Life Changing Moment.

I’m not talking about the financial crash,  life has a funny way of stopping you in your tracks and showing you the error of your ways when you least expect it. In my case that day came recently and is a powerful reminder to live in the now, be present and slow down.  Last week I was taking my 5 year old daughter to school, the road was filled with wet leaves and on a tight bend my car slid, it went out of control through a fence, dropped down into a ditch and after rolling 3 times it finally stopped upside down in a ditch.  I’ve since been asked by family and friends what goes through your mind during those terrifying moments. I can honestly say a sense of peace, calm and tranquility – I simply let go. In that moment I realised the outcome was not for me to decide. I let go of the fear, confusion and my mind became focused. When the car stopped I calmly asked my daughter was she OK? She said yes, I told her I was coming to get her. We were upside down in a ditch and I could hear the cars on the road passing by, they did not stop because they could not see us in the ditch. I turned off the ignition, released my seat belt and used the roof of the car to navigate back to my daughter. I released her seatbelt opened her door and lifted her to safety. I sat her down on a bank and I climbed the farmers gate onto the main road to flag down a passing car. A kind lady stopped, I explained what happened and I asked for help, I was 10 minutes away from our home and my husband had not left for work. I went back into the field, got my daughter and the rest is history. Here I am a week later writing down our story and my new found perspective on life. Life is all about perspective so here’s a few of my thoughts over the past week.

Practice gratitude every day. Be it family, friends your health perhaps your job, goodness and hard work are rewarded with respect. There is always something to be grateful for.  Right now I am grateful for my daughter and the life we have to look forward to, together.

If you don’t like something change it, if you really want to do something you will find a way, if  you don’t you will find an excuse. If you don’t like your job, look for another, aim to move forward, always move forward. Life is full of surprises, enjoy the little things and really appreciate the things you have rather than craving the things you don’t have.

Regardless of how hard, challenging,  frightening or difficult an experience may seem, everything is just as it needs to be in order for us to heal, grow and learn. If we don’t learn the lesson life will simply repeat it until we have no choice but to listen. The signs were obvious to everyone but me. I needed to take time out from my hectic schedule and when I ignored the signs, life found a way of making me “listen”.

Start doing the things you love, it’s going to lead to where you want to go. Many roads lead to the same destination, enjoy the journey, slow down, take in the scenery and appreciate the beauty that surrounds you. I need to manage my time more effectively and focus on the things I love, with the people I love.

Focus on right now, we cannot change the past, we can however allow it to some what shape our future, learn the lesson from each life experience. Have the courage to be exactly the person you want to be,  release the shame, release the guilt and repeat after me ” I love myself, just the way I am”.

A lifestyle change begins with a vision and a single step. Have courage, close your eyes, breathe. Inhale confidence, exhale doubt. If it’s meant to be it will find it’s way to you. Take every bump in the road as a signal for something greater to occur. Getting lost will help you find yourself, trust your instinct. My instinct got my daughter and I to safety.

When we rush through life we leave our soul behind so slow down this is YOUR life, do what you love and do it often. Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do. Think positive, if you can dream it, you can achieve it. Share your dreams with family and friends, by sharing them it makes them real. Set small achievable goals and when you reach them reward yourself.

Find something to laugh about, no matter how bad things may seem. Climbing over that farmers gate to make my way out onto the road after the crash made me smile. I looked up to the sky and I simply said… “You’ve got to be kidding me”. Live, LAUGH, love. Always.

Don’t compromise your happiness for the sake of other people, your happiness is equally as important if not more important than those who share your life and space. If you are not happy how can you expect to make other people happy?  Don’t sell yourself short, be brave, the universe favours the brave.

Give yourself permission to feel anger, pain, resentment. Relax then let it go… I was angry I took the back road on that foggy morning. I was resentful towards my husband as it was me who had the crash and not him (he drives our daughter to school every day) Emotions are beautiful and serve a purpose, the trick is to feel the emotion and then let it go…

When I asked my daughter if she was OK whilst hanging upside down in the car I remember thinking to myself as I turned off the ignition “This is not how my story ends” and in that moment I vowed to change my life and focus my time and energy on what makes ME happy. My daughter and I walked away from that crash without a scratch. We didn’t need to go to hospital and my daughter was in school the next day. She has no trauma and this evening I picked her up from her kickboxing class.  Always wear your seat belt and never ever drive faster than your angels can fly. Time to re-write the script (again).