Another year has almost come and gone, and it is time to reflect on what has passed.
This year has seen many big changes in my life. Some good, some bad, some amazing. It hasn’t been an easy year, with dad’s health going from bad to worse… a diagnosis of liver cancer in February, we remained positive. Then a heavy realisation in April as we learned that dad has brain cancer as well. Much treatment and two surgery’s; one that we are still waiting to see the effects of. Dad’s cancer is an unpleasant yet timely reminder that life is short, and we never know what is around the corner. It has made me even more determined in my own life, to make the most of any situation, good or bad. We are still praying that dad gets through this and is able to maintain a relatively good quality of life throughout this period.
Despite this disturbing reality, learning about Dad’s illness, I have still stuck to my guns and have tried to maintain a rigorous meditation practice. This above all else, helps me to stay focused on the positive, and grateful for all my blessings. It has helped me to maintain a positive mindset, fixed on growth, learning and healing; and it has helped me continue to attract more abundance and good things into my life.
What I actually realised the other day is this:
I am living a life that I am in love with. Yes, It is possible! I never thought I would get to this place, but it has happened, none the less. Don’t get me wrong, it has taken lots of hard work and tears, and the journey has been uphill at times and very confusing and frustrating. However, slowly but surely, I have transformed not only myself, but my whole experience of life.
I am happy. I am blessed. I am fulfilled. I am grateful.
I will tell you that I don’t attribute my happiness and success to luck, or even hard work. I attribute my success and happiness to my sense of spirituality and spiritual practices. I have had some amazing times throughout my recovery journey, which started about 10 years ago. But looking back to only 2 years ago, I was in a bind.
I had lost track of my goals, my relationships were not fulfilling, I was overweight and unhappy in general. I remember making a promise to myself at the end of 2019, that 2020 would be the year for positive change. I started losing weight and drinking less. This was the beginning, but there was much more to come.
I started meditating and reading spiritual books, and I started to pray to the universe and talk to the universe as if it were an old, reliable friend. All of this ramped up my feelings of faith and reduced the fear that was consistently present in my life. Over time I have created this very effective meditation practice, that I practice every morning for a half an hour.
These conversations with the universe and feelings of faith and abundance, catapulted my spiritual and personal growth to another level. I talked to the universe about my fears and my desires, and through my powerful meditation practice, I surrendered my fears and visualized my deepest desires.
It was then that I really started to see results in my external world. More fulfilling employment, an influx of money, and a publisher for my book were the first things to arrive for me. And whilst 2020 was so much more positive than the previous year, exponentially so, in this following year of 2021, things got even better.
My work life, personal life, finances and feelings of confidence have been transformed.
I have changed career path. No longer in mainstream mental health, which I was getting sick of; I have managed to acquire two roles in the AOD and DFV space, specifically a Program Facilitator role at Acacia Prison, involving group work and 1:1 AOD/DFV counselling with prisoners; and a Program Facilitator role at Communicare Breathing Space, which is a residential program for DFV ex-offenders. I am absolutely thrilled to be in this new space; I feel inspired and fulfilled, and I am well renumerated. I feel like I have struck gold.
I still have wonderful friendships and an amazing, supportive partner, which I am grateful for every single day, and I have copious amount of fun with my partner and friends. Fun is definitely a value that is very important to me and it is a huge factor in my day-to-day life. Only last weekend I had the most incredibly fun birthday at the Balmoral hotel, along with a ride in a stretched hummer. Such a happy time, and rewards for efforts made.
A wonderful new house has also been a very positive development only just recently, and I am so happy in my new abode. It is absolutely perfect and fits me to a tee. This bigger place means that I can actually have friends and family over, which is something I have been wanting for quite some time.
I realized last night on my way home from work, just how immensely free and happy I am… I feel completely whole and fulfilled. What an amazing transformation from where I was 10 years ago, or even 2 years ago. I am not saying that I am free of challenges or difficulties. The situation with Dad is something that I am still working my way through, and on my challenging days I still need to work on my ability to not care what others think of me, but my base mindset is positive and healthy, so I can get through these challenges with acceptance and grace.
The message here is this. Your past doesn’t matter, when you embrace spirituality and spiritual practice, and start having faith in the universe, absolutely anything is possible. The universe has an amazing plan for you. You just need to tune in, listen and believe.
I can’t wait to experience what 2022 has in store for this very blessed Kate 😊
Kate's Niche 