Volunteers Celebration Speaker

I was absolutely humbled to be asked as a guest speaker for the amazing celebration of Volunteers for Derbyshire Constabulary last night.

I have done many talks but this audience was so varied and ranged from 13 to 60+ so I was nervous that I'd not get it right. Oh and the High Sheriff of Derbyshire and their Assistant Chief Constable so I had to be on my extra best behaviour.

How wrong I was. sharing my personal and work journey alongside my growing awareness and acceptance of my own autism, I spent 40 minutes just being....well....me.

Normally after these events I sit back and think "why did I say this or that" but last night the reaction afterwards left me speechless and I realised how being open, honest and a little bit quirky really helped share my story and my message.

This was the first time I had focused properly on my message, the one thing I have learned to reflect upon on my journey, that YOU ARE YOUR ONLY LIMIT.

It's not some weird thing, it's what I realised from years of accepting others opinions, expectations or comments and by absorbing them I have allowed them to become blockers. But by internalising them, they are no longer the words or attitudes of others they are now our words so ultimately by giving them attention we become our own limits.

I talked about my life in the police, my x-factor worthy back story of cancer, hospitalised children and Everest Base Camp and finished with mentioning my books (cue the fact I too no merchandise at all and realised I'm a bad business person).

But it was about the message and for the first time I didn't stop halfway home for any longer than a couple of minutes to overthink and worry I'd said the wrong thing.

Anyone that knows me will know my passion for changing the perception and acceptance of neurodiversity in the world and I know I'm just the little guy with big ambitions, but every avalanche starts with just a single ball of snow, I intend to be that snowball.

YAYOL Speaking