Solving Life's Puzzle

A PERSONAL JOURNEY OF RESILIENCE, BELIEF AND CLARITY

Over the last 5 years my life has changed dramatically. (Sorry for the long list but a lot has happened)

• I left my career in media and a healthy 6 figure salary behind because I was burnt out
• I got married to my now wife Felicity
• I started FUNLOCKA rewards and built a very expensive app (without any tech background)
• I sold my apartment, using the capital to fund my entrepreneurial journey & back my vision
• My wife and I had our first child in Tilly
• My great friend and mentor Hodgy passed away suddenly. A mate who always had my back and an ear to my challenges in work and life.
• Turned 39 - becoming the same age as my dad when he passed. Testing my thoughts on life and legacy
• I lost all my money when FUNLOCKA stopped overnight through impact of COVID and not enough financial runway to sustain the app. Basically closing my dreams in weeks - a very bitter pill to swallow
• I launched a virtual café called Cuppa of Life to help others, not realising how much it would help me in the process
• Lock down after lock down adding to uncertainty
• Financially have lived week to week for the last 2 years
• Through Cuppa we have now interviewed 320+ experts, personalities and story-tellers which have changed my life and perspective
• Impacted over 50,000 people across the world through Cuppa - making a difference one conversation at a time
• Supported 98 different businesses from the big guys like Google, Atlassian, Mirvac to name a few
• Had my second daughter - Fallon
• On the 25th of January, 2022 - My business partner and great friend Jill tragically passed away 3 weeks before launching our evolution of Cuppa
• Still launched Cuppa.tv mid February 2022
• Finally caught COVID as did the family

I look at this list and realise that the last 5 years have been life changing and life defining. Most importantly, I look at this list and realise that this is all part of my story and through my story I can make a difference to many.

I have had ONE major realisation over the last couple of years, and that is that life is like one big, massive puzzle – A puzzle that many of us are all trying to piece together every single day. Sometimes if feels like we are doing it in the dark or it is one of those 5000 piece puzzles with a picture of the sky. Is this you??

Each of our puzzles are made up of little pieces, these pieces are called moments and when they start coming together they form the picture of our lives and ultimately the legacy we will leave.

No matter what these moments are (Good, bad, big, or small) they all have a role to play. The thing that we need to realise and remind ourselves about, is that

not ONE piece defines you, but all pieces do make you.

When you realise this, even those pieces that don’t make sense (a passing of a loved one, financial challenges, business failures etc) if you take the time to acknowledge them, learn from them and ultimately grow from them… they will find their place in your puzzle and become a significant part of your story one day.

The recent passing of my business partner and friend Jill took the wind out of my sails and in all honesty the initial joy out of launching Cuppa.tv which we both worked so bloody hard to create! In the same breath though I automatically new where this ‘moment / piece’ fit in my puzzle. Jill's passing galvanised my purpose, my belief, and my dreams to make Cuppa a success to honour us both and to make a difference to others who may also be struggling.

The Joy is now coming back and I am excited by what Cuppa has the potential of becoming. I have the best job in the world and am inspired everyday through the experts I meet and the difference I make!

So what about you?

How is your puzzle coming together?

Are you stuck in a rut?

Been impacted by some 'bad' pieces lately?

Here are 3 things you should do to start solving your own life's puzzle

1)     TIMELINE YOUR LIFE  

I sat down and time lined my life at the end of 2020… I looked at all the moments in my life (good, bad, big or small) and asked the following questions:

1. What has this moment taught me?
2. Who have I become because of it?
3. Does it link to other pieces in your life?

Like I said... Some of these pieces you may find challenging to rekindle the thoughts around, that is ok by the way! Go at your own pace and find support to maybe help you navigate through it. The thing I will mention is that if you leave that piece in the box you won't be able to move forward and complete your picture.

You have got through every situation in your life and you need to realise that whilst your picture may have more pieces than some of your friends or work colleagues, when your picture is complete it will be way more rewarding.

2)     DEFINE THE LEGACY YOU WANT TO LEAVE

Once I time lined my life, beyond it being a very grounding exercise, I instantly started noticing pieces coming together. One of the biggest things that happened was the missing piece I had for 35 years finally being found. My dad’s passing when I was 4 has always been something I have battled internally with. I have always wondered who he truly was and what his dreams in life may have been. I honestly struggled realise how I could fill it, as these questions could never truly be answered.

My 39th year (same age as Dad when he passed) made me realise that whilst I will never get to talk to my dad, I realise the opportunity I have to live the life he never did and show my girls (Tilly and Fallon) just who their dad is.

The missing piece in my picture can now be filled with who I can be, the difference I can make and ultimately the legacy I want to be remembered by.

3)     CREATE A MANTRA & SOMETHING TO VISUALISE

Trust me… The sh*t days (bad pieces) will continue to happen… They will challenge you mentally, making you weary. Like any picture you need to be able to visualise what it looks like so you know you are on the right path. For this I have done two things

1. CREATED A MANTRA THAT I READ OUT DAILY OR DURING DARK TIMES

This mantra is affirmations on who I am as a person and what my goals and dreams are! I read them out daily before I start my day and also draw upon them during those times of doubt or anxiety.

I also wrote myself a letter which I have enclosed in a birthday card which I will open when I am 45 (4 more years) outlining who I have become and patting myself on the back (something I have always found hard to do)!

1. CREATE A VISION BOARD WITH THE IMAGES YOU WANT TO FILL IN YOUR PUZZLE WITH

I have broken mine up into business, health, relationship, life & reward and attached images that represent my mantra, quotes I love and people I admire. I usually look at this when I am reading out my mantra in the mornings.

Final word

So, I hope you see that life is just one big puzzle and you realise all the pieces we have are truly part of our STORY, our LEGACY and ultimately our IMPACT to others.

I would love for you to comment or share this newsletter with others if this resonated with you! You just don't know who else in your network may need to hear what 'Life's Puzzle' is all about

As an FYI, I have also turned my learnings into keynote / interactive masterclass here which is perfect for teams or business. https://www.gdaycookie.com/lifes-puzzle

Thanks and it's time to start piecing some things together

Luke 'Cookie' Cook

Welcome to the 'Solving Life's Puzzle' newsletter. What is it?

Through the 100's of interviews I do with experts, the personal stories I share, the ideas I have and the businesses I own, I make people and companies truly understand why they are here.

Each fortnight I will share an insight, thought or point of view that will help us all solve life's puzzle