I'm writing this now as I've been speaking about it for so long, but this time of the year just makes this issue so much more prominent. There is a huge issue with the Stigma and Support of those who suffer from mental illness. I say this as someone who has witnessed and experienced it first hand.

I'm pleased to confirm that I have recently hired an editor and secured an international publisher for my upcoming autobiography "I'm not done yet"

I've been super lucky to have been picked up by so many online and print publications over the years, it's always nice sharing my story.

This month I'm in one of Marie Claire's features "The best thing that happened to me this year!" When I was contacted I said that I think it was losing my job! Not something you would normally consider "the best" haha.

Today (5th Nov 2017), marks 7 years since my brain injury left me lying on the bathroom floor fighting for my life. So much has changed since then and when I look back to reflect on both the set backs and triumphs I've endured, I'm often dumbfounded with how much I've gone through.

I was made redundant from my full time role a few weeks ago, which was the best thing to have happened to me. I currently have the luxury to pick and choose my next role, concentrate on my passion projects and have a break.

Yet, the "break" hasn't started. Even weeks on.

Have you ever felt so defeated you just don't know where to turn? That you feel you've exhausted all your options and have no one to talk to as you've already used up your "sad quota" time with your friends and family? Perhaps you feel that people are sick of hearing how sad and depressed you are all the time? You've become a negative sad sack and don't feel like anything is going right despite all your efforts to try turn things around.

I've heard two trains of thoughts around this. 

One is that resilience is a human trait that acts as a barrier or protection against hardship. The other is that resilience only exists as a coping mechanism to acknowledge that there is some sort of adversity present. Let's explore...

If you asked me 11 years ago if I thought I would marry a man with a child from a previous relationship, my answer would’ve been “no”. I say that with the utmost respect, but children were never my thing. I was never clucky or wanting to hang out with children and didn’t believe in having kids outside of wedlock.

Yet here I am, 11 years on, married with a step-son. 

Firstly, you can't predict a trauma or how you react to it. So being resilient is one of life's teachings that can help you through most traumatic and challenging times. In my next event I'll discuss ways to build resilience and why it is so important and useful in almost all parts of our lives - both personal and professional.

Another old saying that relates to trauma is "it'll either make you or break you". Throughout my journey I have definitely "broken" more than once. I'm not ashamed to admit that I became the victim and blamed the world for what was happening to me. I had no idea why this happened to me and found myself questioning if my life was worth living at times. This is fairly common for survivors of trauma and is a heavy load to carry. But once I realised there was only one way out of this funk, there was no stopping me. 

In my opinion superficial lust is a growing narcissistic trait that is spiralling out of control - especially in our kids. But how do we shelter them from that? The fact is that we can't.

But what we can do is raise powerful individuals. I've learned so much from my parents who had me at a young age. I learned that everyone has a path and we really need to allow them to find that path on their own, and the only way to foster that environment is love - unconditional and forever flowing love.