How to unlock your health, happiness and fulfilment

American physician Dr Gladys McGarey published ‘The Well-Lived Life’ when she was a spritely 103-year old (she sadly passed away in 2024).

I’d heard her being interviewed on a podcast a few years ago and was struck by how energised she sounded. Gladys sounded livelier and more engaged than many people I meet in their 30s and 40s, who already seem worn down by the treadmill of work, pressures, expectations and responsibilities.

Here was a woman who undoubtedly lived what she taught. One of the main keys she attributed to a happier and healthier life was the idea of finding ‘The Juice’.

What is The Juice?

 Dr Gladys defines The Juice as:

“our reason for living. It’s our fulfilment, our joy, it’s what happens when life is activated by love. It’s the energy we get from the things that matter and mean something to us…Each of us is here to connect with our unique gifts; this is what activates our desire to be alive…Though there is no one way or area of life to find out juice, we all need to find it; it’s a vital part of our life force.”

The myth of a single purpose

In The Well Lived Life, Dr Gladys recounts how she discovered her juice as a child in India whilst helping her mother heal the infected foot of an elephant. In that moment she realised she felt called to become a doctor.

She’d struggled in school up until that point, with bullies and her teachers not understanding how to support her dyslexia. Having decided on her path as a doctor and the joy and satisfaction that came from healing others, she felt “so connected to my joy that my  school troubles wouldn’t stop me”.

Lucky Dr Gladys, you might think. Many of us envy people who have that sense of a calling or vocation that they can focus their mind on and work towards with a single-minded determination.

Of course that path is rewarding, we think, but I’ve never had a sense of a single job that I’m here to do. Am I ever going to find my fulfilment?

I have never bought in to the idea that there is one elusive purpose we need to hunt for and if we don’t find it, we’ll be forever lost and miserable. It reminds me of the idea that we only have one ‘soul mate’ that we’re destined to be with. It’s not helpful and it’s not grounded in reality

Give yourself permission to find The Juice in many places

What’s refreshing about The Well-Lived Life is that Dr Gladys remembers a time when people had more hobbies and interests that didn’t revolve around work. People were less obsessed with career, money-making and productivity and occupied themselves with things that brought them joy:

“You can get juice from gardening, sports, outdoor pursuits, activism, artistry, or any other number of activities…We’re able to connect with life best when we get juice from multiple places. A puzzle piece doesn’t just click in on one side; it clicks in on two, three or four”.

I’m really lucky to be running a business I love which is a big source of The Juice for me. It also cannot be the only thing and I’ve noticed that when I’m feeling low, despondent and exhausted its usually because I haven’t been making time for the other things that I love to do: singing, dancing, reading fiction, or having dinners with friends where we can be silly together.

My coaching and therapy clients also discover new breakthroughs when they finally give themselves permission to connect to their joy outside of work (even when they find their work energising). They make 10 minutes to sketch and draw, to go for a run, to go paddleboarding and they feel their life force return.

I’ve also noticed that clients who are at a career crossroads experience more lightbulb moments and inspiration when they simply devote more time to what they love and what energises them (once they get over the resistance of it not being ‘productive’!)

How can I unlock more of my life force?

Here are some questions that can help get you started in gaining more clarity on what brings you The Juice and spark new ideas on how you can access more of it in your day to day life.

Please write your answers down, doing so will give you much more clarity:

1. What do I love to do? (Don’t stop at the first answer and keep asking yourself).
2. What would I do if I let go of the need to be ‘productive’?
3. Which activities allow me to access a flow state, where I feel so immersed in what I’m doing that that hours pass in an instant?
4. What did I love to do as a child? Which moments made me feel light and joyful and/or gave me a sense that I mattered?
5. When I think about those childhood memories, why did it feel so good for me?

Need help?

Sometimes we need extra support to re-connect with our life force. If you’re feeling trapped in overworking or are struggling with anxiety or low self-esteem, it can be more challenging to feel confident in making changes.

If you want to have a no-pressure chat about how I can help you re-connect with life and gain clarity about your path, you’re very welcome to book in for my free call. Feel free to browse stories from previous clients so you can see what’s possible.