The result of doing stress so well, resulted in my having a raft of emotional, financial, and physical challenges which is another way of saying I had great big problems.
Retrospectively, I am very grateful for the difficulties I encountered. They made me realize that I was living a life of quiet desperation and was in danger of leaving this life without my song having been sung which was a huge wake-up call.
Based on my experience, what I want for you is what I want for myself which is for you to:
- Live singing your song and feel joy, happiness, and a lightness of being
- Experience and share kindness, compassion, and the spirit of Aloha
- Gain a deeper understanding of others but most crucially, of yourself
- Turn stress around and use it to your advantage
- Boost your personal resilience so you thrive in difficult times instead of succumbing to the daily grind of hopelessness and negativity
- Motivate yourself and others to be the best you can be
- Know what you want, enjoy the journey to achieving it effortlessly
- Most importantly, recognize and acknowledge when you have what you want
My story so far
I am an optimist and one of life’s seekers so knew with absolute certainty that there was hope, as long as I stayed true to my values and kept searching for answers. So far, on my quest, I have found three, major change agents for making positive differences in my life.
Catalyst 1 – Yoga
I was at a very low point in my life when Swami Ambikananda, a fabulous Hatha Yoga teacher, and practitioner of Chinese medicine started me on my journey of self-discovery and personal development. She introduced me to the philosophy and tenets of Yoga, to meditation, and Qigong all of which I love and use.
Catalyst 2 – NLP
The next phase in my evolution was when ‘NLP found me’, after a chance meeting with a stranger on a course in London.I began taking control of my life by learning what it meant to be at cause and, not at effect.
The really big lesson for me was discovering why I was blessed with more than my fair share of very ’difficult people’.
I believe that one of life’s purposes is to learn and evolve. Until we learn what we need from our life’s experiences, we are repeatedly exposed to people who and events that offer lessons which we need to learn. Funny thing is after this breakthrough, many of these difficult people, miraculously, faded away but not before they had taught me several, badly needed, and very valuable lessons while some others are now lifelong friends. So, here’s a word of advice – if you don’t like the people, results or events in your life, the quickest way is to learn what you need, make the changes and free yourself from discomfort.
Catalyst 3 – Huna
During my NLP training, our trainer, David Shephard , invited us to an early morning taster of Huna – the ancient wisdom of Hawaii. Always open to learning something new, I went along with an open mind.
I was intrigued when I saw similarities between Yoga and Huna. But the clincher was once David started chanting, I was sold and have been in love with and a student of Huna ever since.
Serge Kahili King, a Kahuna, is another wonderful teacher whom I’ve been very lucky to have studied with in England and on the Big Island of Hawaii.
What I have learned and practiced over the years has helped me become kinder and more tolerant; release the energy I invested in holding onto stress; direct that energy towards more creative endeavours.
Aloha