Exactly one year ago, I published my book ‘My revenge on life’ (‘Ma revanche sur la vie’ in French) on all Amazon marketplaces.

It tells my story, the story of the serious car accident I had 20 years ago, how I spent 3 months in the hospital, with all the doctors thinking I would be paralysed, and how I recovered…

This book has been quite an adventure:

– It took me years to write/finish it

– I struggled with getting it ready to publish

– I did not market it as much as I should have

And no:

– It did not become a bestseller

– I did not write it to become rich

I wrote this book mainly to inspire and help others, who may be in similar circomstances. My goal is to bring hope to people who are in what seems a desperate situation, and to let them know that there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

Would I do anything different when I write another book?

Yes!

But I am proud of what I have accomplished. It’s been a great learning experience and the book is now there ‘forever’.

If you have already bought the book, or plan to buy it, please do not hesitate to leave a review on Amazon. I would really appreciate! 🙏🏽

#vlvcoach #inspiration #motivation

A few years ago, I had a burn out

Not so much because I was working long hours

But more because I was doing a job I really did not like

I was always afraid to make mistakes,

To make the wrong decision which may cost a lot of money

After a few months/years, I had the impression my brain was not functioning properly

I was more & more tired, getting frequent headaches

I remember standing twice in front of my computer

Having a blackout: I could not remember what I was supposed to do next

The more stressed I was, the less I could sleep & the more tired I became

Because I could not sleep, I no longer went to dance, which was usually my stress relief

And because I was not releasing my stress,

I could no longer sleep properly to recharge my batteries

I was in a downwards spiral and did not seem to be able to get out of it 😔

So I had to break the circle 💥

I stopped working for 2 months

Tried to relax, sleep, exercise and go to dance again 💃🏽

Then I started to work part time, till I could work full time.

What this taught me is:

‼️ LISTEN TO YOUR BODY & THE SIGNS IT GIVES YOU

‼️ Do not wait till it’s too late

‼️ We only have ONE health

⭐️ OUR HEALTH IS OUR WEALTH ⭐️

 

#vlvcoach #mentalhealth

 

I saw a presentation about ‘kintsugi’. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise (wikipedia).

This made me think of French artist, Bruno Catalano, mostly renown for creating sculptures of figures with substantial sections missing. In 2004, Catalano noticed a flaw in one of his characters. This prompted him to dig and hollow out the chest. To his surprise, this frail character was the first to be sold at his stand. From then on, the rest became history. Famous galleries contacted him and ordered his sculptures. He now sells around the world.

What stands out is that he turned this mishap into an advantage. These hollow sculptures are now his ‘signature’.

So, what does it have to do with you?

These two examples just show that something broken does not necessarily mean something bad, and that you can turn things around…

We all have our ‘flaws’, nobody is perfect, and that is what makes us unique! That is what makes you YOU!

So, embrace your ‘flaws’! Use them and turn them to your advantage, because what you may see as a weakness can actually become your greatest strength!