The first of these interviews is with my good friend Lindsay Henwood, founder of Leap of Life Inspirations. I met Lindsay through mutual friends on a trip I took to the West Coast a couple of years ago - I was immediately attracted to her. She was interested in learning about other people, a total cutie, and had an authentic attitude about her.
Lindsay has taught me a lot about being a sisterly cheerleader instead of a competitor, shown me why laughing is pretty much the best thing ever, and seriously impressed me with her commitment. (When I met her, we were both beginner surfers, fast forward only a year later, and she's TEACHING surfing at one of the most in-demand surf spots in Tofino, pretty epic hey?)
Leap of Life's website was just released this week (designed by me!) - and I highly recommend checking it out.
Here are some thoughts from Lindsay's heart:
What is Leap of Life's vibe? What are you all about?
Leap of Life is a heart-driven company that inspires Generation Y’s to step into their true selves, live life at their full potential, and live in the moment. Through photography, writing, and life and visionary coaching, Leap of Life will propel youth to live their vision and passion.
What would your advice be to a young woman who is working a day job she's not stoked on, but doesn't know what she really wants to do?
Spend some time alone. Write down some things you love to do and see if any of them have been included in your life. Understand that the change in your life comes from within yourself and it won’t just “happen” unless you take a step in the passionate direction. Pay attention to what gets you crazy enthusiastic and what gives you the “yes” feeling, and simply put out there what you are seeking. I like to go to the beach, surf, or play guitar. Something a little bit creative will put you in this meditative sort of state where answers will rise in front of you. Understand these answers don’t come from external sources, they come from within you.
How has surfing shaped your journey?
Surfing has exposed my fears and weaknesses in the most graceful of ways (although not physically graceful, sometimes I have felt like a flailing mess in the water) and has helped me break through obstacles that had been around for years. It has taught me to slow down, live in THIS moment, and simply observe how epic life is. I only committed to surfing a year and a half ago and it was the greatest decision I have ever made. It opened my life to incredible people, a beautiful place to live, and passions I didn’t know existed. All because I listened and followed my heart.
Why did you start Leap of Life?
I started Leap of Life because my heart wasn’t satisfied with the conventional life I had created for myself. Working full time in a place where I felt like my soul was getting sucked out of me, I didn’t have time to work on my passions because I was so busy all the time or way too exhausted, I didn’t really know what my passions were. The only thing I knew was I wanted to be in control of my own life and I desired to live the vision I’d had since I was a teenager. A vision that helped propel others to live at their fullest potential. Leap of Life naturally revealed itself as I learned more about myself and spent time really paying attention to what my heart desired. Leap of Life is a place where people can read inspirational thoughts, look at inspiration through a photographic lens, and if needed, can receive guidance and coaching on achieving their ultimate life. Why not have a positive and heart-driven company out there in the mix?
I have a "toolbox" that makes me feel better when I'm drained. (Nature, green juice, angels, etc) What's in your toolbox?
Two things: surfing and music.
Surfing takes everything away: phone, computer and internet, un-productive thoughts, and forces me to be right there in the moment. Otherwise I won’t be doing much surfing, more going over the falls and figuring out where up is while underwater.
Music is consistent education and creativity. I love learning a new song and the challenge that comes with that, jamming and improvising on my own or with friends, and creating my own tunes. It’s something else that takes me away from all of the thoughts and if I ever observe myself being unproductive, I just pick up the guitar or guitalele and play until I feel more energized and boom goes the productivity.
Current Fave:
Food: Avocado and Valentina Hot Sauce (together and separately)
Track: Taro – Alt J
Travel Destination: El Salvador and New Zealand (dreaming) and Rwanda (visited and was life-changing)
Book: Fire-Starter Sessions by Danielle Laporte (motivational) and East of Eden by John Steinbeck (for epic writing and reading)
What challenges are you currently facing, either personally or with Leap of Life? How are you managing?
My biggest challenge is creating an income for myself. We all need to survive. I would prefer to work with Leap of Life full time and create an income through life coaching and inspirational speaking, however, I am not very good at charging for that time because I want to help as many people as possible. At the moment, I am working on educating myself so when I start charging for my work I will feel more confident in my work. I am now offering free coaching sessions through email and Skype.
Please click to visit Leap of Life's facebook page + website.
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