Choosing You: An Interview With Cliff Harvey – “Live the S*** out of life!”
“Life has to become, more and more, closer to laughter than seriousness” ~ Osh
Choosing You! by Cliff Harvey
For centuries we have looked upon motivators, great leaders, gurus, elders, chiefs and other influential people in our lives to inspire us in progressing through our own personal journey of greatness.
Our traditions, experiences, trials and tribulations, passed down from one person to the next are a form of story telling that can give us a glimpse of the common thread that lies within each of us – the power to live a life of abundance, and a healthy happy long life in connection with those closest to us.
I have been given the opportunity to probe the mind of someone I consider to be “a guru”, “a great leader”, a “change maker”; someone who has lead me on a personal reflection of my own, to discover my own truth, my pursuit for compassion and love; and I wish to share that with you over the next several weeks.
In May and August 2012, Cliff Harvey; author, motivational speaker, world recognized mind-body-coach and naturopath will be holding workshops and seminars inVancouver(focusing on several areas of Life and Purpose, Spirituality, Holistic Health and Wellness), whilst on a North American speaking and book tour.
Cliff began his journey in the health and wellness industries as a strength coach and nutritional consultant and has had the privilege of working with Olympic medalists and world champions,RugbyCanada, BCRugby, Emirates Team NewZealandand Field HockeyCanada, as well as populations with chronic illness and special populations. Cliff also holds specializations in the areas of Psych-K; as an Advanced Facilitator; Reiki Level lll (Master); and is a Homeobotanical Therapist. Aside from his workshops and seminars, Cliff is also an accomplished author; his books including the 2007 release: “Choosing You” and his latest offering: “Time Rich Cash Optional: an unconventional guide to happiness” released in 2011.
Over the course of the next 4 weeks my Saturday morning blog will take you on a journey of personal reflection, as I introduce Cliff’s methodology and holistic teachings, in hopes of giving you a glimpse of his upcoming workshops and seminar scheduled this summer.
An Interview with Cliff Harvey
Q. Let’s start with your upcoming workshops; currently inNew Zealandand what your thoughts are forVancouver?
A. The real focus, both here and on my North American tour is to roll out a weekend workshop based on the exercise from both Choosing You! and Time Rich Cash Optional. There’s also be a lot of additional material drawn from 14 years in practice helping people to be happier and healthier. I’m really excited to be able to connect with people in that type of setting and present some extremely practical tools and exercises to help them deeply connect with their life of passion and purpose and to set and achieve the right goals…the goals that will make it a reality.
Outside of that I will be presenting several workshops on the Mind-Body connection – both from a health/life perspective and also for athletes to achieve sporting and performance success. The final workshops are focused on Holistic Performance Nutrition and Conscious Communication skills…so really there is something for everyone!
Q. You have two main portals; your publishing and work as an author and speaker and your holistic clinical work as a natuopath and mind-body coach (among a plethora of other modalities). You are incredible accomplished for an early 30 year old, and seem to have achieved what most work up to later on in life, what has been your driving force to excel? How have you balanced all the work, play and education? How do you manage it all?
A. That is a great question Sarah…
So often people start with ‘How do you fit it all in?’ Not what the driving force is!
I guess the driving force for me has been quite simply that I had a realization that whatever we do, if we are living a life that is congruent with our ethos and values and congruent with our highest purpose, is a conduit by which we can make people happier. All of the things I do in practice and in my speaking and writing have that as the end goal or highest purpose. I also have very eclectic tastes and marry that with a tendency to become super-engaged (some may say obsessed!) in things that interest me. So I have done, and continue to do several different things as part of my work-life. I see the whole complex (work-life-play) as being one in the same, especially when you love what you do, and do what you love.
Take today for example: I got up around 6am, had a leisurely breakfast, then did some writing, planning for clients, communications (email etc) and then headed to the gym at 10am for my usual training day which consists of 90min of weightlifting and a further hour of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. After that it’s home for a short siesta in the sun and then back to the office to either see clients or do more writing or project work. It’s currently 6pm NZ time and in effect I have trained for 2.5 hours, chilled for some time and worked or 7 hours thus far, I may or may not go for a surf, a walk on the beach or to a friends for dinner. It’s not a conventional schedule and some may see it as hectic, but really it’s not…it’s just a flow of life.
So often people think they ‘don’t have enough time’. But that just means that they are spending time on the inconsequential. I sometimes wonder how to fit all the things I really want to do and love doing in, but that has quite a different context to feeling like time is the enemy. The key is to simply look at life as an adventure. Do things, try things, love things. And part of that is loving to lie down, chill, relax and have quite time too. My latest book looks at the idea that time is the very currency of life, and therefore happiness…
Q. Why “Choosing you”? This is a title that I am sure jumps out of the stands for most people, and as we know the title of the book is usually the hardest to “choose” when writing a book (or at least that’s what I have heard from authors). What is your personal connection with the title?
A. Choosing You! is a book about the power that we have in choice. The title actually came to me early on in the process (as did Time Rich Cash Optional) and I think that it sums up very effectively the onus of the book, which is that you can choose who you want to be and how you want to live, and you can do it right now.
Q. In 2001 you were diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, and you mention in your bio that this lead you to re evaluate your health and the meaning you placed on what constitutes “health.” Can you elaborate of some of the fundamental changes or epiphanies you have had re structuring your life and living with Corhns?
A. The diagnosis affected me on many levels. At the time I became very sick, lost around 36lbs and was constantly in severe pain, unable to eat many foods as everything seemed to affect me negatively and was heavily anemic due to blood loss. It was at that time that I had a great realization – that LIFE is a choice. I could allow myself (a choice) to slip into a semi-permanent hospital bed (or a grave!) or decide to fight for life. I chose the latter and the rest is history. Things didn’t correct themselves over night but it was certainly the turning point on my road to recovery. In the subsequent years I had many realizations of the interconnectedness of the mind, body and spirit in health, and this lead me to become much more holistic in my clinical practice, and incorporate spiritual concepts that I had learned over my youth and adolescent years, and in doing so integrated a lot of what previously was my home life and work life, until even they gained greater synergy.
The most important thing that hardship does though is makes you more human. The various things I’ve been through, from illness to grief, trauma and loss, have all made me more empathic, more compassionate and ergo a better person and better practitioner.
Cliff Harvey, ND, Dip.Fit, HbT, Adv. Psych-K, Reiki lll
Learn how you can transform your deepest driving desires and intentions, as well as how to access your hidden potential and recognize the possibilities that are always unfolding around you. Feel free to follow along and purchase Cliff Harvey’s books, “Choosing You” and “Time Rich Cash Optional” and unlock the tools and inspiration to move to the next phase of success and fulfillment, with effortless ease.
Join us over the next 4 weeks as we look at Cliff Harvey’s integrated approach and vision for his upcoming seminars.
Week One: a Hip Guide to “Unconventional” Happiness
Week Two: Conscious Communications with the self and other
Week Three: Mind-Body Strategies for Optimal Performance on and off the mat
Week Four: Choosing You! Connecting with your life purpose
Sources:
Katoa Health Publishing: www.katoahealth.com
Website: www.cliffharvey.com
Blog: www.cliffdog.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/choosingyou
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cliffharveyauthor
Author’s Amazon Page: www.amazon.com/-/e/B004JBBX66
