It was 1990, I was 16, and I started my working life in the world of International Banking. After walking every inch of the City of London for two weeks and handwriting 53 letters, I had my first interview; it was with Coutts & Co, bankers to the Queen.
In my interview, “where can you see yourself in 20 years” was the first question, I had never been asked that before, and I had not looked that far into the future. Yet, without hesitation, I replied “Here, on the Board of Directors” the response was swift “there hasn’t been a woman on the Board of Directors in nearly 300 hundred years”, “there is a first time for everything” I replied
Two weeks later, I received my offer letter. My journey had begun.
Was this career for me? I was yet to find out.
In 1997, after adding too many late nights to my early mornings, I was diagnosed with ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), otherwise known as CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), my body seemed to shut down, I was 23.
My first question was, “am I going to die” when the answer was “no,” I knew I had to change.
I began my journey into wellness, being inspired, and learning from great teachers such as Dr. Wayne Dyer, Robin Sharma, Deepak Chopra, and Louise Hay.
After 18 months of not functioning very well at all, I began to get strength back and decided I needed to regain my life, take back control. I studied and qualified as a Personal Trainer and Sports Therapist and studied Lifestyle Management; I had to understand what my body needed to be well.
I loved the feeling of being in control and feeling energised again, but still, something was missing.
In 2005 I was blessed with the birth of my daughter, she arrived with a whole host of new life and health lessons for me to learn and keep learning daily. Having my daughter made me see the world differently, I had become a mother, a teacher, a cheerleader, a mentor, a role model, and a protector overnight. I wanted and needed to be the best version of myself.
I became stronger than I could have ever imagined, emotionally, and was determined to create the life of my dreams, yet I was still uncertain what that was.
Four years later, I met my husband; we merged two families and nurtured them to grow into one.
I was close; my family unit was complete. I had met the person with whom I wanted to share my adventures.
Then, one morning I woke, I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror and cried, I had no idea who this woman was, I didn’t recognise her at all, she didn’t look like me, and I didn’t feel like me. I sat on the floor for an hour, sobbing.
I was scared, confused, and felt incredibly lost. I was 38
After four years and what felt like a weekly increase in symptoms and after being told I was depressed and it was all in my mind along with “you are too young to be going through the Menopause.” I finally discovered I was going through the Peri-Menopause, all the symptoms of the menopause but still having periods…Yay
There was an answer – hallelujah.
It was then I began truly listening to myself, I discovered my why ‘at 102 I want to be able to do what I can do today and more’. I have an overwhelming desire to live a long, very long life, healthy, happy, balanced and purposeful life.
From discovering my why, my love of learning went nuclear, every article, book, every lesson on health, wellness, and what I needed to achieve, my goal was absorbed, and thankfully, I will forever be a work in progress.
To date, I have gone through lots of change, Career; I no longer wanted to head to the board of Coutts, I learned a new skill and reignited my love of learning, and started my own business,
Relationships; Adam Ant and Matt Goss were no longer top of my husband list, but I did meet and marry my soul mate, Parenting; I became a mum, then I was lucky enough to be embraced by three children as their step mum. Health: I battled through ME and learned so much about what I needed to be well, and now I am embracing the peri-menopause and beyond
I am braver and stronger than I could ever have imagined.
Writing the next chapter of my story is exciting; it will be full of love and adventure.
Yes, over the last 23 years I have made some awful health and life choices, but it has only from making them that I was able to make better choices the next time around, and on somethings, it took more than one failure before I got it.
I am grateful that I have lived those choices and learned how to make better ones and it is because of al those experiences, that I was able to create The Purposeful Life, it exists because I didn’t always make the right choices or do or say the right things, it exists because I am proof that it is never too late to quieten your mind and listen to yourself.
With a sprinkle of bravery and a big dash of commitment and the willingness to change I found that you can rediscover your strengths, your purpose, your why then you can elevate your life.
I knew that I wanted to empower and inspire others to embrace change, follow their dreams, rediscover themselves, show up and live their dream Life.
With this in mind, I set about practicing what I wanted to teach.
My passion led me to create The Purposeful Life; My purpose is to pay it forward.