What form would your Boggart take?

If I asked you what form would your Boggart take, would you have an immediate answer?  (For the muggles out there, a boggart is an amortal shape-shifting non-being that takes on the form of the viewer's worst fear.) Do spiders terrify you as they do Ron, or are you more like Neville with one of your old school teachers still giving you the heebie-jeebies if you so much as think of them?

(**Insert mandatory pause to think about Snape, and mourn the loss of Alan Rickman… Always**)

​For me it’s the idea of public speaking. If there are more than a handful of people in a room I’m screwed. It doesn’t even have to be a long period of speaking - you know those occasions when you’re in a room and someone says “let’s just go around and briefly introduce ourselves”? Welcome to my nightmare...
 
Cue me spending the time before my turn trying to work out what to say; while feeling bad that my mind has completely switched off from listening to others, as I’ve gone into fight or flight mode.  Suddenly everyone is looking at me so I know it’s my turn. Usually I will blurt our something along the lines of “I’m Liz. I make cakes and trying to raise awareness of mental ill health, I guess I’m all about the cakes and crazy...” and then I’ll shrug. 
 
At this point I’ll get a few smiles - but I’m never sure if they are in sympathy for my clear discomfort, awkward grins for the fact I’ve used the word crazy, or relief fueled due to the fact I’m clearly not going to say anything else and they can move on.
 
One of the questions I’ve been encouraged to explore is “What’s the worst that can happen, really?”
 
Now, as someone who is hyper vigilant and encounters anxiety to sometimes crippling levels, this used to be the scariest question I could think of. Seriously, what’s the WORST thing that could happen, stick the kettle on as this is going to take a while...
 
Fortunately, I spent some time unpicking my beliefs and fears with the amazing Tracy Richardson.  Tracy is an absolute game changer, I cannot tell you how many times I would be sat in a room with her and suddenly everything would click into place. Pretty much every time I was with her I’d mutter at least once “Oh *@£%” as the sudden realisation of why I’d been doing certain things dawned on me.
 
One of the biggest things I have discovered through processing thoughts around what I have been scared of has been that in many ways I am like Harry. For me, one of the scariest things that I fear, is fear itself.

So, this realisation hasn’t made me stop fearing things, but it has made me more inquisitive about occasionally testing my fears and dipping my toe into the lake of “What’s the worst that can happen, really?”  It tends to be individual short bursts of bravery, like answering the phone (which spikes my anxiety SO much that I don’t think I’ve even spoken to my folks on the phone for years) but this Friday I am going for what I guess is more of a doggy paddle in that lake.

​At 7pm (GMT) I am so proud (and utterly terrified) that I am being interviewed by the amazing multi-faceted, multi award winning Rudy Caseres all the way from sunny LA for his show “No Restraints”.
 
Rudy has traveled The States working with organisations such as National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Mental Health America, Project Semicolon, and the American Association of Suicidology. Last year he was awarded Outstanding Peer of the Year by NAMI California and chosen by the Mighty as one of their Mental Health Heroes of 2017!

​​​I would LOVE it if you could join us.  For those in the UK grab a glass of vino (or a cuppa!) and some popcorn, and settle in for the evening with Rudy and me. 

​Simply head over to https://www.facebook.com/rudycaseres and you will be able to watch the interview, and experience the whole thing with me!

The main man - Rudy Caseres!!

Lastly, I’m fairly sure several Boggarts will be appearing between now and tomorrow evening, in attempt to scare me into giving in to my fear.  So, if you see or hear me at any point shouting “RIDDIKULUS” you will know why…
 
Have a fabulous day folks
 
Bu xx

​BuBakes is committed to reducing the stigma attached to Mental Health, and personally donates 25p for every order received to MIND.  This is kindly matched by three generous supporters, meaning a £1 donation is made per order.  

I am also training to walk 40 miles in 24 hours along the Cornish Coastlines to raise money for this amazing charity.  If you would like to find out more, or make a donation you can do so here. ​

I’d love to share more about Tracy Richardson, as I know from personal experience just how much she can help you to transform so many aspects of your life.  This tiny window of information is just the beginning, and you can find our more at positiveinmind

As an experienced therapist and coach who is currently joyfully immersed in studying for an MSc Applied Positive Psychology, Tracy has a firm belief that people are amazing! She feels strongly that people have an immense capacity for learning what makes them tick, and that they can use this knowledge in order to live a fulfilling and meaningful life. Tracy sees being part of this journey of discovery with her clients as a real privilege.
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Tracy is also one of the directors of Seahorse Education Partnerships, a not-for-profit positive education company dedicated to developing better mental health and wellbeing in schools. She and her colleagues have developed a mindfulness-based positive psychology programme for primary schools, Amazing Me, designed to give children the tools to understand themselves and to better negotiate life and any challenges they face. Amazing Me will be available from June 2018. For more information please contact tracy@seahorsed.com

The lovely Tracy!!