Life is....

Life is… Learning, connecting and growing a life you love living.

Life is…a dream;

…a struggle;

            …like a box of chocolates;

            …a journey;

Many years ago, my husband Raymy and I were walking in Paris when I noticed a man and a little girl coming towards us.  Their conversation was very animated with his hands and face expressing frustration and her body language – crossing her arms and stamping her foot down hard – reflecting her words, “Daddy, that’s not fair”.

In a moment, the man’s expression went calm and he replied, “Darling, life is not fair”. At this point, we passed each other and I was left with my own thoughts. 

The phrase struck me, “Life is not fair”, and I pondered over it many times. If we believe that life is unfair, does this make it so? M. Scott Peck opens his book, “The Road Less Travelled”, with the line, “Life is difficult”. I prefer to believe that Life is what you make it!

Yes, it can be difficult… or a challenge… or a roller coaster.  I accept this is all part of the exciting challenge to stay focused, be bold and create a life we love living.

And so, the journey began

When I returned to work (as a community educator at that point), I was working with a group of young mums, supporting them to develop more confidence.  For the theme that day, I chose an exploration of what life means to them.  I posted on the flipchart, Life is… finish the sentence.  The discussion that followed led to a journey of discovery for them, for me and for all the people who have since joined the Life is what you make it community.  The core message running through my mission to help others find their best life is: learn – connect – grow.

LEARNING

What I’ve learned is that whether you view your life from a positive, optimistic perspective or, you see it through a darker lens, the belief you hold in your head will determine your experience of life.  This made a huge difference to the way I have lived my life since that day in 2005.

I have studied (and gained qualifications in) a series of courses on neuroscience and mindfulness to really understand how we think and how we can go about reclaiming the life we were born to live.  Brain plasticity means our brains are malleable; we can decide our thoughts, feelings and habits and therefore pull our life into shape.  The habits are what keeps us in place and so first, we need to learn how to identify and eliminate the self-limiting beliefs and habits that we have carried with us for years.

This is exciting stuff because, not only is it possible, it is happening on a daily basis for the people I work with. 

CONNECTING

Is there a magic ingredient? Yes: connection.

Human beings were born with a lust for life, a capacity to love and a drive to connect. It is in our DNA to connect, not only with other human beings but with nature, with our planet and with life itself.

Having designed a series of workshops and delivered these to a range of groups and individuals over the years, I learned that connection is the key to self-awareness and personal growth. Not only have people connected to others through these workshops – and formed an ongoing community of support - they have connected with self; a deeper, more authentic self that in turn, supports others in the community.

GROWING

In October 2016, Life is…  was developed into an online learning programme, making it now more accessible to people seeking new growth and change in their lives. With personal growth comes personal responsibility; the ability to respond and make better informed choices. 

From a single comment made to a little girl many years ago, we now have a growing community of people who are learning, connecting and growing together.

We can't choose everything that happens to us in life - but we can choose how we respond to it.  So, is life unfair? Only you can decide.