And so it begins…
Life continuously asks us to be courageous. No matter what you are facing—whether you’re trying for a baby, stepping into motherhood, changing a habit, overcoming anxiety, going skiing for the first time, speaking your truth, or setting boundaries. I could go on and on. In fact, starting this Substack is a huge act of courage for me. In school, I was incredibly dyslexic in reading and writing, and my grammar was appalling. It’s still pretty bad, but that hasn’t stopped me from sharing my practice and wisdom over the years in my newsletters (thank you to all those who have persevered). I’ve seen many people who inspire me begin a Substack, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon.
Why now?
Over the last 4.5 years, I’ve experienced a huge internal shift in how I view myself, my ability to do things and hold space for uncertain times. Prior to these years, I was unconsciously driven by the ‘I am not enough’ narrative. This led me to compare myself to others, be competitive, and think that I wasn’t smart enough, capable enough, or simply good enough. I stopped myself from thinking creatively because I didn’t believe that I was worthy of whatever possibility I wasn’t brave enough to think about. So this is why I am here and have called my Substack ‘Be Courageous’, to inspire you to continue to show up for yourself no matter how rough the patch is, or how amazing you feel. Whatever you are feeling right now, it will change at some point. Life will throw a curveball or give you exactly what you want. Regardless of that, you need to stay connected to yourself, questioning things, and becoming a master of your inner world.
My current reality
It feels relevant to paint a picture of my current reality so you can understand what I am holding space for and moving through at the moment. I am a mum of two, I have a daughter called India who’s 4 years old and a son called Rocco who is 1. My husband Max is an artist and the funnest person I know, he makes me laugh every single day and when I feel annoyed with him that is what I remind myself. We both run our own business and have a side business - a Shepherd’s Hut rental. I have childcare 3 days a week Tues - Thurs and I’m with Rocco on Monday and Friday. I have a mound of laundry to wash the entire time. I am cooking 3 dinners a night as India is so fussy, I want Rocco to eat healthy whole food and then I cook for Max and I. I work with people 1-1, I run online courses, day and weekend retreats and I create content for my community. I value being present with my kids, as grounded as possible, and not having to busier social life. We’ve been going through a challenging time recently, partly because Max had a health scare and is working towards a solo exhibition, so I’ve been doing a fair amount of solo parenting, and changing over the Shepherd’s Hut with Rocco and Crazy Granny. I genuinely lean on every single practice that I preach and I passionate about sharing my life lessons and wisdom with you all.
My community
Some of you have been in my community since the beginning (over 10 years now), and others might be relatively new and most likely found me through the Deliciously Ella app. I am grateful for everyone who has been part of this community done retreats with me, online courses and do my meditations on the DE app. The people in my community are deeply curious about life, choose courage over comfort, and are on a journey of greater self-love and self-discovery.
What to expect?
You can expect to receive insights, stories, and lessons centred around courage—journal prompts, inspiring quotes, tips to get into alignment with yourself and mindset practices to elevate your inner world. I aim to share with you weekly or bi-weekly on a Wednesday.
What even is a Substack?
It’s a platform that helps individuals like me grow my email list and community in an effective and personalised way. Instead of newsletters disappearing they’re all stored on my substack homepage like a blog. Podcast and video content I plan to do in the future can be shared here as well. Substack also offer the individual the opportunity to monitize on their content. My content on Substack is free but there is an option to donate (‘subscribe’) £3.50 a month, which is the lowest amount I can offer on the platform. I really don’t expect this and I know for many it’s a weird concept, which I completely get. For me, it’s an exciting way to build a deeper connection to those who are really interested in what I have to offer and it’s an opportunity to generate income. Thank you all in advance for being part of this whether you wish to donate or not.
And finally….
I believe that deep down, we all want to feel free, whatever that means to each of us. External freedom is important, but true freedom comes from within, and this journey is forever evolving as we move through layers of consciousness. It takes courage to see yourself, take ownership of yourself and go beyond yourself.
Sending love to you all and here’s to being courageous!