UPLIFT – Book 1

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UPLIFT – to raise or elevate spiritually and emotionally.

After a few months of hard work, I am thrilled to announce that the UPLIFT – Book 1 is ready for release into the world.

A beautiful collection of inspirational stories, poems, motivational quotes, and art to inspire and uplift, produced in full colour.

This book has been created by The UPLIFT 2020 Project with the aim of Raising Spirits, Sharing Love and Inspiring Hope at a time when the world needs it most. The project brings people together and supports mental well-being.

Full of short inspirational stories by real people, poems to inspire hope, artwork to enjoy and original quotes to motivate. It also includes some useful coaching tools to help cope with stress and overwhelm. Contributors are people who care from the UK and across the world.

All profits from the sale of this book will go to support the following UK charities –

Sneak-Peek inside…

  • UPLIFT Book Cover
  • Dedications
  • UPLIFT Definition
  • Sample Page 1
  • Sample Page 2
  • Sample Page 3

SUPPORT – Please purchase a copy and tell your friends, or even gift them a copy too! By buying a copy of the book, you are supporting the NHS, MIND and PORCHLIGHT.

Buy the UPLIFT Book

FREE Gifts for You When you Buy The Book…

PLUS when you buy a copy of the book you will find a link to lots of amazing FREE gifts from some of the contributors, which includes: courses, meditations, sleep guide, bedtime story book, coaching calls, colouring in book and much more…

Janet Groom
Founder of The UPLIFT 2020 Project
Author, Writer, Book Coach & Transformational Life Coach
www.janetgroom.com

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Click here to email Janet
Janet’s debut novel
The Naked Knitting Club – Casting On
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2019 in Review

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Tiny Tim: God bless Us, Every One!

— Charles Dickens, ‘A Christmas Carol’

Oh my goodness, it is hard to believe we are coming to the end of yet another year. Where does the time go? It has been a rollercoaster ride of a year for me and I wanted to share with you some of my literary highlights. And keep scrolling to the bottom where you will find a little extra Christmas story for you…

I re-publishing the first book in THE NAKED KNITTING CLUB series. I was delighted to bring the first book back out into the world under my own terms, and all is aligned for me to continue to write the follow-on books (yes, it is a series…) and publish with ALP House Publishing. This has taken the pressure off and I feel much happier to have control. Book 2 will be released in the first part of 2020 – click here to sign up to the mailing list to be kept informed.

I enjoy writing and 2019 also saw the ‘birth’ of two fiction books by Janet Groom. The first was WRITE TO HEAL, an opportunity for me to tell my own personal trauma to triumph journey (my old stories) and share 10 amazing techniques to aid healing using the power of WORDS and WRITING, from working on mindset through to forgiveness. In 2020, I am planning to set up an online course to accompany the book, and hold some ‘live’ workshops focussing on some of the key techniques and how to use them.

Then I has the privilege to work with ELLIE J. HART to assist her to produce her beautiful book of 52 quotes on the topic of ‘I CHOOSE…’. I adore this book and love that you can flick through and use the quote as a positive prompt for your day ahead. Ellie was inspired to write her book after reading the amazing story of Holocaust survivor Dr Edith Eger’s book ‘The Choice’, as it helped her transform her own life from victim to winner.

Then I discover an ebook I had written a few years ago LIVE THE RAINBOW, and decided to update it and re-release it. It is a bright book about using the power of colours to influence our lives in a positive and uplifting way. It includes a basic introduction to CHAKRA, CRYSTALS, and even rainbow-coloured FOODS.

Finally, the year ended on a high note as I was honoured to be part of an anthology book ‘VOICES OF HOPE’ compiled by Brenda Dempsey. It felt good to share my own personal journey from victim to finding my way to a happier life through books, words and writing. You can read my story, along with 30 other stories, in the book and be inspired that even when life throws you a curveball there is still HOPE to shift things around and create a life you enjoy. Oh, I am a now an Amazon Bestselling author!!

So, I am excited to get going with 2020, book 2 in The Naked Knitting Series is underway, and I have ideas for a few more books – some fiction and a few more non-fiction. Additionally, watch out for Creative Writing workshops and Retreats happening in the UK next year, and get started with writing your own books. If you are interested in writing your book or joining a workshop/retreat, please contact me – click here

HAPPY CHRISTMAS
HAPPY WRITING IN 2020

With Love & Blessings

Janet

Janet Groom
Author, Writer, Book Coach & Transformational Life Coach
www.janetgroom.com

A Little Christmas Cheer For You!

A little Christmas Cheer for you. A short heartwarming tale with Luna and a few of the other naked knitters.
BUY NOW and support the homeless this festive season – includes some extra Christmas Gifts especially for you!

Perhaps you are ready to boost your business with a book.
Let’s have a cuppa and a chat

Click here to email Janet

Tune into The WRITE Word Show and listen to great interviews with authors who have published their inspirational books into the world, and get excited to step up and join them… THE WRITE WORD SHOW

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The Power of GRATITUDE

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Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.

— Amy Collette

Today is THANKSGIVING in the United States of America. A day to remember the struggles of the early settlers and how the pilgrims sat down with the Native American Indians and gave thanks together.

Having lived previously in the States, I loved this holiday. It brought people together across the divides and allowed families, friends, neighbours and strangers to sit down and over a meal to give thanks. 

Fast forward a few years into my spiritual journey and I realise that every day is the day to give thanks. Finding the things, both big and small, to be thankful for — is the true blessing. It is all too easy in our world to fall into the trap of complaining. Don’t get me wrong, I am not devoid of falling into this trap too, but when I do, I have to drag myself out pretty quickly. Complaining and blaming keeps us in a negative emotional vortex, which impacts our well-being and closes us off from seeing the good and beauty in our everyday lives. 

Shifting to embracing GRATITUDE as a daily habit is a powerful perspective shift. The lens of your focus changes and the more you look to find things to be thankful for, the more you will find. And making it a regular habit, ten minutes per day, it soon becomes the norm. You will see more of the good and less of the bad in your world.

When I wrote the book ‘Write to Heal’, it was clear to me that developing an ‘attitude of gratitude’ is a key step in the healing process. It is a powerful ally to shift negative moods and mindsets. 

How do I know?

Well, because I have tested it in my own life, and when I make it a daily habit to write my gratitude list, my life shifts too. I feel happier and lighter. I see more good in the world than bad. I see the potential in people. I find that I can deal with ‘blips’ easier because I know they are only a minor bump along the road of my life journey.

Why not try it out for yourself?

Start today and either observe or write down TEN things that you are thankful for in your life. Once you get started this list can quickly grow. I recommend start with TEN and do this for one month and see how your life starts to change. TEN things and only TEN minutes…

HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Today and Every Day!

With Love & Blessings

Janet

Janet Groom
Author, Writer, Book Coach & Transformational Life Coach
www.janetgroom.com

3d Write to Heal book
BUY.NOW

Perhaps you are ready to boost your business with a book.
Let’s have a cuppa and a chat

Click here to email Janet
Janet’s debut novel
The Naked Knitting Club – Casting On

Tune into The WRITE Word Show and listen to great interviews with authors who have published their inspirational books into the world, and get excited to step up and join them… THE WRITE WORD SHOW

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Reading and Writing

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The more that you read, the more things you will know.

— Dr. Seuss

Someone asked me recently when did I discover my love for reading and books.

To be honest, I don’t remember books being part of my life when I was very young. I would love to say that there was a favourite bedtime storybook, but there wasn’t. My first contact with books happened when I started school at the grand old age of five.

I can still feel the excitement I felt when the teacher handed out our reading book. There, in bold print, on the front cover was my name. I was tickled with delight that out of all the girls’ names in my primary one class, it was mine on the cover. From that point onwards, I loved reading. I adored that the words on the page came together to tell a story, albeit a very short story of few words in my formative years.

I was won over to reading by seeing my name in print in my first reading book.

Books became my gift of choice on my birthdays and Christmases. Ladybird books were popular at the time and I had a little collection of fairy tales and fables, with Cinderella being one of my favourites. I could quite happily sit for hours on end re-reading the stories, almost to the point where I could recite them verbatim.

Infrequent visits to our local library were a highlight for me. I used to drive my mother and siblings mad by taking so long to choose my three books. So many books called to me and it hurt my heart to only be able to take three home at any given time. I also have vague recollections of a mobile library visiting our school, not sure how often it came, and have the distinct feeling these extra books made up the deficit in my life.

Fairy tales ignited my imagination for fantasy, leading me into the world of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and the Chronicles of Narnia. Followed swiftly by The Hobbit, and an introduction to wizards, dwarves, elves, dragons and Gollum. These were the books that saw me through the challenge of growing up in the midst of ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland. A time that was frightening and dangerous, and hard for my little mind to comprehend the violence on my doorstep. To escape the real world, I was more than happy to dive headlong into my books.

When I left home to go to Australia and finally ending up in London, via Manchester — books took a backseat to my real life adventures. However, dealing with a daily commute into central London soon called for my book buddies. Morning and night, I would sit on tube and train cradling a book and escaping the hum drum around me.

Reading may have come in fits and burst during my adult years, with a serious return to reading following a major emotional breakdown a decade ago. Books were a key part of my recovery, and I was more than happy to indulge my pleasure for reading, in particular, fantasy books. I, of course, read the Harry Potter series. But these just ignited my need for more. I was like an addict seeking the next ‘fantasy book’ fix. Bless all the wonderful authors who wrote the books that quelled my heart and revived my soul — Madeleine L’Engle, Rick Riordan, Cornelia Funke, Philip Pullman, Angie Sage and Eoin Colfer.

One of my favourite fantasy series by the loveable and witty Irish writer,
Eoin Colfer.

Now I read a diverse range of genre and include a few self-development books too, alongside a few chick-lit fun reads, punctuated with a smattering of classics.

Reading is key to learning, and it is, I believe, paramount for writers.

Without reading, we are now strengthing our craft. There are two sides to a book; the view of the author, and the journey for the reader. Both are equally important and must be considered. An author who writes without thinking of his/her reader is missing a key part of the puzzle. Reading is fuel for a writer, you expand your imagination, your word base and see how other writers have tackle different challenges/issues, both real or make believe.

Books are written to be read — and Writers need to Read.

So, you may ask what is my all-time favourite book?
My answer is there can never be just one…

Perhaps you are ready to boost your business with a book.
Let’s have a cuppa and a chat

Click here to email Janet
Janet’s debut novel
The Naked Knitting Club – Casting On

Tune into The WRITE Word Show and listen to great interviews with authors who have published their inspirational books into the world, and get excited to step up and join them… THE WRITE WORD SHOW

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Life is a Train Ride

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Life is a Journey – a rollercoaster ride from birth to death, from the cradle to the grave; this is the reality of our human experience. 

– Janet Groom

For some, that journey is relatively straightforward, as they meander along in a cocoon of contentment; for others it is a hectic and chaotic ride, bouncing from one drama to the next, interlaced with a few stolen moments of tranquillity. Most of us are somewhere in-between with periods of calm sailing, interspersed with jolts of stormy seas, with occasional frantic bursts of swimming against the current trying to get back to a safe harbour we have long left behind.

Oh, yes, life is a journey, and I was reminded this as I rode the train today, and it struck me how a simple train ride is comparable with life’s journey.

OK, here I go trying to capture in words my thoughts and insights, based on my experience and observations.

Where do you get onboard?

I boarded the train at my start station, and how did I know where to start? Well, it was a case of choosing the nearest train station to my home. Simple and easy — it didn’t take any significant consideration. And this is like birth; we are born. Do we choose the ‘station’ where we are born? Some would say that we do, or perhaps we jump on at the nearest station to our home without too much thought.

Now, I should, of course, mention that which train you alight depends on where you want to go. Most of us have in mind a destianation of where we wish to travel to, that is not to say that some people just love jumping on a train without any plan and are quite happy to end up where they end up — the majority of us don’t, we need to know where we are going.

Where Do You Choose to Seat?

From my chosen seat, I watch the world go by as the train travels forward along the tracks towards my destination. I enjoy watching the world rush towards me with stunning views overlooking Lake Zurich (I admit I did choose to sit to the left, as I knew it had preferential views of the lake). It is an enjoyable and pleasurable experience and it makes me smile.

Now, as for my fellow passengers, I can only assume they had varying experiences — some watched the world fly by looking out the window on the other side of the carriage; others looked back at the views passing behind us, and those upstairs enjoy the advantage of a slightly higher elevation over the rooftops. And then there were a few passengers heads bent over their phones or buried in a book, oblivious to the scenes unfolding, lost in the depths of their own self-absorbed worlds.

As the train trundles along the tracks heading to a pre-defined destination, which helpfully is displayed on the noticeboard at the end of each carriage, we are notified of the stations along the way along with an announcement of the next upcoming scheduled to stop.

Do You Stay On or Get Off?

I watch as some people get off at these stations with a sense of purpose, while new passengers clamber aboard and take up residence in the recently vacated seats.

With interest, I realise that I could choose to alight at any of the stations along the way. It is within my control. However, I know where I wanted to go. I have already decided upon my end destination. I was clear on where I wanted to go and where my particular journey would end. Between watching the array of shops, houses, gardens and streets appear before me, I listened and as my journey neared it’s end, I was ready and had my belongings at hand when we pulled up and joined the myriad of travellers to getting off.

Life is like a Train Ride

Life is like my train journey, we get on the train of life and some of us where we are going, some go so far and change train, some have no clue and just stay onboard afraid to miss their stop, and others are free spirits getting on and off as they feel inclined to do so. Depending on where we wish to go some may chose the slower, scenic route and enjoy the luxury of the views along the way, while others may select the ultra-fast trains, with a view to get there as fast as they can.

Even choosing the same train journey, each person will have their own unique experience on-board. Everyone’s perspective will be different depending on their position and how engaged they are in looking out the window, watching the antics of other passengers, or burying their head in the distraction of their choosing.

As a writer, travelling, even a short train ride, can inspire my creative side. Sometimes, I watch the passing view, and other times I ‘people watch’ and occasionally I bury my head in a book or entertain myself with my iPhone.

Life is a Journey

Life is a journey, and we are all having a different experience as we are all unique and even on the same ‘train heading to the same destination’ — our choices and perspectives will ensure none of us has the identical ride, and that’s what makes life’s journey special.

There is no right or wrong journey, it is up to you and all you need to do is sit back and enjoy it. Some people will and some people won’t — it is up to you!

Relax and enjoy your life’s train ride, it can be a pretty amazing adventure if you allow it!

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Writer’s Doubt

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We all know about, or at the very least, have heard about ‘Writer’s Block’, but have you heard of ‘Writer’s Doubt’?

In my capacity as host of The WRITE Word Show, I am honoured to interview and chat with a range of writers and authors from across the globe. People who have followed their deep-seated yearning to write their book. They have stepped up to the commitment, knuckled-down and dug-deep to weave stories to share with the World at large. Books to inspire, personal insights and wisdom to share, or a tall tale of mystery, intrigue or adventure. But one thing that crops up time and time again, when my incredible guests share their own writing journey, is their wrangle with self-doubt as an author.

So many people talk of writing a book, and not so many manage to realize this great dream.

It is not only a calling, but it takes discipline, determination and diligence to sit down and do the work. Create a book, whether it is a shorter non-fiction or novella, of a full-blown fictional heavy-weight — it takes time to craft the message, to give form to the characters, to concisely pull the parts together to provide the reader with a journey of learning or a story to transport them to another time and place.

Writing a book is a challenge.

A challenge to which many will not rise, and those who do, show great courage and fortitude of character.

When you ask many authors, they will tell you that writing the book is a journey — one of weeks, months or even years. It may have been fraught with periods of frustration when the ‘Muse’ takes her leave of absence. Perhaps it was cobbled together with stolen moments amid the demands of a hectic schedule; squeezed into the cacophony of life. Or, maybe, there is the luxury of time to bring ‘form’ to the symphony of words. 

Every writer’s journey is their own unique experience.

However, ask many authors about their experience when the book is ‘birthed’ into the big bad World, most will own up to feeling overwhelming waves of emotions. Emotions that oscillate from abject fear to exhilaration; from pride in their accomplishment to a crippling doubt.

It is the vulnerability of opening the doors to judgement and critique. 

Hours, days, years even of heart-wrenching work laid bare for all to scrutinize. For many authors, it may well have been a work of blood, sweat and many tears. Writing a book is such an emotional experience, which many liken to a pregnancy.  The book is nurtured, developed and fiercely protected in the gestation period. Then, when it is ‘birthed’, there is a rush of satisfaction, followed by panic as doubts flood in.

I know this only too well, as I am one of those authors who rode this emotional rollercoaster when my first book was released (‘The Naked Knitting Club’). And, I know, that I am not the only one. It is something which plagues most writers.

Does it get easier with each book you publish?

For some it does, and for many others, it does not. We bravely bare our souls and await feedback from our readers. We re-read and find fault in our work. We are our own worst critic — harsh and nit-picking to the nth degree, with the perfectionist afoot as we beat ourselves up. Having support at hand, someone who helps you to see the truth of your accomplishment, is a must for any writer — your personal ‘cheerleader’ to coach you through the wobbly bits.

As much as I, for one, would wish to release emotional bonds with my book babies, I know that my doubts are all part of the author experience for me. I accept that nothing is perfect, and by accepting the imperfections, I am honing my craft. Each book I write is an opportunity for progression and improvement. I must also acknowledge that each book its unique mission, and I am merely the conduit, the channel, for the message or story to be born.

‘Author’s Doubts’ are part of the journey and must be recognized for what they are. Be aware of them, and release them before starting your next book journey. If we waited until every word, every sentence and every comma was perfect; we would be denying the World. Imagine how many great literary masterpieces would never have graced our bookshelves if the authors had held them back waiting for perfection — that would be a tragedy.

So, dear writer/author take heart and enjoy the ride, as your path may be a little uncomfortable at times when the ‘doubt demons’ strike, but know that it is worth it, and the World will be a better place because you have pushed through the pain and discomfort to share your book baby.

The World needs you to step up, push your doubts aside and keep writing your books.

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Mindful Writing

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The Art of Feeling What You Write

Everywhere we look we see that we should be MINDFUL in our lives — Mindful breathing, mindful eating, mindful about our emotions. All great advice, in my humble opinion.

Our modern lives are so overloaded with noise, demands, information and activities. We race from one thing to another in our daily routine — from school runs, to lunch at our desks, to cramming in meeting with friends. Rushing around with hardly a moment to breath is the new norm. We are at the behest of our mobile devices, grabbing our phones at every available moment to check social media, news and updates. We are, or at the very least becoming puppets, to technology and life. The constant sensory and information overload has left many of us numb.

So MINDFULNESS is a crucial step for us, as human beings, to take back control. To learn to reconnect with who we are. Learn to breathe again and check in with how we feel. Feelings are an essential part of who we are. When you understand how we FEEL about something, you know whether or not it is good for us. Over the years, in my capacity of a Transformational Life Coach, I have been constantly surprised to hear clients says that they do not know what was good for them. Their rigorous lives have worn them down to a shell of who they really ought to be.

Be Mindful and Breathe

So what does MINDFULNESS have to do with writing? I hear you ask?

As a writer, I have learned to bring my coaching techniques into the mix to support my writing, and with great success. I have learned the importance of giving myself permission to write and be comfortable with the label ‘author’. I know that setting intentions for my writing works for me. And, importantly, I have come to the powerful realisation that being MINDFUL when I write is a major contributor to keeping the dreaded ‘writer’s block’ at bay.

Being MINDFUL as I write is a positive experience for me. I sit down to write and do my little ritual to allow the creative flow. Through a short meditation, I breathe, relax and invite the muse to be with me as I write. 

As I write the words, I take a moment to feel into the words I am using and connect with them. How do they FEEL? How do they SOUND?  How do they LOOK on the page? I feel connected with the words as they take form.

When I read through what I have written, I check-in and ask myself how does that make me feel as a reader? 

When you become a MINDFUL writer, you find the writing process becomes more natural and a much more fluid process. At the same time, your reader will have a more pleasurable experience too, and that is a win-win.

To help you tune into MINDFUL WRITING, I have created a short meditation for you. Click on the image/link below to download it and use it to boost your creative writing flow in a mindful way. Enjoy!

Click here to listen to MINDFUL WRITING MEDITATION

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