I’d like to get your take on conspiracy theories, girlfriend. After all, during this pandemic we’re bombarded by them. Actually I’m having a ball and if you think I’m just going to shoot down far-fetched speculations in favour of ‘reality’, I’m going to have to ask you to explain what reality is.

See, in principle I root for off-beat theories because I support diversity and individuality – especially as opposed to following the herd. So, while I may not believe everything I read, I’m over-the-moon jubilant that I still live in a world where divergent thoughts can surface, especially during difficult times.

“All truth begins as heresy,” says Glambition Radio’s Ali Brown. This award-winning podcast is about, and for, women entrepreneurs and leaders who think big, do different, and share ideas that disrupt the status quo.

Ali says that as we “confront undeniable agendas, rising intrusion into our personal lives, and increased censoring on all media platforms,” it’s clear that we need courageous experts to keep “pulling back the curtain” so that we can simply be aware of all perspectives and make decisions for ourselves.

One of Ali’s recent ‘curtain pullers’ on the podcast was dr Christiane Northrup, renowned for her courage to be the iconoclast in her category. For over three decades she has forged a path to help women reconnect with their own truth and inner knowing about what’s best for their bodies.

She’s a New York Times bestselling author of the recently revised ‘Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom’, ‘The Wisdom of Menopause’ and ‘Goddesses Never Age’. Christiane’s message is one we all need to hear right now: You have the right to question any mainstream story that tells you to follow an external authority against your own judgement.

Much of your experience of life depends on whose reality you’re buying into. Of course we automatically tend to go for the fear-based ones and maybe that is why so many of us are so very ‘obedient’ to Western medicine. Woooooops! Did I just say that? So, bite me. I’m not denying the value of Western medicine; just saying that it’s one of many approaches and you should be able to choose.

Your choice, your truth, your reality, although it might not be the same as that of your nearest and dearest under the exact same circumstances. Take the example of a romantic sunrise hot-air balloon ride accompanied by a champagne breakfast. Two people take this ride. The one is horrified of heights. The other one isn’t. For one the experience will be heaven; for the other it will be hell.

What is reality then? I’ll go with Gary Zukav’s definition: “Reality is what we take to be true. What we take to be true is what we believe. What we believe is based upon our perceptions. What we perceive depends upon what we look for. What we look for depends upon what we think. What we think depends upon what we perceive. What we perceive determines what we believe. What we believe determines what we take to be true. What we take to be true is our reality.”

What do you believe to be true? Whatever it is, you should be able to pinpoint the moment when you start realising that you’re holding onto a belief that no longer serves you. Once you’ve understood that the belief you hold might be working against you, you could always learn how to shift your mindset. Except if you give in to fear.

Gary Zukav says that there is no vaccine against fear. “Do what is necessary to insure that you do not become infected with the truly dangerous virus of fear. If you allow it to grow in you, you will experience the very painful phenomenon of imploding under the fear of the collective.”

Thich Nhat Hanh says that “fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay. Right now, today, we are still alive . . . Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones.”

Is that what you want? Then stop focusing on what you don’t want. How do you want to feel? Start with that, girlfriend.