Starting a new year at this time of sudden and often shocking change whether it be environmental, economic or cultural, it’s easy to see how the negative emotions of fear, anger and blame can take over. We feel helpless and hopeless and look at the year ahead with trepidation. I am reminded though that it’s through testing times and adverse circumstances that we find strengths and talents we’d previously dreamt lay beneath our ‘looking good’ safe exterior, but were always too scared to show, in case we’d be laughed at or fail.
I was born in Sydney, Australia and had always dreamt of being a singer, but pushed those dreams aside, as you do to be sensible, and threw myself into a career in the media. I was fortunate to experience international success including being a high-powered corporate advertising executive, which was a career that looked successful to everyone else, but inside I was dying.
My dreams lingered deep inside, to be awakened only after I suffered a horrendous accident and burnt over 80% of the skin off my legs. A top burns doctor wrapped my legs, declared that I would need extensive skin grafts, and told me all I could do was go home, lie down for 3 weeks and wait.
Bandaged to my hips and not really able to move, I had a lot of time to think and it didn’t take long for me to realize I didn’t want to die with my music trapped inside me. Staring down at my legs like a line drawn in the sand I saw my home office with marketing books piled high to my left and my keyboard surrounded in boxes and dust to my right. I decided to take the right path for me. Like a phoenix rising out of the flames I vowed I would do whatever it took to heal, start singing and launch my music career.
When I went back to the doctor 3 weeks later he started removing the bandages preparing me for the worst. But this was not to be. When the bandages started to come off, he saw a miracle. My skin had started to grow back. I would not need skin grafts. This encouraged me to not only keep focusing on my dream, but to write down how I was doing it, so one day I could use it to help others so they didn’t have to go through an experience like mine.
Following are the 3 fundamental shifts I made in my thinking and actions that propelled me forward to start living my dreams when everything felt like it had fallen apart.
- Find the gold in every situation – life doesn’t turn out how it should, it turns out how it does. It’s what you do with it that makes all the difference. Before my burn I was like one of those ponies at a fairground being lead around in circles with blinkers covering my eyes. I needed a shock to remove the blinkers and my burn was just the tool to do it. Not only was there the shock of the accident and the pain to wake me up, I then had forced rest time to contemplate and meditate on my life and how I’d gotten to that point. At first I asked questions that all began with ‘Why?’ like ‘Why did this happen to me?’ and I soon realized that ‘Why?’ questions only ever give negative answers. So then I started to ask empowering ‘How?’ questions – ‘How can I use this to change my life?’ ‘How can I use my experience to help others?’ And pretty soon I was starting to get strategies to move towards my dreams.
- You are unique and beyond compare – the events on the path to your dreams will be unlike anyone else’s. When you are making changes in your life there will always be people around you who find what you are doing threatening and even scary. I was told numerous times I was mad to leave my high-paid career to sing and write and then when I said I was starting the Pixie Revolution, well that raised some eye brows too! So I learnt to nurture and value my dreams and keep them close to my heart until I was ready to share them with the world. And remember, everyone will be patting you on the back when they see you flourish and grow!
- Be ready, be flexible – because success never comes in the package you expect it to. Since my burn my life has taken so many unexpected and magical twists and turns to get me to where I am today, that I could never have predicted or planned. You can take advantage of opportunities when you are ready and alert with a flexible plan. To be prepared – find out what you can start doing now to get positive energy moving toward your dreams and put a date in your diary. Whether it be taking a class, buying paints, taking a field trip or researching schools, it all counts so book it now!
I call our unique and beautiful spirit a Pixie. Make 2009 the year of your Pixie and start listening to that voice whispering deep inside your heart. In these times of bust ups and break downs I believe the only way we can change the world is by changing ourselves first. And you can only do that by celebrating the unique you.
About the Author:
Minna is living her dream as a Singer/ Songwriter, Author and Founder of the Pixie Revolution – giving you the power tools to be free to express and celebrate your unique beautiful self – your Pixie.
Get your free copy of Minna’s anthem “Love Shines” for Peace, Equality and Love at http://www.pixierevolution.com and Pass It On to help her spread love and light to more than 50 million people around the world. Thank you.
