Sally tells the story of The Dandelion Life:

I am living my own version of The Dandelion Life and sharing it with you is my way of planting dandelion seeds. If you are curious to understand what “The Dandelion Life” is, please read on….

The Synopsis

A Dandelion Life is a life filled with things that feel inspiring, energising, free, fulfilling, authentic, peaceful and playful – to you.  A life of positive personal growth.  A life that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside.  A life of riding the waves as they come, knowing and trusting that they always subside again, following the flow.

The Background

I have been on a self-discovery journey for many years now, exploring different places, styles, ideas that resonate with me.  My main guiding principle was and is curiosity.  I believe that curiosity, gratitude and enthusiasm are the best leadership tools we have, to lead ourselves and others.

My journey started while I was still a lawyer in London.  I enjoyed my job and life was good but there was this elusive feeling (which I now know to be intuition) that there was something more out there for me…So I started looking…

My intention was only to know myself better and create more fulfilment and happiness.  I had no idea where it would lead me or what I was looking for.

The Journey

The first thing I did was read books, anything that sparked my curiosity. Then I talked to people, following threads of potential interest. I started to go to new places, tried things, had experiences. Following the signs as they appeared (or as I noticed them). I had no plan or idea where I was going with it all. Throughout this period I worked with a coach myself, feeling supported to explore and building self-trust to find my own way.  This led me to a training programme and I became a certified coach myself. I went on holiday to Costa Rica and discovered it as a place that energises me. Here, I met a horse named Beauty. Suddenly a whole new avenue – the idea of coaching with horses – opened up before me that I did not previously know even existed. I kept following the thread, allowing myself to keep exploring until I decided to make big life changes…

And I’m still exploring as I go…

I can look back at my path with hindsight and see how logical and connected each step was, but at the time I had absolutely no idea what the next step would be (or even if there would be a next step) or where any of it was leading. 

Scary?  Yes.  Stepping into the vulnerability and frustration of not knowing the answers, not having control over the outcome (which we never do anyway but we still keep trying!), not doing what everyone else was doing, not knowing if a leap of faith would work out etc. This was and is a constant practice. Each feeling we have has many lessons to teach.

Worth it?  Hell yes! Noticing and following the things that feel like a “Hell, yes!” to me is now part of my decision-making process.

The Gifts

I get to go on personal growth adventures with people, supporting the blossoming of their own inner wisdom.  Inviting people the world of the horse, one of the most sensitive, intuitive and instinctive creatures on the planet.  There is so much learning and feeling that comes from this, it is hard to describe it.  You get to experience what it feels like to be a leader, without using words.  To practice non-verbal communication.  To feel powerful in a mutually respectful relationship.  To create real connection.  To understand how you come across to other people and to practice using your non-logical, instinctive senses (which in reality are the ones already running your life, whether you know it or not!) All these things that changed my life, I want to share with you.

I believe that self-discovery is a life-long adventure for all of us, leading us to incredibly rewarding places, and my purpose is to support that path for you.

Trusting the Feeling

Part of my journey that I found really challenging was the lack of direction, map or even signpost.  The internet is a fabulous tool but if you google self-discovery or personal development an exhausting and overwhelming array of options comes up. And how on earth can we know which ones to try? Or if it will help?

I have no shortage of words or thoughts in my busy brain and was skilled at reading all the blurb for many different offerings. But how to choose?  How to trust my decisions?

Well the one thing that has made the most difference to me and truly stands out over the last 15 years on this journey is that whatever you try, whatever you like or don’t like, whatever makes sense to you (which is different for each of us and all totally as it should be), the thing that makes the biggest difference is the feeling, the intention, the authentic-ness, the energy or vibe of the people and topics involved and the reaction this creates in you. The chemistry.  When do you find yourself showing up as the person you want to be?  What makes your heart sing and energises you? Where are you supported in being you? And just keep following that.

Learn to trust your own inner sense about what threads to follow and you will experience positive growth on your way.  Lean-in to the support offered by people who show up.  You don’t have to do it all.  And you can’t get it wrong.  It’s your path.

The Meaning of “Dandelion Life”

And so I come to “Dandelion”.  These vibes, qualities and feelings we are all looking for, there isn’t just one word to describe it.  In fact, one of my teachers once told me “if you can describe it, that’s not it!”

Never one to be without a way to describe things, I decided to pick my own word for it, my own common language.  Actually for those of you who really want the details, I was drinking dandelion tea at the time, loved the sound of the word “dandelion”, did some research about the flower and found out that it is a great healer of the Earth, full of nutrients, spreads its seed wide to fertilise the soil, has a beautiful flower and a ‘clock’, is a natural medicine for many ailments – but is often overlooked as a weed and not recognised or prioritised for its hidden benefits.  It seemed perfect to describe living an authentic life where we can thrive, rather than how we think we “should” be in order to survive.

So the concept of The Dandelion Life is a way to describe the idea that we want to find Dandelion people, Dandelion experiences and live our own Dandelion life filled with that authenticity, positivity, energy, warm fuzzy feeling – whatever it is that you call the things that make one experience stand out from another, that fill you up and nourish you, that allow you to feel the joy, freedom, peace, fulfilment in your life.

An example is a yoga class – the teacher’s intention, energy and non-judgementalness (is that a word?) will influence your whole experience of a class, whether you like the yoga practice itself or not.  E.g. did you feel safe, not judged, free to learn, make mistakes – or not. Was it Dandelion or not. We may still want to go to that class either way, it may be exactly what we need at that time, but if we also know where else to go when we need that top up of Dandelion vitality, we won’t feel like we are missing something.  Same with reading a book: it may be intellectually interesting, it may be pure escapism, we may love or hate the author, but there are certain books that touch us so we feel something deeper – and well, it’s just different.

The Dandelion Mission

The more I have discovered on my own personal growth adventure, the more I want to support other people with finding their own version of The Dandelion Life. To share ideas, experiences and resources I wish I had known about before or which I believe can benefit anyone who is interested in exploring them.  To put some signposts and mirrors on the imaginary path if you like, to facilitate the spiral of exploration…

In this philosophy you will have your own interpretations and preferences, it’s your path and nothing is right or wrong. There are many great people doing great things in different ways. What I can do is help you know what you are feeling and to trust that. To find what is truly “Dandelion” for you and to start believing that you have everything you need to create it for yourself.

Another way to put it is my tagline: Create a Life you Don’t Need a Vacation From – a life you love.  A life that is peaceful, inspiring, fulfilling, energising, joyful, connected – or whatever you want it to be.

Mine was fairly dramatic – leaving life as a London lawyer to live in Costa Rica and teach personal development and self-discovery with horses.

But small changes can make as much of a difference, if only we can understand where and how to make them.  Once I believe I have a choice – about everything – a whole new world opens up…

The key for me is to believe that the universe makes sense, that I create my life moment by moment and everything that happens is an opportunity for growth.  My thoughts are just thoughts, they come and go and I can choose to change them.  My feelings are my feelings, they may feel uncomfortable sometimes and yet they always subside, like the waves.  I can handle whatever comes.  The way I experience life depends on my thoughts, feelings, beliefs and values.  And I get to choose what those are.  And yet they do not define me.  I create my life in each moment.

And you can too – if you want to…

Through my own experiences and personal journey, as well as working with many inspiring people, I have created programs that will help you find your own personal freedom – your own Dandelion Life.