Have you thought about a sabbatical?
A time out to step off your busy life, contemplate a question, or consider your future. Some academics get a chance to do this every 7 years. This often takes them outside their lecturing and other work with students, it is often still work, but different, where they work on academic research and publishing. I […]
I’m 65 and one day
Two weeks ago I wrote about celebrations for a big birthday https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/celebrations-big-birthday-dr-denise-taylor-mba/ I said that I planned to mark it in ceremony. To create my own, deeper way of recognising the passing of the years, rather than a big party with cake, candles and balloons. I did it. Sunday, late afternoon I went to my […]
A personal story – Birthday Reflection
This video tells you about how I spent my 65th birthday
A personal story – Birthday plans
Planning my big birthday celebration in the wood. On 29th August I’ll be 65. This was the age men got their state pension and, as female, I should have had mine for 5 years. But things changed and I’ll now get mine in a year. Recently I’ve been thinking on birthdays and how to mark […]
Having Fun
There is fun, and then there is Type 2 Fun. These are the activities we only recognize as fun afterwards. They can be physically challenging such as mountain climbing or where there is a fear, perhaps of being laughed at. I do comedy improv classes and hadn’t realized this was Type 2 fun. I still […]
Celebrations of a ‘big birthday’
On 29th August I’ll be 65. This was the age men got their state pension and, as female, I should have had mine for 5 years. But things changed and I’ll now get mine in a year. Recently I’ve been thinking on birthdays and how to mark them. For my 50th I had 3 big […]
Slow down to the natural world – a practical activity
I share a practical activity that I use with clients on Vision Quests and nature based retreats. This is an earth awareness exercise to help people to slow down to the natural world. Everything you need to know is in the video – enjoy!
Do you journal?
I do this in depth at different times of my life. I kept a detailed journal whilst preparing for, whilst on my vision quest and for the month afterwards. I’ve also done it as I started new relationships as it helped deal with the feelings of insecurity that ran through my head. Interestingly when I […]
Closing My Second Vision Quest
A Vision Quest is a Rite of Passage and involves 4 days and nights on a solo fast (no food or tent). A year later you close your Vision Quest. This is my immediate thoughts after 24 hours without food. Yesterday I closed my second Vision Quest. This time I closed it in our own […]
Life endings and death … Life is full of endings …
Life is full of endings – the end of a day, end of a book, end of a period of study, end of a relationship, and the end of life. When I reflect on retirement, I also consider the related areas of ageing and dying. Spending time in the natural world we notice this clearly […]