Everyone’s got a Story. Here’s mine (the longer version). Thanks for reading and glad to meet ya!
HELLO! I know we just met, but I’m curious, are you living your BEST life? Are you as happy as you want to be? As you know you can be? Deserve to be? These questions give us a good pulse check on how we’re doing at one of our basic jobs as human beings; the job we have to live life to the fullest!
Hi, I’m Helen Woo-Duncan, and today, my answer is a 100% wholehearted YES to all! YES, I am definitely living my best, most AWESOME life with my incredible husband and three beautiful kids! At 43, I’m in peak health, have a dream career, and wake up every morning full of vitality, zest and gratitude for every micro-second of my extraordinary life. But, it wasn’t always this way. In fact, it was the complete opposite! My answers to these questions used to be; “Nope, no way”. “Well, kind of”. “I wish”. “Is there even such a thing??” and “Anyone who answers Yes is lying.” Sound familiar?
Like many of you, I used to go through life hustling & bustling from one thing to another, struggling & juggling to make it all work, trying to be a Super mom & wife, always fighting time & expectations (and coming up short), putting everyone else and their needs before mine, and killing myself. The worst part was, I was going through the chaotic daily grind on auto-pilot, doing the ‘same-old, same-old’ thing, hoping for different results; hoping that something would change and that life would stop feeling like such an uphill battle everyday!
I also lacked a clear sense of purpose when it came to my career, which was one of the worst feelings ever because I felt completely lost, uncertain and out of alignment with what I truly wanted to be doing. My Corporate job, which I was at for 11 years, was OK by a lot of standards and so was my stint in Advertising & Marketing for 8 years prior to that, but they were at the core ‘soul-sucking’. I was extremely unhappy inside and just done with giving away my blood, sweat and tears to jobs I knew I wasn’t meant to be doing. I wanted desperately to feel happy, inspired and proud of myself.
I knew I was destined for something BIGGER and BETTER, something that would make me sparkle and feel alive inside, something that I cared deeply about, something that felt right for me, that would inspire others and impact the world. But I didn’t know what it was, which was sooo frustrating! And anyways – I often used to think when I experienced internal conflicts – who has time to think about themselves, their happiness or their ‘life purpose’ when meals need to be cooked, diapers need to be changed, laundry needs to be done, kids needs to be raised, and emails, reports & spreadsheets need to be sent to bosses…..Aarggh, there’s just no “me-time”!
I was at a point where I felt really stuck so I put on a brave face and kept doing what I knew how to do best – push myself harder & harder and ignore my body, heart and mind and all the messages they were sending. That’s how I used to cope with stressful situations. As a daughter of South Korean immigrant parents, I was raised with the “No Pain, No Gain” mentality, and I saw a lot of struggle, stress and sacrifice growing up. That was the price to pay for success. But, it wasn’t working for me. This unhealthy approach to life started taking a serious toll on me, wreaking havoc on my health, marriage, family and life. I was taking my frustrations out on my husband and kids and destroying the most precious thing in my life – my Family!
I couldn’t continue down this path anymore. The voice for change grew louder and louder as the years went on, but I just kept ignoring it, until one day it FINALLY got my attention…
THE FALL THAT HELPED ME RISE
On May 15th, 2015, I was on my way into the office at my Corporate Job when I slipped on a patch of black ice. I fell and instantly broke my Tibia and Fibula – the two main bones in your lower leg. The pain was so excruciating I went into shock mode and for a few seconds, I thought I was actually dying. But it wasn’t my time to go. No. I had A LOT more life to live…
The road to recovery for the next few years was extremely tough. Physically, I had to go through the process of natural bone fusion healing (no surgeries were required, thank God!). And I had to learn to walk again – my body was in deep stress and turmoil. Emotionally, I had to deal with the pain of not being able to be with my husband or two children the way I wanted AND I felt so sad and empty from the heartache of putting our Baby #3 plans on hold. Mentally, I suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), massive guilt, fear, anxiety and panic attacks. In the moment, it was the most traumatic period of my life BUT looking back, it was also the most GLORIOUS period.
Why?
Because was I given the gift of time to literally slow down and think – for the first time ever – about what I wanted in my life and who I wanted to be. I didn’t have all the answers but I vowed that once I healed and got back on my feet I was going to do Life differently. My Transformation Journey was beginning…
2018 – THE YEAR OF TRANSFORMATION
When you look at your life, do you have a year that was AH-MA-ZING? That “Golden Year” when everything went really, really well? 2018 was my year. Three (3) major things happened that changed my life forever:
#1. I Discovered Health Coaching:
When I recovered from my leg injury, we were given the green light to try for Baby #3. Our family was complete with the birth of our third angel child, but another baby also meant another bump down the priority list for me. I was quickly back to my old unhealthy self-defeating habits; skipping meals, bingeing on caffeine & sugar, negative self-talk, not exercising, hating my belly bloat, criticizing myself and stressing about everything! I was exhausted, depleted, anxious, worried, impatient and frustrated. Some days I felt like I honestly had nothing left to give my family, except a lot of complaining and yelling. I was done with feeling so our-of-control and sh#tty! I tried a lot of things to ‘get healthy’ but nothing really worked. Until, I discovered….Health & Life Coaching!
GAMECHANGER!!
Things that made me unhappy started to shed away naturally and easily. The unwanted weight, belly bloat, energy drain, sugar cravings, negativity, anger, guilt, anxiety, self-doubt and everything in between was gone; like magic! Unhealthy habits that were decades old, simply went away, and I started to look, feel, see, think and act differently. I was healthier and happier like never before. To those closest to me, I seemed like a totally different person – like, “What happened to Helen? Who is this impostor in Helen’s body and where the heck is Helen?”
I learned to fall in love with ME, and my family was happier than ever for it! Processed foods, negativity and drama went way down at the kitchen table and home-cooked healthy meals, positivity and nourishing conversations went way up!! Huge changes were happening on so many levels.
The Health & Life Coaching Training I learned, which formed the basis of my *exclusive* Signature Program (“The Ultimate Health Transformation”), empowered me to make these transformational habit changes EASILY, EFFORTLESSLY & ENJOYABLY.
#2. I Found My True Purpose & Loves:
I was finally becoming the happy Super Woman I longed to be by learning to love ME. Coaching taught me to put myself first, Helen = Priority #1. This was the missing ingredient in the recipe of My Best Life.
When I started living into this new way of being, I became a much more patient, loving, kind, understanding, confident and creative person because I was taking care of myself. I was nourished, fulfilled, energized, challenged, renewed and inspired. I was able to see more possibilities from different perspectives and I was filling up my own cup with Self-Love – it had been empty for a long while.
The Mommy Guilt Syndrome, which I suffered severely from for 9 years was gone! Sure, I still have really, really tough days, but the way I cope positively now has COMPLETELY changed how I deal with things, and therefore, how I interact with people, deal with challenges and experience Life. I was becoming the Best Mom and Wife I desired to be by becoming the Best ME!
From this place of calm, confidence and clarity, it hit me one day in August of 2018. The thing I’d been searching for, the thing that made me feel most ALIVE, the thing that gave me the greatest joy and sense of purpose was right there in front of me the whole time. It was enjoying my family to the fullest and raising my children to be authentically happy & compassionate human beings while raising myself to be the same.
This was how I could make the world a better place and leave behind a Legacy I could be proud of. I NEVER saw this before. It was so awesome and peacefully freeing. In that moment, I was so overwhelmed with joy that warm, happy tears streamed down my face as I held my sleeping baby in my arms.
#3. I Became a Full-time Entrepreneur:
> Certified Health & Life Coach: When I realized the POWER of this Coaching thing, and how radically different and easy it was to change habits, mindsets and ‘get healthy’, I knew I stumbled on something AMAZING! Combined with my passion for helping others and my natural gift of Positivity, I knew I could change lives in profound & powerful ways. So, I trained with the BEST Coaches in the industry (Stacey Morgenstern and Carey Peters) at Health Coach Institute and I got certified as a Mastery level Health & Life Coach in ‘Habit Change & Transformational Changework Methodology’ (TCM). TCM is an amazing advanced professional training and coaching method that combines concepts and methodologies from Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), cutting-edge Psychology, Neuroscience, Shadow Work, Family Systems Work, and Spirituality.
It’s a highly effective proven method that helps thousands of people re-wire their thought patterns to create healthier, more positive ones so that they can be different, without having to remember to be different. Let that sink in for a minute and imagine how freaking awesome your life could be if you could have what you wanted (the weight loss, energy, body, health, relationships and happiness) WITHOUT the stress or struggle of having to force or punish yourself to do hard, grueling work. Changes can happen easily because we create motivation from the inside instead of attaching it to external conditions. That’s the magic of my coaching!
My technique is second-to-none and my style is irresistible. I’ve got grit and wit with a dash of kindness & playfulness, and I coach with compassion, love and positivity like no other. I get you results because I know to get them and I offer my clients the HIGHEST quality of care & coaching. You deserve nothing less! That’s what makes me & coaching totally worth it.
“As a Health & Life Coach, I inspire and empower people to take control of their lives so they can create the wild & awesome life they desire & deserve.”
> COPE POSITIVE: This is my Health & Wellness company I co-founded with my husband in July 2018. The essence of COPE POSITIVE is “Discover the Power of Your Mind + Find the Beauty in the Grind”. We can go through life’s daily grind on auto-pilot, in a crazy, hazy daze and focus on the stress & mess of it all OR, we can rise above the chaos and choose to see the beauty & abundance of goodness available to us.
I choose the latter. COPE POSITIVE is our Way of Life. It’s who we are, how we work and how we raise our children. It’s the umbrella for my Entrepreneur Businesses that I hope will grow into something greater than I can imagine today; something that will transform the world, inspire my kids and help raise the kindness and consciousness of the planet.
> Bye Bye Corporate: I was on maternity leave from my Corporate Job when I embarked on my Transformation Journey. My return-to-work date was fast-approaching. I knew I wanted to spend more time with my children and new-found passions, and I also knew my Corporate Job no longer served a purpose for me. I resigned and was ready for the next chapter. Things were starting to get real and scary….and super exciting! I knew I was on the right path…
TODAY & BEYOND….
I found my Truth and stepped into it boldly, courageously and unapologetically. As a result, I have more grace, ease, simplicity, and joy in my life today. And Time has somehow miraculously transformed for me. I feel like I have SO MUCH more of it now to enjoy. I’m less ‘checked’ out of life and choosing to live with more presence & awareness, which is the trick to living life fully in every blessed moment.
I now stop to smell the flowers, bask in the sun, and nourish my soul. I have a deeper, kinder connection with my husband and children, and I’m just not as afraid of anything anymore. I’ve learned to LOVE myself so fiercely that I’ve become fearless in a way and unstoppable in living my purpose.
I’ve gone to the depths of self transformation and love, which are not destinations but rather a continual process of growth, acceptance and evolution. It is truly a magnificent place and the absolute coolest part is that I know how to take you there too!
I’m thriving in my work because I’m operating in my Zone of Genius. I love uplifting people, motivating habit change, speaking at events, writing, mastering new skills, showering clients with love & positivity, and empowering others & myself to be the Best.
My goal is to help as many people live their BEST lives now, not later when it’s too late. And when we’re all living in this higher, happier way, there’s an AWESOMENESS that emerges in us that we ripple out to our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, who then ripple it out to others, and the goodness & positivity keeps spreading wider and farther.
I’m committed to creating a world like this, where children get to grow up with healthy and happy parents who are doing what they want and being who they love; who are living their Best life instead of their miserable sacrificed life. That’s the world I want to live in and share with YOU. The world I want to watch my kids, and hopefully my grandkids grow up and thrive in. And just like that we can make the world a better place, together.
So, my Friend, how can I help you live your Best, most EXTRAORDINARY life?
