The Girl from Pompey: Discovering the Key to Happiness and Fulfilment

By Bryony Best

Bryony Best was born and raised in Portsmouth. As an ex-drug addict and alcoholic, she has overcome many life challenges, including near death.

Bryony is a girl on a mission; she has a burning question inside of her - What is happiness and fulfilment? Who has it, and how can she get it?

Follow Bryony on her

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bryony Best
• Release date: Dec 3, 2021
• ISBN: 9781802272833

Bryony Best

Bryony Best was born and raised in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. Currently residing in Hayling Island with her fiancé and her much loved Chihuahua dog named Luna. Bryony works as a Holistic Therapist and lives a happy life of mindfulness and wellbeing. Bryony has previously published three memoir books, and her aim is to become a full time writer.

Book preview

The Girl from Pompey

Discovering the Key to Happiness and Fulfilment

Bryony Best

Copyright © 2021 by Bryony Best

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any form of retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission in writing from the publishers except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Paperback: 978-1-80227-282-6

eBook: 978-1-80227-283-3

Cover design by Publishing Push

Cover photo by Aaron Blake

www.bryonybest.com

Contents

Introduction

Happiness Search

Chapter 1. Good Vibrations

Chapter 2, Part 1. Let’s Talk about Sex

Chapter 2, Part 2. Awakening

Chapter 2, Part 3. Body Language

Chapter 3. The Search Continues

Chapter 4. Health Is Wealth

Chapter 5. Brotherly Love

Chapter 6. Knobs for Jobs

Chapter 7. Journeys Travelled

Chapter 8, Part 1. Motivation

Chapter 8, Part 2. Sexual Healing

Chapter 8, Part 3. Only Human

Chapter 9. The Answer

Author Bio

This book is dedicated to all of my friends and family, who I love dearly, and to anyone else who may find comfort from this story.

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all.

- E Dickinson, Hope - (1862)

Introduction

Ok, so I am sitting in my room wondering about all my decisions and how they got me to where I am today; am I happy or am I in denial? I decide to start researching the subject on Google because, come on, if Google doesn’t know, then no one will know, or at least that’s the day and age that we live in.

My room is quiet. I can hear the music from my neighbour’s downstairs who obviously thinks that no one else can afford a radio or electricity so they blast their tunes out for all to hear 24/7.

I look around at all my stuff. Stuff, stuff, stuff everywhere; all this stuff I feel I need to be happy and to get by in life. All the essentials like Coco Chanel No5, Angel and Viktor Rolfe perfume at £80.00 a bottle and my widescreen TV that sits staring at me like it is going to shout, Come on, your eyes can’t be so bad that you need a 50-inch screen.

Let me introduce myself; I am a 27-year-old female who was born and raised in Portsmouth. I live in Southsea in a beautiful flat with my older brother Brand. We are the two youngest of seven siblings, the ones who will never get married or have children. We are also the ones who are the most driven and focused, but this could just be a coincidence.

I am an Employment Coach who gets to work with her best friend Mercedes, helping the unemployed gain the skills and confidence they need to find sustainable jobs, jobs to integrate them back into society, a society that has fallen apart if you ask me. In my few years on this earth, I have witnessed a country that is literately self-destructing, a government that cannot please everyone, plus a benefits system so flawed I have seen more success come from a child trying to fly. Riots between the civilians and authority figures with people hurting and stealing from their own neighbours, suicide bombers and threats to national security as religion divides us and scares us, which eventually turns to ignorance and fear. I do not plan on having children, but I already fear for my nieces and nephews and their children. What sort of future are we paving except one of fear, hate and sadness?

The great Mother Earth is fighting back as she witnesses our behaviour. She also hears our lack of respect as we rip all the goodness from her, so quite rightly she is not a happy bunny. She responds with hurricanes that affect hundreds and thousands and earthquakes that leave us with loved ones missing or dead, but how do we respond to this? Do we sit in shock or wonder why these bad things are happening? No, no, no, we cry, and then we continue with our lives. Whether it is the Twin Towers attack that killed hundreds and affected thousands, or the nutter who opened fire on innocent school children, yet still we carry on as normal. This brings me to tears; it makes me angry which is an emotion I really try to avoid. Obviously, these crazy, freaky events are vile, horrible to the core, but what hurts me more is our acceptance of these events; the more they happen, the more we are getting used to it instead of challenging it or changing our behaviour.

It is not all doom and gloom as some of these tragedies have brought us together and shown us how to feel for others. In reality, we have never been more alone, and it is time we learnt that we are the same and we want the same things. I have decided to research and investigate to see if I am right. If you are reading this book then something made you want to or drew you to it; you can read my findings and spread the word or change your views. You can even use this book as a doorstop; I will let you decide.

Let’s start with something factual. I am a Spiritualist and I know what you’re thinking - ‘get in the car, back to the shop to return this book as she is a mentalist’. Well, my religion is not that important; I just wanted to share it with you as it may help you understand how or why I came to this point in life, the point where I have decided to try my hand at writing this book. I read all the time; I love books as you can get lost and escape even just for a little while. You can read an exciting novel about a detective who uncovers a mystery or get lost in a slightly dirty tale of someone who actually has a sex life ……. even when yours is on pause. If I can reach inside someone with something I have written and change their views or lives, or even just cause a smile, then I am as happy as a pig in shit.

My earliest memory as a child is not really a nice one. I remember being very small, about age three. I was at a local swimming centre with my sister Vikki, who is sixteen years older than me. She was in the water and was shouting to me, Jump, Bryony, come on, I will catch you, come on, just do it. Plus, you’re wearing armbands, now stop being silly - after three, one, two, three.

I jumped in the pool. I remember flying through the air and then warmth as I hit the water. I started going down; where were Vikki’s hands? I could not feel them; I was under the water and I needed air. I was going to die; I needed air and I couldn’t see anything. Seconds felt like minutes as my heart was pumping, then finally, I rose to the surface and my sister was laughing. I began to cry; what a mean and horrible trick. 

I am back in my room needing answers as I look around and feel the need to know why people are so lost, unhappy and ill. I meditate, which is something I have done ever since I myself fell victim to stress, drugs and alcohol. It was not a good time of my life; for years, I lived at a fast speed as my mind and body were punished with Jack Daniels, Archers, Speed, Cocaine and Ecstasy. I shudder at the thought of how I lived my life; an emptiness only an addict can know. Not feeling enough and, at the same time, feeling so much that it bears down on your soul like a weight several times as heavy as you that will always win. Like a dark tunnel of waking up in strange places, with people who are not the church-going type, but the ones who will steal your washing or nick your car when you are out. I push the thoughts to the dark place in my mind, with all the other secrets of sex, lies, and violence. I am trying to be positive; think how far you have come and the stories you can tell and will. I take in a deep breath; we all have a soul, some are good, and some are bad but has yours ever been empty? For what is hell but the absence of hope?

‘Positive, Bryony, come on, be brave,’ and I begin to listen to the gentle music of Buddhism as I first open my mind and quiet it down. I then pack away all the bad things that had happened that day, a trick I had learnt from therapy when I was a child. I lift my vibration and ask my guides for advice; Am I on the right path? Should I be working where I do? Am I a good person? Will I ever find peace or feel content? Please, give me the information I need.

I clear my mind and I see ticks like when you got a question correct on a test. I confirm this is for my job and career as a teacher. I then ask where my destiny lies and I see water, as in an ocean, with the month of March. Could this be connected to the dolphins I always see when I meditate?

I question my trust and doubt whether I am crazy which I have done on many occasions, but even Portsmouth’s finest doctors assure me that I am sane, and they have no reason to section me. Plus, the people I have helped, the things I know; I have proven beyond a doubt that the gift I have is true…. or is it?

I begin my normal practice of bargaining - Please, tell me or show me what I am here to do, and I will do it. I will sacrifice my own happiness for this; I will not pursue a man or any goals except to serve my purpose. Please just guide me and I will do it. What shall I do?

My hand starts frantically writing a song on some paper. It feels like I have no control; the words just flow and I read them back and wonder what this message could mean. I then start to draw a cross that turns into a tree. I start writing titles all over the picture: Food, Shelter, Warmth, Protection; soon, I have at least ten words. I look to the side of the drawing and write TO SOME IT IS JUST A TREE, then one of the titles catch my eye as it reads ‘Paper’. I can feel my brain making the connection as I am still tuned into my inspirational writing from the spirit world. Paper, books, words, other points of view, people, connected, trees, roots, basic needs, happiness… then it hit me; what makes people happy?

I now know what I must do. I must find this answer and share it with everyone in the form of a book; this book. I feel elevated, unlike my miserable self an hour ago, when I had decidedly given up on my own happiness and was willing to give it all up. For giving me the purpose and focus to move me forward, I whisper, Thank you.

Purpose is my first point - if we have purpose, then our life has meaning, but if it does not, then are we not just wasting it?

I grabbed my phone, a touch screen Galaxy Ace, a phone that I cannot use with my big fat fingers and long nails. Google, I need you.

— Internet, Google

Happiness Search

So, I read for a long time about religious views, philosophy, Gandhi's view, the church’s view, and those of other people whom I have never met. It does not feel right; plus, how do we know they are right anyway? So, I will ask the people I know. I will seek these answers at every opportunity, and I will write about them, and then share with the world how they all have the same interests and goals. I have a lot to do but I am excited. My phone begins to vibrate with a text received; it is from a friend who has pursued me for years and who would literally fight for me. He could probably make me happy, and I feel he would never do anything to hurt me. I kiss my teeth and reply. It is a beautiful message I send but the answer is still no. After several years of chasing me, I finally let him go. It felt good; not to upset or hurt another, but it finally felt good to speak the truth and not hide behind mixed messages or by giving false hope. I receive nine more messages of sadness and irrational pleas. Ok, now I feel bad but I know I have done the right thing. Aligning your heart with your voice, I will remember this forever.

Chapter 1.

Good Vibrations

If I have to hear that alarm bell one more time I will probably do absolutely nothing as I never do. It is 6.30 am, and the sun is sort of out. I need to get out of bed and into the bathroom before my brother gets home and distracts me with funny stories, stories about the security industry; he is a supervisor for a security company.

I feel a little sick, but it is due to me not eating properly and going drinking on Friday night with Mercedes. Oh yes, Friday night; the reason for my doom and gloom which forced me to meditate to seek answers. When I say it aloud, I realise what a moaning cow I am. I am told that I am attractive; um, ok, stunning is what they usually say. But I see an old witch with half the thickness of hair I used to have. They see a strong and intelligent ice queen with a tongue as sharp as a razor blade, when I see, or should I say I know, that there is a part of me that is so self-conscious that I have only left the house once without make-up on. I don’t even have any eyebrows but that’s another story, and I even get upset if I overhear a person slagging me down. An ex-boyfriend, or play friend should I say, once said to me, You have three faces - one for your Gran, one for your friends and one for your partner. Well, he was a split personality