Claire H. Perkins's Blog

[image error] The giveaway of my book Life Purpose ends tonight and I’m humbled and thrilled. Its 9pm with three hours to go and 762 of you have entered the giveaway to read my book, my words.

Two years ago, I was suffering from severe anxiety attacks, it was becoming impossible to get into my car and drive anywhere. A feeling of constricted breathing, palpitations and fear were taking their hold on me. Why was I going through all of this? I have always known that I was put here to help people; it was my life’s purpose  to help people see that their life was so much more than they thought.  I love writing and always felt that I wanted to write a book that would encourage people to find their life purpose and live it. Fear of what people would say and think held me back time and time again, I’d start a book, take three steps forward and two steps back. It wasn’t until I read a line in a Dr Wayne Dyer book (one of my heroes!);  I quote “Don’t die with your music still in you”, that I thought ‘this is what’s happening, I’m dying because I’m not letting my ‘music’ out and I decided "To hell with my fears, I’m going to sit down and write my book" and so I did; in six weeks! The words, the emotions, the sentences and descriptions just poured out of me. It was extremely cathartic and very satisfying. I learned how to format my book for Amazon Kindle, I learned how to format it for Createspace for a paperback version, I designed the cover and did all the marketing myself. I didn’t know if anyone would buy it but you have and to my surprise and gratification you have left wonderful feedback for me. The feeling of accomplishment is indescribable and as for the panic attacks they never came back.

Here we are in February 2017 and 762 of you have requested Life Purpose in a giveaway. I’m so thrilled and deeply humbled, thank you, you’re all amazing! As a show of my gratitude, I’ve decided to give away another two copies via my website. Just go here

​Thanks again
Love
Claire

​So how’s your life going so far? Exciting or just hum drum and so so? Have you lived it to the fullest so far or are you just coasting along hoping someone is going to come along and rescue you or something drastic will happen to change it for the better?
 
Our life is supposed to be an adventure, to be lived to the full, however, many of us are beset by fears of "What will they think of me?’ What if I make a fool of myself? What if I fail? I have those fears most definitely, we all do. But there comes a point when you’re either going to carry on just existing or decide to start living the adventure that is your life. What is the point of regretting the chances you didn’t take for the life you really wanted because fear held you back?
 
You are going to have to get past the fear and the negativity. If you let your fear win and give up on your adventure you’ll live an unsatisfactory life. Of course the unknown and change can be scary and of course there are people that will try and talk you out of your dreams, but the unknown and change is part of the adventure, how can you have one without them? Your confidence and commitment to living a full and adventurous life will cast a huge light on some people’s unsatisfactory existence. Why should you be unhappy with your life just because they are unhappy with theirs? The toxic and spiritually undeveloped individuals are going to try and ‘rain on your parade’. Be firm with them or walk away, you don’t need to argue or convince them of anything, wrap yourself in an invisible cloak of confidence and ward off the naysayers.
 
Start building up those courage muscles. To begin with they will be rather scrawny and small but as time goes on and you follow the passionate adventure that is your life, I promise you, you’ll develop Arnold Schwarzenegger courage muscles! Stay true to your dreams and desires. Stay true to your gut feeling of knowing what is right for you. It’s YOUR life adventure and it is YOU that is responsible for painting your life canvas.

You are an amazing being made of pure energy, Before you came into this reality, you were light and joy, everything you wanted you only needed to think about and there it was in your awareness. Every being in this place or reality was also able to have everything they could possibly want and you all co-existed totally harmoniously, well how could you do anything else in a place filled with love, joy and total acceptance.

 And then what did you decide to do? You decided that you needed some real contrast from the beautiful reality that you resided in and what better contrast than to be born on earth, with all of its wonders, all its horrors and its magnificence; a cornucopia of craziness!  You came in wearing this restrictive flesh suit that at first you had no control over whatsoever. You were physically helpless to do anything for yourself and spent most of your early days on earth exercising your new lungs and waking your poor sleep deprived parents from their slumber  as you had wet and cold sensations next to your skin.

So, many years later here you are standing in a slightly more worn, slightly baggier flesh suit having fearsome doubts about life, your life in particular and its purpose. Don’t worry, you’re not alone in your fears and worries, nor are you alone wondering what are you supposed to be doing in your life as there has to be more to it than this! Dear reader in your lined, scarred and baggier flesh suit, read on and the answers will be revealed to you! 

 You are not alone in wondering about your Life Purpose. There are millions of people on this planet wandering around asking themselves this question, “What is my life purpose?” What am I here for? why am I having this life?”. It doesn’t matter whether they are the poorest of the poor, the richest of the rich, sooner or later this question (if it hasn’t already) is going to hit you.  So, what is your answer? Do you know why you’re  here? Why you are living in this time and that place where you are right now? What’s been happening in your life so far? Can you say you are fulfilled or are you ‘marking time’? Are you living your life according to you or someone else’s idea of what your life should be?

Life Purpose - What is it about these two words when placed together cause such a problem to people?  What is it that is blocking you from knowing your life purpose? Have you ever known what it is? Did someone heap scorn upon you when you stated it out loud? Were your hopes and dreams squashed underfoot by perceived responsibility and the dreaded ‘shoulds’? You wanted to do something but felt it was too silly, too impractical. You wanted to do something that felt too outlandish and that wouldn’t earn you a ‘living wage’.  Your life purpose was felt too impractical by parents/peers so actually you have never followed your hopes and dreams but have just lived a life that has either been fairly comfortable or felt downright wrong.

You are an amazing person, you came here from love and you are love. There is really nothing you ‘need to do’. Don’t struggle or make your life miserable trying to live out what other people expect of you, it’s not worth it. That was then, this is now, this is your life now. Do you want to be present in your life and create a beautiful painting entitled ‘My Life’, or do you want to spend more minutes, hours, days, weeks, years; in fact a whole life time living out someone else’s idea of what your life should be. Don’t let another artist paint your life canvas, you must paint your own.

If you are a painter, then paint, if you are a cook, then cook, if you love arranging flowers then be a florist and so on. It’s your passion and when you feel your passion for the things you love doing then you have found your purpose in life – your life purpose.

It has taken me until I’m fifty three years old to summon up the courage to write this book. I have played at it, I have dabbled at it, I have then deleted various versions of it for the fear of being laughed at. “How can you write a book?”, “Who are you that you can write a book?”  “What do you know about life that makes you think you can write a book telling other people how to live?” These are just some of the fear thoughts that have held me back over the years. My answer now  is “Well I’m writing it and am enjoying writing it and if nothing happens with it, at least I know I have written it!” My life purpose I know is to help people wake up from the illusion and drama of their lives and to see that they are truly magnificent spiritual beings. If this book reaches only a few people and makes a difference to them, then I am glad. If it doesn’t, well then, I’ll try some other way to live out my life purpose. 

Some people live their entire lives pretending to be something they’re not, or pretending to love something they don’t, only to wake up one day and realise they haven’t really lived. In Tolstoy’s  The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Ivan is dying and he asks his wife “What if my whole life has been wrong?”. That is certainly a wake-up call, who wants their whole life to be wrong? What a sad waste of a life. Do something now to find out your life purpose and work towards it before you’re on your deathbed asking Ivan’s question.

We come into this world for a reason, a promise to fulfil that we made to ourselves before we are born and for the first few months of our lives, that promise is remembered, then we forget it! Why do we forget it? I really believe it is squashed out of us by well-meaning parents and teachers and by the time we get round to choosing the subjects at school that will lead us on to university and then onto a ‘good job’, the life purpose that we chose before we were born has been totally forgotten.
Have you got to the point in your life that makes you feel like you are living someone else’s life? The point where you feel you have been living a lie? Read on to find out how we find our life purpose.

To enter the Goodreads Giveaway to win a signed copy of Life Purpose Click Here

To purchase Life Purpose - How To Find Your Reason For Living Click Here

The Sorceress
 
Did you know you are a sorceress?
As a woman, are you aware of the power you hold?
 
When I use the word sorceress, I’m not talking about being a ‘wannabe’ witch. I’m not talking abut waving a magic wand and mixing Eye of Newt with Hair of Toad, having a cat called Pyewacket or even twitching your nose like Samantha in the film Bewitched. I’m talking about the powerful, mysterious feminine energy that courses through you as a woman - The Sorceress.
 
When a woman exists comfortably in her own skin, she blooms and blossoms like a flower. There is no desire to live life according to others expectations, no desire to ‘please’ others or mould ourselves to someone else’s idea of how we ‘should’ behave but just a quiet and confident knowledge of being in one’s own power. A sorceress lives her life on her terms. She understands that she creates her world with her thoughts, her words and her actions. She conjures up her deepest desires through everyday magic; intentions and belief. Her familiars are her deep confidence, her grace and charm. Her words have power from the emotions with which she charges them.
 
The Sorceress lives in the light and does not dwell in the dark for she is magnificent! Her love and powerful positive energy affects everyone and she knows it. She uses it to reach into the darkest, dankest corners of her loved one’s fears to encourage them back into the light and banish the demons. The Sorceress knows she cannot control others, but only lead by example through her actions and words. She glides through life bestowing her gentle yet extremely powerful magic on all those who are fortunate enough to experience her magnetic presence.
 
So what is stopping you from being this all powerful sorceress? Is it fear of what others will think? Maybe low self-esteem, a lack of worth, a belief that you ‘should behave’ in a certain way? Is it the constant demand for your attention from kids, your husband, wife, parents, lovers or just the feeling of futility that at times can wear you down and discourage you from being the sorceress you are meant to be? When we are not true to ourselves we live a half life, we die a little each day and suffocate. I say “What are you waiting for? Why are you holding back? What are you so afraid of?” Life is about passion and adventure. Be passionate, be adventurous and discover the Sorceress within you.
 
The Sorceress by Claire H Perkins will be published summer 2017 To receive updates on the book’s progress and monthly ‘Sorceress news’ please visit here

I had this idea (I have lots of ideas) There has to be a way that people that want to help other people can be matched together. Ok, let me explain properly. I'm a strong believer in kindness, kindness to other people, kindness to animals and kindness to oneself. I love to help people, I love to see people happy and nothing upsets me more than seeing the homeless sitting in doorways, shivering in the freezing cold winter weather, you know that's someone's son/daughter; there but for the grace of God go I. Well perhaps not on such a drastic scale, there are also the people that exist in a constant state of worry and stress about paying the ‘BIG BILLS' mortgage/rent/utilities I know what that feels like. Not too long ago during the horrendous 'Great Recession' there were moments when we felt like we were going to say bye bye to our home as we were struggling with redundancy, one salary and mortgage payments....very, very stressful to say the least, and there are still people struggling with money, wanting to live in a dignified manner, there is still poverty. So, here's my idea:
 
I'm setting up an online nationwide website so that people and companies will be matched to give help to those less fortunate. There are so many good souls that want to be able to offer items that they no longer need or want but don't know where or how to contact the people that need their kindness. I aim to launch a website that is in two parts; one part being that individuals can engage and help each other by listing unwanted items (via a database that will match them up) and secondly so companies can donate money for individuals/families that are weighed down by the stress of paying the big bills (mortgage/rent/utilities) whether from lack of finances due to illness, lack of employment or low paying jobs.
 
I have set up a crowd funding page and set a target of £70,000 "Wow, that's a lot of money" you may say and yes it is but in order to get this going, I need a very complicated website (bit too complicated for me to do), I need advertising revenue, I need to employ the services of a lawyer and an accountant and I need to live whilst this is in its infancy and I'm doing the admin i.e. my mortgage payments utilities, food etc The big picture is that anywhere between 12 and 18 months, this idea of mine would have grown legs and started walking itself and BIG BUSINESS will pay for advertising on my website therefore ensuring that individuals won't have to pay a single penny for helping others....Here's hoping and praying : )

To participate in the Claire H Perkins Kindness Project please go to www.crowdfunder.co.uk/clairehperkinskindnessproject 
and pledge what you can afford.
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Thank you from me and all the future recipients of your kindness
X

Well here we are, the 01st September and all of the sudden summer is now behind me. Yes, I know, yesterday was still August but today I see shorter days looming. Autumn happens to be my favourite season but for some reason (that I really need to get to the bottom of) I feel ‘down’.

Maybe it’s because I have to be ‘grown up’ again. I’ve had some time off between jobs and as it happens it couldn’t have come at a better time. Long lazy mornings, getting up when I wanted to,  having time to explore my thoughts and ideas whilst enjoying my garden. Time for promoting and marketing my new book The Dear God Letters, going to bed at stupid o’clock because I spent so much time getting to know new social media friends late into the night. Long lazy evenings sitting outside with a glass or two of wine basking in the warmth of a summer evening and watching the sun go down in all its fiery glory.
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Here I am September 01st  the first day at a new job and I have to be grown up and responsible again! But oh, time for new adventures, time to look for inspiration for my next book from a different view point.  Who will I meet, what will I learn? What sudden ‘Eureka’ moments am I going to experience and what  awaits me in the autumn and winter?  Who knows but this one thing I do know;  I’m going to have my eyes wide open and be ready for new possibilities! 

My new upcoming book, The Dear God Letters is a year's journal of my conversations with God. I've never seen God as a remote entity and someone to fear, rather my relationship with God is that of two friends, one being extremely wise, loving and supportive and a fantastic listener. The conversations are in the form of letters and include subjects that are wide and varying and the answers are always supportive and will appeal to many people. Here are three of the letters.

Falling In Love With Life
Dear God,
How do you fall in love with life? I think it’s the same as the question How do you fall in love with another person? You see their best bits! You see their face, you appreciate their humour, their personality. You fall in love with life the same way. You see the beauty of the flowers, the trees, you appreciate the sun, the rain, the cold days, the warm days, breathe in clear autumn air. Sense joy in spring time. Get excited at the sight of the first daffodil in February. Fall in love with children’s laughter, appreciate your dog’s excitement and happiness to see you, whatever mood you’ve been in! Look for the beauty in everything you can and you will fall in love with life.
Dear Claire,
Your life is meant to be joy, every bit of it. I know you appreciate it because you tell me so each and every night and say thank you. I appreciate the fact that you say thanks for not only the best, happy bits but the worst nightmarish situations you found yourself in when you were younger. That shows a deep understanding of what life is truly about. You see that the things that have happened to you are either seen as bad or good by your own perception of them. You have understood that the so called bad bits have ‘made you what you are today’. Claire, I believe you love your life 100% of the time even when you think you don’t!

Ghosts
Dear God,
Are there such things as ghosts?
Dear Claire,
Ghosts are memories of things, places and people that have made a large impact upon your life (previous and future, remember, time is not linear) When they appear, they are , if you can imagine, a faded facsimile of the full colour of the tangible thing they once were. Yes, ghosts are very real and they can be peaceful or frightening, firstly dependent upon your experience of the ‘what was once’ thing and secondly, one’s perception of experiencing the ghost/apparition. You have to remember the human mind is extremely powerful. I would say that a person that is aware and has reached the ability to understand that their thoughts don’t control them would perceive the experience of seeing a ghost as non-threatening, whereas a person that lets their thoughts control their life will always perceive ghosts in a negative and frightening manner as they have no understanding that they have a choice in which to process the experience. 

You Are Not Alone
Dear God,
People feel so alone, cut off from love, joy, happiness, prosperity, success; the list is endless. I wish I could find a way to help them to understand (convince them they are not alone) that it is an illusion, they are not cut off, they are loved and connected to everything. When they stop feeling separate, and understand they are loved and can love, fear will leave them. How do I do this? Where do I start? Sometimes I feel so helpless.
Dear Claire,
They are caught in the illusion that this is what their life is about. You can only help and guide the ones who are ready to step outside of the illusion. Remember, like you, they have chosen the life they are living way before they came into this world, this is something they, for their very own reasons have chosen. Although it seems harsh and unfair to you and of course to many of them, you must not interfere, only help when help is asked for. This doesn’t mean of course that you can’t help the homeless person you see freezing on the streets by giving them blankets or clothing or a hot drink, it just means that you cannot try to make them see, even with your words of love to pull them out of where they are..it won’t work. When they are ready, they are ready.

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My Darling Americans,

This is a letter of love and respect to you, the people of a great country. You are fortunate enough to live in a land that has the most beautiful, breath taking and diverse scenery. From the beauty of the shell strewn beaches in Sanibel Island, the magnificence of your Rocky and Appalachian mountain ranges to the sheer awesomeness of the Grand Canyon. From the rolling prairies in the Midwest to the throbbing, alive and exciting cities. Your land once meant safety and refuge to people scattered from all corners of the globe. To arrive in New York after fleeing horrors from their own lands and see the Statue of Liberty proudly holding her torch bearing the words ‘Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore’ meant freedom and hope for those poor wretches.

You are still a relatively young nation that was built from the bloodshed and defeat of the British. Your Presidents have (mostly) been men of integrity; your constitution speaks of freedom, fairness and dignity for its citizens. You have no class system and every one of your fellow countrymen and women have the chance and are indeed encouraged to become so much more and reach higher for themselves.  Your President does not have to be born into a certain family in order to be considered to have the ‘right to rule’ which is still true in Britain. You are a nation of a melting pot of cultures which makes for interesting conversation, appreciating other people, fascinating experiences and a chance to learn and broaden the mind.

You have been innovators; it was two American brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright that are credited with inventing, building and flying the first aeroplane.  The first country to successfully send men to walk on the moon, an incredible feat considering the technology at the time. A proud moment of American history when the whole world watched as Neil Armstrong set his foot down on the surface of the moon and uttered the words “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” It was a symbolic moment in the history of the United States when the last racial barrier in American politics was overcome. Just 143 years earlier, the man who would now hold the supreme office in U.S. government could have been a possession, another man’s property. President-elect Obama said, “If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer”. That’s the America I know and admire.

I love, love, love America. I have sat high in the saddle in the Rockies and on the gentle rolling hills in south western Texas, water rafted through the Grand Canyon and danced to the pulsating Latin beat in Miami. I have sat on your beaches both on the east and west coasts and travelled to and experienced most states in between.  I fell in love with your beautiful country and the energy of your people a long time ago and one day choose to leave my beloved but cold and damp Britain to retire to Scottsdale, Arizona and spend the last years of my life warming my old bones under the warm Southwestern sun.

You have so much as a nation of which to be proud and I for one cannot wait to visit once again but I ask only this of you; do not let fear rule you, do not see yourselves as separate from your fellow American or fellow human beings, no matter what colour, religious belief or political leaning. Do not drown in terror of the unknown and reach for the wrong life buoy to save you. Your nation and its people are at a tipping point, you have a choice to either live in darkness and fear and tread on one another in the haste to ‘survive’ or you can choose to reach out your hand and lift your neighbours and your perceived enemies into the light of truth, integrity, honesty and most importantly love. I trust you will make the right choice.

With all my love and respect for every one of you,
Claire H Perkins

It’s bad enough when people say the dreaded ‘should’ word to me, talk about a red rag to a bull. But it’s even worse when I find myself ‘shoulding’ all over myself as it were - and unintentionally. I should do this, I should do that, I should do (so and so) because…and then I find myself justifying why I ‘should’ do something and its normally to placate someone else!

How many times have I written and talked about ‘shoulding’ someone else? Damnit, talk about physician heal thyself. I advise enough people that the word should doesn’t give them or anyone else a choice (which leaves us feeling angry and powerless) and here I am doing it to myself! Grrrrr

(Time to have a conversation with myself) Let me paint an imaginary image….I’m laying on a couch and I’m also sitting behind on a chair taking notes on what I’m about to say. Pen poised over notepad, ready to analyse myself down to the core....."Ok Claire, now take a couple of deep breaths". Inhales, exhales, inhales, exhales. "Now, what is making you so angry?"

Ummm, the fact that I should know better : )