Hazel Roberts - Whats Inside Matters

Whats
Inside
Matters

Hazel Roberts

www.hazelroberts.co.uk

Copyright Hazel Roberts, 2019

Cover design by Jane Dixon Smith, J.D Smith Design, 2019

Hazel Roberts has asserted her rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical or photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

Contents

Introduction

Have you ever felt insecure about yourself or the society you live in today?

This book highlights just how precious and important we all are as individuals, demonstrating in simple terms why we need to consider the inside of a person, rather than automatically judging them by their physical appearance.

My mission is to help other people. Being able to write about specific subjects that are close to my heart is a privilege and lifetime goal of mine. I am passionate about trying to make the world a better place.

Within the following chapters, you can expect to find lots of useful information about self-help, mindfulness, well-being, personal growth, family values, society in general, mental health, body positivity, happiness and confidence.

My book is primarily aimed at women, but I genuinely hope that males of any age will find it helpful, interesting and informative.

The fact that Im just a regular, everyday person with no celebrity status will, I hope, help you trust me. Im not trying to sell you anything, least of all myself. I was born and grew up in Manchester and lived there until I was 31. I am now aged 55 and live in North Wales with my family.

I am a mother, wife, step-mum, daughter, sister, auntie, step-grandma, parent to my parents (both aged 91) and, last but by no means least, a business woman. During my lifetime I have interacted with thousands of people and I mean thousands, mainly through working and travelling.

Compiling this book, which is ultimately aimed at informing and helping other people, has actually and unintentionally helped me on a personal level, too. It has fundamentally changed my life. During the process I was able to face up to my very own deep-rooted inner demons and acknowledge the fact that they do actually exist. In a funny way, this has been part of my healing process, allowing me to let go.

Throughout my writing journey the world has definitely changed, and I have regularly questioned where we are all heading. Ive deeply pondered whether I, or indeed anyone, can make a real difference to society. As well as thinking about the world, I have wondered what made me think and feel the way that I do now.

I am not afraid to speak out, but I would never, ever choose to offend or hurt anybody. I am simply expressing my own opinions, and freedom of speech is very important for us all.

No two people view the world in precisely the same way; even people from within the same family have a slightly different opinion or take on life. Just being you does make a difference in this world, and to that end, no one can replicate you; nor can they do exactly what you do.

At a glance, human beings appear to look similar to one another; however, as individuals we are entirely different all with unique souls. Within each of us is a distinct concoction of coded information, biochemicals, specific genes, DNA, personality traits, thoughts, feelings and emotions.

It is obvious that the worlds population has deeply held differences, and that may never change. People are born into such very varied circumstances, but despite this we can still have mutual respect and understanding towards one another. We all have a place in this life, along with every single blade of grass, grain of sand, pebble on the beach, and every plant, animal and tree.

Although I now understand just how precious we all are, during my lifetime I have faced many personal struggles, including whether I do fit in. I am now at the stage where I feel prepared to share some of them with you, in the hope that many of the things Ive learned may be useful to you.

I will talk you through a few of my own observations and prove to you that it is possible to get through real personal challenges, showing you how I have ended up in a much better place.

Whilst writing this book, (which has taken me several years), I have struggled with anxiety and self-doubt. I admit that for most of the time I have had a fuzzy head. I am not sure whether that is down to the fact that I have so much stress in my life juggling work and family, being a part time carer for my elderly parents, running a business, the menopause, being a mother and a step-mum or to memory loss due to my hormones or drinking so much red wine (or all of the above mixed together).

In the past I have drunk wine as a coping mechanism, simply in order to escape, relax, switch off and forget about my daily struggles. Putting my own advice into action has reduced my wine intake, thankfully.

It has been so hard to set time aside, to stop, sit down and put pen to paper amongst so much going on! At times I have felt like running away, but instead I have wrestled with my emotions and innermost thoughts, locked myself away in a quiet place in order to write, or even driven to the top of a nearby mountain to get some peace and quiet. I have gathered together all my observations and scribbled down my theories.

Nowadays my memory is failing me its a bit like a sieve, and because I have been constantly tired, it has not been easy to retain information. Sometimes just constructing chapters was challenging.

Thoughts constantly popped up in the back of my mind, and I was conscious of the fact that I ought to be doing many other things instead. I constantly felt guilty, but I just needed to write. Something deep down kept telling me to carry on. It is so important to listen to that voice inside your head, that gut instinct, which is a crucial, priceless and magical thing. If we choose to completely ignore it, we may seriously limit achieving our goals.

People dont have time to listen, so as a consequence of this I long to share some of my wisdom within the pages of this book. I hope to make some improvements to other peoples lives. I write based on who I am and what I have learnt, its a piece of work that represents me.

Luckily, my inner motivation, self-belief and drive have enabled me to keep going. Yes, they have all taken a beating along the way, but they have come out the other side. You can do this too.

Whilst reading this book you will discover a powerful message throughout: what is inside your heart and head really does matter, and well discover why.

Grasping what is important in life is a gift, a key factor in finding happiness. It also enables you to understand more about who you really are and what you might want from life.

Society appears to be gripped by materialism and does not really care enough about what is real anymore. Social media in particular, and the sheer power it has over us, is a good example. Although it has many good points and I use it every day, sometimes it can be difficult to know the difference between someone real and someone fake.

People tend to hide behind a fake profile, possibly too scared to reveal their true colours. This may be out of fear of rejection, or maybe they are petrified of being judged. I find this awfully sad and distressing.

I hope to strengthen and develop your perception of your own self-worth. I dont want you to suffer feeling uncomfortable, confused or brainwashed, and not knowing who to believe in or trust.