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Personal Pillars

Written by Laura Petrie 
July 15, 2023 

My Personal Transformation

Part of my personal transformation over the past few years has been exploring and understanding what is important to me and how I want to live my life. These personal pillars or values are the compass that now keeps me on track and ensures decision making about my life and where I spend my energy is easy. These will evolve over time.

Laura Petrie standing in front of a waterfall.

This is what guides me

Radical Responsibility

I take full responsibility for my life, actions and choices. I have no time for victimhood in myself or others. I’ve realised that no one is coming to save me. Despite what Disney and Days of Our Lives drummed into my head, there is no Prince or White Knight who is coming to whisk me away to a perfect new life. The minute I consciously become aware that I am totally responsible for my life, everything changed. I no longer live my life waiting for other people to invite me, validate me, or give me permission.

 

Reflection

Reflection is an important part of each day for me. Reflection on many area’s - from the way I spend my energy, to the way I handled communication or relationships with people and reviewing where I am in alignment with my goals and the person I want to show up as each day. I believe that without reflection there will be no improvement or evolution in my life. I will learn nothing and keep repeating the same mistakes in life.

 

Living an Intentional Life

To me, being intentional about life is the key. If we have no vision, plan or goals we simply stagnate and our course in life is directed by others. I am very big on having clear direction in my life – from my vision boards, to lists and high-level plans around how my life will look years from now. I give myself space and time to articulate how I want my day, year and life to look like and set about making that happen.

 

Integrity

To me integrity is about respect for myself and for others. It is treating myself and other people with grace, empathy and honesty. It is following through on what I say I will do (including commitments to myself). It’s about doing ‘the right thing’ even when no one is watching.

 

Connection

People are so important to me, and connection with any other human – a chat with my neighbours, a stranger or a colleague makes me happy. It was made so clear to me in the (very!) long Melbourne Covid lockdowns just how much I thrive on connection, and I have made it a priority ever since. The people I love are my top priority in life – I put much energy into my personal relationships and am grateful to have cultivated so many incredible connections.

 

Nature

Spending time in nature is a priority to me. It makes me feel grounded and reminds me of how big and beautiful the world ‘out there’ is. When I’m walking in the bush, or swimming in the ocean my mind and body feel clear, and I can easily tap into what and who are important to me, recharging my battery.

I am also loving seasonal living – living my life in alignment with the seasons (as much as I can in todays society) – eating seasonal produce, energetically tuning into each season and aligning my life & activities around each season.

Laura and friends enjoying cocktails on holiday.

I have spent time exploring my values and priorities through formal guides and tools, but these pillars also became obvious to me once I had the self-confidence to stop searching for answers externally, and just go with my heart and my gut. Being clear on these pillars has simplified my life and brought a sense of calm and confidence. I have clarity on who I am, what I stand for and what I want from my life – and how amazing is that!?

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Acknowledgement of Country

I acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Peoples as the First and traditional custodians of the Australian lands. I pay my respect to their ongoing relationship with the land, waters, kin, and community, including all Elders past, present, and emerging. I am committed to walking alongside First Nations Peoples towards reconciliation.