About Me

NUALA

DAUGHTER, SISTER, MOTHER, FRIEND, LOVER, PARTNER, AUNT, FRIEND, COUSIN, COACH, EMPLOYER, EMPLOYEE, COLLEAGUE, SEEKER, STUDENT, AND DEVOTEE OF AUTHENTIC, SOMETIMES MESSY, CONVERSATIONS.

BUT JUST CALL ME NANA,

There’s not very much I’m certain about other than there’s nothing more important than love, that life can be challenging and very messy, that human beings grow when they engage in deep and challenging conversations with themselves and those who share their spaces and that being a grandparent is one of the universe’s ultimate gifts.

Like most human who’ve hung around long enough I’ve faced more than a few challenges, cried a river of tears and wasted time and energy on people and bullshit. I’ve experienced deep love, moments of great passion and happy and joy filled times a plenty.

I’ve learned some stuff and worked on myself more than a little. Indeed sometimes it feels as though my life is a permanent building site. There’s always something being constructed, demolished or improved.

That said, I do feel that there are times when I operate from a place of wisdom and I’m pleased that it’s quite a while since I’ve behaved like a complete ass.

I’m a better Nana than I was a Mum. I’m definitely much more consistent as a Nana. I don’t particularly like having to say that but with the benefit of hindsight and perspective, I can accept and forgive my younger, harried, well intentioned self. I think I probably had moments when I was an amazing mum but there was also more than a few where I’d grab at the chance to have a do-over.

I know through my work on myself and my work coaching others that when we know better, we can do better. I don’t believe that we learn from experience, but rather from reflecting on experience. And I know we can develop emotional intelligence which can look a lot like common sense or maturity which by the way doesn’t come automatically as we age.

I grew up in a large, boisterous and loving family and to the largest degree have always felt loved. But like many families we weren’t always comfortable having the messy conversations that humans benefit and learn from when faced with some of the big life altering challenges that came our way.

I’ve pretty much devoted my life to learning how to have those conversations and to making sure that my kids and grandkids understand and experience the transformative power that real dialogue can have. I also want to help them learn that it all begins with the conversations they are having with themselves.

If this site ends up as nothing more than a reference and reminder for the grandkids, it will still be worthwhile.

In the meantime, let’s start some dialogue.

“Greek: “dia-logos” — to see through to meaning”

“Dialogue – Through understanding”