Think of your triggers as a great wave, waterfall, tsunami coming your way. Your objective is to learn to recognise the trigger and consciously disarm it before it does it's worst and activates that unwelcome automated response and you're under.

When Adrienne Banfield Norris was asked by her daughter to share her top life tip she told Jada Pinkett Smith the secret to her survival was down to one simple thing - Endurance. Life is just like the river, it doesn't matter how many times the rocks take a battering the river never stops flowing and the rocks endure the polishing.

Trusting others can be a precarious business, people often say one thing and do the complete opposite but with committed meditation practise the one person you can learn to completely trust and rely upon is yourself. A place of greater self awareness tips the balance in favour of self sufficiency.

Maturity is discovering the wisdom to know we don't always know although poo pooed as a fun inhibiting characteristic. Maturity comes from experience, not watching others make mistakes but making them ourselves. 

The more you master yourself the less you will come to rely on the support of a family you may care very deeply for but like everyone's is not perfect. Just because we may be related doesn't mean the dark side of our nature is not at work behind the scenes.

All of us at our core have a strong compassionate instinct. A natural and automatic response that ensures our survival.

Before forcing him or her down the aisle be sure you know what you're signing up for. And I don't mean, the dress, the slipper, the white picket fence and the rose tinted glasses. Remember you never hear about a bad marriage and then suddenly it's over.

Suicide is on the rise, particularly amongst young men but suicide only ever happens in a moment of temporary overload.

A maasive subject to cover in a short tutorial but once you've grasped the concept of what you actually capable of and tools at your disposal you will be filled with hope and ultimately unstoppable. Your soul or your spirit is the the most powerful tool in your box.

OK I have to write a blog like this every November, the month our thoughts go to the growing tyre around the middle and dusting off the LBD hidden at the back of the closet, remembering you never actually got into it last year. It is going to take four weeks of hell, discipline and facing denial, in order to look and feel amazing through the party season in December and hopefully this time, the penny will finally drop, yo-yo dieting and torture is not the only way to...

With an unlimited budget of course it's easier to get exactly what you want but buyer beware it's also easier to get completely ripped off. However Hollywood is one place on the planet where who you know, combined with what you know is way more powerful.

You don't have to be a millionaire to convincingly style a Chanel look on a budget if you stick to a few simple rules and pick up a Chanel Flap bag second hand. And even if shopping Chanel pre loved is out of reach don't worry - we hand pick all the right pieces at the best possible price to keep even the experts guessing........

This month in Beacon Magazine, Leicestershire's Premier Lifestyle Magazine, Shirley shares her wise counsel on the "New Year Resolution" and gives tips on how changing your thinking can ensure a very happy new year.

"So, as we say goodbye to another year, it's time to take some time to reflect, remember and renew all the promises, ideas and resolutions we made at the start of the new year. Did you successfully give up drinking for the month of...

It's hard to feel really confident in your clothes when you are trying to dress a body with tricky proportions whether it be plus size, really tall, broad shoulders, short waisted. As a stylist Shirley deals with these proportion issues every day for her curvy girls but as a woman she is not exempt from her own body challenges when it comes to  plus size style.

Are you completely at a loss when it comes to creating a unique look or styling a complete outfit? We see women every day making the same dressing mistakes in desperate need of support and real styling help from professionals who have real experience not retailers who'll tell you anything to move another Mustard top - so we've put together this list of the most common styling pitfalls to avoid 

It's revamp your AW wardrobe time as all the new seasons additions are here to tempt you. Like most of us a new pair of boots is the very best stand alone item to give a fresh spin on last years staples. Money is tighter for everyone so our advice, shop the best secondhand designer stores, give this purchase some thought, pick the boot style that works best for your lifestyle ( i.e. you'll get the most use from ) and instead of spreading your budget on a few cheap pairs, bite the bullet and get one of something amazing preloved.

It is true that in general more expensive clothes look better, fit better, are made of better fabric (not always the case) and tend to last longer, all the reasons why a small collection of fantastic black ready to wear staples is the only way to go if disposable fast fashion is not for you when it comes to key pieces.

Shirley's roller coaster life has had many ups and downs. Now in her 6th decade she has found with discipline and dedication the straight and narrow path to peace, true happiness and is having more fun than ever before.

Already a VC Angel the you know the Leicester Stylist has a closet to die for. Now she has opened the doors and is allowing her loyal customers to shop second hand designer clothes Leicester at their leisure. Every piece in mint condition, some with the tags still on.