Today's memory comes from just one of the times in my life when I didn't know what to do, I felt stuck in a place where I had no idea what I wanted to do as a career and my first boyfriend had ended our relationship, I was just heartbroken. There I was at 17 years of age in turmoil, I was half way through a hairdressing course and trust me really not enjoying it and to me all alone in this mad crazy world, or so it felt back then.
It is quite bizarre how when we are in the middle of a situation there appears to be no way out, no light at the end of the tunnel. I have many times over the years since then felt the same way, but you know I have come to realize that the toughest time is when you are in the middle of it, once you have sat, stopped and listened to your heart then your instincts and intuition tell you your next move. I wish at the age of 17 somebody had told me this, it all seemed so useless back then, I was persuaded to carry on with the hairdressing course but I knew way down deep in my heart I could never make it work as a career. I qualified and left the college heavy hearted, worked for a hairdressers for three weeks and then resigned, I left their employment with a spring in my step! That was the first major breakthrough in following my intuition, the weekend I left that job I was offered my first management job at a local newsagents and that was the start of my 30 year management career.
Today as I coach others I ask them, 'What is in your heart? What is your intuition telling you? Its amazing how eyes light up as soon as the heart is allowed to talk. It is so important when the going gets tough to take time out, get off that treadmill, stop running to nowhere. I have evidence in my life that listening to what others believe you should do leads to turmoil in one's life, In saying that there are times when I should of allowed other peoples voices to 'awaken' what my heart was trying to say and got out of situations before I got in too deep, but in all those cases I now know that the truth of what I should of done lay within me.
Over time I will share other stories about my life where, if I had just stopped and listened I would of had an easier time, thankfully from my experiences has come the lesson. Just let go, let it be, stop and then listen to your heart, it is at this time that the message in the form of the answers come along, usually when you least expect them and sometimes in the most unlikely way.
This memory of my 17 old self leads me to share how it relates to my life today. If you have read previous blogs you will have noted how I have recently written a book 'Made it Thru the Rain', I completed the writing of this manuscript in October 2011 and spent Nov/Dec getting it ready for self-publication. I was convinced it was the only way to go except that my intuition kept saying, 'No, this is the wrong route, you will find a publisher', I struggled with what needed to be done, I contemplated the hit on my finances to get it to publication and felt I was up against a brick wall.
Over the Christmas period forced out of action by a bad back I had to stop all the worrying as my health took priority. It was during this time that I remembered a conversation with a friend who had suggested the name and website of her publisher, so I logged on and followed their instructions towards the first stage of working with them as my publisher. Was I surprised when within the 48 hour lead time they came back and moved me to stage 2 of their process? No I wasn't nor was I surprised when I got the offer contract through this week for them to publish my book. I was in awe, I was a little shocked but deep down in my heart a little voice was saying 'I told you so!'
So during January as we head into the New Year and throughout 2012, I would suggest to you that at times it is important to just take some time out to stop, look and listen to your heart... all you need to do is then act on it! I understand this is sometimes scary but remember as I read once, 'when fear knocked on the door, faith answered' - be prepared for the answer and go with it.
Have a great start to the year and join me for my next blog when I will again share with you another memory which again will lead me to share with you the part it has played on my journey to the positive life I live today.
