At the age of sixteen, I lost a parent in tragic circumstances and witnessed my other parent go through a breakdown as a result. Although I didn't know it then, that time proved to be the making of me. I made a decision to recover from this event, immediately setting off on a journey of healing and developing my knowledge for coping with life-changing events. This decision I made on how to respond has helped me realise I am stronger mentally than I thought.
Over the last two decades faith, mindfulness, good habits, and an unconditional support network have been at the centre of my progress from a grieving teenager towards a husband, father, leadership, and personal coach. In the sentences below I will expand on these words and the benefits.
Faith: From the moment I first read a Buddhist book comets collided in my head and I immediately surrendered fully to the teachings which have since provided a structure to my life. A perfect way to start every day is by meditating!
Mindfulness: Being able to live in the present more reduces guilt about the past, and anxiety for the future and enables me to be far more grateful for the wonderful things in my life.
Habits: For many years I thought confidence and motivation were the key to success, however as important as they are - they both are inconsistent. In the last five years, I found that good habits are what truly bring consistent progress. I have found if you keep habits simple and make them the ones you want to do this will help you maintain them. For example habits such as meditation, running, and drinking water in the morning work for me.
Unconditional support: My goal in life is to live for the benefit of others, surprisingly the more I try to help others my friends and family are there for me exactly when I need them.
On balance, we all have our share of ups and downs across a lifetime. In closing, I encourage you to reflect on your successes, strengths, and qualities by writing them down, add to the list constantly and making them your invisible trophy cabinet - as this will help you grow in confidence and appreciation to support your decision making in the future.
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Thanks Mark