“Oh you are the woman with the blow up doll?” This was the greeting from a lovely lady as I stood at the door of Kruger Hall meeting people prior to my talk. I thought perhaps I had come to the wrong place and apologised that I was sorry that there would be no blow up doll.

All was revealed when I found out that at the following meeting these lovely women were to have a mouth to mouth resuscitation session with a blow up doll. It made for a lively introduction to the two hour special time I spent with more than forty inspirational women. What I thought was to be a forty minute talk stretched out to two hours at their request and we all had a ball.

It is moments such as these that affirm my reason for being. I am realising more and more that the book is my business card but the product is actually me. This has become a new reality for me and I am enjoying being my own product! One of the big advantages of age and wisdom allows me to authentically bring something of real value to those who are eager to hear it.

There was a time when I carefully prepared my talks with the right power point slides. They weren’t quite as carefully orchestrated as some I have seen when you know exactly when that person is going to turn and throw a lolly or do something dramatic. Yet they were often structured to fit in all of the points I felt needed to be highlighted.

Since losing me lovely husband, such structure is no longer part of what I share with my audience. I no longer prepare a talk but carefully prepare myself beforehand, tuning into a power greater than myself and trusting that I will be able to say what needs to be said to a particular audience. Every talk is different now and the response has been very positive.

Many years ago I had a vivid dream of seeing myself arrive at a large auditorium and being assisted onto the stage to speak to a crowded house. I was wearing something pink and long…not really my style, but that dream has recurred over and over many times and it will become a reality.

A big lesson has to be learnt by those of us who put ourselves out there. Not everybody is going to like what we do. In fact there is something wrong if they do. Everybody is entitled to their opinion and sometimes we can unintentionally hit a red spot that may trigger off an unwanted emotion. This used to disturb me once, but now I have absolute confirmation that I will reach the people I am meant to reach and what a marvellous opportunity that is.

So although there will be no blow up dolls in my presentations, there are often other surprises – even for me!