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<\/p>\nIf you have read my book \u2018A Rosie Life In Italy\u2019 you may remember that back in 2013, I was living in the cheapest house in Ireland with a colander for a roof, rats scrabbling above my bedroom ceiling, and not enough money to pay for my kids\u2019 school bus fare. Life was, to put it bluntly, a bit of a shit show.<\/p>\n
I was 40 years old, and the previous ten years had felt like a relentless game of emotional Whac-A-Mole; Miscarriages. Losing my big sister. My partner battling and then rehabbing from chronic alcoholism. The collapse of my business and income. Our dream of moving to Spain\u2014gone. Every time I thought things might turn a corner, life threw another curveball, and I was exhausted. The chaos in my life was attracting more chaos.<\/p>\n
I needed something to shift the trajectory of my life. I wanted to step away from the chaos. I wanted an instruction manual, a step-by-step guide to get out of the rut, to stop spinning in the same downward cycle. But I couldn\u2019t find one.<\/p>\n
So, I decided I would create my own.<\/p>\n
I knew I wanted to follow my dreams and live life to the full. More importantly, I wanted other women who were feeling the same\u2014trapped, stuck, waiting\u2014to rise with me and grab life by the goolies. Because let\u2019s be honest, we know by now there is no knight in shining armour coming to rescue us. If we want to shake things up, we have to do it ourselves.<\/p>\n
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I knew how to build a website, so I started Life Is Short Magazine. It was an online magazine filled with interviews of inspirational women who had followed their dreams, despite life\u2019s challenges. I wanted their stories to give me and others hope and inspiration and to be proof that it was possible to change course, no matter what life had thrown at you.<\/p>\n
I wanted to develop a community of women so we could encourage and learn from each other so alongside it I launched\u2014Grab It By the Goolies Academy\u2014an online space to encourage people to take tangible steps toward their dreams. And, because I don\u2019t do things in halves and I believe in the power of a good book, I decided to write a non-fiction book to kick off the academy and website, called; How To Have A Fabulous Midlife Crisis: A User’s Guide to Dusting Off Your Dreams and Making Them Happen.<\/a><\/p>\n Then something I always wanted to happen happened.<\/p>\n Are you following me on Substack??? NO? You are missing so much! It is where I blog now. To start you can read the rest of this post over there and if you are not already on my newsletter list you can subscribe for free:<\/p>\n