Living In Visibility

The Portrait Of Our Self

When the darkness 
takes you in her arms
close your eyes
and see

There is a whole
universe
surrounding you
and me

To see a star
from beyond
means you miss out
on its greatness
so never
diminish your own
significance

Sadhbh Adamea

Croagh Patrick at Dusk (Picture Credit: Author)

From Darkness Into Light

When the darkness embraces the world, light becomes more visible. While the contrast sinks into the cosy cushions of the night, shadows fade and melt into the sweet arms of silence. When our sight is failing, sounds, smells and what we feel gain a peculiar awareness. Do we experience the world deeper without our eyesight? Why do we close our eyes when we kiss? Why do we close our eyes when we want to smell better, feel better or hear better? I wonder if we are so trained to witness our world through our eyesight, that every other sense somehow loses its importance.

When I was a little girl, I was told not to be too visible. I was told to dress so that nobody took advantage of me. I was told to not be too loud, too wild. I was told not to go out alone in the dark. I was told to be aware of the dangers that this world brings with it. I was told to “keep an eye” for unusual occurrences. As the middle child with two sisters, I always felt invisible, and I carried this feeling into my adulthood. I tried so hard to be seen while, at the same time, I was hiding. How do you see yourself without a mirror? How do you show yourself when you live in the shadows? Did I pay more attention to smells, sounds and feelings because I learned to colour my life in black and white?

The word “visibility” in its origin means “perceptible to sight”. How is it that we talk about “feeling seen” when we are addressing the matter of being understood, validated and loved for who we are? What does our eyesight have to do with this feeling? We never know what someone else is seeing, but we know how they make us feel. I noticed that my impulse to take selfies shifted. In my people-pleasing days, I would take a lot of selfies. My first Instagram was filled with it. However, in order to “stay safe”, I only shared my account with my closest friends. Was this habit of taking selfies caused by me not feeling seen? Did I try to see myself? Is this why our youth nowadays seem to be obsessed with the portrait of their “selves”? How do we paint a picture of ourselves, when we don’t even know who we are?

Vulnerability

Davidji writes in his inspiring book “Sacred Powers”: “In your vulnerability rests your strength”. Vulnerability helps us to meet each other at a level of reverence. Vulnerability is free of judgement. There is no hierarchy. Just pure and utter authenticity and honesty. Pure nakedness of the soul. Vulnerability requires us to open our hearts wide and let others take part of our human experience so that they can witness our true authentic core. Looking at the etymology of the word “vulnerability”, we find the words “capable of being wounded”. To quote Rumi: “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” Only with an open heart can we feel all the feelings to the fullest, the most wonderful bliss, joy and elation as well as grief, sadness and anger. Throughout our lives we learn how to numb our pain, how to resist it and try to make it go away instead of welcoming it in, as it shows us how capable we are at deeply feeling.

“All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts”

William Shakespeare

Stages Of Life

For years, I have been acting on stage - the one in the theatre deliberately - the one in life without realising. I am so much in awe of how life seems to weave my story into the canvas of my experience. When I revisited Westport here for the first time after my move, I saw a store called “The Dressing Room” which made me remember a poem I wrote years ago. After my awakening and alongside my plans to move to Ireland, I decided to leave the familiar stage of my hometown for good. On the night of my last improv show, I sat in the dressing room, as a poem found her way to the surface. It is not a coincidence that I was reminded of my journey at a stage that would require me to spiral even higher into visibility.

The Dressing Room in Westport (Picture Credit: Author)

The dressing room

forlorn parts
hanging in there
traces
of make up
glimmering in the gloomy light
a vestige
of forgotten parts
soulless
dangling from the hatrack
that used
to look like magic
was just a
flim-flam
an illusion
of togetherness
and connection
easily believed
by a craving for creation
blinded by
the colorful light
and the seemingly abundant
possibilities
to be
whoever you want to be

What a relief
to be here
in this space
of knowing.

The script filled with fears
and beliefs
doesn’t lead this play
any further
cause now
I am not
just a sidekick
in my own life

No,
I do now
as I say
and I say
as I do.

What a bliss
to see
clearly
no one can ever fool me
again
not even I
myself
for now I know 
better
I feel
deeper
I trust
more
I don’t need
to dream my life
anymore
cause 

Now

I can be
who I really am
anywhere
everywhere
always
all ways

I am free
because finally 

I am

playfully
Me.

Sadhbh Adamea

Now that I step onto the stage of the world with authenticity, I stretch my courage beyond limits, although I have had more than 16 years of practice being in front of an audience. There is a different feeling to speaking or singing someone else’s lines on stage as opposed to sharing our own stories and poems. We learn from imitation to creation and the process is well-needed and also a wonderful journey. Recently I received my first Craniosacral Therapy session, which healed me on a very deep and profound level. I always knew that I had carried some birth trauma throughout my life, yet I wasn’t expecting it to be connected to visibility. Looking back, it all makes sense. While ancestral threads were weaving the safety net of darkness around me, I finally found the light. I saw a post on Instagram stating that our nervous system dictates our destiny. I can only support this statement. If I hadn’t learned the tools to soothe my nervous system I would never have moved to Ireland. However, the deeper we dive, the less resistance we feel in the water (I recently remembered this lesson that I learned on a lifeguard course). The Cranio session went deeper and not only soothed my nervous system, it healed parts of it. I now feel like I experience the world deeper, sense more fully, while feeling safe in my body. “We see the world how we are”, Wayne Dyer said, so if we live more authentically, our lens starts to shift.

Through The Eyes Of Love

When we see the world through the eyes of Love and wonder, we send signals to our body that it is safe to receive. We experience deeper, listen closer, smell and taste more. Nature is the true stage where our authenticity is mirrored back to us.

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (The Little Prince)

When we open our hearts to take in the poetry of life, the invisible becomes visible. Our portrait of the “self” dissolves and we melt into the oneness of the universe. Here we shine our light throughout the day and draw shadows onto the walls in the night.

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
  That saved a wretch; like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
  Was blind, but now I see.

John Newton

Dear Soul Friends,

I hope you are well and you savour the first signs of spring fully and with an open heart. The spring equinox marks the time when day and night are the same length. Let us use today to celebrate this threshold between the wanted and unwanted, the dreams that have not yet manifested and the ones that are already reality, the dark and the light, the old and the new.

May nature’s guidance even out black and white.
May you paint your life in colour.
May you open your heart to pain and joy.
May you be in balance.
May you be authentically you!

Lots of Love,

Sadhbh (Nicole)

---

What’s New

There are so many beautiful things coming up, and I want to share a few with you here:

Holistic Fair Donegal

I don’t know if I am more excited for the drive to the fair or the fair itself! :-) I am so blessed to be part of the Holistic Fair in Donegal.

Where: Caisleáin Óir Hotel, Wild Atlantic Way, Annagry, Co. Donegal, F94 WY03

When: 23.03.2025, 12 pm - 6 pm

I am so looking forward to travelling these roads again! (Picture Credit: Author)

---

Mind Body Experience Galway

I will be speaking and holding a workshop at the Mind Body Experience in Galway. I am so excited about this! This event is completely free and there are so many wonderful offers, stalls and talks. If you live in the area, do come and check it out!

Where: Clayton Hotel Galway, Monivea Rd, Ballybrit, Galway City

When: 27th April 2025, 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

---

Visit me at the Mind Body Experience in Dublin. Find details here. (Picture: JK Photography)

Mind Body Experience Dublin

Talking about visibility, I am really stretching my courage by taking part in the Mind Body Experience in Dublin in May! Here I will host two talks and two workshops, which I am most excited about!

Where: Hall 1, RDS, Dublin 4

When: 2nd, 3rd & 4th May 2025

Here are the topics:

---

Here are the details and titles of the talks and workshops:

Love Is A Lighthouse

Navigating Through A World Of Chaos

Friday, 02.05.2025 - 5:45 PM, Area 4

In a world full of distractions and bad news, we often find ourselves disconnected from our true, authentic selves. The constant noise of external expectations, societal pressures, and our own fears can leave us feeling lost, overwhelmed, and reactive.

In this talk, Nicole invites you to explore the power of seeing the world through the lens of Love-Eyes. Discover how simple, everyday practices can help you focus your thoughts, elevate your mood, and shift from a mindset of scarcity and pleasing to one of self-empowerment and peace.

Learn how to deliberately tune into the small, positive moments of life, witness the natural poetry of our world, quiet the busy mind, and raise your vibration—all while fostering deeper, more authentic connections with those around you. By embracing a new way of focusing, you can navigate life’s chaos with grace and shift from reacting to creating.

This talk will guide you in cultivating a positive mindset where Love becomes the lighthouse that leads you through life’s storms.

---

You Are Limitless

Uncover Your Inner Creator

Saturday, 03.05.2025 - 1:15 PM - Area 4

In a world that often rewards approval over authenticity, many of us have learned to shape our creativity to please others rather than to express our true selves. But real creation isn’t about performance—it’s about connection, freedom, and embracing our limitless potential.

In this interactive talk, Nicole will guide you on a journey beyond self-doubt and judgment, helping you rediscover your innate creativity as a sacred act of self-expression. She will share practical tools to shift from reacting to creating, empowering you to step into your full creative potential.

Through poetry, storytelling, and creative meditation exercises, you will experience the healing power of words and explore how creativity can become a transformative spiritual practice.

You will leave this talk feeling uplifted, inspired, and embraced by unconditional love—ready to become the author of your own life.

---

The Remedy of Poetry

An immersive journey into your inner heARTist

Saturday, 03.05.2025 - 6:30 PM - Area 1

In this workshop, we’ll approach poetry from the inside out—moving beyond the limitations of the analytical mind. Through creative writing, meditation, and mindfulness exercises, we’ll tap into your inner well of words. We’ll also explore poetry’s healing power as a tool for self-exploration and reflection, using journaling and reading to deepen your connection with yourself.

Whether or not you see yourself as a poet, this workshop is for anyone who loves art and words, enjoys poetry, and seeks connection, transformation, and growth!

---

Let’s Be Weird Together

Improv(e) Your Life Playfully

Sunday, 03.05.2025 - 6:30 PM - Area 1

“I’m weird, you’re weird—let’s be weird together.”

When a coach first said these words to me, something shifted. As a recovering people-pleaser, it felt like an invitation to simply be myself—without apology or performance.

What if you could meet yourself without judgment? What if you could step beyond the voice in your head that tells you to hold back, fit in, or play it safe? What if you were never meant to conform but to stand out? What if you could be the main character in the story of your life instead of playing the roles others expect you to?

In this interactive workshop, you will get a glimpse into how improvisation, drama exercises, vocal expression, and creative movement can support personal and spiritual growth. With curiosity, we will uncover the inner blocks and limiting beliefs that keep us small. You’ll experience how movement, voice, and spontaneity can help you shift stagnant energy, access deeper emotions, and embrace more of your true self.

This workshop isn’t about performing—it’s about embodied self-expression.

No experience is needed—just an open heart and open mind. Whether you consider yourself weird or not, you are welcome here.

Thank you so much for reading!

If you need guidance or want to chat with me, feel free to reach out! I am just a click away!