Yesterday evening i was driving home from work when all of a sudden it made sense.
You know that moment? When all of a sudden you hear an audible click and something that previously puzzled you or didn't seem quite 'right' suddenly makes clear and absolute sense and you wonder how you ever misunderstood.
Algebra, a language perhaps. For me, food.
You can see why I burst out laughing whilst speeding up the motorway!
Last week I launched the first of Searching for Serenity's Saturday Soiree lunch and learn events.
To me, this concept made absolute and complete sense.
Held on a Saturday to allow for leisurely travel and few issues of 'can I get the time off work', held in a beautiful boutique hotel here in central Bristol (which, I can assure you, is neither as far away or as difficult/expensive to get to as you think - the hotel is a £5 taxi ride from the train station and they've even brought motorways down here to hobbit-country).
A beautiful location, a chance to hop into your favourite dress and hold two 90 minute sessions to be developed bespoke to the group at hand but heavily focused on skill building, introspection and discovering and releasing your own fears and blocks to the struggles you've ben facing with burnout.
This all made complete and under sense to me, because that's how you do it, right?
Wrong.
Speeding up the motorway I suddenly remembered WHY this made perfect sense to me.
Many of you know that I am qualified solicitor and have been practising in law for upwards of a decade now.
What you may not know is that I originally trained as a barrister. Wigs, gowns, Judge John Deed, the whole 9 yards (in fact I studied under someone who was the legal advisor to Judge John Deed. She wasn't hugely impressed when I asked her how they got it so regularly and thoroughly wrong if she was good at her job...!)
The profession of barrister is rooted in medieval England and if you have ever spent any time in the area of London between Chancery Lane and Temple tube stations you will have stumbled across the Inns of Court. Glorious historic buildings in the most perfect English-country-garden setting you will find in all of London.
All aspiring barristers are required to join an Inn of Court - one of the four institutions that historically dealt with the vocational training of barristers. I'm a member of Inner Temple - you've seen the church if you've ever watched the Da Vinci Code.
Part of your qualification, or Call, to the Bar is dining. It was remembering this that made it all fall in to place.
Aspiring barristers are required to attend 12 dining sessions - events held at the Inn of Court in evenings which consist of a lecture, a four course meal with as much port and wine as you can soak up, followed by a debate. These are typically boozy events filled with tradition and odd behaviour from one or more people who can't hold their booze (err, cough cough).
But they are also incredible, I would say life changing, events.
I'm not overplaying this. Come to the Soiree and I'll tell you all about the residential weekend at the Windsor Great Park, singing for a QC, swearing in front of a room full of senior judges and lawyers and the most amazing shifts in what I understood about myself.
Why do they have this effect?
Partly because they have structure, tradition and an atmosphere that comes with such considered, involved and prepared for events.
Partly because they offer training opportunities that are not available to everyone.
Partly because you meet people you would otherwise never have met - for a girl like me, single parent family, council estate and a desperate wish to be seen as something more than a statistic and a set of circumstances it was the chance to impress, shine, make my mark.
I soaked up every moment of learning, knowledge (two very different things) and atmosphere.
I had the opportunity to reinvent myself. To be more than other people had known me to be (typical feisty ginger, scrappy kid from the council estate, outspoken brat to name a few). I had the opportunity to meet with people I admired, people I could learn from, people who would go on to have such an impact on my life that I couldn't even begin to tell you.
And this what I aspire to with the Searching for Serenity Saturday Soiree.
An opportunity to be so much more than mum, daughter, girlfriend, wife, friend, employee.
To dress up, to sparkle, to live an indulgent few hours in a bubble of our own making.
To learn, to bounce off each other, inspire each other.
To walk away with a smile, a bundle of knowledge that you previously didn't have and a glimpse of just what your life could be, of what you can make it, with a little knowledge and support.
To walk away with a group of friends, confidantes, support.
Does this make this even the tiniest bit excited?
Listen to those butterflies in your stomach, watch the smile in your face.
Those are the markers that you want this too.
Won't you join me?
Take care of yourself
Leah
Searching for Serenity
PS - Do you want to feel this way every single day? Want to learn how to relax, let go, master those negative feelings when the fear rises? I will be talking to you about all this and more during the Saturday Soiree lunch and learn on 6th May 2017.
There are now only 8 places remaining for 3 hours of training plus a gorgeous hot and cold lunch, prosecco reception (and maybe even time for a cheeky cocktail in the bar before you hop on your train home) for only £97 (your own travel arrangements not included).
These places will be filled, my only question is, will you join me?
Click the link below to reserve your place!
https://searchingforserenity.satoriapp.com/offers/115427-saturday-soiree-lunch-and-learn
