Love letters to Humanity ©
My first contract in New Zealand was with a private training company. The attendance rates were 35% and so were outcomes. Not good !! The disciplinary process was to send 3 warning letters and then students were “dismissed” . As the leader I refused to comply with this practice.
You see, I knew this would not bring about change. The students were second chance learners from a poor area who got beaten up before they came to class! There was nothing motivating in these communications from the company.
So, instead I sat with every student. I sat with them until I knew them well enough to write them a one page letter. In that letter I honoured the good that I saw, the qualities I admired and the progress they had made. Sometimes their results were not great….but I discovered if you sit with people long enough you find out all you need to know. I was with that company two years and wrote 2000 pieces of personalised mail. When I left the attendance rate was 95% and so were outcomes. I wrote to and honoured those who came and the word spread.
When I left I committed I would from that point on write 3 pieces of what I call Glad Mail every day. As I write it is 2015 and I have sent well over 10,000 pieces of mail. Every presentation I give at conferences , I hand out 3 pieces of Glad Mail … random … written the night before based on what I intuit will be required by the person receiving.
Why would I do this? From 1997 to 2001 I lost my home and business twice. I moved countries and arrived in NZ owing $80,000, which I repaid in 2 years. I had lost my first child , a daughter. I was also a cancer survivor. When I arrived in New Zealand I had ten car accidents, about 6 weeks apart! None my fault honest! My family had not spoken since 1989, and then my partner of 20 years left with another woman. I was devastated…his last words to me were “ No I don’t love you and I never loved you!”
It was at that point I disintegrated. I thought if that is true then everything I know is not true.
I committed at that point that whatever came up in my life, I would go to it.
And then … something began to happen. A chance conversation with a magician from South Australia and I had a huge revelation. I thought..” Oh my…we have radiology, pathology, and haematology …but no joyology! I am going to be a Joyologist. “
And so I am the Worlds First Joyologist.
I remained present and connected to my path and experienced so much paradox and synchronicity as the concept and my role evolved. I now have over 5000 testimonials that include this from Dr Ric Coleman, “Pat Armitstead is NZ’s answer to Patch Adams.”
I have also been likened to “ a spiritual midwife delivering people out of the darkness”.
Where am I leading with this?
As I have evolved since 2001 I have committed over and over to refine and polish my language and to speak lovingly and authentically as my way of being. Now I see what that has attracted to me with so many wonderful words coming back from people who have enjoyed my presentations or my coaching. I was honoured to speak at New Zealands “Be the change you want to see” conference in 2000, and its been a privilege to be a contribution to so many. I have lived my life in intention and my Glad Mail is one of my ways of expressing that.
My challenge to you the reader
- Find at least one person each day who needs to hear from you; who needs your recognition and words of appreciation .
- Keep a record for 3 months of that communication you send out and start noticing what is coming back!
- We would love to hear from you and what you have learned through this action
Namaste….Pat
