Lisa G Saw • September 17, 2022

Worthing Beach

It’s hard to know when summer is over and autumn has begun when you have a glorious warm sunny day in September. There may have been fewer people on the beach compared to the height of summer, but some were braving the water, having a swim. Three paddleboarders drifted by close to the shore and further out, two groups of small single sail boats were gliding across the relatively calm water. It looked so inviting as it glistened like diamonds in the sun.

On the beach, a lone gull was standing on the last wooden post of the groyne, like a sentry keeping a watchful eye out for intruders. A wide band of brown seaweed stretched along the high tide line from earlier in the day. Thankfully, it was downwind from me, so its strong salty smell didn't pass under my nose! A single white feather was sticking out of one clump, its origins unknown – it could have been from miles away. Closer to where I was sitting, near my feet, a small spider suddenly appeared, crawling amongst the pebbles, then disappeared from sight just as quickly.

I turned my face towards the sun and closed my eyes for more than a few minutes, enjoying the warmth of its rays. Ever since I discovered it’s good for your eyes, I’ve tried to bathe my closed lids in the sun whenever I can. It felt good to relax them and not observe anything for a while, other than the orange marble effect I could see with my eyes shut. Being out in nature, away from the computer, the TV screen, books, or any other device that adds strain to the eyes, was a welcome relief. Life slows down in these wonderful precious moments.

When I opened my eyes to the world again I noticed a Small White butterfly head towards the water, but quickly it changed direction - there was nothing to entice it further. Instead, it flitted past me towards some Sea Kale nearby, reminding me why they’re sometimes referred to as Cabbage Whites. I got up and wandered over to photograph it with my phone. I noticed its dark grey wing tips and how this extends further along the horizontal edge than the vertical one, reconfirming to me it was definitely a Small White, not a large one. It looked as though it was freshly emerged with beautiful pristine brilliant white wings. Periodically, it rested in the big curled leaves before moving on to another. I was thrilled to capture a moment when it was in flight.

From there, I walked down to the water’s edge where the pebbles thinned out and I could see the sand – wet and compact. The tide was on its way in, but since there was a low on-shore breeze, it was fairly gentle. I stood there really focusing my attention on the calm sound of the water. It soothes the soul. It slows everything down. It can’t be rushed. Everything in its own time. There was a low gentle sounding whoosh as the tide swept up the beach, followed by an ever so slight pause, and a split second of silence, before it receded again. But when the water was pulled back out to sea, draining down the beach, it was a higher pitched sound as it glided over the pebbles, rolling a few along with it. The sound was like rice being poured into a pan.

The highs and lows of the tide are like the ups and downs of life. It’s certainly been a turbulent year for me, which is why the mindfulness moments have been so beneficial, not least because I’m now writing again. Like a long-lost friend, I’ve been reunited with something that brings me great joy. Now, I finally feel like I’m on the up-curve, and it’s time to move forward. Whilst I don’t fully feel like ‘myself’ yet, I trust and hope things will work out in the end. I’m trying to stay positive and ignore the negative chatter in my head. There’s so much to be excited about – new possibilities for the future. I’ll focus my attention on those as I try to go with the flow and hold on to the calm I feel when I’m listening to the sound of the tide.

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Books and Courses

By Lisa G Saw • March 11, 2026

THE FIRST SET OF BOOKS AND COURSES THAT HAVE HELPED ME ON MY JOURNEY I began this blog series, Living My The Best Life Possible , back in 2022 after a series of events, and a couple of chronic injuries, quite literally stopped me in my tracks. Having followed conventional approaches to try and turn things around, but to no avail, I felt compelled to seek out help from alternative approaches. I opened my mind to the possibility they could help me, taking a more holistic approach to my healing. Along my journey, I've done some serious soul searching, dug deep to uncover suppressed and hidden trauma, and held a mirror up to myself, realising there were things I needed to let go of and much I needed to change. It's been uncomfortable at times and emotional, but completely worthwhile, as I've worked through things and persevered. Awareness was key . From that I had the power to change my thought patterns and my view of the world. I know all my relationships are better for it, including the one I have with myself, and I wouldn't be where I am today without what I've learned. I've discovered there are many different ways to heal and I've been amazed by what I've learned. It's been surprising, uplifting and most of all, empowering. Along this journey I've been led from one book to another, then another, and on it goes. Sometimes the books have been recommended to me by family, friends or health practitioners, other times they've merely been mentioned in passing or in another book, and I've felt as though it was something that could help me further my knowledge and understanding. In many ways, they were like signs guiding me along at just the right moment when I needed them. My curiosity to learn more has led to a voracious appetite to read, which I've never experienced before. I love it! I feel like I'm on a fast train to somewhere, but the landscape out of the window isn't a blur as I whizz by, metaphorically speaking, but a glorious view of the world around me, simply seen from a new perspective. There is still much I wish to share in this blog series about my experience, in the hope it helps others and not just myself. But, it will take time to write it all whilst I'm still working. So, in the meantime, I decided to share some of the most significant books that have helped me along the way. It isn't the full list, by any means. For now, I'm only including a brief summary and snapshot of the significance to me, but hopefully this will be interesting and/or useful. Perhaps one of them will grab your attention and be something you might wish to read to help you on your own unique journey. I will continue to add to this list gradually, and new entries will appear at the bottom of the post, so scroll down if you're returning to this post and go directly to where you left off. You can also see a list of all the books that will eventually be mentioned in this post by clicking on the button below.

February 26

By Lisa G Saw • March 10, 2026

WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHTS Bob and I have visited West Rise Marsh a few times this month to look for Jack Snipe, but sadly without much success. We did see one, we think, on one visit, but it flew off before we set eyes on it. It's much the same with the Common Snipe, which as their name suggests, we see more of, but they're super skittish and fly off well before we're even close to where they're hiding, around the boggy wet marshes. With so many wet, windy and dull days, plus the fact I still have to go to work, I was starting to wonder if my February Highlights would be virtually non existent, so I was content with photographing and observing a Heron, standing in the water. They can stand motionless for ages, and move very slowly, stealth-like through the water to new areas. Unfortunately, I was just moving into a new position, when it actually caught a fish. I missed capturing that moment when its head quickly and unexpectedly darted downwards and snatched its prey from the water. But, you can see the Heron in mid-gulp (first photo).

January 26

By Lisa G Saw • February 7, 2026

WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHTS January can be a difficult month for many people. I don't usually suffer from the January Blues, but I did notice this year I felt a certain flatness. I think it was largely because there were days when Bob and I would go out for a walk and hardly see anything at all. Well, that is, anything out of the ordinary. There's no doubting it - I get a real lift when nature reveals its beauty to me in its many wonderful and surprising ways. But, it's been a good reminder that even the simple things can give great pleasure if we take the time to appreciate them. Sometimes, it's worth looking with more careful eyes and appreciating even the ordinary. The year actually was off to a great start, when the snow fell early on in the month. I love the snow! I'll leap at any opportunity I have to walk in it! Living close to the coast meant we didn't have any on our doorstep, but Ashdown Forest had a good covering and it wasn't too far away to visit. Even the car park looked lovely, with the sun shining through the wintry trees on this gorgeous sunny day. It might have been crisp and cold, but we were dressed for it and of course had some welcome hot drinks after our walk. The highlight of the day, aside from the snow, was having some brief glimpses of a couple of Crossbills at the top of the fir trees, though not as good as we'd had in December .