The following is a recent version of my five-year vision statement, updated in January 2021 as I dared to dream of a better life for myself, my family, and those I would serve through my young business.
On January 31, 2026, I stretch as I wake up to the sound of the song “This Is Me” from the soundtrack to the movie “The Greatest Showman”. With a grateful smile, I spend a few minutes meditating to guide my day right. I already know my clear goals for today, and I eagerly jump out of bed into the joy that awaits. My family is sleeping and in the quiet “me” time, I drink a glass of water and spend half an hour exercising and listening to a wonderful audiobook I have been eager to start. I feel so pumped to be growing, body and mind, in this half an hour. I take the next half an hour to make a healthy breakfast for my family, and I review my plans for the day as I eat and have my tea.
Today my online courses will continue to be taken by hundreds of students, and my team has scheduled my daily minimum of two coaching calls for me. I’m only taking a few calls today because today I’m doing a visit to the retreat centre that we have developed to help special needs children and their parents. We also offer face-to-face workshops around the world six times each year, but I always include joyful work with at-risk groups like those special needs families, because their families are reflections of my own. Later today, I will finish another draft chapter of my third book; this one is in support of my efforts to help regular people start their own businesses and thrive by aligning who they are with their Soul’s purpose. Also, I have so many ideas for courses that I want to develop, and I quickly jot down those ideas before they fly away with their muse.
An hour later, my family is awake, and I run over to share kisses before Bry and Sean leave for school and work. Bry will likely be off to another country next year for University. He has grown into a compassionate, hardworking and clear-thinking young man. He is fit and smart and caring. I know he will build a good life and career for himself, but I will miss having him with us at home. I realise I will even miss his smart comebacks and millennial wit.
I hear my name being called by Emma, who is now fourteen years old. My eyes fill with tears of joy as she walks to the front door and reaches up to greet me. Just five years ago, she was in a bed and unable to speak or control her limbs. I say another silent prayer of gratitude for the miracles wrought in our lives. Emma has lived a story of big challenges and miracles and my heart swells as I connect to the awe of having watched her teach doctors the power of living in hope and love and consistent effort. We do our daily prayer and healing session around the table and share updates about what each of us has planned for today.
Across the table, I catch Sean’s eye. He no longer looks so tired and broken. Now, he is fit and his skin glows. He is still a teacher; it is his calling and he loves it! I can’t wait for him to retire and join me as the head of my company’s cadre of trainers in our face-to-face workshops for at-risk groups. He will partner with me to maintain high quality standards in the online training programs we develop.
Sean and I have grown our connection with each other in the last five years. Before, we were weathering the storm of Emma’s brain injury and prognosis and our dedication to her kept us slogging on. Now, life is smoother, more joyful and free. I love how we are partners in eating healthy and exercising every day. I am lean and strong and pain-free after so many years of the opposite, and I am thankful that I have seen Sean become vibrant and reverse the aging that took place in the first eight years of Emma’s brain injury. Tomorrow, we’ll jet off for a weekend away together, something we look forward to doing a few times each year. I love this man so much, this man who was willing to sacrifice his own health and sleep to support us all through a challenging decade. I have no doubt that our family was divinely selected to walk this path together.
As I do my daily spiritual work, I think yet again about how far I have come. I’ve had a life of huge challenges and sometimes it felt like life was trying to beat my spirit into the ground. I worked for decades to dig myself out and climb out of each trench I fell into and my logic took me a long way. My logic helped me to pin down what hurt me and why. It helped me to build scaffolds to climb to another level and stay alive, but my logic could not help me to thrive alone. Thriving began when I started learning about energy work, helping me connect with my intuition, and building a team that was supremely interested in making a difference to those we served. It all helped me feel more supported in my business and, most importantly, in Emma’s recovery.
I love running my own business, because starting that gave me a jumpstart when I was almost burned out in heart and mind and spirit. Now I get to light that flame and keep it burning for my own wonderful clients. I’m so thrilled I stepped more fully into being a speaker and author because that filled me up and made me whole. I love being my authentic island-girl self, showing my sense of humour, talking about my simple roots, and sharing my life’s journey with others. That’s how I help others see themselves for the heroes and changemakers that they are. I love being able to light a spark of hope and inspiration in the hearts and minds of thousands.
Back in my office, my brother and sister knock on my door. They are both thriving too, each in their own heart-centred niches. I love how we are each able to look back on all the pain of our past and see how each low point was preparing us with skills and resilience for this part of our journey. I am glad my mother is able to see the joy we have experienced together, and soon we will have our massive summer vacation with all our families, heading off on a plane to a beach in some wonderful location. (I’ve finally learned to let go of the reins and stop planning every item on our itinerary; I actually enjoy being surprised and living off the cuff on vacation now!). I feel blessed because our journeys have taught us to love one another even more because of our different personalities and talents as well as our shared valued and strengths.
What a massive change has been wrought in my life in these last five years, I think, as I open my office back door and step into the garden with a cup of tea during my break. I sit on a bench under luscious frangipani flowers and my eyes follow the path traced by the stepping stones scattered across the stretch of lawn. I thrill at the dancing butterflies and hummingbirds loving the flowers’ nectar, and chuckle at Emma’s laughter floating to me on the breeze. Her wonderful nurse has become a sister to me. I love that woman for every minute she has hoped and prayed and worked beside me to benefit Emma in the last seven years. I look forward to playing with Em later; I look forward to the twinkle in her eyes when she finds my newest garden hiding place.
I’m amazed by how different my life has become as my finances opened up, too. Now, I have no fear about saving enough for the future, contributing to causes that matter to me, investing, building a good home in a nice location, providing for our retirement years (and who plans to retire anyway?) and caring for my employees with amazing compensation packages. I love that my home is on the beach, and I love the opportunities for physical activity all around us with amenities like a pool and a gym and wonderful big grounds to use as a course if we don’t feel like running on the beach sometimes. Best of all, I love the way all the pieces have come together to make a difference to so many people, including my family and me, my friends, my employees and co-workers, and our community of special needs families just like us.
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