Growing up, I have never been exceptionally strong and healthy. From what I remember I was often seeing the doctor and taking medicine. I didn't like P.E. lessons either because I was considered weak and not fit...
But I have always been curious and loved learning. I had good grades in school. And since entering into the workforce around 1990, I had got what other people thought was a good and glamourous job.
Like many in the big city, I had confused being ‘busy” with being “worthy”. I have held senior positions in international fashion companies for many years. Working my way up and staying there meant my work life could get quite overwhelming and I would lose my balance until my body communicated to me by effecting "dis-ease". A few times my body had to cry very loud until I got the message. I found that over the years I became more gravitated to learning about staying well and would try many different wellness modalities, including yoga, Chi Gong, meditation, aromatherapy, acupuncture, massage, vegetarianism and so on, out of the desire to function optimally.
Every time I suffered from a "health crisis" I would slow down briefly and soon it would be a lesson forgotton as I fell back into my habitual routines.
The real breakthrough came when I was "forced" to listen to my body's emergency call: my chronic asthmatic cough was getting out of control and I was also having signs of depression. I knew I would not be fit to function for another demanding fashion season, with its long haul travels, working across time zones and pressing deadlines... I decided to take a three-month "sabbatical".
Three months of slowing down and travelling in Europe and New York (this time leisurely and not for business) brought real clarity to me. Even though I had no idea what the future held, it was crystal clear that it was NOT going back to my old life. I turned down a lucrative offer to go back to the fashion industry at the end of the intended “sabbatical”, after a brochure from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition caught my eye at a Manhattan health food store... I found myself registering into it and surrendering to the calling of the land of no return...It was the most outrageous and unreasonable thing I had done in my life!
But very soon I realized all that I had been learning and practising as "hobbies" came together for me. I was immersed in an inspiring and supportive and accelerated learning environment among like-minded people and experienced personal transformation in all levels like never before. In the process I also facilitated and witnessed amazing transformation in others and realized the powerful healing and transformative powers in each and every one of us, and how crucial COMMUNITY support and synergy was.
I love New York. But Hong Kong is my home. Years before I made that decisive move in New York, I had wished some people would somehow bring messages of balance and wellness to Hong Kong. I had wished people would have better work-life balance, and would be working smarter and not harder. (I had not heard about coaching then). I had wished more people learn the simple things they could do to stay well without taking unnecessary drugs or suffering from compromised health...
Years before I had secretly set the intention that I would "someday" educate and heal people, when I had enough knowledge/money/connections/courage..., but I thought it would be too late to do anything in "this" life time.
Indeed I would have settled for doing it in my "next life"...
I am glad eventually I didn't wait...I trusted my heart, and I took the opportunity when it presented itself, and plunged into the complete unknown...
Since then, I have been exercising my "risk taking muscle" of stepping out of the comfort zone and acting in spite of fear. Like any muscle of our body, it works better with more use. ("What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!") Every day and every moment offers new opportunity for practising renewel and re-creation, and for practising being fearless. Perhaps I will never be free of fear, but the fear loses its grip as I embrace new challenges in life with trust. With the support of my community, regular reflection and awareness practice, I am reminded to staying in the trust that I have access to everything I need to handle every situation in life, and that in the grand design of things, everything and every situation is perfect.
I am living my dream life in this life time! I believe a real wellness movement is POSSIBLE in Hong Kong and the world, in my own life time, starting from ME following my passion and calling...and from me TRUSTING...
Share my dream here...
Do you want to join me in the trust of the perfection of who we really are? Who ARE you really? Are you in awe of who you really are?
Life is truly a gift to me. Thank you for letting me share this gift with you. And I thank you for considering sharing yours with me. Let's give the best of ourselves to this truly amazing gift called LIFE...
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