I was chatting to someone the other day who also is driven by her curiosity to pursue her ever-changing varied interests wherever they may lead her. I call people like this ‘Hummingbirds’. She was struggling with how she perceived that ‘no-one gets me, they all want me to settle down, I don’t belong’. I said to her that many of these people will actually find her inspiring. She didn’t get that at all. And I know what that is like. Because I’ve been there too!
Over the years I have had different people at different points in my life, in different places and from different walks of life say to me ‘I find you inspirational‘ or ‘thank you for being all that you are, you have made a difference in my life‘. And for a long time I was just confused by these sentiments.
After all, what was there about me to inspire others?
- As an adolescent I saw myself as an intellectual, gawky, shy female who in no way fit into any group. I changed secondary school because the ‘cliques’ of the first made me miserable. I changed the subjects I was studying every year. My ‘friends’ changed almost month-to-month. I spent breaks during the school day sitting in the library because at least books were always there. I pursued a wide variety of ever-changing interests including Girl Guides, drama, jazz ballet, keyboard, guitar, choir, Christian youth groups … and in most I was a leader and rarely a follower.
- As a woman in my 20s I saw myself as stubborn, questioning, eccentric, single. I completed one degree and started another in a different subject area in a different city. I grieved deeply when my father died, thrown into turmoil. I held part-time jobs and temporary jobs. I volunteered. I moved from Career 1 to Career 2. I met a group of people who for the first time seemed to accept me for who I was. I married one and we moved to the UK as I grieved the death of my brother.
- As a woman in my mid 30s I saw myself as divorced, hurt, lonely individual trying to build a career that remunerated me for my years of experience, my breadth & depth of knowledge and skills. On one hand I had given up on being accepted for who I am and on the other I was determined to be as true to myself as was possible. I took a role in a corporate conglomorate and tried to fit in without losing my star shape. I failed and moved employer. I had a year long on-again off-again relationship with a man I refer to as my ‘learning curve’
And yet there was so much more to me. It was as I was entering my 40s that I began to embrace all that I am as a person who loves change and variety, a person that I now call ‘Hummingbird’. And I deeply connect with the fact that I am continually evolving. I owned that throughout my adulthood I have:
- Learnt to face adversity with positivity and a determination to live life to the fullest regardless of other people’s expectations or society’s conventional boundaries
- Sought counselling and coaching at points in my life when I knew I had hard decisions to make or difficult periods in my life to progress through. And I delved deep within my Self to take 100% responsibility for who I was and where I was at to choose to transform and move forward
- Self-funded my studies – moving on from my academic qualifications to pursuing professional ones. Branching out into Neurolinguistic Programming, mBraining and Transformational Coaching
- Built and nurtured amazing friendships with people globally. Learning how to connect meaningfully through quality rather than quantity. Allowing my Self to hold lightly to those who matter to me so that we may all fly to seek sustenance where we need to. Trusting that depth of relationships keeps us connected
- Filled my social life with quirkiness, fun, travel, gastronomy, culture, history and nature. Allowed myself to pursue new interests and drop those which had fulfilled my curiosity for now without guilt or any feeling of having ‘failed’
- Took control of my physical well-being, determinedly healing from two open-heart surgeries to pursue outdoor adventures and share amazing experiences with friends and family
When I knew it was time for a change – no matter how significant – I went for it. I moved countries, cities, jobs, careers to ensure that the many dreams I have and my driving need for variety are being fulfilled.
And I discovered that as I own the totality of who I am as a human becoming I loved my Self and all that I have experienced, accomplished and progressed through. Fully experiencing a variety of hard lessons over a decade I learnt to embrace my SELF fully as a Hummingbird. I stood firmly in my strength, leadership, intellect, creativity, compassion, empathy, joyfulness, endurance, courageousness, curiosity and I FLEW UPSIDE DOWN!
Now, as Queen of the Hummingbirds, I am partnered with an equally Hummingbird man (good thing there are more than 300 species of hummingbirds cos we are different ones for sure!), I am CEO of my own business, I am a global citizen, I am a home and tent owner, I have fabulously amazing friends and an awe-inspiring family. I live my values in every varied changing thing that I do.
I am excited to be connecting with other Hummingbirds around the world and to play a role in your own journey of fully owning your iridescent becoming! Together and individually we Hummingbirds will further evolve our Selves and will deeply transform our worlds.
We are, indeed, inspiring!!
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