When I did my book signing, in November 2022, for But Seriously, Who Knew?, along with my autograph (oh my goodness how weird does that sound… it felt very silly at the time but I absolutely loved feeling like a film star!), I wrote in most of the books “Stop waiting – do it now!”. Now this statement will resonate differently for each person – stop waiting to book a holiday, move house, buy a new car; stop waiting to have children, leave your relationship, start your own business; stop waiting for retirement, the ‘right time’. I think the point is we never know what is around the corner so, whatever your desire/dream/wish is, if you can do it now (based on finances, health, family ties etc.) then get on with it, stop waiting, stop procrastinating, stop making excuses – take a risk and make your dreams come true.
We are all guilty of putting things off. Yes, even after a life changing diagnosis and ongoing health issues, I still do! But I am really trying to live life differently, but to be honest I have always tried to in spite of sometimes being crippled with social anxiety (I hide it pretty well and only those who know me well see me suffer) – yes, I am very much a contradiction (maybe it’s because I’m a Gemini?!). I am definitely saying yes to more things, things that scare me (er, writing articles for The Felixstowe App… thank you so much for asking me by the way). But also allowing myself the freedom to say no to things I don’t want to do. I think some people think I’m ‘brave’ for doing life as I am - I went to university in my 40s, we bought a cave house in Spain, we sold our house and bought a campervan and are now travelling as much as possible, I wrote a book! But I think the ‘bravery’ stems from a fear of settling – settling for being unhappy, settling for boring, settling for making do. And that is definitely not how I want to live whatever life I have left. I’ve always said my job as a parent was to give my children wings to fly and if that meant flying to live or travel across the world, amazing, but if that meant flying to live next door, then also amazing… whatever their own desire was. As I said, our desires/dreams/wishes will vary and that’s ok.
What about you?
Have a think.
Is there something that you’ve always wanted to do but just keep putting it off for no really good reason? Do it! Your health may change tomorrow and stop you. Your partner’s/parent’s/child’s health may change tomorrow and stop you. Anything might change tomorrow and stop you.
So, what am I doing now that scares me, that I’ve been putting off?
Well… a couple of things. ‘But Seriously, Who Knew? My Cancer (and other bits) Story’ has given me the writing bug. For those of you who don’t know, this book is about my experiences having breast cancer, with some other life chaos thrown in… such as adoption, mental health, miscarriage. I realise it sounds quite a tough a read, and don’t get me wrong – it is at times, but hopefully it will make you laugh more than it will make you cry! The book started life as blog posts that I wrote whilst going through my treatment (chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, injections and ongoing medication), as well as blogs I’d written previously. I then expanded the posts, added more stories, and also some more up-to-date ‘fun’! Since But Seriously was published (Oct ’22) I’ve produced ‘My Cancer Journal: But Seriously, Who Knew?’ for other people who have received a cancer diagnosis. The journal/diary is somewhere for them to write their thoughts and feelings, draw, colour in, as well as having some puzzles for the waiting rooms, mindfulness exercises, diary prompts, and space to keep all the cancer admin… there’s a lot! When you have a cancer diagnosis talking about it over and over with family and friends can be exhausting. So, the journal is a safe space to express everything without fear of upsetting, or boring the pants off, your nearest and dearest!
Both books have been so well received and I’m not ready to stop now. Book number three has started but it is very much in its infancy. Lots of ideas, and a little bit of writing, but it’s a fiction book and I’m really scared that I’m not up to writing a ‘story’! But I’m going to persevere… it may take me a while!
And I’ve started a podcast. It is called But Seriously, Who Knew? I realise it seems like I can’t think of a new title, haha, but it seemed to fit so well so why change it for the sake of it? In my previous lives I have been a hairdresser, a psychology graduate, and basically a very nosey person (still am). People fascinate me. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, has a very interesting story to tell. And I love to hear people’s stories. Therefore, in the podcast I am having conversations, hearing stories, and gaining wisdom from the most incredible human beings and each episode leaves me thinking But Seriously, Who Knew? The episodes are on all streaming platforms and the episodes (first one - 1st March) will be published at 6pm (UK time). There will be seasons of about six episodes, so please come along and have a listen, and follow if you enjoy it. Season one has such a wide range of topics such as mental health, women’s health, and sobriety, to name a few. If you fancy telling your story, or you know someone who should be on as a guest, please contact me through my website or message me on social media @melaniegreen_author (Instagram) and @melaniegreenauthor (Facebook) and I’ll see what I can do.
