Feedback is essential to get what you love

When I was a child, learning to walk, I was given so much encouragement and support that I thought nothing of the several hundred, even thousand, times that I fell as I learned. Indeed, the quote by Thomas Edison "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" is particularly relevant.

The facts that we all learned how to walk, despite numerous falls and that Edison invented the lightbulb appear to get diluted as most of us get older. For many of us the words progress and learning are replaced with stagnation and failure. Why?

Because I am not considered as cute as I was when I was an infant, the voices of encouragement became less frequent. It has taken many years to turn up the volume on my internal voice and stop listening to the external voices that would crush my dreams and aspirations. Ultimately, life is a test of congruence - when I haven't been doing things that I love it has been very easy to listen to external voices that criticise me - my internal voice has then jumped on the bandwagon and I had become a master of self-sabotage.

However, having found Walk Innovation - something I love to do - processing feedback has become easier. All external voices that offer me feedback on how to do things better are gratefully received. All of those who wish to try and pin their own limiting beliefs and restrictions upon me are compassionately received. This has not always been the case but now it is. My life purpose involves helping people to move through their pain. The people who would give me the most pain (if I allowed them to) are the ones who need help the most. Knowing that I am living what I love makes it easy to deflect negativity of others and, if the situation allows, replace it with hope.

Anyone who would desire to crush the dreams and aspirations of others is put in your life as a guardian. They are there to test your faith in achieving your dreams and goals. Loving what you do will enable you to love all feedback. When this happens there is no longer positive and negative - just learning and understanding. To reach that place is a wonderful feeling. To get there you simply go for what you love - and keep going until you get there, regardless what happens on the way.

Connection and Blackberries

On Monday I went for a long walk. This is something that I love to do. Since the weather was great it made it all the better.

Recently, I have run a couple of walkshops that have had a very natural theme to them. I asked "What do you love about nature to my fellow Walk Innovators. The results were eye-opening, to say the least.

Our group started to notice all of the wonderfully kept gardens in St Albans, we paddled in the stream, listened to Crickets, connected with nature and ate blackberries. Most surprisingly of all we noticed a tree that towers over the buildings near St Albans Town Centre. I had never noticed it before.

Despite the size of the tree and obvious longevity of it and my numerous hours spent in St Albans, over numerous years, I had not seen this magnificent tower of nature that stood above the buildings. What else have I not seen that has been standing right in front of me was the consideration that I had afterwards. The answer is - many things.

This simple metaphor has exploded a range of interventions that I had not noticed before, despite them being right in front of my face.

Nature can be a powerful metaphor for life when you walk your talk. It has certainly given me much food for thought - and much food to eat on Sunday - I do love freshly picked blackberries!

Chumbawamba

In the immortal lines of the song by Chumbawamba a decade or so ago, "I get knocked down but I get up again - you ain't ever gonna keep me down...."

This is a wise philosophy for anyone who is pursuing their dreams or Life Purpose. I frequently have to remind myself of these words as I put the message of Walk Innovation out to the general public. It has been a long hard lesson in what doesn't work for me in the marketing arena over the past months in St Albans as only a few people have trickled into my events.

However, as Thomas Edison once said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work."

Pursuit of a Life Purpose is a quest of belief, congruence and persistence. Today I have been in contact with the local business agency, radio station and networking group. All have offered to help me publicise my events. This represents a nice step in the right direction.

Keeping focus on the bigger picture of what Walk Innovation aims to do - helping attendees to help themselves, have fun and help the planet for our future generations - is where I always come back to. Nobody has achieved great things without challenges. It is how we respond to such challenges that will ultimately dictate the quality of our lives.

Right now I have had a huge rush as a downward turn of life's rollercoaster hits the bottom. Fortunately, the next part of the ride necessitates a swift movement up - I'm ready for that. Indeed, it just adds to life's rich tapestry.

Transforming negativity into hope, focus, purpose and action is a perpetual path. It may not always happen instantly but it always happens to me. The alternative is misery and my years as a nurse have shown me where that path leads - not for me thanks!

As long as I still have my health I am a happy man. It is an unfortunate truth that many people may never realise this until their health has gone. It will never be enough to make them happy when they have good health but it will certainly compound their misery when they do not.

Being grateful for what we have is the easiest route towards changing stress into happiness. Alternatively, you could just complain to someone about life's trials and tribulations - this is a great way to drain the energy of those who you care to share such stories with.