VividLiving. INTRODUCTION

​If you’ve ever spent time closely watching young children, I’m sure you’ve noticed they move through their day with remarkable clarity of purpose, and self-awareness. They know when they’re hungry, thirsty, or tired. They know when they need a hug or need to be left alone. They cry when something hurts, or walk away when things are no longer fun. They laugh freely, and sit in wonder, gazing at the smallest bug or the magnificence of a star-filled sky. We were all like that once. However, for many, the vibrancy of childhood has been pushed aside for the serious matter of being a grown-up. I believe you were never meant to change. To grow wiser as you expand what you know, but never to lose the clarity and enthusiasm of childhood. It’s clarity that provides the basis for the abundant health and wellness you desire. 

Photo Credit. Karl Fredrickson

The reason is simple: every moment you are given messages and signals guiding you towards the health, happiness, and success you were meant to have. Most of these messages come from within. They’re in the subtle, internal voice or feeling that tells you something isn’t right, or in the body’s scream when it isn’t happy with how it’s being treated. These signals are sparked by life experiences and are there to teach you, grow you, and show you the scope of your potential. To fully understand the meaning of these signals, you need to be able to look at your life authentically and honestly. From this viewpoint, you will gain an understanding of what you need to do to enthusiastically enhance your health. ​

Photo Credit. Camilo Jimenez

​VividLiving was created after many years of studying, observing, and being thrust head-first into life’s most delicate moments. As a paramedic, firefighter, and educator, I’ve been privileged. I’ve shared happy tears as new human life came joyously into this world, shared final moments with those whose day it was to say goodbye, and fought to save others, who knew it was not yet their time to go. For years I witnessed pain and chaos, hurt and death. Yet, one of the biggest tragedies was seeing people whose choices and environment left them feeling powerless, and without influence. The control and manipulation of others had overwhelmed them. They lived by reacting, merely surviving moment to moment. I began to pay attention to the differences I noticed between those who often found themselves in a place of illness and desperation, and those who seemed to slide through life without a care or worry. It became obvious that circumstances made little difference to well-being. 

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Photo Credit: Sharon Tomczyk

​Some of the most vibrant and joy-filled people had experienced the most difficult situations. The difference was in the sense of self, each carried with them.  Some people clearly knew what was important to them, and they made choices that deliberately enhanced their lives. These people often described themselves as happy and successful. Of course, sometimes they slipped, or life knocked them over. But they got up, dusted themselves off and with a smile, kept on going, taking all they had learned with them. These people did not define themselves by their illnesses or their problems, but by their strengths and accomplishments. On the other side of the spectrum, I observed people who felt completely disconnected, not believing they had any real authority over their lives at all. They re-actively did what they always had because they didn’t know they had a different choice. In some cases, this was because they’d come to accept terms and conditions set by others without questioning if these boundaries were right for them. In other cases, it was because they felt like victims, or victims-in-waiting, as the world was full of things to fear. Illness, pain, or problems were always just around the next corner. Sometimes this drove people to a place of apathy. They came to believe that if they shut out or stopped caring about the world, perhaps it wouldn’t notice they were there. For those feeling this disconnection, life was an everyday struggle. Enthusiasm was gone and with it the vibrancy of life. Many people swing somewhere between these two extremes. They glide through some parts of their lives with strength and finesse while other, more difficult parts, are overlooked or neglected altogether. They know they’re capable of greatness in some areas, while in others they feel their life is out of control. It became clear to me if one can make authentic and conscious choices - always - in every situation, they gain mastery over their life. 

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So that sparks the questions: What is authentic to you? Who are you really?
What is truly most important to you?
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With further inquiry we might consider: How do you make authentic choices when you have to consider others? Your family, your job, your responsibilities… What if the authentic choices be selfish?  What if it could hurt other people?

My wish is that these questions and many, many others will be answered for you soon. I offer you a guidebook containing a set of processes and principles that can show you how to reclaim your life and improve your health and well-being, and do it in a way that allows the best of you to shine. Throughout the process, it will spark more questions for you, as you learn about your authentic self. Yet, this time, you will have a wider range of answers as you tune in to the wisdom that lies deep inside you.
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Photo Credit: Sharon Tomczyk. The inspiration for the book came during a kayak trip in the coastal waters of Vancouver Island. For me, this photo is an inspiring representation of both the beginning and ending of my journey writing this book.