The Week I Healed & Started to Create a Life I Love
Would you like to heal and create a life you really love? When I look back on my life, despite holding up a good façade of being happy and fulfilled, I was plagued by emptiness, anxiety and depression. I was living a disconnected life, feeling sad, angry and powerless most of the time.
On the outside to everyone else, I looked like I had it all. I’d built a successful career in HR. I’d achieved my goal of my dream job as a HR Director of a global business with responsibility over Europe, Middle East, Africa and India and a six-figure package. I was swooning around in a brand- new Range Rover Evoke. I had a beautiful home, I did what I liked when I liked, travelling the world with work and for pleasure. Partying hard with my friends. So why wasn’t I happy? Surely achieving all this would make me happy, right?
But no – I was stressed out, unhealthy and unfulfilled, living a materialist charged lifestyle. Following the highs were the lowest lows, and when I looked in the mirror, I just didn’t recognise the reflection looking back at me. It was almost like I was watching a movie of my life playing out before me and I was not actively conscious in my life at all. I was just going through the motions and I had no idea who I was doing all this for and why, but this is what life is meant to be right? We go to school, do some higher education, get a job, the house, the relationship, the family, the car, the dog, etc. etc… And we live happy ever after…
Well, I just felt numb inside, completely unfulfilled, despite achieving my big dream job and having a busy life with lots of distractions. I knew there had to be more to life than this, but I just didn’t know what I could do about it or how to do anything about it. I felt trapped and powerless.
I then left the corporate world and started my own business – Opt HR, a HR Consultancy & Executive Coaching Business. I thought that living a life on my terms would be the answer to my lack of fulfilment and happiness. Like most businesses it had its ups and downs, especially in the early years, and that business grew to be successful. Now in its 6th year of business, it’s successful today. But I still felt there was something missing in life; I just couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was.
Around 4 years ago, I started a journey of personal development. I learned so much about myself and the world around me, and why I was struggling so much emotionally, mentally and physically. I took the learning on board and achieved certification as a Master NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) Coach, Master in Time Line Therapy and a Trainer of Hypnosis. This self-development has been wonderful in helping me remove negative emotions (anger, sadness, fear, hurt and guilt) and limiting beliefs of not being good enough, or feelings of unworthiness. I also use these techniques today to help my clients to overcome their barriers to success, with my coaching business Pura Vida Your Life. But still I had waves of sadness, depression and anxiety come and go throughout my days.
On 1 March 2020 (exactly this week a year ago), I checked into a life-changing retreat in Costa Rica; Rythmia, Life Advancement Centre. I experienced a programme that fused together ancient wisdom and modern techniques for healing and creating a life you love. Today, I flicked through my journal of the notes I took when I was there and I’m proud of the work (at times painful work) I did to really connect with myself, humankind and nature. I may share more of the finer details in a future video or blog…
What’s important to know is that there were so many teachings and learnings I brought back with me from this deep, transformative experience. Now I’m not saying that you need to take the same expensive and wild path as me. But I do want to share my great learnings with you to help you to live happier, healthier and fulfilled lives. This experience changed my life so I can change yours, that I know for sure. This became my life purpose; to be in service to others to help them along their journey in life. I have learnt who I have become, healed my soul on a deep level and learned to forgive and love, truly from my heart. At long last, I have found peace, joy, trust, contentment and I’m connected to something greater than ourselves.
This is where the idea of Pura Vida Your Life began, taking the Costa Rican philosophy and lifestyle for happiness and leading your best life. I believe that we can learn so much from this way of life and in adopting it, we too can be happier, healthier and live long fulfilled lives. Pura Vida (meaning Pure Life) – it all starts with you.
Of course, on my return from Costa Rica, I’ve had to put in the effort to change the way I live my life, otherwise, there was a chance that life would just revert back to how it was. I was not prepared to allow that to happen. I have instilled well-being, spiritual and lifestyle habits, practices and rituals into my daily life. I’ve also cut out channels of negativity and all of that has paid off in dividends.
There is no magic pill or quick fix in this life (believe me, I was looking for it); we have to work for it, be patient and persistent. And as I tell my clients, enjoy the process, it’s not about the destination. The real magic, the gold, the gifts, are in the incremental steps we take and the growth we experience. That’s what brings joy and fulfilment; this was what I came to realise and what I failed to see on my journey to success in life.
A year on, the best news is that I’ve not experienced any feelings of sadness, anxiety and depression since returning from Costa Rica, despite the conditions we’ve all been living under this past year. I am the healthiest and happiest I have been in my life. And I’m empowered to live life in my truth and to create and build a life I deserve. I live life with a great sense of harmony and freedom. I’m shining bright!
Here are my 3 Golden Nuggets for helping you to have a happier, healthier and fulfilled life:
Golden Nuggets
1. Approach the world with an unwavering attitude of gratitude
Pura Vida is a way of seeing the world: with simplicity, no worries, optimism, and positivity. It’s being happy with where you are in the present moment and viewing life as precious, for exactly what it has served you.
Top Tip
Value time infinitely more than money and cherish precious moments of shared experience – even with strangers.
2. Recognise that nature is an essential part of your well-being
Part of the Pura Vida philosophy entails cultivating a connection to the Earth (Pachamama) and nature. Costa Ricans have a unique appreciation for nature, and it shows in the many ways they’re consistently involved with it: surfing in the morning, going to the beach to watch the sunset, taking walks through the forest, and so on.
Costa Ricans’ wisely say: “what you do to the Earth, you do to yourself.” This awareness of the environment is unparalleled compared to other places in the world. No wonder they live happier, healthier and longer lives than most of the rest of the world!
Top Tip
What can you do to incorporate nature into your everyday life? Walking in nature even for 10 minutes has so many benefits. Why not start with 10 minutes a day and build up to 1 hour.
3. Do What Makes YOU Happy
Being the best version of you has nothing to do with your success or your status. It has everything to do with your character, what you do when no one’s looking.
In order to create the life you want, you have to be the person you want to be. Faking it till you make it is just a way to white knuckle it through your journey. I’m here to tell you that you have the fire inside of you to make things right, to put the pieces together, to live authentically. And character is how you get there.
Along with attitude, your character is about the choices you make, rather than what happens to you.
Top Tip
Yes, it’s about doing the right thing, even when obstacles seem insurmountable. It’s about using that mountain you’ve been given to show others it can be moved. It’s about being unapologetically you, taking control, choosing your attitude in adversity, and being the best version of you to create the life you want.
It’s important to realise YOU ARE ENOUGH, without all the material trappings.
So, let’s summarise those Golden Nuggets again:
- Approach the world with an unwavering attitude of gratitude
- Recognise that nature is an essential part of your well-being
- Do What Makes YOU Happy
Work with a coach
Sometimes we get really stuck when digging deep to understand who we are, who we want to be, where we want to go, what we want to do and what we want to have. And in knowing ourselves and how we can create a life that fulfils us on every level. When this happens, no matter how hard we try on our own, we might never be able to move forward and get to where we want to go in life. In these instances, working with a coach can help you.
A coach will ask the right questions to help you figure out who you are, what’s getting in your way to making your dreams into your reality and how to overcome these obstacles. They can help you to create a life you’ve always dreamed of. And yes, a life beyond your wildest dreams!
Coaching can be helpful whether you have just one issue or several; you may just need a few sessions or on a more regular basis, ongoing basis, depending on your needs. Sometimes asking for help can be the most hopeful and powerful step you can take to live a happier, healthier and fulfilled life.
Thank you for joining me and I look forward to seeing you again next week for Pura Vida Your Life Happenings for insight, inspiration and more Golden Nuggets to help you live a happier and fulfilled life.
I invite you to come on a journey of empowerment with me – sign up to Discoveries to start taking steps to improve your life!
Or, why not become a Pura Vida Your Life Member to discover an even wider range of inspiring resources and tools?
Pura Vida Your Life – it all starts with you 🧡💙💛
Until next time – Pura Vida!