Who knew this was possible?

To be able to manifest the life we never dreamed of ? For me it has been about

1. Overcoming trauma - part of that was 10 car accidents in 18 months ( I know...none my fault.,...honest!)
2. Harnessing your creativity
3. Choosing to lead consciously

I have been brought present today to just how much success has been happening alongside the darkness that has dogged my life!  And this is the same for most people…each of us has achieved things we never dreamed were possible! My story…and yours is the backbone of who you end of being in the world! 

It was Sally Anderson who reminded me this week to reconnect to that!

To demonstrate I am sharing below 10 areas of my life where I achieved something I never thought I could but then did. Each of them took something and I am appreciating the old identity and the identity that emerged in the transformation. I am present to the ever constant evolution we each move through, my most recent being a suppressed immune system and an 18 month recovery period! These are shared today to inspire and encourage you to acknowledge the same for yourselves and your teams! 

Can you imagine doing this exercise and using it to open your next bored…sorry board meeting!

I am in awe of the power of the human spirit. Like many of you , I have listened to 1000’s of awe-inspiring stories over the last 2 decades especially . Repeatedly I see what mastering your mindset and accessing your creativity can accomplish!  Below are my ten, PLUS  2 new offerings to support leaders as we move out of the Covid experience and propel into 2021.

ONE - I always wanted to be an artist but my mother said “I think you should get a proper job” Who knew years later I would work with a group of artists to raise $550,000 and build an art gallery that has been self sustaining ever since. ( Opening art piece and performance - my art )

TWO - The imp in me was always in trouble as a child, and in later years I had an inner struggle expressing that and being sensible so I could fit in. My Doubting Thomas!  In 2004 I toured with Patch Adams and mastered my Compassionate clowning. In character as Doubting Thomas!

THREE - As someone who has always tended to be plump I had a sensitivity around that which held me back at times in full self expression. During my time in New Zealand I had my own radio show, Radio Improv – Joy in the moment and won Best Production the first year and People’s Choice for 5 years! Before leaving NZ I was honoured at a civic reception hosted by the mayor and honoured for the shows contribution to NZ wellbeing!

FOUR - I had a dress up box as a child and lost myself in a world of creative wonderment. But I hid behind the costuming, disguising my plump self! Then years later in my production company I created ten documentaries,  around 1000 TV commercials and won 11 advertising awards!!  My business was called Take one ( never had to go back for a 2nd take!) and we dressed as laurel and hardy…my partner was thin and I was…yes still plump! Believing myself to be a ‘small player” in my production company I nevertheless entered the NSW Tourism Awards – Media section. I wrote a backward 12 month plan, beginning with the speech I would give on the night! I won and gave that speech!!

FIVE - I had been a lecturer and business speaker yet never stepped out beyond that till 2000. I joined the National Speakers Association of NZ, got on the board, became President, convened 2 international conventions and won 5 speaking awards, including  the highest award “Speaker of the year – NZ” in 2002. I was still that plump somewhat doubting self …??

SIX - I wrote 1000’s of reports when I was nursing but never dreamed I would become a published writer. I have had many columns, written 2 books and writing the 3rd, co-authored another 6, and now writing a stage show called …wait for it…”When Doubting Thomas meets Enduring Faith!”

SEVEN - Rallying large numbers to go along with an idea of mine never really seemed a possibility until a downturn in the late 1900’s. I knew all businesses were suffering in my town so I approached the 3 major networks asking for an advertising timeline to be drawn up for 6 months in far north NSW. I was going to enrol 400 businesses in the plan! They told me I could never get 400 people to work together! I then made a jingle and visited those 400 businesses, signed up about 230 and then produced shared ads!  $400,000 in my bank account.

EIGHT - I have always valued highly humour and laughter and wanted to see it appreciated. I tried to run a Humour Conference in NZ. It didn’t run. Then I came up with the Humour in Business awards and bingo! Ran them for a number of years and achieved great outreach by generating $500,000 worth of free advertising!!

NINE - The idea that I might stand in front of a raft of Business executives and lead them to explore mental and emotional wellbeing never even came up for consideration! My first contract when I moved back to Australia from NZ was with a company with 26,000 staff. I addressed 450 of their business leaders over a 15 month period TRANSFORMING LIVES AS THEY GOT PRESENT TO WHO ELSE WAS REALLY IN THE ROOM WITH THEM!

TEN - And …last one in this series! I never thought I would do 1 keynote let alone over 1000! Yet here we are and not done yet….Some have commented though that I have times when I “Um” And that bothered me big time….until I appreciated in the dark times of my life I had been repeatedly beaten… literally…. if I dared to speak up! Small wonder that hesitation and doubting self appears at times.

So I ask you today ‘What Have You Ever Achieved in YOUR LIFE That You Never Thought You Could Achieve BUT then did? Love to hear back from you with your list!!!!

Yours in goodwill

Pat Armitstead - Transforming Individual and Workplace Wellbeing

Multi-Award Winning Speaker, Author and Radio Host

Past President National Speakers Association NZ

New Zealand Speaker of the year 2002 – the most distinguished award bestowed on a speaker

0487105785

[email protected]

www.joyology.co.nz

https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/patarmitstead-transformingworkplacewellbeing/

• Grab a free copy of my book “ANTIZAC- A joyful prescription for the unhappiness epidemic.”  https://www.joyology.co.nz/
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https://www.joyology.co.nz/transforming-workplace-wellbeing.html

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