MY STORY
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My name is Simon Norton. I’m so glad you found my site.
I used to see happiness (life satisfaction) very differently than I see it today. From the time I was a teenager into my early 20’s, my mantra was, “He who as the most toys wins.” I believed that money = happiness.
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From ages 13-15, I lived on Rarotonga, an island in the South Pacific. After leaving Rarotonga, my best friend and I vowed to one day move back and own a resort. By 30, I’d accomplished that dream.
I was a multi-millionaire and owned a resort in the Pacific (www.OctopusResort.com).
SO WHY WAS I SO UNHAPPY...?
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One day I was standing on the beach reflecting on my life, and as soon as I realized I wasn’t truly happy, a void opened up in front of me and I fell in... everything I’d thought was true was all of a sudden a lie. The whole foundation upon which I’d built my life upon crumbled in an instant. If money didn’t equal long-term happiness, then what did?
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​I didn't know what to do. To make myself feel better (and I felt pretty bad), I drank more and engaged myself in other destructive behaviours. Over the next two years, I managed to push away most of my wealth, my family, and my health. I started a new business for all the wrong reasons and while it was initially successful, I eventually lost a lot of money, including my family’s and investors’ money. I hit rock bottom and didn’t know what to do, so I drove to the beach, curled up under the dashboard of my car, and cried. I realised that if I wanted my life to be different, something needed to change. My partner had been suggesting we go to couple’s counselling and I thought that seemed like a good place to start.
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During our first session, I remember thinking, “It won’t take the counsellor long to figure out I’m fine and my partner has all the issues.” How wrong I was! After three months, our counsellor suggested we have individual sessions, too. We spent five years in couple’s counselling, and I did seven years on my own. In 2005, I attended a weekend retreat for men (www.EssentiallyMen.net). The retreat was a heart-opener, and a total game-changer. It provided a platform through which I could connect with and express my emotions. It was like I’d been holding an intense amount of pressure inside and was finally able to let some of it out
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That weekend gave me new solutions to finding happiness. For the first time, I learned that happiness doesn’t come from materialism, and I didn’t need to numb myself to feel the ease I longed for. I became a self-help junkie. I read any new age or self-help books I could get my hands on. I attended retreats, human design readings, yoga, visited Buddhist monks, Theta healing, Inner guidance, Inner journey, sweat lodges, workshops, meditation, clairvoyants, Plant healing medicine retreat in the Amazon, Tantra workshops, Gene keys, Reiki, men’s work, read the bible and Hindu texts, worked with energy workers and Aboriginal healers, learned Tai Chi, listened to various Gurus, spent a year travelling the world following my heart and more.
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What I realised through all of this was that I’d inherited my belief that money equated happiness from two places: other people (parents, friends, school and society) and my own life experiences, all of which played a part in shaping who I was, and my beliefs and how I lived my life.
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Once I realised my adopted beliefs and experiences shaped who I was, the next step in my emotional healing process was to blame everyone. If my parents, baby sitter or friends hadn’t done this or that, I would have been fine. I spent two years blaming others until I finally saw that it wasn’t making me feel any better.
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In 2005 I read a book called Emotional Healing in Minutes, by Valerie Lynch and Paul Lynch. called “Emotional Freedom Technique,” or EFT, a method for letting go of emotions, this simple technique proved to be life changing for me in regards to me both understanding and working through the layers of emotions blocking me from my ultimate happiness and realigning me with my purpose and destiny.
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IN SUMMARY
In summary, our layers of beliefs and life experiences (emotional baggage) impact our lives and dictate our happiness. Once we see these layers and gain the knowledge and tools to change them, we’re able to peel off our baggage, gaining long-term joy and happiness.
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Garry Zukav has a great analogy for this in his book Spiritual Partnerships. Gary shares the story of when Michelangelo created his famous statue of David. Michelangelo said, “David was always there in the marble. I just took away everything that was not David.” To uncover our beauty and rediscover love, we must become aware of and remove everything that’s not us, including our beliefs and painful life experiences (emotional baggage).
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” To uncover our beauty and rediscover love, we must become aware of and remove everything that’s not us, including our beliefs and painful life experiences (emotional baggage)" ~ Garry Zukav.
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Through awareness and by using effective tools, I’ve transformed my life. I’ve gone from 120 kgs down to 68kgs. I no longer drink or depend on drugs to feel better, I’ve taken responsibility for caring for my body, I left my wife (I love her, but it wasn’t healthy for us to be together), left my lucrative career, only buy what I really need, healed relationships with family members and let go of negative friendships. I feel the best, most joyful, and happiest I’ve ever been in years. A new and exciting chapter of my life is opening.
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Now, I love myself
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Another benefit of healing my emotions has been getting in touch with my spiritual self. I connect more with my intuition, my gut instinct, and my soul. I do things because they feel like the right thing to do, not because someone else tells me to, or because I think I “should.” This has given me a whole new level of freedom and empowerment.
In summary:
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First 35-40 years of my life:
Last 15 - 20 years of my life:
Sometimes I forget how different my life is. There have been so many changes. Life is definitely different. It feels like I am falling back into the mystery of life. Instead of trying to make life happen, worry about the future or get held back by my past, I am going with the flow of life, no expectations, just appreciation and wonder of what is happening right now.
I would love to support you with your journey of finding lasting happiness, life satisfaction and with rediscovering love….
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If you would like to transform your life satisfaction and be happier, please send me your details below.
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With Love ~ Simon
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PS: After the last 3 years of living in plant medicine retreat centers in Peru and more recently Bolivia, as a participant, volunteer and worker, before I left, I had an inspiration to ask my friend Karol (videographer) to help me create a recording that captured the essence of my learnings during this chapter of my life. It was a time of deep healing and integration. I dedicate this video to all my friends (whether we are still in physical contact or not) that have helped me along the way.
CONTACT US
THE HAPPINESS COACH