Sometimes the Sparkle goes. Getting it back, part 1

What will you do when you have re-discovered your sparkle and suddenly something happens in your life and the sparkle goes, you have just got that glow going and then it's like something or someone put some water on the perfect glow and you hear the sound of psshhhhh and the sparkle is out.

I'm the one who works with women to help them to re-discover their sparkle, from my life experience of having a kidney transplant and having found a way to show women how to find that sparkle again.

And a couple of weeks ago – I was doing my contemporary dancing class and my foot got stuck on a big piece of tape on the floor and you could hear the sound of twigs breaking...I broke two bones in my foot and in that split second my life changed physically and practically and emotionally.

In the morning of that day it happened, I took my husband to the airport going to Sweden to work for 10 days, and I broke my foot in the evening. I came back from A & E at 3 o clock in the morning and it was just me, my broken foot in plaster and two crutches, and I could only use one leg. I had to re-think everything I needed to do practically.  For days I was sad, angry, generally upset and my sparkle went.

I knew before this happened, but more on an intellectual level, that part of life is the negative or “bad” stuff as well. Now I'm experiencing it first hand, and it wasn't easy at first but I'm doing much better now.

Here's what I did and am still doing to cope with this situation that I don't' want to be in:

Breathe: Take deep slow breaths, any time when you can remember, take a couple of deep breaths, I keep talking about this, but breathing properly will really help you physically and emotionally. Just following these instructions:

• Take a slow deep breath in
• Slowly breathe out
• Repeat 3 times

Be honest: Say what is the truth. For example, when people called me to ask how I was and how I'm getting on, I said exactly how it was and how I felt, normally I would have put on my nice voice   with a slightly higher pitch saying, "I'm fine, I'm getting there, it's not too bad..." I have learned that you should focus on the positive stuff rather than the negative and it will easier move you forward. But my experience is that nothing is as healthy and inspiring as speaking the truth. Why is this good? Because it leads to the next point...

Acceptance: I noticed that after expressing how it was for me, I felt relieved and I could accept the situation better. How do you accept it? First, you see it as it is. What I mean is, see as it is, without adding or deleting anything. There is no point pushing it, just continue to practise seeing it as it is. Eventually you will most likely come to a space of feeling more at ease with the situation.

It's early days yet, I'll let you know how I'm getting on efter the weekend.