Goodbye for now
A big thank you for taking the time to read my posts / articles / subjects I am passionate about every week. I have been writing a newsletter for 9 years now and on this particular platform for just over a year. Last week I shared my post on “Women leaving it too late to have babies” and was blown away by the number of emails and messages I received. Turns out there’s a lot of you who agree with what I wrote and many of you shared your fertility struggles with me. Please know, you are not alone… I was blown away by one email:
This article (in The Times) caused huge outrage in my group of friends also… the talks we’ve had since!!
It dropped a day before I’m starting my first IVF round to become a solo mum, at 39, after years ‘putting up’ with a bad relationship. It dropped just as my best friend, at 41, was trying to tell her husband she doesn’t want to keep trying. It dropped as another friend, at 40, with two kids and two step-kids is facing really tough decisions financially to support her family. It came as my brother and his wife, at 34, probably won’t be having a second child because it’s just too expensive. It came as friends of mine, in their early thirties, as a lesbian couple are facing an insane IVF postcode lottery waiting list and huge private IUI costs before they can even access nhs IVF.
The main take-away we all had from the article was, HOW can someone from The Times write such a piece with zero nuance, balance and connection to what real men and women are experiencing. What a world!
Thanks for writing this.
If you would like to read my post on this….
It’s a goodbye for now…
But not for long!
I am spending most of August in Europe and will be taking a break from writing. I will be back at the beginning of September.
Before I go I wanted to share with you some of the books I have been reading in case you wanted to add them to your summer reading list.
Reading List:
The Source by Dr. Tara Swart
You are a badass by Jen Sincero
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl
I also wanted to get a fiction book to read as well so my pick has been Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
I would love to know your summer picks so please comment below - perhaps if lots of you share then I can create a reading list and share it with you all.
My tune for the summer…
If you are into a bit of house music / afro beats then you will enjoy this one! A one hour playlist of incredible beats… I’ll be dancing along to this in Ibiza next week!
Leaving you with 4 self-worth habits…
Some food for thought that I will definitely be trying to remember this summer.
Instead of trying to make the perfect decision, make a decision that will create more opportunities for you.
Remember you are a product of the 5 people you surround yourself with. Choose wisely.
Take time to be still, quiet, and look into the distance as much as you can - by expanding our visual field the body is able to switch off the stress response.
Be your own biggest fan by interrupting thoughts that are self-critical and say to yourself “let’s not go there, that’s not helpful.” It turns out that when you do this, you have much more of a capacity to be there for others in a way that doesn’t deplete you.
A light touch with everything. Is there any way you can let go of your stress by even 5%?
And finally…
I’d love to share a heartfelt testimonial from one of my incredible clients, Joly. At nearly 80 years young, Joly has been a cherished member of Move & Inspire since we first launched in 2020. Recently, we rolled out Move & Inspire 2.0, our fabulous new platform, and the feedback has been nothing short of phenomenal. Joly, along with many others, is absolutely thrilled with the upgrade, and I couldn’t be more excited about how much it’s enriching our community. 🌟
Big love,
Sophie xxx
PS Any questions etc please email us selfworth@sophiedear.com