It’s hard to switch off when everything around you seems to be falling apart. Everyone is affected in one way, or another. My family is no exception and I’m sharing the tears – and the way I’m trying to cope with the fallout – on my other website where I blog as Lucy Coleman:

https://linnbhalton.co.uk/seeing-the-positive-in-the-negative-shedding-tears-and-staying-healthy/

I wanted this post to look at the importance of finding your own happy place. Even in the pre-lockdown times, many people struggle to find a form of escape at the end of the day, or at weekends. It’s hard to switch off, isn’t it, because family, work, and life in general dish out tough demands. It’s so easy to collapse onto the sofa and watch TV,  or get out that phone/iPad/tablet and play games.

The question is – is it relaxing, or does it leave you feeling empty?

Does that scary film, or game, over-stimulate your mind for no good reason? Do you go to bed thinking that’s another couple of hours of your life you won’t get back.

Maybe watching a feel-good film/programme, or engaging in social media is a good way of de-stressing, but perhaps it’s time to think outside the box.

Doing just that ended up becoming a new career for me – so here’s the story:

You know when you hit a milestone birthday and you decide you’re going to give yourself a birthday present? Well, I decided I was going to stop watching TV for three months. Every evening, after making dinner, I left my other half to wash up and I headed into the study.  I had an interesting and challenging day job working in finance, but in my heart I’d always longed to write. I did write, as a child and young teen, mostly short stories and poetry. Then I got married and then I had children and then I went back to work… you get the picture.

Always, in the back of my mind, was that belief that I was meant to write. But hitting that milestone birthday I began to wonder if I could, actually, write a full-length manuscript. I mean, some people toil for years and years, never feeling the satisfaction of writing ‘The End’.

Three months. Could I do it? I didn’t even think about how to approach it, I just sat down in front of the blank screen and started typing. That experience taught me so much – lessons that later proved invaluable to me.  And yes, three months later I typed ‘The End’ (I still do that now, but publishers always take it out) and it was just over 130,000 words in length. I was euphoric.

Sadly, after an accident a few years later which damaged the hard drive, all I have left of that book is a printed copy. But it served a purpose – I proved to myself that when the day came, I was ready to seize it. As it turned out I had to wait five years, but I don’t regret that as no experience in life is wasted when you are a writer. It just gives you more food for thought, as the saying goes. And when the day came, I sat down and wrote five manuscripts back-to-back before I google’d what to do next.

The point is, that three months flew by and although it was a form of work, I couldn’t wait to take my seat each evening and spirit myself away with my characters.

But it wasn’t the first time a ‘hobby’ had turned into a career for me.  After twenty years in finance, my hobby of designing interiors – which led to many house moves – and making over rooms for family and friends, I was offered a job. Out of the blue, someone saw my work and asked me to pitch for kitting out the interior of a 5-bed, executive show home. Was I nervous? Heck, yes! Did I do it? Heck, yes! Did I get the job – yes!

Three years later, though, I had to suddenly give up my dream job as my mum was unwell. Sadly, she died just three months later. I didn’t go back to work, but my husband and I decided it was time to realise my writing dream. And here I am…  with eighteen published novels writing as Linn and Lucy Coleman, I’ve just submitted my twentieth manuscript.

To me writing isn’t work – yes, there are elements of it which are – but the actual writing takes me to my happy place. It was the same with my interest in interior design. I hate shopping for clothes, but shopping for towels, curtains and bedding… oh yes! And as for upcyling furniture, or stencilling on walls, or painting a feature wall – I’m in heaven.

Hobbies don’t have to turn into careers but sometimes they do. If you love what you are doing, then the energy you expend isn’t tiring, it’s uplifting. Those evenings I spent writing that first manuscript I dropped into bed ready for sleep with a smile on my face. It will never be read by anyone but me, but that doesn’t matter. I proved something to myself and it gave me the confidence – when the timing was right – to grab the opportunity without hesitation.

Find your happy place, something that makes you feel positive about yourself. There will still be time for TV and playing games… but steal some of that time for YOU and use it wisely. You never know where it might lead…

Until next time – thanks for dropping by and I hope you, and your loved ones, stay safe and well!

 

 

 

 

Life is a tricky little monster, isn’t it?  There are never enough hours in the day to cram in everything you’d love to do, Even if you are the most adept at making ‘to do’ lists, life has a cunning plan to throw you off track.

It’s annoying, but it’s important to step back and not undervalue what you have achieved, rather than only focusing on what you didn’t manage to get done. My ethos is to keep working away and not to worry about the results, or the hiccoughs along the way. But nothing happens if you don’t put in the effort, so it’s important to keep going and remain positive. Negativity is draining, so avoid it at all costs.

Positivity attracts positivity. The more you put it into practice, the truer it becomes and it’s a healthy mindset.

I believe in karma and embracing the opportunities life throws your way. Does that sometimes mean I have to make tough choices? Of course, it does – and, recently, it was time to separate my two writing personas.

So, welcome to the brand NEW https://linnbhalton.com website and an equally new, and shiny website for the other half of my writing personality:

https://lucycolemanromance.com

 

With more than 300,000 ebook and paperback sales between Linn and Lucy, it’s an exciting time. Lucy writes about heart-warming characters and beautiful locations. To make that happen it does involve jumping on a plane and immersing myself in research… very recently I took a trip to an old monastery just outside of Seville.

Linn, however, is heading in a new direction

Having written over a dozen novels in several different genres – romantic comedy, chick lit, women’s contemporary fiction and psychic fiction, it’s time to immerse myself in village life.

Life, love, family and community… all set in a little Cornish village full of characters who will feel like friends. So, please do sign up for my infrequent newsletter for news about my new project, future releases and competitions.

 

One thing that all my stories have in common is the pursuit of a happy-ever-after. Life might be a struggle, but it’s important to see it as a challenge. OK, so that usually means having a master plan that is constantly changing, but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!

Both Linn and Lucy will be blogging from the two websites. Between us (and yes, I do feel like two very different people when I’m working) we’ll be talking about everything that comes under the ‘life, style and health’ heading. So, everything from feng shui, tai chi, healthy snacks, budget DIY ideas and makeover tips, to pamper time and best buys.

It pretty much reflects the way this Gemini tends to embrace as many different experiences as possible… after all, life is much shorter than we think, so try everything at least once. Who knows, you might discover something to help you cope with life’s frenetic pace, or simply put a smile on your face and raise your spirits.

And each month I’ll be sharing my TOP TIP – something that has made my life a little easier, no matter how big or how small.

This month’s TOP TIP:

Never be afraid to try something new. Over the last six months I have signed up to classes for Tai Chi and Qi Gong. It has helped me get through a rather traumatic and extremely painful time with a second bout of kidney stones. The pain and disruption to my daily life has been debilitating, to say the least. I kept working, accepting that I needed to rest more, but grateful that writing is my happy place. However, in attending the classes I’ve learnt  techniques which ground and relax me and in doing so, I have coped much better with the pain (without using painkillers).

What I’ve also found are some new friends, all with their own life problems that caused them to think outside the box when it comes to coping with life’s stresses and strains.

It has been a truly wonderful experience during a trying time – maybe every cloud DOES have a silver lining! Do pop over to my other website to read all about EFT, in particular, if you are in pain or suffer from anxiety issues (mine was taking off and landing when flying).

HTTPS://LINNBHALTON.CO.UK/WHEN-LIFE-GIVES-YOU-LEMONS-FREE-YOURSELF/

 

Do come back next month, when I’m going to share my top tips when it comes to painting a room in my feature, Home by Design. Do you hate doing that fiddly line between the ceiling and the top of the walls? Maybe none of the walls are straight and you can’t get a nice. even line when painting a feature wall in a bold colour. There are a few simple tricks to make life easier and get a brilliant finish.

I firmly believe that one’s surroundings do matter. Home should be the place that calms you; a place where, after a busy day, you are happy to simply flop and rest. If it’s tired and cluttered, then the likelihood is that you walk through the door and it instantly reminds you of the myriad of tasks requiring some attention. So, my tips are about making it as easy as possible to create that bright, clean and fresh look without spending a fortune. And it’s always about working smarter, not harder because we all need to factor in ‘me’ time.

Don’t forget to check out my competition page: https://linnbhalton.com/newsletter-competitions/  and there will be lots of competitions coming this year to celebrate the start of my new series. All will be revealed in the coming months…

In the meantime, have a great day and when it all gets a bit overwhelming just pop on the kettle, play some music and take five minutes to chill. You deserve it!