Since recovering from Bulimia, challenging myself through Personal Development has ensured that I am learning and growing personally on a daily basis.
I originally started Personal Development at the suggestion of my Psychiatrist who was encouraging me to build up my self-esteem.
I never imagined that it would eventually lead to me finding my "True Purpose" and starting my own "Natural Eating" business.
I took the opportunity to study Napolean Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" in a book study group of 12 people.
The purpose of the course is to get you thinking about what you are passionate about and to discover your "True Purpose".
I don't know what it was about that particular course but something just clicked and I knew almost immediately that I wanted to use my own experience with Depression and Bulimia to help other people.
I'd had the idea for my book in my head for approximately 12 years but just couldn't write it.
I'd tried a couple of times but always came up against obstacles and never continued with it.
Once I realised what my "True Purpose" was, I basically just took a week off work and wrote the book.
Once I'd completed the book, the sense of achievement was at first overwhelming, but then it changed to a feeling of reward and fulfilment.
By using an experience in my own life I was now able to help other people through their own challenges.
However, although it was an interesting read and people would be able to relate to it, I knew the book on it's own would not be life changing.
With what I had learnt through my own Personal Development I knew that people would need to be supported and encouraged to make long lasting changes in their lives.
Accordingly, I created my workbook, which is the basis of my 8-week study course.
People with weight or food related issues are able to come to a session once a week where I help them to implement Natural Eating into their lives.
The first step in the process is to eliminate dieting from your mindset.
It is completely negative and any weight lost in this manner tends to come back.
Secondly we look at understanding our body and that each of us has a predetermined "set point" weight which we need to allow our body to reach naturally.
Once you have an understanding of this we then start to implement the four principles of Natural Eating into your daily routines.
The final step is to incorporate Personal Development into the programme to ensure that you haven't simply learnt a process but have also changed your negative habits into positive empowering ones which will last forever.
It is really important in programmes such as this that you commit to not only learning the steps, but actually implementing them.
Through Personal Development you learn the disciplines to start something and follow through with it by taking small steps on a daily basis.
Once it becomes habitual then it is easy to keep up because it has become natural and positive.
Often, particularly with weight loss issues, once it starts to get difficult we tend to give up.
Through using Personal Development, it will ensure you have the inner strength to continue on and reach your goals.