Posted: by Jo Tuesday, 31 March 2020 @ 03:49
In this month’s My Best Self story, we are celebrating our great friend and collaborator, Holly Matthews, whose down-to-earth positivity is just what we need right now.
Our My Best Self series is about understanding how we can all step up to be our best selves in life, as we all have a choice over how we act and react to what life throws at us. Holly has been through a very tough time in her life, and I wanted to understand more about how she steps up to be her best self, to keep positive for herself and her girls.
We had hoped to do this as a short video story, but we have had to postpone this, during current social distancing rules.
So, let me tell you a little about Holly instead. A TV actress, award-winning vlogger, business and mindset coach, speaker, Founder of ‘The Happy Me’ Project, Holly is also Mum to two young girls.
She started acting at 11 years old, in award-winning Byker Grove, then went on to play roles in Waterloo Road, Casualty, Doctors and The Bill. She now creates amazing content as a vlogger: a finalist in the Mumsnet Vlogger awards, Holly works with Channel Mum, creating brilliant mum-based video content each month for her YouTube channel.
Very sadly, Holly’s husband, Ross, passed away from a brain tumour nearly two years ago, leaving Holly as a young widow with two young girls. If anyone can help us get through these challenging times, it is Holly.
Last year, we worked with Holly on two necklace collaborations, using two mantras that she uses to remind herself how strong she is. Holly finds mantras work well to change her mindset, in the moment.
One of the mantras Holly says to herself is, ‘Life cannot break me, for I know how strong I am’.
It is a rallying call to her inner strength and resilience. Holly believes we all have an inner core of steel that we didn’t know was there until we needed it. She has needed that strength over and over for these past two years - and right now would be a good time for all of us to find that strength.
The other phrase that Holly uses to encourage herself is, ‘Diamonds are made under pressure’.
This is a powerful reminder that some of the most beautiful, valuable and rare things on earth are created by pressure. Carbon transforming into diamond, over thousands of years of huge pressure, serves as a metaphor that pressure and stress can sometimes be transformative not destructive.
It is difficult in the moment to see any positives from the darkest and hardest days of our lives. But hold onto the diamond example, because one day, we might be able to see things differently.
When we met Holly in 2018, she chose one of our myMantra necklaces - the Ornate Lotus - and had it engraved with the mantra that she and Ross used, when he was diagnosed. This was, ‘Whatever it takes’.
When Ross was poorly, this was their promise to each other, and their commitment in times of difficulty - they would stay strong and face things together - and do whatever it takes to move forwards.
Mantras and positive phrases are a key part of Holly’s life, as they act as a reminder, an instruction and a motivator when you need them most. In these difficult times we are in, perhaps we can also find strength and comfort in Holly’s mantras, to help us step up and be our bravest and best selves.
This month, we are also giving 15% off our Ornate Lotus necklace as our Mantra of the Month, and you can have your own positive mantra engraved on the back.
