From drinks in the sunshine to having the heating on, changes in temperature aren’t the only extremes our 40 plus columnist Claire Kenny is noticing this month.
April is mad. My neighbours and I enjoyed Friday night drinks in boiling hot sunshine last week. I had to get changed into a summer dress because it was so hot, and retrieve last year's suncream because we were burning!

Just two days later the heating was back on.

Still on the subject of extreme contrasts, when this photo popped up as a memory on my Facebook feed recently I felt it in my SOUL.

It's me in my late thirties. I was completely lost and didn't have a clue who I was. I did no exercise, had no passions, and I didn't look after myself at all.

What I did have though, was a very vague notion of what I wanted my life to be like. What it could be like if I dared to dream. I couldn't stop thinking about certain things, like sharing my writing, maybe even presenting, joining a gym, and having my own home.

I didn’t believe any of these things would happen, nor did I have the motivation, tools or conviction to make them happen.

I even remember telling myself one New Year’s Eve that if I could just get through the next twenty years or so, I could at least retire to the coast and stop pretending to be happy.

I think that’s the low point I chose to bounce back from.

Very slowly, I turned things around by listening to the things I couldn't stop thinking about and teaching myself ways to make them real. I started sharing my writing - anonymously at first - to document my journey and give hope to people in the same way that other writers and bloggers had helped me.

Then I joined a gym, then a running club. Then I started doing my lives despite massive imposter syndrome, and appearing on podcasts.

Now I have a life I couldn't have dreamt of back then. And I feel like if I keep being brave and listening to myself, it'll get even better.

I hope that if you’re feeling like I felt, regardless of your age or stage of life, seeing my journey helps you.

Because truly, if I can turn my life around to the point where I no longer recognise my old self (who was a lovely person and did her best), believe me, you can too.
Just listen to the things you can't stop thinking about because that's what you're meant to be doing.

Woody Witch Spiritual Fayre

Woody Witch Spiritual Fayres (the brainchild of Faye Trainer, pictured) are always fantastic but the one I went to on Sunday seemed particularly timely after seeing that old photo. I was already winning because I got to spend the day with my friends Janet (also pictured) and Claire, but I have to say, the talks on offer were next level! For me the golden thread was leaning into fear to bring your vision to life, articulated particularly well by Nic Stead from Mana Events. Nic overcame an abusive relationship and many other hardships to get her business off the ground, and I left feeling inspired, confident and clear that if I listen to myself I'll get exactly where I need to go too.

I felt less inspired by the hole in my bank balance thanks to Aimee from Callisto Holistics, whose amazing talk on crystal healing sent me straight back to the stalls on a mission to add to my ever-burgeoning collection!

Claire’s Instagram is @my40pluslife.me