Author: Kate.Purcell

Today during a session with a client, I started to think about values. Then I started to read my new book called “The Source” by Dr Tara Swart…which talks a lot about the notion of values within the context of the law of attraction. So, I started thinking even more about this.

What are values? To me, values are what make us tick. They determine our priorities and they are, deep down, the measures you use to tell you if your life is turning out the way you want it to.

Our values are intrinsically linked to the core of who we are…our truest self. For instance, a few of my most important values include growth, connection and authenticity. These values are what make me tick, and a lot of what I want to manifest into my life, is aligned with these three concepts. I want a relationship that is based on growth, connection and authenticity, and I want to work in a profession that is aligned with these concepts also.

The fact that my goals, desires and direction in life are aligned with these values, means that it is much more likely that the universe will conspire to bring these things about because the universe wants us to achieve our full potential and it wants us to fulfill our destiny #theuniverselistens.

Values are very important, when it comes to the goals and direction we take in life. It is key to remember that your intentions and focus are at their strongest, when they align with our deepest values and truest self. Manifestation isn’t at all about purchasing that expensive car or the designer clothes. It is much more about attracting things into your life that make you feel how you want to feel, rather than simply obtaining ego-centric, material items.

If you don’t know what your values are, its time to stop, listen and take stock. Listen to your heart and listen to your gut, not just your rational mind. Because if your actions, goals and intentions aren’t aligned with your values, you will eventually feel a sense of dissatisfaction and anguish… Because there is a disconnect between your body and mind. Once we are able to integrate our body (heart, soul and intuition) and mind (ego), our motivation and energy will align in a powerful way. And with our goals and behaviour aligned with our deepest self, we are primed for success.

Now I have realised how important it is to make sure that what I want to attract into my life, is aligned with my values and true self, I am taking stock of all my values and making sure that everything I wish to attract into my life, is aligned with them.

Aside from growth, connection and authenticity, I value:

• fun
• love
• courage
• passion
• hope and gratitude
• happiness
• compassion
• service

What are your values? Are you living them? Are the decisions that you make within your life reflective of them? Are your goals and desires aligned with them? Or are you out of alignment? You will know you are out of alignment if you feel a sense of disharmony deep within yourself and a sense of disconnect between your body (intuition, soul and heart) and mind (ego).

What changes can you make within your life that will move you more into alignment? When setting goals or intentions, or when setting a vision for the future, it should fill your heart with desire, and should make you feel excited and intrinsically motivated.

I guarantee that as soon as you start living in alignment with your values, you will start to feel a greater sense of well-being, and fulfillment. And isn’t that worth it?

Love Kate xx

Today I am feeling a mixture of hope and hopelessness. I feel hope in that there are so many good things in my life right now. Hopelessness in that there is one thing missing and I’m not sure when or how that is going to change.

For quite some time now, I have felt ready for a soul mate relationship. I am ready for big, earth shattering, consciousness altering love. Everything else in my life is absolutely amazing! Yet I feel a gaping hole when it comes to love. I try so hard to be positive and hopeful… and my manifestation practice is on point with other aspects of my life. I try to tell myself that it must be a matter of divine timing… the timing just isn’t right yet. And I try to trust that. But I really feel it deep within, that I am ready. So, what can I do? Except to try and meet new people and put myself out there? If someone was in the same position as me I would tell them to trust and have faith that the right relationship will find them when they have learnt all that they need to learn, and when your potential partner has learnt what they need to learn. Timing is everything.

I know that in order to attract love, you need to emanate the vibration of love. You have to feel complete within yourself. You can’t go thinking you need someone else to complete you… that never works. I think I waver. Sometimes I can hold the vibration of love and vibrate happiness and wholeness. But there are still moments where I slide into the negative, wondering if and when and where I will find my soulmate.

I feel sometimes like love is pre-destined. There are certain people in your life that you are destined to meet… And like I said, it is just a matter of timing. So, what are we meant to do until that next person comes along? I guess you just have to have fun, put yourself out there and keep sprinkling love everywhere you go. Trusting and having faith that everything will work out in the end. I know I talk a lot about the themes of trusting and having faith in my blogs, but I feel for me, that is where my lesson is. I work on that every day. I guess patience is also a lesson for me, and I work on that every day too.

I will soldier on; I will work with the universe in order to attract what I desire. I will meet the universe halfway, by putting myself out there, and by taking action to meet someone. I will always try to keep my thoughts in the positive…Affirming that I am deserving of great love, and that I am love. I will feel into the feelings of being loved, and being loving, and I will visualise the love I want to attract. Last but certainly not least, I will have faith that the universe will do the rest of the work for me. If there is one thing I know for sure, it is that the universe is on my side.

I feel I have had so many incredible learning experiences and lessons over the course of my life, and I feel they are all very rich, relatable and helpful for people on similar journeys. My story, and my book is primarily for those people. For those who are not on a similar journey to myself, I believe that my book still provides an interesting read with many twists and turns, and learnings.

My book is primarily about my journey through mental illness and through the journey of recovery from mental illness. However, I have also been able to weave in other concepts and learnings from the depths of my experiences, whilst moving through this thing called life. At the moment by book is in the editorial phase, and I believe that this will further cement some of those concepts throughout the story, to make for an exciting and rewarding experience for readers.

To give you an insight into some of the stories that will be told throughout the book, here is a little snippet:

The story of the little Kate, who hated herself, compared herself to others and had no voice; becoming a public speaker and writer who speaks from the heart and has found her voice.

The story of the young Kate that was disconnected and tortured in her early to mid-twenties, becoming a woman who is authentically connected to other people in her life, and intimately connected to spirituality.

The story of weeping and desperate 26-year old Kate, that had nothing in her life except for a roof over her head and her immediate family, becoming a 35 year old who has an abundance of blessings in her life, including love, friendship, family, meaningful work, incredible opportunities, a lovely home and car, personal and spiritual growth, inner-peace and self-love, and a relationship with the universe that provides faith, trust and magic.

The story of 30-year Kate who took a leap to start working in mental health peer work, with only retail experience behind her and a “fake it until you make it” attitude…. Becoming a master in her role in mental health and is now pursuing her own mentoring business… and has no need to “fake it” any longer.

The story of 32-year old Kate, who left her life of love and stability (and the potential of marriage and kids) behind her in order to pursue something greater, and more fulfilling and fitting. Now the 35 year old Kate has mastered the art of kicking ass, being a single, hardworking, creative woman… and she has found what she was looking for… a deeper connection to those around her and a deeper connection to spirit.

Some other elements that are explored throughout the book:

• Authenticity – my journey to find my true authentic self and make this self, shine.
• Pushing through comfort zones – Never letting fear get in the way of your desires and dreams – always focus on growth.
• Spirituality – Embracing my spiritual side again and expressing this authentically. Faith and trust.
• Reducing self-stigma – Saying NO to stigma and self-stigma. Only I will dictate what my life is to become. Changing your perspective on stigma
• Self-love, Self-acceptance and Self-compassion – three keys to living a happy, blessed life.

Throughout the chapters of the book that focus on my time experiencing debilitating mental illness, and my time during hospital admissions, there are excerpts from clinical doctors and nursing notes, as well as diary entries. These all give a much greater insight into what I was going through at the time.

There is also a section written specifically for those who have loved ones going through mental illness, which hopefully will be a beacon of hope for families/partners/friends.

Aside from my book, I wanted to preview my mentoring business, and let you know about what my desires are for helping others.

I want to help others through the sharing of my story of mental illness and recovery – and hence help to reduce stigma in society.

I want to help others through the sharing of my journey from self-loathing to self-love/compassion/acceptance.

I want to help others through the sharing of my journey from being a shell of a person to becoming a striving, thriving individual.

I want to help others through the sharing of my journey from pushing away spirituality to coming out of the spiritual closet.

I look forward to sharing more of my experiences through my book, blog, and mentoring business.

If you’re interested in hearing more about the journey of publishing ‘Hope Calling’, there will be more info to come in the next few weeks.

Love Kate xxx

If there is one thing, I know to be true, it’s that self-love, self-acceptance and self-compassion are the keys to not only living a happy life, but also to living a life of abundance.

Let us address each of these concepts, separately, because it is exceedingly important, to grasp the meaning of each.

Self-Love and Self-Worth:

I feel as if I have mastered the art of self-love/self-worth, although at times it can still be difficult.

There is one thing that helps me to move towards self-love in each and every moment; and that is the notion that we are actually wasting precious energy, when we tap into feelings of self-loathing and insecurity. At the end of the day, if we spend so much time feeling these negative feelings, it is going to give a confusing message to the universe. If we want to attract positive things into our lives, such as loving relationships, opportunities, or cash-flow… but we are ourselves not feeling worthy of receiving these things, then this is a block that the universe cant get around. It is only when we feel worthy and deserving of good things, that the flow of energy between yourself and the universe becomes clear… and therefore, increases our chances of manifestation.

In terms of self-love, it is helpful to divide your life into four main areas, and then identify where you are wasting precious energy in these areas. I would suggest you look at these areas:

• Physical appearance
• Relationships
• Career
• Finances

Ask yourself what counterproductive thoughts, feelings and actions are preventing you from having higher vibrations in these areas. Remember that when we are tapping into self-loathing/insecurity/low self-worth feelings, our vibration is going to be lowered, and we won’t be able to attract what we desire. Instead, we need to tap into the feelings of self-love and self-worth.

For me, I struggle the most in the areas of Physical appearance and finances. So, this is where I need to do the most work. I constantly have to re-examine and re-set my limiting beliefs around these two areas. For instance, I quite regularly have the thought… “I will be deserving of a soulmate relationship when I lose another 5kgs” or, “I will love myself when I lose another 5kgs”. This is not good. I have had to re-assess these thoughts and change them. I tell myself now, that I am 100% enough…. And that I am 100% worthy of amazing things… right now, at this very moment. Some days this is easier than others.

Remember its ok to want to make changes to better yourself (such as with the issue of weight). But making these changes needs to come from a place of love, not fear. I am not going to waste my energy on feeling low-vibrational feelings. Also, ask yourself, “would the things that are stopping you from loving yourself, stop you from loving another person?”  The answer to this is always no. I’m not going to judge someone and not love them because of what they look like or what their bank balance is. So why am I judging myself for these things??

There are a few other pointers that I would like to address when it comes to self-love.

Don’t fall into the comparison trap. Constantly comparing yourself to others is one sure-fire way to allow those low vibrational feelings to wreak havoc in your life. We are each on our own journey, learning our own lessons. Don’t waste your time and energy comparing your looks, weight, bank balance, career or relationship status to someone else in your life or on your social media. Focus on your own path, your own lessons and your own growth. Period.

Be authentically you. Don’t be a people pleaser, and don’t spend time and energy worrying about what other people think of you. Pretending to be someone you’re not is probably the biggest waste of energy there is.  Go out into the world, determined to be who you truly are, and stand in your truth in all situations. This is the road to self-empowerment, and it is the fuel for your vibrational frequency.

Self-love is not about self-improvement or looking for answers externally. It’s a deep dive into self and into practicing self-acceptance of where and who you are in each and every moment.

And on that note, lets take a look at self-acceptance.

Self-Acceptance:

It is only by truly accepting who we are and where we are in our lives, that we can begin to move forward. I learned this lesson, intimately many years ago. I had very little in my life, and very few people in my life. I literally was at rock bottom. But acceptance of being at rock bottom, gives us fuel to make changes. If you let the truth overwhelm you, or sadden you, you become a victim of your circumstances. If you want to feel empowered, then self-acceptance is the way to go. When you feel empowered, you can make brave choices, and you see and seize opportunities. Solutions to problems are much easier to come by when you stand in acceptance and empowerment.

Comparison is a big factor again, when it comes to self-acceptance. Do not compare who you are or where you are at in your life, to anybody else. Like I said before, it is so important to focus on your own path and your own growth. Ten years ago, at 26 years of age, I could have very easily gotten caught up in comparisons with other people my age, but had I have done this, again I would have found it exceedingly difficult to move forward. I would have viewed myself as a victim, and I would have felt dis-empowered and helpless.

Self-acceptance is the path to self-discovery, and it allows us to find direction in our lives. It is the path forward. Period.

Let us lastly address self-compassion.

Self-Compassion:

Self-compassion allows us to be our own best friend, and our own cheerleader in life. And when you are up against challenges or adverse circumstances, this is nonnegotiable.  Without self-compassion, we make things harder for ourselves, because we judge ourselves, we berate ourselves for making mistakes, and it is much more difficult to find a level of resilience.

It is inevitable that throughout our lives, we will make mistakes. But when we carry a level of self-compassion, we move through these mistakes, with ease and grace. We can recognize that making mistakes allows us to learn and grow, and therefore we see that making mistakes, is actually priceless. We are able to move forward, knowing that we tried our best, and that this is enough. Self-compassion and self-love go hand in hand… Because when we show compassion towards ourselves, we are essentially saying to ourselves “I love you and you are enough”.

I have made many mistakes in my life. But the way I think about these mistakes means that they don’t affect my level of self-worth or self-esteem. I celebrate the fact that I am learning and growing. And I won’t make the same mistake twice. This makes those mistakes, valuable.

With your self-love, self-acceptance and self-compassion in-tact, you will be an unstoppable force. Not only will life be more enjoyable, it will flow more easily, and you will be able to manifest to your heart’s desire. I am living proof of this. I now stand in a place that is full of abundance and blessings, but I wouldn’t be here had I not mastered these 3 concepts.

If you struggle with any of these concepts, I urge you to take some time out, to consider how you too, can master them. I promise you; you won’t regret it. Allow self-love, self-acceptance, and self-compassion, to show you the way forward… and you too will eventually see how magical life can be.

Love Kate xx

• A feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen
• A feeling of trust

I’ve written a book that is in the process of getting published. Its title is ‘Hope Calling’. Now, having written a book that centers around the concept of hope, you would imagine id be an expert on the topic. And I guess I am. As far as I can remember, I have (almost) always been an advocate for hope. There is always hope, for everyone, I would say. But when we are feeling hope-less, what can we do to ramp up those positive, trusting feelings? Let us explore a little bit, by looking back on a time, where I was, without a doubt, hope-less.

During my days spent in hospital with anorexia, there was no hope. There was only darkness and suffering. I just couldn’t see a way forward, which is why it went on for so damn long. But… I still recovered. This wasn’t a miracle; it was hard work. I had to try to muster all the hope I could. Letting others hold the hope for me when I just couldn’t grasp it myself was very helpful… I definitely leaned on friends and others who were going through something similar. They saw my potential, and they saw my progress, when I just couldn’t. They saw my courageous spirit and my beauty, when I just couldn’t. They helped me to believe in myself and they helped me to see that I deserve amazing things. Which is beyond priceless.

I also had to completely re-jig my core beliefs and thought patterns. I had to re-integrate healthy core beliefs to replace the old, outdated, negative beliefs. I also needed to visualise and express the kind of life I wished to have in the future and feel excitement for the future. Slowly but surely, hope crept in, and then turned into something much bigger and brighter. What I then had in front of me, was a blank canvas, and I could start building my life the way I wanted it. But without hope, it would have all been lost. Since that time, no matter what problems I had (and there have been many), I could turn to that hopeful feeling.

Sure, there have been many times since then when I haven’t been able to see a clear way forward. But still, I could muster hope, because hey, I got through anorexia, and therefore I could get through anything. This notion has really helped me over the years, but that doesn’t mean that it has been easy to be hopeful, or that it comes naturally. It is a work in progress, and there are days where I have to work hard at it.

But generally, I like to think of myself as the eternal optimist, and I can now almost always see a positive where other people only see a negative. But it has taken years and years to get to this place. What happens when I’m up against a situation or experience though, where I can’t for the life of me, see a positive? What then? I think that the only way forward is to dig really deep, and at the very least, see the situation or experience, as learning.

I always say that even if an experience seems “bad”, that if you learnt something from it, it cancels out the negative. Learning and growing might be the only side effects from an unpleasant situation… but that is still a very good thing. And when you view things in this way, it makes it much easier to gather up all those hopeful feelings, and hence create a brighter outlook for yourself.

In summary, I would say that hope can be fickle, and elusive sometimes, but it is of the utmost importance, when it comes to living our lives. I tend to believe that without hope, we are lost beings. We must always, always, hold on to it. And when we can’t seem to grasp it, we must let others hold the light of hope for us. Friends, family, if we are lucky enough to have them, can help us see our progress, our potential, and the fact that we are indeed, deserving of our highest dreams and aspirations. So I am telling myself now too, to hold onto hopeful feelings, and trusting that I just need to keep on keeping on, and that the things that I want and desire will find their way to me. Because hey, they have before.

Love Kate xx

When things don’t make sense, life can be a battle. When you think everything is making perfect sense, and then you lose something, you can feel alienated, and alone. You wish that you could fast-forward time, to a time when things make sense again. What can you possibly do to fast-track? What can you possibly do, to make the experience before that time, any easier? Friends help. Family helps. Work helps. But even when you’re filling your time with other activities and distractions, how can you fill up the gaping hole of sadness? I suppose you need to recognise that some days will be harder than others. I suppose you need to recognise that pain takes time to heal. My soul was  very happy… and now I am back to struggle town. Even my most optimistic, spiritual outlook, doesn’t dull the deep sadness that I feel. I am clinging to faith. I am clinging to hope. But it isn’t always easy to feel positivity and optimism all the time.

For now, at least, I just have to be brave. I need to go out into the world, do what I do, speak what I know, and try to shine as authentically as I can. I need to remind myself that life ebbs and flows. Things aren’t always going to be or feel this way. Good things happen… bad things happen. As long as we are learning and growing, it is all for the best, right? I just need to keep on focusing on my own ambitions and goals and strive to be the best at what I do, and the best me I can be. More important than anything else, I need to have faith that whatever happens, happens for a reason, and is ultimately for my benefit, even if I can’t see or feel that right now.

I hope that in a few weeks, I can write my next blog in a much more positive space, but I need to feel this pain right now, and let it pass naturally. I will continue to do the inner work, and I won’t give up. I just need to acknowledge, that it may be difficult, and some days I may not feel great. But I will never give up. I have been through worse. I have been through much worse… and I came out the other side, stronger, more compassionate, and a better person overall. If I had a friend in the same position that I am in now, I would tell them that as time goes by, things will get easier, and that its so very important to have faith and trust in the universe. There is a reason for everything… even for the “bad” stuff. It will make sense in time. And until it makes sense, hold on to hope and resilience, and know that everything works out in the end. I’m trying to tell myself that right now.

And hey, I’m not starting from square one. I have so many amazing, good things in my life right now. I need to remember to be grateful for all the good things and good people I have in my life. Sometimes its hard though, sometimes when you lose something, it can feel like you have nothing. Which couldn’t be further from the truth really. Perspective is important. I’m still so incredibly far from where I started off many years ago. I have built something really special. I need to remember to give myself pats on the back for coming so far already.

What does the next chapter hold? I don’t really know. But I know that friends and family will be there for me, which makes me very rich. I know that I have an incredible opportunity to publish my book and my creative work, which also makes me very rich. I know I have a job that I love, and my happy place to come home to everyday. I know that my spirituality will continue to lift me up, and light me up… and help me forge a path ahead. I know that the relationship I have with the universe helps me to believe in the possibility of magic. And at the moment, I need a little bit of magic.

Watch this space.

Love Kate xx

Something I have learnt over the past month or so, through conversations and reading lots of books, is that authenticity isn’t easy. Especially when being authentically you, means coming out of the spiritual closet. By that I mean, I am a very spiritual person and have an immensely spiritual outlook on life. Some people in my life might find that a bit hard to swallow, but as my spiritual growth continues, I am getting to the point where I am realising that in order to attract the right things and the right tribe of people into my life, I have to go about my day, saying a HELL YES to who I am. I have to go about my day saying, this is who I am, and if you don’t like it, I will compassionately tell you that you can go elsewhere. If I am wanting to shine, and If I am wanting to be authentic and attract the right things into my life, I have to say HELL YES to coming out of the spiritual closet. I am not going to force spirituality on you, and I am not going to pressure you in any way, shape or form, to agree with me on the way I see the world… but I am going to be authentically me, because I deserve that.

I have learnt something else from the current book I am reading… “Light in the new black”. And that is that your vibration is the best tool in your manifestation toolkit. It is more powerful than words, or what you wear, say or do. Like attracts like… and if I want to attract the right things and the right people into my life, I have to vibrate at that same level. And one sure fire way to lift your vibration and attract the right things into your life, is by authentically shining as your truest self. And if I deny my spirituality, If I hide my spirituality, I am not being authentic, I am not in alignment, and I will not attract what I truly know I want and need, deep down.

I am becoming quite comfortable with writing authentically… and showing readers the bare bones of who I am and what I believe to be true. But I don’t often talk with real authenticity, often choosing to hide certain things and certain words in order to make other people feel more comfortable. I realise its going to be a work in progress, as its something I’m not entirely used to. But I am getting slightly more comfortable being the real me, and it feels really really good. So I will continue down this path, and hold the intention of saying HELL YES to who I am, what I do, and what I believe in. And slowly but surely, I will get there and be out of the spiritual closet, for good.

Just one final thought, when I used to talk about authenticity years ago, I was referring to my past challenges. Learning to be authentic in regard to my past challenges took time… but I think I’ve almost got that down pat. Now, the challenge continues…. To become uniquely, whole. Watch this space.

Love Kate xx

I have many tools in my toolbox when it comes to dealing with tough times.

Faith is exceedingly important. Faith is like a life-raft. Without it, it’s much more likely that you will drown in negativity. And drowning in negativity doesn’t help our cause at all. The best thing to do when you go through pain or loss, is to try and focus all your energy on the positive. Because positivity attracts more positivity.

Yes, it is important to let out your feelings, it is important to really feel your feelings. If your feelings are not acknowledged, they will pop up when you least expect it, or seep their way through to affect other parts of your life. But once you have truly felt your feelings, and been through the grieving process, I feel the absolute best thing to do is to pick yourself back up, feel into gratitude, and then surrender. Surrendering means letting go of stress and negative thoughts, and simply trusting in the bigger picture, and having faith that everything happens for a reason.

By surrendering, trusting, and having faith, this allows us to raise our vibration, and then it is much more likely we will start attracting new, positive things into our lives. Allowing us to move on. A great way of mastering this is to feel into what we want to be feeling, during meditation. Also, whilst meditating, try and breathe deeply, and consciously say to yourself… “I surrender to the universe” and “trust and have faith”. Say this as many times as you need to really get those positive vibes, and that feeling of release, and relief. You will feel lighter.

And then you can start identifying what emotions you would like to feel… and breathe and feel into these positive emotions. “I am happy”, “I am secure”, “I am loved”. You can also use some visualization here…simply visualize what you want your life to look like in the future and what you want to attract. This can be very powerful, especially if you do it every day.

The other important thing about taking time out to meditate and connect with your soul, is that it also helps us gain clarity around what we want and what we need. After surrendering, quieten your mind and see what comes up for you.

Remember, we are all human, and as humans, we are bound to experience tough times. But one thing is for sure, what doesn’t kill us, does make us stronger… what doesn’t kill us, will help us to grow. It is important to remind yourself of that fact, especially when you’re in the thick of painful emotions.

Things generally always work out for the best, but again, it can be hard to see this whilst grieving or feeling upset. When you’re in the thick of it, try and detach from your negative emotions slightly and try to see what it is you are learning in this experience. Essentially, we are all here to learn and grow…and some lessons are harder than others, but if we remember the bigger picture, then it makes the tough times much easier to swallow.

So, to summarize the points of importance in regard to getting through tough times:

• Feel your feelings, and grieve, then move on and focus on the positive
• Have faith
• Remember that everything happens for a reason, even if not apparent straight away
• Surrender to the universe… let go of heavy emotions and thoughts… raise your vibration
• Feel gratitude
• Trust in the bigger picture
• Try to detach from your negative emotions and see the lesson behind the experience
• Remember that what doesn’t kill us will make us stronger and help us to grow
• Meditate and connect with your soul to gain clarity
• Visualise what you want to attract and feel the emotions that you want to feel

Love Kate xx

When I think back to all the obstacles I have overcome over the past 10 years, I remember the one thing that has been a part of me and my make-up, this entire time. That is my ability to surrender to the universe, and simply remind myself to ‘trust and have faith’. This is incredibly healing, and I attribute my strength of character, my positive sense of who I am, and my blessed life, to these few words. I remember crying on my bed, in complete despair in regard to the gaping holes I once had in my life. But I remember that thought. I remember those few words ‘trust and have faith’. Those words were so powerful at the time, and they continue to be powerful to this day.

Essentially, I did surrender, and trust that things would improve in my life, as long as I kept taking small actions towards building something new and good. These words gave me the courage to take those small steps, and then bigger steps, and even bigger steps. Every time I would feel afraid, or lacked confidence or resolve, I would repeat these words in my mind. And they gave me comfort, knowing that I had complete faith that things would get easier, and better for me. And I still practice this… to.this.day.

Knowing what I now know about manifestation, I realise that through thinking positively and visualising success, taking solid action steps towards improving myself and my life, and having total faith that things would get better, led me towards building (and manifesting) a beautiful life. I didn’t know at the time, that by doing the above things, essentially, I was putting myself in the driver’s seat of my life, and in the process of manifesting an amazing future.

If I had one piece of advice for someone in a similar position to the one I was in 10 years ago, I would tell them to dive right into a manifestation practice, but even more importantly, simply to repeat those words ‘trust and have faith’, when faced with despair or hardships. I would tell them just how incredibly powerful those words can be, and how much strength and courage can be derived by repeating those words regularly.

In the space of ten years I have found an abundance of love and friendships, meaningful work, amazing opportunities, a lovely home and car, financial stability, personal and spiritual growth, inner peace and self-love, and everything that I need to be happy.

All thanks to my extraordinary belief that if I trust, and have faith, things will work out – and of course taking courageous action towards bettering myself and my situation every single day. You can’t really have one without the other, because even if you keep taking steps forward, you may hit roadblocks, and want to give up. But when you pair action with the belief that faith and trust in the universe will carry you the rest of the way, you will be unstoppable.

So trust… and have faith, the universe is on your side.

Very recently, I have been reminded of just how important it is, to me, to be authentic and live in alignment with my beliefs and values. I have, for the past year, moved very much away from talking about my past, talking about my spiritual and personal growth and talking about my spiritual beliefs in general. I started falling out of alignment with what I know to be true, and what I know to be my calling in this life. What I know to be true, is that above all else, I value honesty, authenticity and growth. What I also know to be true, is my calling to share my story, and to express myself authentically. In the past year I had not been expressing myself in the ways that mean the most to me. I had left my past behind me.

I know some people say its good to leave the past in the past. But the past makes up the very fabric of who I am today. So, denying and hiding the past, is essentially denying and hiding important parts of who I am. I am not going to do that any longer. I have been very fortunate, in finding myself back in my profession as a peer worker, and in this profession, I show up every day, as who I truly am, and this is seen as a positive. This has really reminded me how truly beneficial it is to take off my mask and be my true self. It is invigorating, empowering and life-giving.

This reminder has prompted me, once again, to start living authentically, every day. I feel like it is especially important…crucial, in fact, to get my story and experiences out there, to assist others who may be struggling. And I honestly forgot how important this calling is to me. Don’t get me wrong, you will not be catching me talking about my past incessantly or when it is inappropriate to do so. It is still extremely important to remember that my past is only a mere portion of who and what I am.

But it is in my work, that I bare all. In my work, it is important to get my message out there. The message that despite hardship and struggle, you can build a life well worth living. This is a very important message, and I will honour this message, by living in alignment with the truest version of myself, and spreading the word.

This is my pledge.