Happy New Year, may 2018 be full of good health, happiness, prosperity and love. For this Latest News, Positive Parties Founder, Denise Devlin, shares some truths about last year and truths about how sometimes hibernation and reflection are the most positive actions of all.

It’s time to tell the truth. The truth of how I have been feeling this past year. The truth of how I have retreated from social media and networking and taken time to really connect in again to that Divine part of me that I feel I’d forgotten along the way. It has been both amazing and terrifying, amazing on a personal development level and for my spiritual growth, yet terrifying for my ego! Who is Denise Devlin and why am I feeling like this? What happened that driven, ambitious woman who was so so passionate about growing her business and why did her energy and passion for Positive Parties slow down?

Well the answer was evident, The Universe wanted to slow me right down and that began this time last year when I was feeling ‘not my usual bubbly self.’ I had no energy and I was so exhausted I felt like a zombie some days. I also had very low mood, which is not ideal when you are the Founder of Positive Parties! Plus the brain fog was bad! I was so forgetful and couldn’t even remember words at times. Again not good when you are in the middle of presenting a PP workshop! So, thanks to some special friends who encouraged me, I did eventually go to my GP (my ego kept me from going for a while as I thought I knew all the strategies there are to know about being and keeping positive). To cut a long story short, there was a reason, as we discovered I had Hypothyroidism, underactive thyroid, which explained a lot. Thankfully the thyroid medication has helped balance it, so that’s good news and by mid Feb my energy was back and my positive vibes had returned. 

In the meantime, and with my usual enthusiasm, I was delivering Positive Parties to schools, public sector, organisations, communities but I had NO desire whatsoever to post about where I was or what I was doing on social media. Bazaar I know, since I was so ‘full on’ on the social media platform for years but to be quite honest I feel I just sickened myself of it and when I wasn’t feeling it, well it was the last thing I wanted to do. I used to actually feel sick if I went on FaceBook or any social media, so I just didn’t. Also, when I took photos on my camera at PP workshops, meaning to come back and post them online, I’d know in the pit of my stomach that I wasn’t meant to.

Another reason, and I have no doubt that on a higher consciousnesses this was part of the overall plan, for my hibernation and silence is that on the 1st March I started writing a book which I completed on the 29th June. Yet again, I was not meant to be my former busy busy self while doing this. The book was hand written and I then shelved it over the summer. It was after my CPD training trip to Denver in September, which I thought was going to be about Positive Parties but ended up being about the book, I came home and typed it up. It is presently being proof read and will be making it ways to Balboa Press for publishing very soon. Watch this space! 

Many people can be busy with their careers and business and write a book, but I was clearly guided to focus on just this task of the book. I knew it was part of my path and my surrendering to this fact made the process enjoyable. There were days though when I would feel so guilty for not doing all the sales, marketing and networking of old, yet there was a complete sense of peace too, with a deep knowing that all would fall into place in time and that I just had to trust the process.

Elizabeth Lesser’s book ‘Broken Open’ was a God send read, which I would recommend to anyone. She talks about transition and that’s what this has been for me. Yet through it all I have always had hope, trust and faith knowing that I am being guided by The Universe/Source/Spirit/God. ‘The Intuitive Experiment’ as I have called it, has given me so many signs to guide me. I’ll not go into them here but friends who have heard the stories know only too well that…… ‘You couldn’t make it up!’

So, to top it all, last Thursday I was sitting in my office reading a great book by Kathrin Wyss, a lovely new friend I made in Denver, called ‘Dare To Trust,’ and the phone rang. It was a researcher from Thames TV, she said she saw Positive Parties on the Entertainment Ideas website and said the team would like to come and talk to me as they thought it was a great concept. I asked what programme they were from and she said Britain’s Got Talent. Of course I thought it was a joke but the researcher said she really wanted something different. I told her I was going on a training workshop at the weekend so I would not be around. I told her to look on the video on the PP website and if she still felt it was suitable to call me back. I went back to reading my book! Ten minutes later she called back and said yes, they wanted to see me and could I come to Belfast the next day. Mum had arranged to meet my mother-in-law for lunch anyway, so it seemed like it was meant to be. So instead of mum taking the bus to Belfast as planned, her and I off drove there for my Britain’s Got Talent audition! Random or what! 

When I arrived there was a long queue, but the team were expecting me so I got taken up to the front of it! I really felt as if it wouldn’t work, doing a Positive Parties taster in just 5 -10 mins, but once I got in front of the camera, it was as if a light switch went on in me again! I lit up. I was so excited telling them about Positive Parties ‘Training With A Difference’ about how the idea was born through Divine Intervention, and how companies, schools and communities love this fun and interactive way of learning new tools, techniques and strategies. My audition was such fun, the Thames TV team really enjoyed it and the camera man was laughing so much too. Next steps are, they bring their recommendations and the filmed audition back to London for the management production team to view and if they like it, well I’ll hear back by Feb 2018.

Now, to be honest, I have my feet firmly planted on the ground and know that nothing may come of this. As 12 year old Orla said “Mummy, not meaning to be cheeky here, but Positive Parties isn’t a talent!”lol! It does seem crazy but the team did say they are always looking for new things. I told the researcher I wouldn’t go on as the silly act though, as this is my business and that the teachings behind the interactive activities are serious, even though they are delivered in a fun ‘party style’ environment!

For me, being called twice and asked to meet the team and audition, really made me look at all I have achieved and really believe again that not only has Britain Got Talent, but that I’ve Got Talent, through the Divine guidance that give me this light bulb moment and then the passion to bring this wacky idea of the PP concept to fruition. I just have to look over the evaluation sheets of all the hundreds of Positive Parties and thousands of people, I have delivered to over the past seven years to know that this ‘Training With A Difference’ has made a difference in so many sectors.

I feel, me taking a step back was probably triggered by the loss of my dearest school friend and soul sister Fi in May 2016. Fi was always a seeker and thrived in doing inner work. I took 4 months off social media then too. Then in the Sept I came back all Gung-ho, posting about my 50th B’day party, our new chickens, doing FB lives, and basically being ‘full on’ all from my head. When I started to feel low ‘energy wise’ and ‘very flat’ in the November 2016 this lead to finally giving in to it all and Breaking Open! By Breaking Open we get to go deeper, reflect, and come back to who we really are. Now, I know I lost myself along the way, rushing here there and everywhere because that’s what we are told you are meant to do when growing a business. My head was saying Go Go Go, however my heart and soul needed me to Stop Stop Stop!

So why now, why am I writing this long post, full of truths and vulnerability? Well as the quote says ‘It’s ok to be sacred. Being scared means you are about to do something really really brave.’ And for me having the courage to step back and totally listen to my intuition, that was scary. And when the book comes out, to launch it, that will take more courage too.

So, I am out of hibernation and I am going to step back onto the social media platform again, but not in the same way as before. Looking back, I feel I was so focused on building relationships online to grow my business I forgot about my relationship with myself and my light within. I know my husband Neil and our daughters (12 & 14) can see and feel the difference too. I am more present at home now and it took this journey for it to be so, for that I am forever thankful.

If you have read this article, thank you for taking time to do so and I look forward to connecting with you again, this time not from my head, only my HEART.

Much Love and light

Denise xoxo

It’s been 4 months since we posted Latest News but during that time we have been delivering more Positive Parties @Work and Positive Parties @School, and as always receiving lots of fantastic feedback.

We did take ‘time out’ during the summer to rest and rejuvenate plus Positive Parties Founder Denise Devlin, has been researching new ways of making Positives Parties ‘Training With A Difference’ have an even bigger impact on participants who, after the training are inspired to continue their journey of self-awareness.

A recent book Denise studied is Elizabeth Lessor’s ‘Broken Open’, which is an excellent resource form those who are going through a hard time and feel as if they won’t get out the other side. Elizabeth tells of her own journey during her divorce and gives examples of others poignant stories.

Positive Parties does give great techniques of how positivity helps in life, but there are times we, as they say,  ‘can’t see the wood form the tress’ and just have to be in that place and feel the feelings until we come out the other side. This is what Elizabeth describes as the Phoenix Process and this is how we grow. Personal development and growth is crucial on our journey through life and resources such as ‘Broken Open’ can help those in a ‘not so good’ place, thus assuring them they are not alone and that there are tools available.

As always we like to share the fabulous feedback we receive after our Positive Parties workshops. After delivering to a St Patrick’s College, Dungiven, recently, a 4 hour session as part of a staff development day with the focus on team building and positive mental health, 28 out of 30 staff said they would recommend Positive Parties ‘Training With A Difference’ to colleagues, family and friends. Some feedback as follows! :

“It was a great experience, very interactive and kept which kept you focused throughout. I learnt to be a positive role model and how my attitude can affect others. Super training exercise. Would recommend it.”

“I liked that it was something different and fun.  Learnt that I can shift my mind-set and become more positive.”

“The interaction helped to relax and involve everyone. I learned to concentrate more on my positive thoughts. This type of training makes you get involved and the more involved you are, the more you get out of it.”

“I liked getting up and being involved in activities. I learnt to be more aware of myself and be more positive.”

“I loved the cheerful atmosphere and learned not to be so hard on myself. It was excellent, very positive and helpful. Thank you.”

“It was good fun learning about positive mental attitude and strategies to develop this. Thank you, a very enjoyable experience.”

“Thank you Denise, your enthusiasm makes these workshops entertaining and fun.”

“I enjoyed learning new techniques to try to become a more positive person and have less negativity in my life. I found this training very interesting and hope to learn more.”

“I loved Denise’s infectious energy and positivity. I learned new techniques for better positive mental attitude.”

“I really liked that there were NO PowerPoints. Denise was very pleasant and easy to listen to.”

“This was such fun. I leaned lots about NLP, we need this type of training more often!”

If you are interested in booking our Training With A Difference OR joining the Positive Parties company to deliver the workshops and programmes in your area, please contact Denise on PPHQ – 0044 28 71517320  Mobile – 0044 7790693130 Email – denise@positiveparties.com