AUTHOR INSIGHT: MEET JANETTE PHILP

Janette Philp is one of those people who radiate happiness – it’s in her voice, words, body language and even her emails – she’s not just “good”, she’s “fabulous”.I spoke to the LiveLoveLaugh co-author and intrepid adventurer ahead of an International Women’s Day event in my area and her energy for life was infectious.

Asked if she was always this enthusiastic, she replied: “Absolutely. Why wouldn’t you be?”

“Life’s too short. I endeavour to live within the moment. Why not be happy?”

And how do people react to this enthusiasm for life? Janette laughed.

“Surprised. This morning I called into the supermarket and the girl at the checkout asked how I was and I said ‘Fabulous’. She said, ‘I never get anyone who says that. They always say not bad or fine’.”

The classic poet Henry David Thoreau wrote, “I wished to live deliberately” – for Janette, who got her pilot’s license at 40, the word “deliberately” drives her decision to look at life positively, to seize challenges and not accept the word “can’t”.

“What do I say to people who say ‘I can’t’? Remove the‘t’. You can do it,” she said.

“People are so fearful of everything.

“Set your goal to what you want to do, as long as it’s physically or realistically possible. One of the biggest things I’ve always believed is that you need a  goal list – short, medium and long-term goals.

“As soon as you put your focus towards something, things start happening, things start gravitating towards you.

“I led a group of women, just because I wanted to, on the Kokoda Track. All of the women were leading such different lifestyles, they had such different personalities, they had so many challenges…just to see the end result…that was an amazing experience. I call it life-changing.

“It was physically, emotionally and mentally challenging. To see the changes in the women… all 12 of them, they have gone out and inspired others.

“I intend to continue climbing and trekking for as long as I can. I have a list of all the things I want to do, like walk the Inca trail.

So, what does Janette do when life gets her down?

“I take time out. It might only be half an hour, or it might be a whole day. I don’t often feel ‘down’ though. I’ve always got something exciting to look forward to. Reading is one type of time out for me. And one of my favourite time out activities is to take a walk barefoot along the beach. I love the beach. I think we’re so blessed to live in a county like Australia. I’m happy.

“Did you know a four-year-old laughs about 300 times a day? Adults only laugh about 18 times a day. And only eight per cent of what we worry about comes about.”

And with that, Janette was off to her next appointment.

For more information about LiveLoveLaugh, Janette or the Three LLL’s – three life coaches who walk their talk, visit Three LLL’s.