From Fashion Designer to Philosopher
Joy follows you like a shadow when you are your authentic self.
When I was in my early twenties, I lived in the party capital of Australia: the Gold Coast in Queensland. It was the eighties, I was a fashion designer, and for me, another night meant another party!
In those days, it was all about glamour. The more glamorous you were and the more glitter you had, the better off and happier you’d be. At least, that’s what everybody told me.
And while I wasn’t really into any of it, I was more down-to-earth than that; I was misguided into false illusions of happiness. I was led to believe that succeeding as a fashion designer would make me happy and give me the life that dreams were made of, but nothing could have been further from the truth.
The only thing I succeeded in achieving was living a counterfeit life. On the surface, I was all smiles and shiny—everyone thought my life was perfect—but underneath the facade, I was miserable.
I had to do something. I had to change because if there was one thing I was sure of, it was this: No amount of partying or material success could fill the aching void I felt within.
Cutting a Different Cloth
After two years of searching and attending countless “spiritual” courses, I found what I was looking for on the other side of the country in Perth, Western Australia.
There, I attended a retreat, read a book1, and met the author. He was incredible: cool, calm, composed, full of wit, wisdom, and humility.
They say that when the student is ready, the teacher appears, and I couldn’t have been more ready. Six weeks later, I was in India, studying Vedanta—India’s ancient philosophy and best-kept secret.
Consequently, today, I cut a very different cloth. I get up each morning at the same time I used to stagger to bed! I practice being true to myself and live an AUTHENTIC life based on giving rather than taking.
Before going to India, I was deluded, selfish, and unhappy. It was all about me, me, me. Only when I studied philosophy did I discover the connection between selfishness and unhappiness. I realised that the more selfish we are, the less happy we will be. And the more selfless we are, the happier we will be.
