Someone wrote to me asking ‘how do you stay strong, hold onto faith and hear your inner voice when life presents you with challenges?’ It is a question many people struggle with myself included, when ’stuff’ happens it is difficult to hang onto the belief this too shall pass and everything will be okay. I wish I could say I possessed a magic wand which would make all the bad things better or disappear but I don’t, all I can offer is a few humble words that may help you through the process.

Firstly as I said before you have to be your own best friend and take care of yourself. It is okay to say ‘no’ when you need to recharge your own batteries, it is okay to say ‘not today’ or ‘I love you but I need to take care of me right now’. Taking care of self is essential if you are to be of any use to others.

Secondly be patient with yourself and others sometimes the only cure is time and sometimes we say and do things as a reaction to our feelings. Sometimes these aren’t appropriate or helpful but beating yourself up because you are human isn’t going to help either and sometimes we have to turn it around and go what would I have done in the same circumstances.