots more fun to come.
Thank you for reading/listening all the way down here (3336 words haha ) - you are the best!!! And thank you for supporting me each week by opening this email!!!I really appreciate you being subscribed to my substack home and if by some chance you are reading this and you’re not subscribed, I would love if you might hit this button here:
Also please do leave a comment below on what you thought of this substack and feel free to share anything you want down below.
Thanks for being here. Thanks for being YOU. And don’t forget, keep looking UP!
Love and light always,
Lou xxx
Also if you have any topics you would like me to cover in my substack please feel free to message me on livingandlaughingwithlou@gmail.com or you can send me a voicer note on my Facebook Page - www.facebook.com/livingandlaughingwithlou - if you just head to the Facebook page, you can send me a voice note through direct messaging…..As promised, new ideas lou is always in the house haha :) Okeydokey, I’m gone this time, I promise, Lou over and out x
If you might want to purchase Granny Nancy’s book -Ireland’s Oldest Lady - it is available from: www.livingandlaughingwithlou.com and also www.buythebook.ie
This is brilliant Lou - love that quote about time wasted. If you enjoy it then it’s not wasted!
LOVED the quotes, just what I needed. Thank you for all of these beautiful words, Lou 🧡🧡🧡