April 16th
If you have been following my blogs from the onset, you will know that I started these from day one of my chemo treatment - to encourage myself and see the positives through this and also to encourage others going through similar.
I never expected from that first blog that I would be appearing on Granada Reports ITV, as part of the NHS Bowel screening Awareness campaign!
I was encouraged to begin blogging by a good friend, who visited me & set it all up, as I had never done anything like this before.
Thoughts of "who will want to read about MY story?" soon changed as I noticed that people in Ireland, USA & Sweden were regularly reading them!
Bowel Cancer UK then asked if I would write my experience for them, followed by a short video for their website & socials.
I then had an unexpected email from a company who were promoting on behalf of NHS bowel screening asking me to appear on ITV & 'That's TV' channels sharing my story!
Of course, I accepted, & a few weeks ago, I recorded a 1.5 minute piece which was so much fun! It included running in my local park !
The aim was to encourage others who receive their bowel screening kits, to do the test immediately, despite ( like myself) being fit and healthy with no symptoms.
I believe in taking any opportunities in life & 'feeling the fear & doing it anyway' ( I love this book!)
Yes, we are nervous of experiences that are completely out of our comfort zones, but we will never know if we can do it or enjoy it unless we give it a try.!
Thinking back, I have had a few experiences that have 'escalated' after just taking that first step;
👉I began a cleaning business back in 2012, with ONE person ( me!) and over time, I trained others to work alongside me , resulting in seven cleaners and seventy five clients! I sold this company in 2018!
I could have easily kept this to working alone, not making much cash, but I decided to take the opportunity and build it. Reading stories of other small businesses and their methods of growing really spurred me on.
👉In 2020, to occupy our boring hours, my hubby & myself began Couch to 5k ( this was literally 'something to do' as running was NEVER my thing & I didn't expect for a minute I would complete the course! However, I was surprised at how far I could actually go & with my hubby's three-weekly encouragement, we both did it!
Following on from that, I ran a 5k for The Lily Jo Project & in June 2021 I did a 10k with another friend!
The purpose of this blog is to reinforce the 'small beginnings' & NEVER to dismiss them!
We really CAN do things we never thought we could do & I am thankful for all the negative times in my life that I have managed to turn into positives.
Start small & move at ONE step at a time. I love setting achievable goals & having something in my life to aim for.
I look at the 'big achievers' in the World ( I have read Lord Alan Sugar's autobiography, to name one) & always remember they had to start from the beginning, and through hard work & determination, they make it!
Keep going ! You never know...
