What doesn’t kill you…

What doesn’t kill you makes you clearer… then stronger! I say this because I personally experienced this over the past couple of weeks. I literally came face to face with my own mortality on Thursday, August 6^th.

It started out as a regular Thursday morning. I woke up feeling great, did my usual meditation and morning walk and then quickly went off to my local health food store to stock up on some supplements I needed.

As I was driving home at around 9.30am in the morning on a busy Toronto street, I at some point completely blacked out! When I came around my car was literally inches from crashing into a brick wall and there was a young man outside my car calling 911. The miracle of this was not so much that I did not crash into the wall – although that was a miracle – but that my car apparently crossed over 4 lanes of traffic, went through an intersection and ended up on a curb stopping inches before the wall with absolutely no-one else injured or affected!   It just doesn’t seem possible! The police on the scene told me numerous times it would be a good day for me to buy multiple lottery tickets. Unfortunately I was in emerge all day and evening so I couldn’t fulfill on that suggestion. Imagine how that could have turned out.

Needless to say, after an ambulance ride to the hospital, nearly 12 hours in emerge and every possible test being admitted including blood work, Cat Scans, x-rays, heart rate monitors, ultra-sounds, ECG’s and neurological testing – I was released to go home. The only caveat – no driver’s license and that is still pending…

Now the reason I share this story is because of what has transpired in my life since then and as a result of this little incident. I hope what I share with you here of my experience will inspire you to look at your life more clearly and without waiting to come face to face with your ‘brick wall’!

First and foremost and not that I did not know it before but now feel it at an entirely new level is that we all have an unseen support system, greater and more powerful than we could ever imagine – looking over and out for us. Regardless of circumstance don’t ever doubt that and know that things are happening for you and not to you! You just need to be open to the messages coming to you through life, through people and through experiences – good or bad.

As I was in the ambulance on my way to the hospital at first I felt so alone! And being asked multiple times who my emergency contact was did not help! More than anything I just wanted my family with me right then. But once home and having the time to reflect on the day I realized that although my family is oceans away and I may be single right now, I am not alone! From the kindness of the stranger who stopped to call 911, ambulance attendees and police, to the hospital staff and mom of someone else in emerge who saw I was alone and offered to go get me food after she realized I had also been there all day as well, to my colleagues, clients and amazing friends all over the world who have been checking in on me since then and offering support and help, to Nicky who was ready to get on a plane and fly to Toronto to be with me and my amazing neighbors – I know I’m extremely blessed with who I have in my life and I know I’m definitely not alone and neither are you. So take the time to nurture and appreciate not just those closest to you but all of humanity. You never know who will be there to help you when one day you need it. So pay this forward with kindness and generosity!

I know to that if we don’t voluntarily live at a pace of life that is healthy for us and follow our true purpose in life, sharing our gifts and talents in a way that is authentic to us, the universe will first whisper warnings to you, then it will shout them out and if we still don’t listen, it will put a “brick wall” in front of you to get your attention. So pay attention to the whispers of your soul and the universe talking to you, take them to heart and take action. They will never steer you in the wrong direction!

This incident also gave me the incredible opportunity to reflect on this: if that had been my last day in this world, was I truly happy with how I was living my life in every way. And the answer was definitely no! And so I’ve openly and honestly looked at the areas where I’m not that happy with how I’m running things and although none of it was a surprise to me I now saw and felt it with so much more clarity! And that has made all the difference! This undeniable and heightened clarity has given me a different level of motivation and strength to begin making certain changes that I’ve been ignoring and putting off for too long!

Taking intentional, focused action has already reduced my stress levels dramatically! In just two weeks I have re-evaluated my business model and already implemented changes with results! I’m creating more balance in my life between work and ‘play’. I’ve started playing tennis again after a 2-year hiatus knowing that for me, this is part of my sanity and oxygen and I cannot eliminate it from my life again. I’m even more appreciative of the support system I have around me – both seen and unseen. And I’m also being even more explicit in my communication to these people. I’m even more determined to only surround myself with meaningful and authentic experiences and people and to pay the blessings I have in my life forward in an even bigger way. And this is just the beginning of a new path and journey for me! I truly feel more optimistic and excited about my future than ever before. And I know with some reflection, honesty and effort you can too!

So my big take-away for you is to get really clear and honest about what you most want in your life, eliminate all that is not taking you closer towards that and then take action to intentionally create that which you do want. You don’t need to wait until you come face to face with ‘your brick wall’.

I truly hope that by sharing this with you it will inspire you to really look at where you are in your life so that you can gain the level of clarity needed to inspire you to take the action that will put your life on an even more authentic and meaningful trajectory. And as you embark on this challenge always remember that as Paulo Coelho says in the Alchemist: “It is said that the darkest hour of the night came just before the dawn” – so keep at it, and never give up on what your true ambitions are.

Until next week – embrace your inner truth, live your purpose and make your contribution in the world.

With gratitude and appreciation,
Lauren