“In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson.” – Tom Bodett
I had a Skype conversation with someone recently who was writing a piece on Second Chances. He had been through a life threatening situation as a child and was curious about the concept of second chances. He was interviewing me in order to make some connections and get another person’s perspective.
As mentioned previously via this blog, I also had a life threatening illness many years ago. I have been fortunate enough to draw valuable lessons from the experience. I now teach, writing and coach about these lessons to those looking at making changes in their lives, without the illness as the teacher.
During the interview I was asked what lessons or insights have I learned from my experience? These are my lessons and the foundations for my teachings:
- Life is precious – No-brainer you’d think. You don’t realise this until the rug is pulled out from under you. Before my illness, I was navigating life asleep. I was oblivious to my surroundings, particularly the people that meant something to me. Don’t get me wrong, I was no reckless adult. Quite the opposite. In comparison to what I see now, life is just the most joyous place to experience all things great. These days I value the smallest things like rain falling, the colour and sound of birds in my street, interacting with people, seeing a great performance or simply riding my bike along the water. I chose to value these things when I decided to wake up from the sleep.
- When you surrender, you allow more goodness to flow into your life – Surrendering doesn’t mean being walked over or giving up. It means stop resisting what is. It means stop controlling everything which is out of your control. It means trusting in a greater power. It means allowing something greater than yourself to orchestrate your life. You become the co-creator of your destiny rather than the antagonist. I keep saying – if it is not serving you and giving you the results you’d like to see, throw out ideas, thoughts, beliefs and behaviours which no longer serve you. Simple in theory. Hard to practice – and that’s where the truth lies; in the doing.
- We are capable of so much beyond what we know – I noticed over the years that my true genius became activated when I tuned into it. These dormant forces were waiting for me to say “yes” and step on the gas pedal. You have the power to shape your reality. You have the power to become anything you wish to be irrespective of your race, religion, gender, upbringing, social status, physical impairment or otherwise. The decision rests with you and you alone. In fact I would dare to say that having a disadvantage is a greater blessing than you realise. You need to keep asking empowering questions that draw you closer to your vision of yourself. “How may I become greater?” “How may I serve the world and have fun during the process?” “How may I help others get what they need first and in the process, get what I want most?” These are truly powerful questions that ignite your soul and mind to find truth and meaning in their message. These questions draws brilliance and purpose to your life. You are “it” already. “It” is waiting for you to make that realisation. Imagine a giant wave always coming in to the shoreline. It comes and goes each and every moment of the day. When will you make a decision to grab your surfboard, learn to surf and start experiencing life “out there” in the vast ocean, instead of the small pond?
- Engage life with all your senses – For most of my adult life, I was living through hearing, seeing, touching and feeling. When I decided to “tune in” I developed my inner guidance and intuition. With practice, I began seeing the world in a totally fun and interesting way. If I need answers, I don’t bother asking friends or googling it – instead I go within. All the answers you ever need are “in there” waiting for you. You just have to get quiet enough and get out of your own way to find inner peace and freedom. Whatever is troubling you, the answer already exists within. Why? because you asked the question in the first place via your problem. You just have to tune into the frequency to receive it. The more you tune in, the more it will be ready to serve you. You’ll receive inner guidance and knowings about situations, instead of worrying about how it will unfold. If I receive a parking ticket these days, I know that something amazing is going to happen just around the corner. How do I know this? I’ve experienced it and witnessed it many times. I now expect good things to happen. I insist on it. I believe it. I wait in anticipation for it. I may not know what it is, but that’s the mystery and fun of it all. In fact everything becomes a good thing when you begin to see the lesson and hidden meaning in the experience.
So, these are some of my lessons learned over the years. Obviously there are too many to mention via this blog. What has been your lesson via an unexpected outcome or situation? How or did you draw inspiration from the experience? How is your life now that you have hopefully lived the lesson?
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Tony Fahkry
Expert Life Coach
