The Cost of Silence

I think it is a good time to reintroduce myself.

Hi, I’m Anna HeardinLondon.

Most of you are probably here because I made you giggle on the binfire that is now Twitter, or you enjoy seeing photographs of all of the brilliant humans I meet or perhaps you enjoy the Spam Filter For Your Brain Podcast. Maybe you’ve done some of my coaching courses and are always looking at the next one and thinking, “If only I had the time…” (spoiler, not being an arse to yourself saves you time).

But I thought I would let you know a little about me.

Why?

Well, this weekend, I shared this poem:

And within minutes, I was locked out of my Instagram and Threads accounts.

And I am furious.

Not at the loss of accounts but at the people who gatekeep the stories that are told.

I have spent a lot of the last decade working with underprivileged children, children at risk of gangs, survivors of human trafficking, poverty and other vulnerable situations.

I have worked in emergency zones to get aid, light and communication to people who have been cut off from the world.

I have walked into rooms with gangsters to negotiate other people’s liberty, rooms I was genuinely not sure I would leave.

I have worked with people on all sides of devastation to create joy.

I have built a workshop programme for Survivors of abuse based on the idea that we need to move beyond crisis thinking and elevate a sense of hope and compassion.

I am not the kind of person who chooses to remain silent. I aim to elevate other people’s voices.

And I also understand we are complicated beasts. And I also understand sometimes things are devastatingly simple.

Do I have Jewish friends who are feeling current and historical agony? Absolutely.

Do I have Palestinian friends who are feeling current and historical agony? Absolutely.

Do I believe reaching out to my Jewish friends condones Israeli military decisions? Absolutely not.

Do I believe reaching out to my Palestinian friends condones Hamas military decisions? Absolutely not.

These things are not contradictory.

Sometimes, things can feel so complicated we are worried about saying the wrong thing.

And sometimes, when you strip them back to basics, it is easy to cut through the noise.

I do not wish for a single civilian to be harmed.

I do not wish for a single child to have to know war.

I do not wish for a single parent to have to mourn the loss of their children.

I wish for everyone to feel safe enough with themselves and with those around them that they have a place which feels like home.

And I make mistakes.

And I am fallible.

And sometimes I am indelicate with my words and clumsy with my humour.

And I have learnt enough about myself to know that I am willing to try to get things right, and that is going to mean sometimes I am going to get things wrong.

Today, it feels like I should peel back a few layers and say this is what I stand for, and if you’re in a place where this aligns, I am glad you are here, and I hope the resources serve you. And if this does not align with you, I wish you all the best for your path, too. I don’t claim to have things right.

Here is what I have for the folk with the big hearts that are breaking every day:

How to Stop Feeling Exhausted The Whole Time begins this week. This is a perfect place to gather for folk who feel like their heart is being pulled in all directions and they are not sure how much they have left. You have lessons to listen to and workbooks to apply things to your own life and group calls to be able to learn from others and get live coaching should you wish to. There are bursary spaces available, so money is not an obstacle for anyone who needs a space. No one is turned away for financial reasons.

I have a page of free resources and workbooks over at www.SelfCareSchool.co.uk

My podcast is short, bitesize ponderings on how you can resource yourself for the modern world and not get overwhelmed.

If there is any more support I can be, whether it is a one-to-one session or you’d like pointing in the direction of more support, please drop me an message - through this site or on social media.

I promise I read every single one.