First things first, the ‘Magic of Sue’ is what my business mentor, Hillary, calls the big toolkit of stuff I have amassed over the years and now share with my clients and followers (that makes me chuckle – ‘followers’ – sounds like I am head of some crazy assed cult).
I hate talking about myself, always have. Particularly to express that I am good at something. Does this stem from a childhood of moving schools frequently and not wanting to stand out? Possibly. Could it be my deep seated shyness compelling me to be invisible? Maybe. Or is it my preference to take a seat on the outside of life, sitting back with a brew and watching the shenanigans of the world go on in front of me? Perchance that is it. Whatever it is, I need to get over it or this will be the shortest philosophy page ever.
The work I do combines the three things that make us what we are:
The body needs no explanation and my focus is on the musculoskeletal part of it. If that isn’t functioning well we ache, we can’t move properly, we feel limited (and generally get grouchy because of it).
Now the mind is a complex old thing, I have barely scratched the surface of learning how it works. But one thing I do know is that like the body it can malfunction. When it does get its wires in a twist things show up like unwanted relatives at a party – anxiety, low self-esteem, crappy motivation, and a load of other killjoys.
Spirit: even as I started typing this bit I felt like I was sharing a guilty secret. Why? Because I am a practical, fact based person and in my head I presume that 99.9% of my people will think it is just a pile of wafty bollocks! It isn’t. And that is a faulty belief I have stored away. Your spirit, energy, soul, vibration, or whatever term you want to use is as much an integral part of you as your brain and your body. And just like the other two, if your vibration is off kilter, you will feel out of sorts with the world.
The three things are interwoven. Nurture this trio equally and you will feel the benefits.
My work with the physical body started in 2005 when I trained to be a Pilates instructor and a sports massage therapist. I cannot imagine how many bodies I have worked with: a lot. Some young, some old, some supple and many totally buggered. I’ve helped people recover from major surgery, strokes and limb amputations. Because I believe anything is possible I have always found a way to tweak, twiddle and adapt things to help clients be the very best version of themselves they can be, with the body and tools at their disposal at that moment in time. There is always a way.
The brain training aspect of my work began with me working on myself. I got my first pony at the ripe old age of 38 and even though I’d ridden for years, my nerves suddenly ruled the roost. I don’t do defeat so I had one session with a sports psychologist which set off my journey into the innermost workings of our wayward minds. Typically I didn’t go down the well-trodden path; I didn’t want to know what was ‘wrong’ I wanted to make things good. Positive Psychology was the starting point as it did just that. Many more methodologies went under the Sue Scrutiny as I set to picking out the bits that made sense and working them into straight talking courses and books. I am still learning, but aren’t we all?
OK, now to the guilty little secret that is our spirit. It was because of the horses that I started to become more aware of this final part of the trilogy. Horses, and other animals, communicate in a way so incredible it is a sin to refer to them as ‘dumb animals’. They move each other by energy and intent, rarely by vocal communication. By observing my horses and their interactions with each other and with myself I honed the ability to communicate with them their way; I can move them just with my intent, stop them with a drop of my energy. Again, it is still a work in progress but for someone like me who is empathetic to others and hates to inflict discomfort mentally or physically, this way of working with my horses is so rewarding.
The other aspect of our energy is that which has been focussed on in so-called alternative medicine for thousands of years. You may have heard of energy meridians, chakras, accupressure, and accupuncture to name a few. These work on the premise that there is an internal ‘flow’ within us, I guess not unlike the blood supply in that it goes from the tips of your fingers to the ends of your toes. The more awareness and time I spend on this energy flow, the better I feel. I am currently studying Reiki and Yoga but have done a lot of work on energy anatomy already; it is fascinating stuff.
Also intriguing, and part of the brain training work I offer, is how by tending to our trio and getting to know ourselves (or should that be, be honest about who we truly are) is that it opens up a whole new world of opportunity and possibilities. My big sister has always said that I was born lucky. Maybe I was but, as I have said before, I also believe that anything is possible and the more work I have done on Law of Attraction, manifesting and visualisation the more my life has turned out as I want it to. Is it some kind of freaky magic? Who knows. Is it that by channeling your positive energy and intent toward a project that it materialises? Could well be. Or could it be a combination of both with a sprinkling of keeping focus, working with what I have, believing I can achieve, and seeing lessons not failures that my dreams have come into my reality.
I work hard. Every day. Dreams without action will stay just dreams. Yeah, some days I have the attention span of a toddler but I’m human and that is allowed – for a short while at least.
So, on that final confession I think I will bid you farewell. If having read this you feel I am the gal to help you get your trio in shape then do drop me an email.
Speak soon, much love
Sue xxx