Dedication: I dedicate this story to all the dreamers and doers and the bold believers in a better future for all humans - from the ashes we will rise.
The headlines of my story:
> I lived with domestic abuse growing up
> I was raped aged 14
> Moved 11 times to different towns and different schools before I was 16
> Failed my A-levels
> Lost my brother age 20
> Homeless and pregnant aged 21
> Dropped out of my higher education course to have my baby
> Had trouble with substance abuse (speed, ecstasy, cocaine, alcohol, heroin)
> Suffered clinical depression aged 23
> Survived domestic violence from my partner at age 24
But this is not all of me, this is not the complete picture. These events made me strong. They gave me courage. Taught me empathy and emotional intelligence and regulation. Made me who I am.
Another side of the story:
> I had my incredible son Joe age 21
> I got a great job at Saga Holidays (which made me worse off than when on benefits but that’s another story!) age 23
> I got an amazing job as PA to the chairman of a dotcom 1997
> we won a tech award for the largest global deal in 1999 at SITA
> I was in a meeting with the Ops Director at Virgin Atlantic when 9/11 happened – it was a defining moment in my career
> I worked my way up to a great six figure job in the City by age 35
> Realised there was more to life than 50+ hour weeks & quit IBM (with no job to go to) 2007
> Sold the London flat & made £226k age 36
> Qualified as an NLP master practitioner and coach 2008
> Ran the TCS New York City Marathon marathon in 4hr 10m 2008
> Set up my own business 2009
> Complete an IRONMAN #ironman #triathlon 70.3 2010
> Started my MSc in Positive Psychology 2011 at University of East London
> Met my wonderful husband Craig 2012
> Took a year out to travel & #homeschool 2014
> Bought our first buy to let property 2015
> Got married & completed my MSc and coaching psychology 2016
> semi-retire age 45
> Only say yes to work I love & am passionate about from 2018
> Became a reiki master 2018
> Volunteer for Pets As Therapy from 2018
> Volunteer as a coach for Macmillan Cancer Support
> Buy our place in Spain 2019
> Have 7 buy to lets & financial freedom 2019
> Start my doctorate at Oxford Brookes University 2019
> move to Spain in 2020
> Successfully homeschooled my 14 year old son to two A Levels and five GCSE’s 2020
> Appeared on Channel 4’s A New Life in the Sun 2021
> Facilitated a ground breaking year-long programme for 75 public sector and UK government CEO’s in the aftermath of Covid 21/22
> Finally completed my professional doctorate and became Dr Lindsay Foreman 2023
We can paint a picture of our lives to suit us. Tell a story of stress or success. I feel others’ pain deeply, but I also share their joy. I have learned so much & want to pay it forward as widely as possible. To give others the support I never got. To help others heal. To give space for every human to be whole & complete, whatever their story or background. This is not a story for pity but for hope.
Hardships create a springboard from which we can propel ourselves forward with more energy, motivation, purpose and meaning than had we walked a simple and straightforward path. Life is a journey of ups and downs – we can choose to look back and just see the peaks, but it is the troughs that gave us our strengths and superpowers!
~
Photo credit: Image provided by the storyteller.
