I'm not actually after answer to what my worth, is, but it is something I've focused on in the past. I've been on a heck of a journey over the last year with many changes in the right direction. I'm still learning and I'm happy to continue moving forward. Similar words have probably been said by wiser people than I but here goes. A persons value isn't based on what they think others think of them, or indeed actually what they think of them, it's not even based on what you think of yourself, because that's shaped by others. I believe your value is based on how you allow others to treat you. If you allow someone to treat you like shit, You'll feel like shit and others will feel the same way too. If someone makes you feel bad, correct them or cut them out I'm not experiencing this problem myself at the moment, but I have a close friend who's not in a great place, but they are allowing others treat them badly. Just thought I'd share my thoughts.

Well after thinking 2025 was a rollercoaster of losing 2 close relatives and being made redundent, 2026 has said “hold my beer”! So while I continue to try get a money stream in, job hunting seems to be a case of constant rejection or near misses, and while there’s lots of good comment about my own consultancy nothing solid is on the horizon, while in the background the small amount of savings needed to top up what little benefits we get up is dwindling away I now have the news that at 51 I’m going to be a Dad again! Now one thing is for sure, despite all of this I can’t help but keep smiling and being that ‘fun guy’ while it appears the world is burning around me and my head is a scrambled mess trying to process all of this

How do people. Hopeyou are all good. Just got in here. Listened to all the podcasts and thought this is definitely a bit of me, so im pleased to be part of the community 😊

Afternoon all and thanks for listening. I'm having a difficult time at the moment, and it's down to guilt. My wife and I have been together for 19 years, married for 9. Before I go any further, I haven't cheated on her or anything like that. My wife has always had some social anxiety as long as I have known her, but she was able to have a active social life by convincing herself to get over it. However like many people during lockdown she had a lot of time on her own as I was still working and we weren't allowed to go out. It was during this time she started to realise that it wasn't just social anxiety, it was something more. After three years of waiting and lots of crying she finally got some help, it turns out she has ADHD and autism, actually it's called AUDHD. If you know anything about this subject you'll know that once someone has unmasked and realised that their are reasons to why she feels the way she does, it impossible for some to pretend that they don't have issues and to be honest why should they pretend to be someone they aren't. I've given a very oversimplified version of what has happened to her. As a result of my wife's realisation of her problems she stopped going out or at least didn't take it up again after lockdown. My wife's so called friends didn't much care for the fact that she no longer wanted to be going out and getting drunk with them, so they all stopped talking to her, their was a group of six of them that were all meant to be close, but they just dumped her. This obviously devastated her and she still cries about it many years on. I am still friends with many of the girls partners, but I can't talk to them about the situation because they are obviously to close to it. I did try to patch things up with my wife and the girls, but it didn't work and to be honest they don't deserve my wife as a friend if they are so willing to dump her the way they did. The fact that I still see the lads is one reason I feel guilty but not the only one.

When I was younger I had a passion for stage work which saw me take leading comedy musical roles on some very big stages. I had a drive and aptitude which gave me a clear career path in the world of entertainment. Like so many of us, life took over and the necessity to provide a stable background that kept you present as afamily man meant that I wasn't able to pursue that life. I took joy in being able to participate where ever I could and played more of a semi pro role after the kids came along. One part of performing that was my happy place was tap dancing. I was by all accounts very good but as life took it's toll and my fitness diminished, the tap shoes were put away. I still sang and fronted shows but that too slowly diminished into the past. As my fitness journey has progessed, so to has my mental strength and appetite for reclaiming my happy place. I began dabbling with dance again in terms of adapting step cardio workouts into a geriatric dance class for myself. Each week I have a Sunday self board meeting in which I go through my journal (A4 page a day) and reflect on the past week. It became clear that I wasn't happy holding myself to old promises to my old life. That old life and responsibilities have passed. This is my time. So last night I contacted an old theatre friend of mine who owns a dance academy, He was a guy that had choreographed several shows that I had been in. I've met him for a drink a few times since my fitness journey started so he knew what was happening. His reaction to my call "I wondered when you'd be calling about this". He knew that I wanted back in. He told me he had seen that old spark returning. Without me giving a great deal away he simply said "Lets get you down to the studio tomorrow and get you started". When the genuine desire returns, opportunites present themselves. So...........reclaim your happy place, it may be something in the past that has lurked in the back of your mind. Maybe you think you're not capeable anymore, to that I say BULL SHIT! Life is too full of cudda, shudda wudda moments. As Yoda says "There is no try in do". Go grab your happy place and reclaim it, not tomorrow....TODAY!