I got the call on a Tuesday. In fact I got a number of calls that day, but since I was busy show-casing reflexology at a network event I missed all of them!
It was much later that I listened back to the messages from at least three different numbers all saying one thing 'Caroline, Nationwide are looking for an author who has written about anxiety, ring this number urgently!!!'
I had no pen and in a tizzy, I picked one of the missed numbers randomly and thankfully it was the right one. I was speaking to RTE journalist Helen McInerney. Straight away I detected her warm personality and her enthusiasm for my work.
Helen had already paid a visit to my website, thanks to a tip off from Carlow Mental Health Association. Seeing that, along with being an author of a book about anxiety, I also had accomplished work as a painting artist, travel writer and reflexology therapist, Helen was keen to get my story on national screens. We filmed three days later on a Friday!
How did an anxious village girl leave a secure teaching job to follow her creative dream and end up travelling to faraway lands in the process?
You can watch replay of that Nationwide episode by clicking the image.
Filming with Helen and her crew was fun, especially as it was not just me who got the opportunity to shine, but my friends at Carlow Library (who have been very supportive of my creative development) and the Visual Gallery in Carlow who display my books in their bookshop. My parents were proud to be seen in their beautiful garden and my mother especially thrilled to have her feet on show for the reflexology piece.
'Seven C's to Calm - reclaiming your anxiety-free self' - that's the book that attracted the attention of this Irish National TV Channel. Thanks to the editor and team at RTE for choosing my story and especially to Helen McInerney for making sure all of my acheivements were on show.
I thought you might like take a peek behind the scenes of how it was all made:
Transforming your life is possible at any age, my own journey is a testimony to that. I believe authenticity and wellness are intrinsic to success in all areas of life. It takes courage and passion and they are within you, waiting to for the spark to set them alive. When you read my posts I hope you will get sense of my capacity to help you to succeed with your dreams and goals. Check out my books, online courses and personal wellness programmes designed to guide you towards the most powerful authentic version of yourself. Learn more about my journey here.
Sometimes when I tell people about my experience of burn or I relate someone else's story, I notice some listeners' discomfort and desire to distance themselves from the topic. Their comments suggest 'how could someone let that happen' or 'this couldn't happen to me'. And yet, people continue to fall into this trap of burn […]
In Seven C’s to Calm – Reclaiming your Anxiety-Free Self, I share the strategies that helped me to restore calm and to begin to live a more fulfilling life. My book is purposefully written to avoid over-whelm. There are supportive suggestions and a work-book is included to make the exercises easy to use.