This time next week, my book is published, a year after I started writing it. Driven and inspired to support and help other mums after I finally knew that my baby was going to survive meningitis. I acknowledged that other people’s children would not, in-fact some would not leave the children’s ward that I was carrying my recovering boy away from.

As I healed from my challenges as a new mum, I revisited the resources and exercises that I had learnt and taught over the years in my corporate career. Mindset tools, programmes and exercises that benefitted me and other leaders to cope with the challenges and stresses of leadership. I searched for a way to translate corporate development tools into step by step programmes for real mums. Mums who are not afraid to say they find it hard sometimes and are willing to look for help to move forwards.

Life hands us many challenges; amazing and exciting, scary and daunting, overwhelming and extraordinary. From the outside others may see them as insurmountable, from the inside we all find a place within ourselves where we get through.

In the last year I have met many; brave, strong, sad, depressed, positive, courageous mums, each living and facing their own excitements and challenges as best they can and aiming to find a way forward for both them and their loved ones.

One thing we all share is the moments of doubt, the feelings of overwhelm, of being so far outside of our comfort zone that just one more step seems too much. The responsibility of having tiny human beings lives that depend on our ability to ‘get it right’ can be beyond daunting…

And yet, because we are mums and our children look to us for leadership; we do get up and take the next step, even if it is tiny. We pick up our lives, hold onto our children and start again. The drive of living the values we believe in, creating love and happiness for the people we love motivates and strengthens us when everything seems too much.

I appreciate all the words of admiration for writing the book, I am proud of my achievement and I do hope my book brings solace, support and a sense of purpose and direction to many mums. What I am most proud of is being a mum at a time when mums are starting to share their fears, say when they are overwhelmed and look after themselves, knowing that their strength is what allows their children to grow up to be brave and strong and to have the best chance of happiness.

I am also incredibly grateful that so many of you have shared your experiences with me, to allow me to make the exercises and work come alive and share your learning with many other mums.

So next week I will celebrate the publication of Love You Mum; but in the name of every mum who helped make it happen. And especially for all of those mums I have met who have faced the worst of times and are back up and moving forwards for themselves and their loved ones. You are the amazing ones; you are my inspiration, you and every mum who keeps going with love and hope. Keep taking those steps, one at a time. With my love Gill x