Carolyn Trafford - Creative Coaching

04/07/2025

You work 8 hours to live 4.
You work 6 days to enjoy 1.
You work 8 hours to eat in 15 minutes.
You work 8 hours and sleep only 5.
You work all year just to get a week or two off.
You work all your life to retire in old age.
And when it’s all said and done, you’re left wondering… what was it all for?
We get so used to chasing success that we don’t even notice the chains we’ve put on ourselves.
You weren’t meant to just survive.
Life isn’t meant to be postponed.
It’s a short journey.
Make it count.

09/01/2025

Just in case you think you've missed the boat (or train) on setting your goals for 2025 - its never too late.

Thank you All on the Board for these great words

27/12/2024

21/12/2024

When darkness envelops your soul,
When every limb is aching
and weary with fatigue
and your eyes are tired from the dimness
of the night.
When sleep won't come and dreams
remain unanswered,
And you're about to give up..

This is the time when change
is coming.
Nothing on Earth is static.

You've walked a long weary road
longing for respite
Praying for an opening, a way forward,
a way out ..
Your faith unwavering,
with each struggle, each fight, each loss,
each knock back;
You are stoic but exhausted.

Soon it will appear, at first a small dot,
then gradually expanding to illuminate your path, guiding you along the way.
Renewing hope, carrying you forward,
It's nearly here ..

The wheel will turn
The light will return
Your heart will feel lighter
Your path will be brighter

May you find hope in the light
that kindles, on this sacred night,
The night of the Winter Solstice...

Serendipity Corner ✨ C.E. Coombes

Artist Credit: Vivian Hansen de los Rios

06/10/2024

Tired these two out!

🎉 I’ve completed my virtual walk of the Appalachian Trail—6 miles a day for almost a year! 🌄 I’m raising funds for Macmillan and Pink Sisters, and would love your support. 🙏 Every donation makes a difference! 💚

https://donate.justgiving.com/page/carolyn-trafford-pinks/ or https://www.justgiving.com/page/carolyn-trafford-macmillan

02/10/2024

Thank you for your Little Heartbeats - PPROM Support and Awareness

Following yesterday's post - I was made aware that the Pink Sisters & Misters Staffs Forum donation page wasnt accepting donations.

I think Ive sorted it - please let me know if there are any issues

https://donate.justgiving.com/page/carolyn-trafford-pinks/donation-amount

01/10/2024

I make no apology for pushing this.

October is . This time 3 years ago I was going through he'll wondering what would happen next and wishing someone would just book me on for immediate surgery and begone you dam cancer.

I was also isolating we were still in that indecisive stage of lockdown.

Without the support of the macmillan nurses and local charity Pink Sisters & Misters Staffs Forum I don't think id have coped.

So please please donate to my fundraiser. I've done the hard work, survived cancer, put in hours of walking, your bits easy. Just donate. It only needs to be a little.

https://www.justgiving.com/team/carolynsappalachiantrail?utm_medium=proxy_team&fbclid=IwY2xjawFpFppleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHVIxofm3_acR2nk7KOIr6UeNF0nP2xVIXN5DCLLFn2mnQ7OrT-bKvTbcOw_aem_HppdRkLs9_U8bCIpvc3Aog

14/07/2024

It's always a pleasure

And here is another huge ‘thank you’ from Our Leek & Moorlands Magazine!

Thank you to all you wonderful contributors! 🙂

We thanked all our fabulous advertisers (so far) with a Facebook post earlier this week, and now we just wanted to say a huge “thank you” to all our wonderful regular contributors too!

Thank you, all of you – you all help make this publication what it is!

Brett Trafford Photography – Front cover photos

Bill Lomas – Leek Town Crier ‘Cry’ Bill Lomas

Brian Mellor Financial Services Limited – Financial Matters

Carolyn Trafford - Creative Coaching - Carolyn's Creative Coaching

Emma Hine Strategy – Let’s Talk Business

John Crimes - Music Gig Guide

Laura Cottingham – Haregate Community Centre

Lynda Demaid-Jones – Leek Lions

Martin and Janet Blow – Gardening Column - https://www.planthuntersfairs.co.uk/

Paul Steele – Quiz Corner

Suzanne Sheldon - Community Stalwart

And, of course, thank you to everyone else who has contributed ad hoc edit and/or photos which have been included in the past five editions of Our Leek & Moorlands Magazine – whether that has been a photo from your community event, memories and/or images of yesteryear, news from your club, photos of your children dressed up for a celebration - all content is very much appreciated indeed!

And, finally, but by no means least, thank you to our amazing proof reader Amanda Belfield, our hard-working distribution chaps of Adrian Garside and team, and also Buxton Press who print Our Leek mags 🙂

What a fabulous team we have! Thank you!

24/05/2024

Brilliant and true

Possibly the Most important thing you'll read this Year...
The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.
You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them. Just read it straight through, and you'll get the point.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies.
Awards tarnish ...
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier?
The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money ... or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most

24/12/2023

Merry Christmas, friends, clients, customers and all. X

09/03/2023

Thanks to Becky Hemsley - Talking to the Wild for sharing this beautiful poem.

I was 30 when I realised I was curvy not fat.
I was 39 when I realised I didn't have to be what everyone else wanted and I could be me.
I was 40 when I retrained and started my coaching business.
I was 43 when I did stand up for a charity fundraiser.
I was 49 when I graduated with an art degree.
I was 51 diagnosed with breast cancer and 52 when I started to call myself an outdoor swimmer.

I still have doubts. I'm still learning. But I always listen to me. So what if I occasionally head in the wrong direction , at least I'm heading on an adventure.

She sat at the back and they said she was
shy
She led from the front and they hated her
pride
They asked her advice and then questioned her guidance
They branded her loud then were shocked by her silence

When she shared no ambition, they said it was
sad
So she told them her dreams and they said she was mad
They told her they’d listen then covered their
ears
And gave her a hug whilst they laughed at her
fears

And she listened to all of it thinking she
should
Be the girl they told her to be best as she
could
But one day she asked what was best for
herself
Instead of trying to please everyone
else

So she walked to the forest and stood with the
trees
She heard the wind whisper and dance with the leaves
And she spoke to the willow, the elm and the
pine
And she told them what she’d been told time after time

She told them she felt she was never enough
She was either too little or far, far too much
Too loud or too quiet, too fierce or too weak
Too wise or too foolish, too bold or too meek

Then she found a small clearing surrounded by
firs
And she stopped and she heard what the trees said to her
And she sat there for hours not wanting to
leave
For the forest said nothing, it just let her

breathe

💚💚💚

The beautiful picture is by Siski Kalla from our children’s book of this poem
https://a.co/d/6fcwvfj

And the poem itself is also in the collection Talking to the Wild
https://a.co/d/9FFiRrW

08/03/2023

Happy ...

For all those brave women out there. Yes that's all of you...

Every adventure starts with just and you can do whatever you want and achieve the seemingly impossible...