Life
Having lived in nearly all the Shires of Great Britain I have felt very lucky indeed. Born in Berkshire (Slough), brought up in Buckinghamshire (Gerrards X), bought (and sold) a cottage in Oxfordshire, bought (and sold) a bungalow in Aberdeenshire, and now I choose to live (mostly) in my campervan, travelling the winding roads in Worcestershire's hills, rivers and forests.
The reason for all this seemingly nomadic life? I partnered up with a military man - and latterly worked for the military. Way back in the '90s, I signed-up for secretarial employment and it wasn't long before I skipped up the career ladder to the giddy heights of a PA position. In that role, I pushed piles of paper, booked a multitude of boardrooms, arranged an array of worldwide itineraries - and learned more about Executive stress (in London's TV and publishing environments), than I perhaps would have liked. Which got me thinking to changing my tactics. So, aimed for a career in counselling where I began to serve the welfare of our military might.
My Journey Into The World of Healing
When I secured the job to work within the military welfare environment, in April 2009, my friends thought I was mad. At the time, I was giving up an exciting well-paid job working for top CEOs in television news media and publishing for what? To live 'the military way of life' by moving around the country on military bases.
Contrary to my friends' concerns, I was inspired by the young men and women I met. They continually earned my admiration and paved a new path for me. I was privileged to watch their commitment to make changes, their sheer enthusiasm to embrace new challenges and their utter determination to live a life battling for others. They showed me a thing or two about life at the pointy end of life.
The road their lives had taken to get to the point of 'no return', found me in a position of admiration for their sheer grit and determination to change their lives. So, I honoured their approach and took the time to invest in learning more - and earned a degree along the way.
Most people who choose to live the military life have struggled. Most have come from a home of addictions, financial issues, criminal activities and the most horrible of abuses (mental, physical and emotional). It was my job to help them transition the changes they made by assisting them reframe their thoughts, rewind their memories and restart their lives.
Many people are afraid of the people in this world. However, from my experience the majority of those that have crossed my path (and there have been a huge variety - from all walks of life!), have been good, kind folk - with an interesting tale to tell along the way.
Another thing I've noticed: all those who have dealt with the bombs and bullets on the battlefield (literally or figuratively), believe in God.
And today?
Along with the rest of the population of the world, in 2020, I literally lost EVERYTHING. Redundancy lost me my job and the military accommodation. Many of my friends and family either moved on out of the country or, sadly, passed away. The govt, bless their little cotton socks, decided I didn't look or act like a pensioner, so to help me identify with that, told me I had to wait just a wee bitty longer to receive my pension.
One thing I've noticed, is that no one can accuse me of not embracing variety. Or being persistent. And resilient.
Today, I work with the attitude of an octopus. It looks better to say that I'm 'self-employed', rather than 'un-employed' and I prefer to keep it that way, even though it has been very difficult to secure any clients for therapy in this day and age. However, I am privileged to be able to welcome any enquiries for remote work as a Virtual Assistant, PA or Administrator. Or to be asked to work part-time work as counsellor (chiefly, I give my time to charities, for veterans on the verge of suicide); I also dabble in painting pets (mainly horses and dogs!) and I've also enjoyed looking after people's pets too. And I've written and published books, which I chiefly give away for free, so that I can help others achieve their own dreams.
During my decade working for the military, I helped thousands (literally) of young men find their path in life. Healing emotional turmoil and easing mental health issues with such a huge variety of personalities was indeed a challenge, but with a down-to-earth, non-judgemental approach (i.e. no bullshit or psychobabble), I was able to help them exceed their own expectations.
As you can see, I have a wide range of knowledge and experience under my belt, so, why wouldn't I want to put that to good use and help others through the rollercoaster of their life?