How I found my authenticity.
Back in October 2009 on a beautiful sunny autumnal day at a countryside hotel in Worcestershire, I walked into the training course which changed my life. Finding my authenticity wasn’t anywhere on my radar and I didn’t realise that at the time when I strolled in, rather like a petulant teenager – I’d just come from mucking out two horses and would rather be outside in that sunshine!
The course was the start of my NLP Practitioner training and it is fair to say at the time, my life was a bit of a tricky mess – the horses were an escape from the realities of my home life, I felt powerless, a victim to circumstances and unable to see a way out. After each day I was speechless! As delegates, one by one working in pairs, we coached each other to practice the techniques. We soon got into the habit of coming prepared with a series of personal challenges we wished to solve – ticking them off one by one as we progressed through the 2 week course. We all used our learning to take a fresh perspective on negative things we had previously chosen to drag around with us like a piece of heavy baggage…
What happened next
My journey to find my authenticity didn’t stop after those two weeks. Life did change, pretty drastically and through those challenges and the learning, I began to find a way to be a victor rather than a victim. S*** happens and this time I was choosing a new path – rather than believing I was powerless and everyone else was to blame, I realised being a victim had actually been a choice and I could now choose something different. I had the choice in how I responded to this stuff and could be in the driving seat of my life.
In 2013 I completed my NLP Master Practitioner and this reminded me that in order to be really good at this choice thing, I had to practice. Being the 
victim to your life is pretty easy. Being your own hero is hard work but that was the life I wanted. 2016 I attended Tony Robbins’ ‘Unleash the Power Within’ – walked hot coals, faced my limiting beliefs and let them go – I was going to love life and just go for it – both personally and professionally.
Where I am now
Speed on 11 years – I’m absolutely clear on my Values and all the decisions I make are based on ensuring my self worth, sense of adventure, creativity and desire for freedom and fun are all satisfied. Everything – yes, absolutely everything – from my choice of work clients, freelance work, friendships and my relationship, are all in alignment with my values and with my core purpose to energise and enthuse others to realise their potential and opportunity for personal growth. Thankfully now, my intuition tells me when things aren’t in alignment and hence, decision making is so much easier.
So the hard work… this is no longer hard as I practice it – every day! I have regular coaching, I share learning in the training room, keep a Grateful Diary and listen to the most fabulous books – when driving in the car or pottering in the garden. These always keep me grounded – here are a few…
- Simon Sinek – Start with Why & Find your Why – simonsinek.com
- Declan Coyle – The Green Platform – thegreenplatform.com
- Gabrielle Bernstein – The Universe Has Your Back – gabbybernstein.com
- Robert Holden & Louise Hay – Life Loves You – robertholden.com
- Fearne Cotton – Quiet – officialfearnecotton.com
- Dan Meredith – How to be F*cking Awesome – coffeewithdan.com
So how does all this help? 
It means I’m living authentically – on purpose and in alignment with my values.
And the result?
I found my authenticity and it gives me a life full of: peace, joy, is centred, comfort, calm, full of sunshine. This is my choice and from this path I will never waver…