I wasn’t exactly sure how, but I knew that I wanted to squeeze every last drop out of life. To become the healthiest, happiest version of myself, and to live a life that felt truly free and deeply fulfilling.

This led to years of self-improvement experiments and self-discovery. And along the way, I was able to figure out how to eat healthily, enjoy exercise, build good habits, and direct my life in a meaningful direction.

And, of course, it led me to create Live the Wonderful… so that I could share content and inspire others to live their healthiest happiest lives too!

We all have our own personal journeys to take. And while my journey is layered, like all of ours are, there are a few key lessons I’d love to share with you.

If you resonate with any of them, let’s connect 🙂

I used to work hard at ‘being perfect’ – being miss helpful around the house, always saying yes and saying what people wanted to hear, being a teacher’s pet and getting A grades, getting on the 1st sports team, doing more courses to add to my cv…

I was always trying to be better, as if something was wrong with me the way I was. But no matter how ‘perfect’ I tried to be, I never felt like I was enough.

Lesson: Perfectionism is like saying that you’re not enough as you are. When, in fact, there is no such thing as ‘perfect’ and you are, in fact, more than enough just the way you are right now.

For a long time, I wanted to fit in. I’d go along with what others wanted and blend in, as a way to ensure that I was accepted. I was seen as easy-going. I was a yes-girl.

But, in the end, I was often ignoring myself and what I truly wanted. And as a result, I felt very lost by the time I reached my 20s. It felt like I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted.

When I finally started to acknowledge myself more – listening to the whisper of my inner voice and taking small courageous actions based on what felt right for me – my life started taking a different direction.

Lesson: You are unique, one of a kind. And that is your superpower. It’s not always easy to do what feels true to you, but at the end of the day, this is what is going to ignite your soul.

Instead of looking outside for answers, I started looking inward – Reconnecting with myself, listening to my inner voice, following my curiosities… I started looking at how I could be more me in all areas of my life.

This led me to make all kinds of lifestyle changes – Prioritizing more yoga, quitting the 9-5 work-lifestyle for good and going remote, spending more time with friends one-on-one instead of going out in big groups, embracing keeping my healthy eating super simple instead of feeling like I needed to use more ingredients,  following my passion for health and studying health coaching…

As I explored ‘being more me’ in all areas, my life naturally filled up with more meaning… And essentially, that’s what gave me a feeling of purpose – the feeling of alignment with my life and myself.

Lesson: You are your purpose. When you reconnect with yourself and look for ways to align your life with what feels good to you, your life starts to take a much more meaningful shape. It becomes an expression of your inner self.

For years I felt uncomfortable in my body. And as a result, I didn’t treat it well. I denied it food and sleep, I exercised hard to the point of injury, I worked ridiculously long hours that often led to stress and sickness… and in my darkest days, I used drugs as a form of escapism, where I didn’t eat or sleep for days on end…

I’d never really thought about ‘loving and nourishing’ my body. It was just there to be used, ‘fixed’ or pushed to its limit. And as a result, in my 20s I felt completely disconnected from my body.

Yoga is what really helped me here. It got me to slow down and reconnect with my body in a much healthier way. It’s encouraged a powerful but gentle mind-body connection that I’d never experienced. And that is why I will forever hold the practice of yoga close to my heart.

Lesson: Our body is our closest friend. And when we treat it well, it works with us, not against us.

Building healthy habits is foundational to creating a better lifestyle. But most of us are too hard on ourselves, and this gets in the way. We focus on intensity and struggle to maintain. Or we try to build too many habits at once. And when we don’t stay on track, we feel bad about it.

When I stopped being so hard on myself and started taking MUCH smaller steps, that’s when I was really able to start building habits that actually stuck. This was a game-changer for me and I found myself building habits so much easier – I started drinking more water, drinking less coffee, managing my cravings, doing more exercise, meditating…

Lesson: The secret to building habits that last is to take smaller steps and show yourself compassion, even when you fall off. And that takes courage when you’re an A-personality.

For ages, I focused mostly on food and exercise. To me, this was health. When I started to take a truly holistic approach, looking at how I could nourish all areas of my life – from career, relationships and spirituality – I felt so much more fulfilled. And, I noticed how nourishing one area positively impacted other areas. The question is, what are you hungry for… other than food?

Lesson: Health essentially means to be ‘whole’. When you nourish all areas of your life, not just what you eat and how much you exercise, you expand in all directions and you feel a sense of wholeness. And… ‘being healthy’ becomes a lot more interesting and fun!

When I’d fall off the so-called wagon, revert back to old habits, or when things didn’t go my way, I’d get upset that it didn’t work out or that I messed up. When I realised that the ups and downs are all part of life and my growth, I started to let go a bit.

Lesson: Life is full of ups and downs, and it’s often the lows that teach us the most. Embrace all the challenges life throws at you, see what you can learn from them, and show yourself compassion along the way.

Along the way, following my passion for health and self-improvement, I created Live the Wonderful. Excited by my own progress and how much better I was feeling – physically, mentally and emotionally – I wanted to inspire and help others improve their lives too.

It started as a blog on the side. And as my passion grew, I eventually studied and graduated as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach.

Now Live the Wonderful is a budding wellness platform, sharing content to help you on your quest for health and happiness. And I offer one-on-one health coaching and collaborations too.

And on the journey goes…