© 2015, Lisa Messenger
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information or retrieval, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act), a maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of the book, whichever is the greater, may be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the education institution (or the body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act.
Any views and opinions expressed herein are strictly the author’s own and do not represent those of The Messenger Group.
A CIP catalogue of this book is available from the National Library of Australia.
Messenger, Lisa
Life & Love: creating the dream
ISBN 9780980809794 (eBook)
First published in 2015 by The Messenger Group Pty Ltd
PO Box H241
Australia Square NSW 1215
Editing: Amy Molloy and Mel Carswell
Proofreader: Jen Taylor
Book design: Edith Swan
Photography of Lisa and Jack: Scott Ehler
Styling of Lisa: Lydia Saunders
Styling Assistant: Gemma Le Vin
Hair and make-up: Lei Tai
Clothing courtesy of: Aje, Guess, Denisse M Vera, Lobelia Couture, Ted Baker, Lack of Color, One Teaspoon, Oskar, Samantha Wills.
Instagram images courtesy of @annahecek, @ashleaskye_, @blushingconfetti, @bonniecee, @frankiephotographyau, @i_heart_flowers, @jeskaalee, @lumedecor, @mcastelgrande, @ofkin, @rachelkareta, @rawstreetcreative, @redkittycreative, @scottehler, @sechysdary, @seewantshop, @shiraleecoleman, @starrey_em, @stylelifehome, @substanceblog, @torbdor, @twolittlepigsdownunder
This is proudly a Collective product
Digital distribution: Ebook Alchemy
Conversion by Winking Billy
INTRODUCTION
I am unapologetically, deliriously happy. I’m sorry if that admission makes you feel uncomfortable. I know it’s far more socially acceptable to bitch about your life and focus on everything wrong in it, but I have to be honest and say I am happy. Pretty much every day. Really!
I know better than anyone how rare that is. You might look at me now and think that I have it all. I’m running a magazine sold in more than 35 countries, travelling the world public speaking and I’m gloriously (okay, sickeningly) in love with my partner. But it has taken me a looooong time to get here. It took a hell of a lot of pain, personal development and a long journey to become the ‘me’ you see before you (or are reading about) today, and that’s what this book is all about.
I didn’t intend to sit down and write such a personal book. After my last book Daring & Disruptive, which focuses on my entrepreneurial evolution, I had every intention of making my next book a how-to guide to building a business; the ins and outs, the dos and don’ts. But then this disruptor got distracted…
Like many of my light bulb moments, it came about when I least expected it – at 10.24pm on a Friday to be exact, when I was meant to be winding down for bed. I’d just had one of the most beautiful afternoons of my life. It was late September and after a long winter (by Aussie standards), the air was warmer than it had been for months and my partner Jack and I decided to play truant from our respective offices, sneaking off to a sandy cove near our house for the first ocean swim of the season.
I felt overwhelmed with gratitude – for the sun on my face, the salt in my hair and the man I loved more and more every day. After we came out of the ocean, I took a selfie of our smiling faces and posted it on my Instagram page. I decided not to care that people would know I wasn’t at the office, that I’d taken the afternoon off (shock horror), and that our kissy-kissy couple’s photograph was kind of soppy. I’m so grateful for this life, even if I have had to work hard to get it. A life where I can choose to take Friday afternoon off to refresh, rejuvenate and search out inspiration in nature, because is there any better place to brainstorm? At that moment I realised the book I really wanted to write was a book about love, joy, happiness, family, friends, community, laughter, purpose, authenticity, gratitude and all the things that mean so much when all the glitz and glam is washed away. I could write a guide on how to build successful businesses from the ground up. I could teach you how to balance a budget, plan a marketing strategy and harness some serious staff culture (and I probably will one day soon so watch this space). But the most valuable lessons I have learned don’t fit within a standard business plan.
The real reason I am able to be daring and disruptive, to chase my dreams and search out profit in the seemingly impossible, is because I’ve spent years developing every pillar of my life – relationships, attitude, health and vitality – and exploring what it means to be a real human being in the business world. Wearing my heart on my sleeve, warts and all.
Let’s be honest, I’ve f**ked up every area of my life at some point, but then I’ve rebuilt it to be better than ever. I’ve doubted myself… and then discovered confidence. I’ve been estranged from my family… and then learned no one is more valuable than your mother. I’ve had countless failed romances as I’ve struggled to juggle love and power… and then I allowed myself to be vulnerable and found love as a consequence.
Here’s the truth: I spent years as a basket case, trying to discover who I really am via many (many) modes of personal development and spiritual camps in many pockets of the world. Now that I’m finally at the point where I’m comfortable with myself and I have nothing to prove anymore, I feel like it’s my turn to pass the baton of knowledge, the map for self-exploration, on to you.
That’s why I launched The Collective magazine in the first place, to build a community where we could inspire each other. My latest books – both Daring & Disruptive and Life & Love, which you will see are vastly different – are just another way to reach out to even more people at once. It can be a bit of a pain writing a book. It’s a lot of time, energy and effort. Financially, I could invest my time in projects that are far more cost-effective. But as I always say, your core purpose shouldn’t be all about profit.
While Daring & Disruptive was about identifying your business dream and finding your business purpose, this book is about putting the pillars in place – relationships, health and spirituality – to support your journey as an entrepreneur. It can be a relentless, exhausting road and you’ll need self-love and support to sustain you.
Those of you who’ve read Daring & Disruptive might notice a difference in the tone and look of this book. This one is purposefully much softer, more feminine and more vulnerable. It’s about family, friends, relationships, love,