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Not work related, but a story of my own journey with CBD and a Unicorn Warrior

This article is not work related but this is my “For fun business” that I started because I needed some help. I found it.

I quickly realised that the things I’d struggled with affect so many of my clients, from dealing with lack of sleep, to too much stress and anxiety to underlining health problems that impact on their ability to be successful in their personal and professional lives, so if you are looking for growth and success ideas you only need read the very last paragraph and then head to my blog articles for some free support. I will do all I can to support you….

So here goes, a very personal story….

People think I’m a bit of a rebel. I do muck around a lot and laugh more than most. It was once suggested this was because I lacked confidence and that was probably true back then, but not any more.

It was also probably a coping mechanism for dealing with the pain and exhaustion and tough Lupus, Fibromyalgia times, but not any more.

But in actual fact while I play and make people laugh (so they can get out of their comfort and deal with difficult situations) I’m not very rebellious.

(Okay I did skive off school – but even that was because there was nowhere to study so I turned up at home one day and explained to my Mum that I was bunking off school because I wanted to pass my GSCE’s and there’s nowhere to study – backfired on the teacher that phone my mum to question where Amanda was!)

But seriously I’m no rebel. In my 45 years on this planet I’ve never tried a cigarette and I’ve never tried drugs (the illegal kind) so to find myself a CBD oil advocate is a bit of a shocker, and I wanted to share why it matters so much to me that I share this story.

Back in the dark days of 2012 when I was pretty much living in the dark, curtains closed, wearing myself out by going to the bathroom and not even really eating because by the time I’d got downstairs I was too knackered to breathe let alone make any lunch. I was finding it very hard to stay positive. I did achieve this, but wow I had to work at it. And a lot of the time I couldn’t even hold my phone let alone type. Regular emergency trips to A and E and hospital appointments was my days out. So on a good day I’d be on Facebook and met a Mersea lady.

We ended up messaging each other.

Sally told me about her cake business and shared some gorgeous designs. I told her that I’d had to quit work because I was too ill. And Sally was there for me.

Sally was selfless, she would message me just to ask how I was. No big deal right? However it was only after a while I discovered she had cancer, a lot of it. In fact it was so bad that they had given her months to live. I felt awful. Firstly of course for her and her lovely hubby Andy and there then very little boy. But then I felt awful because here I’d been dumping my moans and groans and pain on her, when she was going through something a billion times worse.

What an idiot!

I apologised instantly and Sally explained that helping other people helped her forget about what she was going through. I didn’t look at her with “oh poor Sally” eyes, I only knew her as my friend Sally who was there for me when I most needed it and everyone else was off having a life.

Sally’s diagnosis got worse and the Cancer squirrelled it’s way in to so many parts of her body, but still she was there for me, then she asked me “how open minded are you?” You never know where that one is going do you?

“Pretty open minded….I think” I replied. “Well I’ve been importing this Cannabis from America and I think it’s helping me. Would you like to try it?” She asked…

I know lots of people that rave about it, and a dear Facebook friend told me when I had stop working “Mandie get yourself a hottub and cannabis.” Well I had got one of those, but never thought I could do the other – it just wasn’t me!

Sally explained this was a product that looked like sticky Borvil and you just put a cocktail sticks worth under your tongue twice a day. Did it help?

Well Sally fought everything the specialists said she was capable of and lived for years. Sally fought like the true Unicorn Warrior she was and was there for me throughout most of it.

And I feel it helped me. When Sally finally lost her valiant battle against this ridiculously cruel illness my dealer was gone (not sure you’d call her a dealer – her Hubby would laugh at that!) But something that helped me was suddenly not accessible.

So that’s where my journey started. I’ve tried very expensive brands, and very cheap ones – they are all the same right?

No, they really aren’t and that’s why it took me nearly a year to find a company that I would be happy to be associated with. My reputation as a business and life coach, speaker, Founder of The BWN and author is paramount to me and I was not prepared to jeopardise that in any way. So I was so pleased to discover a UK farm (Yes of cannabis) a UK lab, UK Funders and best of all they are intent on ensuring all of their advocates make no claims on what it can or can’t do. (Go check out how illegal it is to be doing that, and yet so many businesses make claims all over social media on what their products will do – it’s unethical too!)

So Tessellate is the one for me. And they just got even better because they are the ones leading the need to get the industry self regulated. Check out this press release on the shocking discoveries on the variety of quality and what is even in some of the CBD brands out there!

So completely off the business and success subject I usually cover, but hey it’s all the same stuff right? You know me and my ability to find an analogy? Take the above;

1. Communicate well.
2. Listen
3. Apologise when you make a mistake. Even if you dread it.
4. Keep positive.
5. Do your research.
6. Never sacrifice your reputation.
7. Trust.
8. Look for quality.
9. Don’t lower your standards.
10. Share your passion.

Even in a CBD story I get in there some business advice!

And if you’d like to explore CBD I will never make any claims on what it can or can’t do, just help you start your own journey. And if you do, just remember all those I’ve so far helped is because of a lady called Sally, who is remembered with true love every day.

And the reason I started with Tessellate was not to sell it, just to get 25% off. Now my clients, friends and family are getting that too. Start your Tessellate journey here. I’m happy to chat anytime, however I will never make any claims. xxx

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Fear, Success, CBD and is that really you Mandie Holgate?

It’s the weirdest thing. I’ve had 8 years of being pretty much trapped in my home due to ill health (Lupus) and for the last month I’ve been feeling really well. Not put on a fake smile and act well because people are so bored of you talking about pain and exhaustion, but genuine bouncing out of bed, looking forward to the day well.

The weird thing is that while my body is well my mind doesn’t seem to have caught up yet.

For instance I was up early to take my son to his last day of college today (that’s a sad but exciting milestone right?) and as I drove home I knew the morning was starting with a coaching session and I thought “Oh no I’m on my own all day.” (Client was only on the screen so not there in person to have a cuppa and chat with first.)

Usually if I’m coaching for 2 hours I’d need a few hours to recover. Then I could work for a couple of hours and then I’d need to rest before my children got home in the hope I might have some energy to talk to them and maybe help cook tea.

But I had to physically remind myself today “You can do more Mandie!” and so I went for a walk. 45 minutes may not seem big to you but 4346 steps is epic to me.

Usually I would even have to limit my time on the phone (pacing is not just about your physicality as I learnt the hard way – your brain uses up a lot of energy too.) But today I’ve made and had over 10 phone calls already!

This all reminds me of clients who I’ve worked with for a while and in a session they will say something and I’ll challenge them on that thought. Often it’s because they are still using the same language they used before we started working together. Not really appreciating how much has changed.

For example a client said to me “But I’m rubbish at marketing.”

“Are you?” I asked “What evidence do you have to that statement?”

They smirked at me because they realised that this wasn’t true anymore. The person they are now is very different to the one of a year ago. But that negative thought had still sneaked in.

We have to be mindful of every thought we have and ask ourselves if it is empowering us or demotivating us?

Is it moving us forward or holding us back?

But even that is not enough. You then need to take ownership for what you thought and focus on what you actually want.

I’ve started mentally noticing the little things that I’d forgotten about;

• Like dancing to Radio 1 while I brush my teeth instead of leaning against the radiator for dear life.
• Bruises because I’ve got over enthusiastic gardening instead of the meds making my skin like paper.
• Being able to jump in the car and go anywhere whenever I like because I’ve not had to plan 2 days in advance due to the severity of my medication.

I find these and so many other things are making me grin, but there’s a but. And it’s one I didn’t think I’d ever have again.

Fear.

Walking along the beach I realised that I still haven’t factored in anything in the evenings. The last time I went out at night was to End game on the 25^th April, before that it was the 16^th December, regular right?

The hardest thing about balancing a long term health illness is that you have to ditch so much of your life. A social life is something I know exists because I watch Facebook friends having one. But now can I have one?

I’m scared to speak these thoughts.

I even have found myself using my clients words “What if?” And unlike me, I’m not assuming it’s going to be awesome! I’ve been assuming with real terror;

• “What if this doesn’t last?”
• “What if the CBD oil stops working?”
• “What if I am forced to be in this house all the time again?!”

How ridiculous!

Lucky for me I am uber speedy and epic at reframing. I can be in a bad/sad mood and flip to being positive/happy and ready for anything with a lightening speed thought.

So that’s what I’ve been doing;

• What if this is permanent?
• What if you can get back on your bike?
• What if you can work more?
• What if you can travel?
• What if you are well?

Of them all the last one makes me hyperventilate. I’ve worked so damn hard on being happy and as well as possible despite Fibromyalgia, Lupus and a myriad of other illness and problems. Even before this mini miracle I felt truly happy and joyous with my life. This? Well this just makes me feel super human!

My friend is 94 (Sorry Irene, I told everyone your age) and she is one of my role models in life. Flying around the world visiting nephews, ski-ing (Ok just the apres ski – you can’t blame her!) and living life to the fullest. Irene summed it up today when she said “Sometimes to go forward we have to go back”. How perfect is that sentence?

I have absolute gratitude to be able to go for a walk. To be able to drive a car and work. Things I would guess that 9 years ago I didn’t really acknowledge. And having to gain a level of tenacity, determination and self belief that Iron Man would be proud of, how well set up am I for going forward?

If feeling ill I can walk 27000 steps around Disney Land Paris (okay, with enough medications in me to rival any A and E Department!) what can I achieve without the brain numbing, gut destroying, nausea inducing, sleep robbing drugs in me?

I like that I work with a coach, and I like that I can coach myself. The fear is going to be allowed to stay (just a little) why? Because it’s sensible to go a little steady. As Dinah Liversidge (Wow I love that woman!) said “When I was on the road to recovery I only walked for 10 minutes a day, and I didn’t try to push it. Go little and often to build stamina.” (Dinah is also the awesome lady that told me that to get through Lupus I’d need Cannabis and a hot tub. I got both, well the legal version of the Cannabis!

The point of this article is this;

• Never ever give up – Winston taught me that and on bad days I remind myself I’ve stood in his bedroom at Downing Street and I keep going.
• Acknowledge every thought – own it. Process it. And learn how to move on. Ensuring it’s working for you and not against you.
• Smiling at bruises and dancing while you brush your teeth is because I have immense levels of gratitude. And yes one tear has just leaked out of my face and I’m so bloody chuffed. Gratitude keeps us going when everything feels lost.
• Share – don’t hide your crap, your pain or your needs. People can only care if they know. And trust me the right ones do care and will be there for you – as I now can be there for you too!
• And lastly a little reminder Mandie Holgate “You’ve spent 8 years watching box sets and usually only leaving the house once a week, don’t try and get too Iron Man on this body – you are not a robot and will need to respect it will take time. Time is something you have. And as you get there – bloody keep loving the ride!

I never stop working on my emotional intelligence, beliefs and personal development, if you’d like to explore this with me, get in touch. I’m also that in love with CBD I’ve signed up with Tessellate to sell it!

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How To Cure Lupus Report (At no time do I claim to have a cure!)

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How to build a mental health tool kit.