This one is a bit about me and a bit about having a life purpose. Do you sometimes get the feeling that life is happening to you, some people are consummate planners and may strive to stay in charge of it all, all of the time, but many of us alternate between creating direction and living the routines of each day, some of which are out of our control. Once we are off out in the big wide world away from our childhood experiences and standing on our own feet we have many times where we make choices (good or bad) that affect our path, these choices can send you off in a completely different direction or just alter your course by a couple of degrees. Much of our time can also be spent doing what is required of us at school, work or home, as parents, partners or being ourselves in our space. Change can be subtle or obvious but it is not often constant, there is time that is spent simply being who we are.
I love to look back and contemplate the patterns that have gone before, I find it really interesting with my story and others stories and I believe that looking back with insight and a broader view can allow us to learn so much. In saying that I totally believe in living in the moment, not constantly focused on what might be coming or on what was, being in the moment is really where it's at, literally, I love stopping to smell the roses so to speak. I also think its a great idea to have some notion of what you are stepping forward into, a bit of planning can be helpful and there's excitement to be had in anticipation of whats coming but todays blog is more about how where we have been can show us so much. There is wisdom to be had in what has gone before.
My retrospective insight has provided reassurance about who I am, given me reflection of experiences that I can share, reminded me I am only human and most definatly capable of making mistakes, given me joy when reminiscing, and most excitedly shown me my life path mapping itself out piece by piece. To me my life path seems a long time in the making especially as I look around and see those people in their 20's hit their stride in full confidence of what they are here for and how to achieve it. I was always destined to be the person who cares, who wants to help others and ease pain, nursing fitted that well and even though I look back and feel like I fell into that career I can see it was always meant to be. But not nursing adults, nearly 2 years after graduation I nearly threw it all away for another love - the food industry- I didn't like nursing adults much, many exaggerated illness and craved attention which detracted time from the proper sick, I am a logical person and this wasn't good logic to me. As an agency nurse in the UK I got asked one day to go to a Neonatal unit, I naively said yes, they said really most are too nervous to go there, I thought what have I done but went anyway. I never looked back, I love babies and they couldn't fake illness, I loved intensive care and saving lives, I loved making a difference for the babies and as much for the parents. I did this specialty for 25 years, according to research working in Intensive care burns you out solidly by 5 years!!! I did a solid 15 years at the frontline in 3 different countries and I did a great job, I did get burnt out eventually so I took to being a nurse educator for the next 10 years to share my knowledge, which fitted in well with having a child and finally settling back in NZ. Then I had to stop altogether, my whole being screamed I have done my bit and I don't want to do it any more. I stopped at 45 years of age a relief but I was also exasperated because since I was about 33 I have felt strongly that there is something else I am meant to do, something that will help people in a whole other way! Why had it not shown itself yet?
And thats where divine timing and life path's come in, it hadn't shown itself because it wasn't meant to have happened by then, all the things that I needed to experience and to learn were happening instead. When you are in the moment of these things they can occasionally be clear enough that you may think hmmmm there is something more to this experience than the obvious but often it is only the beauty of hindsight that show's you what was really going on. The transformation since I stopped nursing nearly 2 years ago has been immense, not all of it is tangible, some is purely knowing but in retrospect it is all exactly how it was meant to be. I can see more clearly than ever where I am headed and I can see so succinctly what I have learnt and why. The layers of knowledge and experience give us so much and for me this allows me to share it with you as a transition coach so we can evolve together.
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