"Keep going, you're worth it! "
I hear the woman from my running app encouraging me to carry on! :)
Wow! Just what I needed to hear at that moment when the scorching sun was beating on my face and my heart was pounding as I was trudging on breathlessly… And just then it hit me… "This is it!" I thought to myself! This is how I shall begin my first blog post… because THIS is what we all want to hear just at the point when we are contemplating on giving up. We want HOPE. We want to hear that voice encouraging us to keep going, because we ARE worth it! Yes my friend, you are worth it! You are unique and awesome and you are here for a special purpose. Your life has meaning and value and I want to inspire you, empower you and share with you what I have been learning on my adventure!
First, a few words to introduce myself! I’m Ella and I shout out a big “Hello” to all my awesome friends from near and far :) Those of you who I have known for years and those of you who I will meet here - WELCOME!!! I invite you to journey with me on this awesome adventure called life. Why? Because I have a passion burning inside me that I want to share with you!
A little about myself. .. I have been an educator for 16 years and am presently a counsellor in training and in the final phase of my Master of Arts in Transcultural Counselling. I hail from Malta, but have lived in Canada and Australia and have traveled extensively. Everywhere I have been has offered me brilliant and awe-inspiring life lessons that I want to share with you. So lace up your trekking boots and prepare yourself for a life changing experience! Let's go!!
Life Lesson 1 - Perspective
The first story that had a radical impact on my life was the one I shall share with you here which I have titled “The Accident”. It is a story I heard many years ago during a conference on Thinking Skills led by the esteemed Dr Edward de Bono. I shall recount it in my own words since more than 20 years have passed and I cannot find it anywhere to cite it officially. However, please note that the story is not mine, I am borrowing the concept from Dr Edward de Bono to illustrate today’s awesome life lesson about perspective. So here goes!
The Accident
A minor accident occurred one morning in a small village. A van smashed head-on into a huge tree. Since nothing much ever happened in this small town, it caused a stir among the locals and a reporter was on the scene chasing the story for the local newspaper. However, the van had already been towed away when he arrived. So he interviewed two eye witnesses who were present at the time of the crash. The eye witnesses were standing on opposite sides of the road. The eye witness standing on the left side of the road told the reporter that a blue van lost control and crashed into the tree. The other eye witness, who had been standing on the right side of the road at the time of the accident, told the reporter that a red van smashed head on into the tree.
The reporter was perplexed. Both eye witnesses swore that they were telling the truth. And yet, one claimed the van was blue, whilst the other vowed the van was red. How is this possible? How could they both be telling the ‘truth’? Take some time to think about it before reading on… :)
The reporter, wanting to get to the bottom of it, decided to go to speak to the owner of the van. The van owner started laughing when the reporter asked him to confirm the colour of his van… Was it red or blue?! “Both!” He exclaimed. “It depends from where you’re looking at it really!” He continued, and went on to show the reporter a photo of the van which was painted half red and half blue! The owner concluded by saying, “You see, it’s all a matter of perspective… if you look at the left side of the van, you will see it blue, but if you look at the right side, it is red. However, it is the one who sees it from all sides that realizes that it is both red and blue!”
This story blew me away. I hope it has the same effect on you :) I hope it sets you thinking about perspective, perception and truth… I hope it challenges you to think beyond the confines of what you see and believe to be true… Think of whatever it is that you are struggling with at the moment. Have you ever ‘crossed the road’ to see what ‘it’ looks like from the other side? Have you ever hovered over it, taking a helicopter view to see it in its entirety? Three words to consider:
- Perspective
- Perception
- Truth
This image can set you thinking:
I want to invite you to journey with me as I show you alternative ways of seeing life, circumstances, yourself and others. I hope you have been enticed by my first post and that I will see you again soon! Until then “Peace out awesome soul!”
Blessings from Ella