STRIP NAKED AND
RE-DRESS WITH
HAPPINESS
How to survive and thrive through personal challenge
by Maria Hocking
First published in Great Britain by Practical Inspiration Publishing, 2017
© Maria Hocking, 2017
The moral rights of the author have been asserted
ISBN (print): 978-1-910056-44-8
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-910056-45-5
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the author.
PREFACE
Sitting here writing the preface for my book, I need to pinch myself. Is it real? Did I actually make it happen? It appears so. Three years ago I felt a strong desire to share my learnings. I wanted to share my story to help others.
I decided to start by focusing on the three major challenges that I had faced in my life. All I knew at the time was that I was happier, stronger, and very fulfilled as a result of them. But how did it happen?
I started by going back through my past, looking at old notebooks and diaries, and drawing on memories. I started writing, piecing my past life together, and realized there were certain things I had done that had created big changes. My biggest revelation was that I had unconsciously been using all of this knowledge within my coaching practice for years. I had just never fully acknowledged it.
I wrote continually. Morning, noon, and night. There were times when I thought I wasn’t good enough. There were times when I thought I couldn’t be an author because I didn’t know enough. There were times when I decided to put the book ‘on hold’ because I didn’t have enough hours in the day. And there were times when I decided it wasn’t possible to be a writer, a mum, a wife, and a coach. But throughout all of those times, my soul continued to draw me back to the computer, and back to my notes. I would wake at 3am with spectacular words in my mind and toss and turn as I tried to fight the words and go back to sleep. I soon realised that it was far more productive to go with my night-time creativity and get up and write.
As I wrote hours would fly by, and a whole day or night would pass with the words flowing effortlessly from my fingertips. But I didn’t get many whole days or nights to write so I wrote on trains, at airports, in local coffee shops, in my car, and in my bedroom. The more I wrote, the more I truly believed that this book could help people, a lot of people.
Little did I expect an additional – unexpected and life-changing – challenge to come along whilst writing, so the book had to adapt to encompass it. Yet we managed to find many gifts within this experience also, which are laid out in the final chapter.
I want you to know, that no matter what happens to you, you can survive. And through adversity is the opportunity to thrive. I know for a fact that life may not turn out as you would expect. But it can turn out even better. I know because I have survived and thrived myself, and I’ve helped countless numbers of people do the same. My passion is to help people change their lives with my heart and my words, through coaching, speaking, training, or writing.
I know that you can live an exceptional life. And that you deserve it. I know that you are capable of far more than you realise. I know that you are a beautiful person, with many unique and special gifts. I know that right now, you may not be aware of these gifts, but I do know that adversity will help you to find them.
This book will help. I share my story alongside ‘changing room tips’, which will show you and guide you to a higher happiness. I have also provided some free downloads to help you on my web-site: www.mariahocking.com. You can print out your ‘Changing Room Checklist’ as a reminder and access other helpful resources. Additionally, I recommend signing up for my inspirational newsletter so that my words continue to feed your soul. (This also ensures that you will always be among the first to know about my upcoming events and workshops.)
I lay my life, my learnings, and my passion for change throughout the pages of the book. I encourage you to read, relax, and share your experience with others. When you share your knowledge with those who need it, your knowledge becomes deeply embedded until it becomes a part of who you are and how you live. Happiness becomes your default setting, as it was at your birth.
Enjoy my words, and thrive on my learnings. I would love to hear about the changes that you make as a result, so please feel free to contact me via my web-site: www.mariahocking.com.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Getting Naked – The First Gift
What Happens To You Does Not Define You
Re-Dressing
Back To The Changing Room – The Second Gift
Adding More Layers
Internal Adjustments
Rising Higher
The Final Gift – Realignment
About the Author
