My brother calls me Queen of the Fairies. Not because I’m away with them. Nope. It’s because I have fairy-like energy and immerse myself in nature, natural wisdom, and the Great Mystery that reminds us we are all one.
It might also be because I’m a little mischievous.
I rather like the title. I’m just miffed that my brother sussed me out before I did…
“Who do you want to be when you grow up?” Our teacher asked.
As I stared through the classroom window at the big oak trees lining the edge of the playing fields, my answer plonked itself in my eight-year-old self’s mind.
Unlike most of my class, I didn’t want to be a lawyer, doctor, nurse, famous actor, astronaut or prime minister.
I wrote, “I want to be myself.”
Little did I know that the seed of a personal quest, destined to become the heart of my work with others, was already germinating.
Excelling at school and as an elite athlete competing for Great Britain, I was mentally and physically fit.
But I was increasingly unhealthy. I was unhappy. I thought I was ugly.
Barely into my third decade, repeated back injuries and sheer exhaustion led me to quit my sport, ending my Olympic hopes. I was devastated.
Yet, it wasn’t missing out on the Games that upset me. It was feeling like I’d never fulfilled my potential.
My identity was sewn into being an elite athlete. Beyond that, who was I? I felt like a failure, and I’d lost belief in myself.
An inner mantra of ‘I hate myself’ played on an endless loop, and just after my 22nd birthday, I had a nervous breakdown.
At first, anti-depressants gave me a boost. But they didn’t address the root of my malaise, so when I stopped taking them, back pain, chronic fatigue, and struggles with my self-worth endured.
That was until, at age 32, melanoma skin cancer arrived as a wake-up call.
What started as a desire to heal physically became a deep exploration and excavation of my inner wilds.
My disease was an invitation to come back to myself. To understand and love myself. To release stuck emotions and layers of false perception, to be more me. And to realise the wholeness of my natural self.
Anchoring into my natural self, I got clear on what I loved. Softening patterns of pushing and perfectionism and following my intuition, I experienced more ease.
As for fulfilling my potential? My achievements and looks didn’t define me. I was already whole and complete. And…
Just like an acorn holds within it the blueprint to become the oak tree, so too do we, for all we came here to do and be. We emerge through cycles, just like the rest of nature.
My blog post, Embracing My Call To The Wild, tells my Eat, Pray, Love-esque tale of following my intuition from California to Costa Rica to discover how to live in harmony with nature and land in my heaven on earth.
For a while, at least. A lot has changed since then. The opportunities for growth continue. And I embrace them all with gratitude for this life that unfurls as a sometimes rocky yet always rewarding devotion to being and expressing more of my true self – and helping others to do the same.
I love helping people connect with themselves, others, and nature so that we remember who we are, our place in the world, and our natural urge to work together for the benefit of all.
Whether I’ve been teaching people how to build trust in relationships, uniting employees behind a shared vision as a communications and engagement specialist, coaching someone to find their way out of the darkness, back into the light, empowering teachers and children to thrive in schools, helping people find emotional balance as a flower essence practitioner, or guiding adults and children into their natural state of being through movement meditation, common threads are woven through.
We’re unified in greater possibilities. And together we’re alchemising inner and outer barriers to love, health, happiness, and growth, and creating space, structures and foundations that enable repair and blossoming.
Anchored in our natural self, we remember our sacredness and resourcefulness and that we’re part of something bigger. Naturally compelling us to act for the highest good of ourselves, others and all life. This is what I facilitate.
Writing books to connect young children with nature and their true nature is centre stage right now, and I’m pouring my heart and soul into creating characters and plots that children will love.
The young lady I’m with in the photo is Ellie Challis – a Paralympic gold medalist and an all-around superstar. I was interviewing her at Our Festival of Remarkable Lives, an event I co-created for one of the UK’s largest Education Trusts.
I asked her what advice she had for other youngsters to succeed in life. She smiled and said: Enjoy yourself.
This is GOLD!
From a young age, we learn who we think we need to be and what we think we need to do and have to be accepted and successful. To fit in.
We can lose ourselves in striving, performing, and seeking something we’re not.
It’s not everyone’s story, but it happens to far too many of us. It’s the root cause of a lot of suffering and destructive behaviour.
My latest work and stories are part of the solution – helping children explore who they are and tap into their greatest capacities that already reside within.
To help them develop the inner foundation to be themselves, blossom throughout their lives, and contribute to creating a beautiful world.
And the reason ‘enjoy yourself’ is gold? Because JOY is a massive clue that you’re in your greatness.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be the best at something, as long as we have a healthy sense of self and enjoy it. Equally, doing something for sheer joy is enough.
Kirsty is a nature lover, personal growth specialist and writer who lives in the UK. Drawing on her expertise in coaching, healing and communications and her transformational journey through mental and physical health challenges, she offers knowledge, tools and encouragement to help children and those who nurture them apply natural wisdom to be their authentic selves and blossom together to create a beautiful world.