Recently I spoke at a fundraising dinner in Melbourne for the Wish to Walk foundation.

The organization was formed by Catherine Martin and David Winter for their daughter Isabel. An excerpt from the website www.wishtowalk tells their story…..

“Eleven year old Isabel Martin has yet to experience the joy of taking her first step. An operation to remove a benign spinal tumour saw Isabel become paraplegic at the tender age of 8 months. Based on their knowledge at the time, doctors held little hope Isabel would ever walk, whilst they were certain that she would suffer a plethora of secondary health complications.”

This was obviously a cause close to my heart and I was happy to be involved on the night.

Catherine gave a presentation to the audience before I was due to give my keynote, which outlined the treatment they have sought for her, and the progress she has made as a result of this. It was heartfelt, passionate and full of hope and touched everyone in the room. At age 11, Issey is now crawling for the first time in her life, and is now showing improvements and a level of recovery that many thought impossible. They will never give up hope that she will one day walk, and I have no doubt she will.

Reflecting on my time in the spinal ward, being confined to a wheelchair, having my own wish to walk, and taking my first tentative steps on the long road to recovery, her words resonated deeply with me. I often think that we can’t really appreciate something until we have lost it. I remember the first time I was pushed outside in my wheelchair and felt the first rays of sunshine on my face in almost six months. Once you have been there, you will never take another moment for granted.

Issey is a bright, sweet young girl whose spirit fills the room and touches all those who cross her path. She is an inspiration to all who meet her and her attitude is an example for all of us.

It isn’t so much about the end result, although of course it is important to have goals. It is about who we become on the way while we strive to achieve them. It isn’t the goals that define us, it is the obstacles we have had to overcome, the hills we have had to climb, that separate the real champions. In my eyes, Issy has already won the gold medal!

Catherine sent me a thank you card after the event. On the front of the card is a gorgeous picture of Issey and the quote from Victor Hugo, “There is nothing like a dream to create the future.”

I have no doubt that Issey will turn her dream into reality and along the way, inspire others to do the same.

www.wishtowalk.org

The past few months have been hectic, which might explain my lack of blogging of late!

Not only have I traveled Australia speaking and running workshops, I have been fortunate that my work has also taken me to Singapore, Fiji, New Zealand, the USA and France…all in the space of a few short months.

In Singapore I was presenting a keynote presentation and workshop to a group of medical professionals from India. “Do you change your presentation for a non-English speaking audience?” a friend asked before I left. “Not at all” I explained, “I will speak a bit more slowly, but as far as the message goes….it is universal.”

However, it was in Singapore that I was going to learn one of my greatest lessons in a profound way, that it is never too late to start life over again.

Arriving at the airport, I was met by Ali, my host. He would be looking after me during my four day stay,he said, as well as my private  driver, Peter. They would be at my disposal to take me wherever I needed to go in Singapore, whether it be sightseeing or shopping. When I travel, I am so used to looking after myself, that I was grateful for this gesture of friendship.

I spent four wonderful days with Ali and Peter. They took me to a large shopping centre as I needed a new computer and made sure I got a real bargain! We went sightseeing and visited the iconic Shangra-la where I tasted my first Singapore sling, shelled peanuts and also endulged in the famous, ‘High tea’, something not to be missed when visiting Singapore!

The presentation was a success and I finally packed my bag to head for the airport and back to Australia. Sitting in the back of the limo with Ali, I thought he was joking when he suggested I write a book about Peter’s life. “He has an amazing story” he said, “it would make a great book.” He continued….

Peter had been a member of the secret service in Singapore, dealing in drugs and the underworld, where survival became man against man. He became involved from the age of 15 and when finally caught and convicted, spent 15 years behind bars. He would have got the death penalty, Peter explained, had his father had not been a member of the police.

I was shocked to hear of his ‘other’ life, and the things he was made to do as initiation into the secret society. All I could do was listen in disbelief that this gentle man I had spent the past four days with could really have led a life that was so violent and horrendous.

When I asked him how he managed to turn his life around, he explained that he simply fell in love. “I have a young daughter now, he said,”and every day I go to work, I kiss her goodbye and know I have to come home to her.”

My mind raced, “Ali, how did your company ever have the trust to hire Peter after such a notorious history?” I asked, knowing it must have been such a difficult path for all involved.

“Well, in Singapore, we believe everybody deserves a second chance,” he answered.

Wow, I thought, what a wonderful lesson in forgiveness, acceptance and trust.

With that, I noticed that Peter was playing with some beads around his wrist, I asked him what they were.  He explained that they were his prayer beads, the same ones he wore in jail and when he was in the secret society.

“Ali, can we stop at the markets on the way to the airport so I can buy some?” I asked.

Peter didn’t hesitate, he pulled the beads from around his wrist and passed them to me. “Oh Peter, I can’t take your beads.”

“In Buddhism, we believe it is good to give something away.” he explained, ” it is the cycle of life.”

I now wear those very beads, worn by this man, as a reminder that everyone, no matter who they are, deserves a second chance…and that it is never too late to start over and create a new future.

Since hearing of the tragic passing of Michael Jackson over a week ago, I have been filled with overwhelming sadness and loss. Why did this affect me like this? I wondered. After much soul searching, and the shedding of many tears, I realized that his death represented more than just the loss of a iconic performer, it was symbolic of the loss we face everyday in our lives. It was the loss of the chapter of my childhood, the realization that a part of me has moved on and that change is indeed an inevidable part of our lives. 

Having grown up listening to his music, Michael Jackson provided the soundtrack to my youth. It seems like only yesterday that I sat glued to the television set in my lougeroom watching him perform his now legendary ‘moonwalk’ to Billie Jean. I was absolutely besotted. I had never in my life seen someone move like that and I am sure I never will again. He was one of a kind! 

I taped the performance and spent weeks replaying it over and over so that I could learn the ‘moonwalk’ myself. To say I was slightly obsessed would be an understatement! I watched it over and over, breaking it down into parts, until I could understand the mechanics of his every move. For an athlete and student of sports science, this was a gift. He was an absolute inspiration to me.

Michael Jackson embodied the principle of giving. He shared his music, his extraordinary dance talent, his unique vocals…his passion. He was the joyful expression of a life filled with purpose. He was an extraordinary human being who chose to come into this world to shine his light so brightly that we could all see a part of ourselves in him. Quite simply, he dared to be different.

No one could possibly understand what it would have been like living the life he did. He was a genius…a superstar, pursued not only by fans who loved and adored him, but also the tabloid press who are ruthless in their pursuit of any story, true or untrue, that would sell. No human could possibly endure the amount of stress that he had to carry in his life from such a young age. It was just too much for one person to bear.

His good friend, Deepak Chopra tells the story,”he had been diagnosed with lupus and he had vitiligo,” he said, “There’s some recent research that suggests that if children have experienced either physical or verbal, mental, emotional or sexual abuse, then 20, 30 years later they can develop these autoimmune diseases including lupus. He was traumitized verbally and physically in his childhood and it was a big issue for him.” There is no doubt that the pain of his childhood came back to haunt him in later life.

The human experience is a complex one and the life and death of Michael Jackson was no exception. He led a tortured life and showed us that despite seeming to have everything on the outside, you can still experience overwhelming pain on the inside. 

His message of united purpose shines forth in the words of his much loved song, ‘Man in the Mirror’…. “If you wanna make the world a better place; Take a look at yourself and then make that change” 

His soul would surely rejoice in heaven if he knew that even one soul had become enlightened because he lived. May we all stand together and honor the light he brought forth. Let us rejoice at the opportunity for greater awareness and our common need for healing, love and acceptance.

May his message of hope be remembered forever through his music; that there’s nothing that can’t be done if we raise our voice as one. 

Thank you, and God Bless you Michael Jackson, we will all miss you. 

Love,

Janine

“Sing our songs among the stars and walk our dances across the face of the moon,”- Maya Angelou

Six years after my accident, my right arm began to ache. In fact, it was so painful that I thought it could possibly be a stress fracture.

“Don’t worry”, the doctor told me, “probably just a strain, try to rest it.” she said.

Well, I had a baby to care for at the time, so resting an arm was out of the question. It got to the point where I couldn’t even lift a tea-cup. “Do you think we should have it x-rayed?” I finally asked on my third visit to her.

We did, and to everyones surprise, my right arm was broken! “How could this be possible?” I asked, “after all this time!” 

As it turned out, my arm was still broken when I left the spinal ward after almost six months! I then needed more surgery to fuse the bone together with a metal plate.

“Didn’t it hurt?” was the question most people asked. Well of course it did, but so did everything else in my body! After all, what is a little old broken arm when the rest of my injuries reads like a list of horrors…broken neck and back in six places, five broken ribs, broken collarbone, broken arm (still!) broken bones in feet,head injuries, major lacerations to legs,torso, massive blood loss…the list goes on.

I tell this story to illustrate a point. Many people have tweeted me over the past few weeks asking me to blog about pain, something I feel I have the credentials to do confidently. I thought about my arm and all those years it was broken without me knowing, and the things I did with a broken arm. Not only did I learn to fly and get my commercial pilots licence, but I flew aerobatics, which required me to pull on the stick of the aircraft with quite a bit of G-force…all with my broken arm!

Yes, it hurt, but I was so focused on flying and getting my life back, that It didn’t bother me. It wasn’t until I slowed down that it got my attention. By that stage I had accepted that pain was a part of my life, so I just got on with what I had to do, which was flying, and I learnt to channel my pain in another way.

I live with chronic pain on a daily basis and I have developed ways to deal with it, and to maintain a quality of life that means it does not exclude me from doing anything I want to do.

While pain is never desirable, we can however use it for valuable lessons in life. I have chosen to see my injuries and pain as a symbol of what my life represents, and it has given me the most extraordinary opportunities for inner growth and freedom.

Let me say that pain is a complex issue and we need to distinguish between the two types of pain, physiological and mental/emotional. As emotional reactions to pain differ from person to person, much of our mental anguish comes from our desire to suppress our pain. The more we fight against it, the greater it becomes, the more energy we give it. In the words of Carl Jung, “What you resist, persists”. So rather than focus on my pain, I focus on my wellness and what my body allows me to do. 

Mathhieu Ricard writes about pain and suffering from the buddhist perspective and details various methods to manage pain. Use of mental imagery, awakening oneself to love and compassion and developing inner strength are all ways to transform ones mind. I have, at varying times, used all three as well as other methods. 

There may not be a ‘cure’ for chronic pain, but from experience I know that it need not prevent us from leading a fulfilling life or prevent us from achieving inner freedom. And I know it is going to take more than a broken arm to stop me!

Love Janine

Whilst traveling in the back of a taxi cab on my way to Melbourne airport, I had an unusual encounter. Having just finished a speaking engagement, I was feeling pretty tired, and didn’t have much energy to engage in conversation.

Besides, the taxi driver that had picked me up for my hour long trip to the airport had initially made me feel a little uncomfortable. Was it his attire, I wondered? A large turban on his head, an enormous beard which seemed to cover most of his face, and in his hand, a rather long set of beads which he continually rubbed as he drove!

We traveled quietly for the first half of the trip until we hit the traffic around Melbourne. I noticed that his bead rubbing became a little bit more vigorous, in fact so much so that we almost crashed into the car in front!

“Watch out” I yelled, just before he slammed on the brakes, narrowly avoiding an incident. I must have woken him from his trance.

“Sorry mam” he said apologetically.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what are those beads for?” I asked inquisitively. 

“Well, they are my meditation beads, I use them to concentrate” he answered.

Narrowly avoiding an accident didn’t seem like great concentration to me ! However, I was intrigued and wanted to know more. He was a Sikh, he told me. He began to share his life and beliefs with me and I was completely fascinated. We exchanged thoughts about life and I was surprised to hear that he was going through exactly the same challenges in his personal life that I was facing at the time. 

We talked non-stop for the rest of the journey as we got even deeper into conversation. We hit the busy freeway on the final leg of the journey and he pointed out the window.

“You see, we are all going to the airport” he said, “some of us are traveling in cars, some on motorbikes, some in buses” he paused, “we will not all arrive at the same time as we are traveling at different speeds, but ultimately we are all going to the same place, we all have the same destination.”

Sometimes the simplest explanations make the most sense, I thought.

When we arrived at the airport, we shook hands as I said goodbye to my new friend and thanked him for sharing part of his journey with me. 

I am often reminded of this encounter when I see a man in a turban, and secretly smile as I remember his words that he spoke that day; One way, many paths.

                                                              I

Love Janine

When I was writing my first book, ‘Never Tell Me Never’, the conversation would invariably go like this…

“What do you do for a job?”

“Well, I am writing a book.”

“Really, what sort of book?

“Well, actually, it’s an autobiography.”

“Oh really, who’s it about?” 

I wish I had a dollar for every person who has asked this question, I would be worth a fortune!

Actually, writing my life story and having it made into a movie, launched a totally different career, that of the professional speaker. I have been on the circuit (yes, I used to believe the only circuit was the one in a gym!) for over ten years now, and I can honestly say I have loved every moment, every opportunity, to share what I have learnt from my journey. In return, I have been given so much back, and now truly understand nature’s law; that if you want something you first have to give it away.

However, for lack of a better word, I find it difficult to articulate to others what I do. Motivational speaker seems to be the accepted word to describe many speakers and how they perform on stage. However, this certainly doesn’t sit well with me, nor does it adequately communicate what I actually do. It may be descriptive but does not define me. You see, I don’t believe anyone can motivate another person to achieve anything, it must come from within. You can inspire them but you can’t motivate them. Motivation is an intrinsic quality.

Motivation comes from an understanding of ones’ inner purpose, ones’ mission in life. Carolyn Myss quotes in her book, ‘Sacred Contracts’, the words of late theologian, mystic, and Harvard professor Howard Thurman. There are two questions we have to ask ourselves, “The first is ‘Where am I going?’ and the second is ‘Who is going with me?’ If you get these questions in the wrong order, you are in trouble.”

I help people get these questions in the right order, to find their own inner compass.To step outside old paradigms and discover their real potential, who they truly are. To see the old patterns in their lives that no longer serve them and become their own ‘agents of change.’ To know that whatever challenges they may encounter on the path, they will be able to handle it. That they can take any situation in life and not only survive but thrive.

When we find our inner mission the path becomes clear and it gives real meaning to our lives. For many this requires a shift in consciousness to a richer, more authentic and empowered life. 

Jungian psychologist James Hillman once said, ‘You have to give up the life you had to get the life that’s waiting for you’. 

Well, the life that was waiting for me after being run over by a truck was certainly not the one I had planned, and it was a long way from Olympic glory, but I wouldn’t swap it for all the gold medals in the world!

Love Janine

It was such a beautiful day, I decided I would take my bike off the wind trainer and venture out to the bike path for a cycle. I don’t often take my bike off the back porch, which I suppose could be understood considering I was run over by a truck, died, came back, spent six months in a spinal ward then was left with permanent injuries! However, the sunshine beckoned and there was no going back.

So I pulled on my old racing gear, complete with skins, knicks (cycling pants), cleats, helmet, gloves and if you didn’t notice the skinny, wasted legs, scars and limp (which isn’t noticeable while riding) you wouldn’t even know I had no feeling from the waist down.

I took off down the driveway and onto the path. I picked up speed and thought I was really gunning it when I heard the sound of tyres quickly approaching. “Uh-uh”, I thought, “here comes one of the riders from the local riding club.” I started peddling harder, but the sound of those tyres stayed close. I then looked round to see what sort of athlete would dare to pass me and was shocked to see an elderly man perched upright on his bike, which resembled a relic, no helmet, sandshoes and a mudguard flapping around in the slipstream - and he wasn’t even puffing!

Slightly deflated, if not feeling a bit silly, I tucked in behind him and kept up. Soon after that I heard another noise approaching. ” Oh, no not another!” I glanced to my side to see  I was being overtaken by a guy on a mountain bike who, as he was passing, yelled out arrogantly, “You’re not going to be beaten by a mountain bike are you?” 

If only he knew he was overtaking a partial paraplegic! Now I was really psyched. Bring it on, I thought.

I selected the highest gear and peddled, my little legs pumping as hard as they could. One hour later I arrived home, exhausted, but feeling pretty chuffed with myself.  As I sat down with my well-deserved cup of tea, I reflected on what had I learnt from this encounter.

Well, if nothing else, it was pretty funny. After all, I did feel silly getting overtaken by an octogenarian and it was a humbling experience, and no one would have blamed me if I had turned around, tail between my legs, and said, oh well, no-one would expect me to continue. Well, no-one but me of course!

Life throws these challenges at us, not so we can give up but so we can change gears, put our heads down and dig deeper than we ever have.  Life is full of problems but the moment we accept that, then there are no problems - only opportunities to learn grow, evolve. Times are tough, and you may be stuggling to hold life together at the moment, but when you feel like giving up just pretend you are getting overtaken by some elderly gentleman on a bike, put your head down, change gears and give it everything you’ve got.

You will surprise yourself with what you are capable of, and you never know, you might just have fun doing it! 

Love Janine

As an athlete I always trained on the hills. I loved them! That is how I earned the nickname, ‘Janine the Machine’. Life is full of hills and challenges. We need to do more then to take them on, we need to learn to love them, because when we can do that, there truly will be a difference in the way we face all our future challenges.

From “Reaching for Stars”, reflections on a journey through life and living.

Love Janine

Where will you be in one year from now?

I recently spoke to an IT company at Acer Arena ( the Olympic venue) at Homebush Bay, Sydney. The traffic was incredible, thousands of cars! Wow, all for me, I thought. Well, actually, I was later to find out that “Kings of Leon” were playing at the same venue, which explained the congestion!

My gig was in the ballroom to a group of 300. The venue wasn’t perfect for speaking. There was a dancefloor between me and the audience which meant it can make it difficult to connect and maintain contact with those sitting at the back. On top of that, the room was really large and those seated at the back would find it difficult to see me. Despite this, I would present as always, from the heart and hopefully my message would still have an impact.

I spoke for an hour and during that time, I could have heard a pin drop. As a professional speaker, there are times when you feel you have really, really connected with the audience, and this was one of them! It was awesome and the atmosphere was incredible. When I finished, I received  a standing ovation, which is always heartwarming. I really do have the  best job in the world! No, it isn’t a job, it is a calling, something I am so passionate about.

To be able to make a difference in someones life is the greatest honour and even though I get to do in on a pretty large stage, I do believe it is something we can all do.

After my presentation I spent time chatting with the delegates. There was a gentleman waiting patiently to talk with me, holding his partners hand.

“Hi” I said, as I finally made my way to him. He had tears in his eyes as he spoke.

“ I just wanted to thank you Janine” He said. “ I heard you speak five years ago and at the time I was in a wheelchair”

“ Really, what happened?” I asked.

“ I was hit by a truck, like you, when I was crossing the road and ended up in the spinal ward” he explained. “ After hearing you speak, I said to myself, if Janine can do that, so can I” he said emotionally. “ I am here, walking because of you, and I just want to say thank you.”

I was absolutely overwhelmed by what he was telling me.

I gave him an enormous hug. “Thank you so much for sharing that with me” .

I thought about that as I was driving home that night. How even though I give so much of myself when I speak, I am given so much back in return. We first have to give something away to get something back . The law of sow and reap. In the words of Zig Ziglar, ” You can have anything you want when you help others get what they want.”

I also thought about how far this man had come. Only years ago he had been in a wheelchair, ready to give up on life and now he is embracing life completely. A chance opportunity of hearing me speak had given him the inspiration to change his destiny.

There is a beautiful saying in the Vedanta, “You are what your deepest desire is”, as is your desire so is your intention, as is your intention so is your will, as is your will, so is you deed, as is your deed, so is your destiny.

How many dreams are forgotten, how many books have yet to be written, how many rivers are yet to be swum, how many mountains have not yet been climbed? I meet so many people who have given up on their dreams because they think it is too late, they are too old, or there is some other reason stopping them.

We all have everything we need to achieve anything we want in our lives. Like the man I met that night, we can all overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to achieve our deepest desires. We can rewrite our destiny at any moment. Miracles occur everyday, and every choice we make today has an impact on where we see ourselves in the future.

So where do you see yourself in one year from now?

Love Janine