How did I get here? A reflective look at my life's journey

The journey of being....

So here I am on the cross trainer at the gym, working out and reflecting on where I've been so far in my life’s journey.

It has certainly been an interesting journey, particularly over the last few months and years, and I hope by reflecting on this and sharing what I have learnt with you it could help make a difference to you and what you do with your life.

So it's June 2013 and without wanting to seem over-dramatic I really didn't think I was going to be here, not only on this cross trainer but also writing this blog. I will share more about why this is later.

What has become clearer as I have moved through life is the realisation that it is one big journey. We might not see it as a journey but every day we do things differently, while attached to our surroundings, and all the while we are moving forward. For some of us this can be quite challenging, for others pretty mundane as it all depends on what is happening and how we approach whatever is coming our way.

I'm sure you, like me, often look back at where we have come from, how and where we have got to today and all the parts in-between; this is normal, healthy behaviour if you take positives out of what you have experienced and put them to good use in decisions you make in your future.

In all honesty, I never thought I would be doing what I'm doing today when I left school back in 1980 – but then again who actually knows 100 per cent what they want to do as they enter adulthood? The lucky few do, but these are very much in the minority. A lot of us fall into a line of work and then get stuck, having to decide whether we stay (if we’re happy and fulfilled regardless), or face the scariness of looking for a new job or career.

1980 for me was one of the best years of my life because I got away from school and learning; funny to think that educating myself is so dear to my heart now!

After the Winter of Discontent, and a generally disgruntled society, it felt as though we were lurching from the cold 70s into a new decade of hope, perhaps even a new government, and anything seemed possible.

From my perspective the country needed something to push it forward, to re-energise, to revitalise and to give people that energy to make the difference. We’d had years of unrest in the 70s - I remember the power cuts, the shortages, the strikes and everything else that got in the way of country being the best it could be very well. Change was needed and the 80s was the decade that was going to make a difference.

It took me a few years to realise what my skills were going to be, what I was actually good at and it wasn't until a break later on in the mid-80s that I realised I had a skill with people. I had always been an ‘agony aunt’ or shoulder to cry on for people I knew having crises, because (they said) I could really listen but also had good advice on what the underlying issues were and what could be done to fix them.

I developed these skills further and then over the 80s and 90s increased my knowledge and experience base in developing personal development training for individuals and groups alike. This job, career, or vocation (whatever word you wish to use) I really do get a great deal of satisfaction from. How many of us can really say that about the work we do?

I'm a firm believer in not just coming and delivering a technique unless I've tried it myself. I could never put my hand on my own heart and say something works unless I knew for certain. There are many out there that say one way does all, one fix does all, but I believe we are all unique and we are all different, so we should all make sure that whatever intervention we go for is right for us.

The most prized possession any of us have is our own brain, so treat it with respect, nurture it, build it, make it stronger and the results will be amazing. If you were the proud owner of the most expensive car possible, would you be taking it to a garage that was unsure of how to maintain it? Of course not.

So, to finish this article; why did I think I wasn't going to be here writing this? Quite simply 18 months ago I was diagnosed with major heart disease out of the blue, which was a huge shock.

I was under the impression I was leading a healthy life, but there are a few of us who are apparently ‘silent presenters’, who don’t show any symptoms until it’s almost too late.

Enhanced listening skills also give you the ability to listen to your internal self and luckily I did, giving medicine a chance to sort out a solution before it was too late. So there was me at the age 48 being wheeled down the corridor on a theatre trolley to have a quadruple bypass surgery - thank goodness that by 2012 science had improved so much.

I survived to tell another tale (and write a article) and also used the techniques that I use on other people, techniques to relax, to think positive and to be re-energised as I know they work. They worked for me then and they will work for you. Proof of the pudding as they say. The Phoenix has certainly re-generated and has risen….

I hope you've enjoyed reading my personal journey.