My Dad began work as a delivery boy for a spare parts company. When he retired he was a director of the same company having risen through several managerial positions. It's hard to imagine that happening today.

Have you ever thought it is time to reinvent yourself? A substantial or even dramatic shift away from what you are currently doing and becoming more aligned with your passions.

Personally, I never intended on re-inventing myself so many times but these below happened out of circumstance, choice or just evolved.

I started out my life in a pretty average way. Middle class Australians. Good people. Church going people. Loving and stable family life. My parents intention was that I would pretty much get a job with security (like a government job....hehe) and then see how far I could climb before retiring; promotion usually came with seniority anyway. My siblings chose careers like teaching, nursing and banking. Changes in direction or career were risky and to be avoided was the advice I was given.

1. High School.

Yep that's me. It was school 'muck up day" as it was called then; the final day at High School. I'd already decided on rebelling against the system and was a bit of a hippy. Well I dressed like one at times at least. Was I being a non-conformist or actually conforming to another model?

2. First job.

Final years at Hunters Hill High School were rather traumatic as I was depressed. I'd come to the realisation that I was "one of those"; the type of person that was imprisoned or "treated". A HOMOSEXUAL!!!!. It was a frightening realisation in my mid teens. During the final years of High School it was becoming too much and I often thought of taking my own life and attempted once. This did not make for good focus on school work and doing my best. I'd had paper boy and delivery boy jobs on the side for pocket money, but what would I do with my life. A career? I had NO idea. After my final exams I scanned the papers unsuccessfully looking for something that I could/wanted to apply for. But nothing really interested me let alone inspired me. Out of frustration my father arranged for me to get a job as a cleaner. Yep. That was my first real job - a cleaner at Balmain Leagues Club. I didn't see it as a career choice but I had no idea what next.

3. Bible believing, hell preaching, zealous evangelical Christian

Yep I was one of those REALLY annoying ones. Even did street preaching telling people that if they didn't come to Jesus then they'd go to hell. I felt called to serve God and wanted to become a minister/preacher/missionary and bring 1,000's to Jesus. So I set off to Bible College in New Zealand.

There was a brief stint in the army doing national service after this but that was not my choice, it was my birth date.

4. Salesman (Sales representative)

I know it's not PC to say salesmen but in the early 1970's, essentially they were only men. I moved to Orange in NSW and serviced an enormous territory that took me all through the back of NSW to places like Bourke and Cobar selling soft goods for a Sydney based company. KPI's? What were they? All I had was a budget to sell. I didn't have any ambition or idea of success I just did my job and made budget. No more. No less. It was here though I met my wife and was married at 23.

5. Preacher

Four years and two children later the desire to serve God was as strong as ever. Since there were no real opportunities in the tiny Pentecostal church we attended, we purchased a caravan, left Orange and I became in itinerant preacher "living by faith". No invitations to preach meant no income. We did this for 5 years and pioneered churches. I was becoming more and more successful and founded Youth Alive NSW and a national evangelistic organisation. Each weekend I was preaching in Australia's largest mega churches to audiences in their 1,000's. I felt so aligned with this calling and believed I would do this for the rest of my life. That all abruptly changed in 1991.

What next?

Honestly I had no idea. I was lost once my life purpose and plan was destroyed. I will never forget what it was like, at the age of 40, to register for unemployment benefits at the local Centrelink (called Commonwealth Employment Service CES is those days) and being interviewed by a 19 year old asking me questions like "What skills and experience do you have?" All I could say was "I have been a preacher for the last 16 years that's all I know". "What qualifications do you have?" was the next question. I had none except a Bible College Diploma. I felt demoralised and humiliated and walked out of the building and cried. I couldn't see any future let alone success.

6. Top Salesperson in Australia

Over the next few years I had a couple of jobs in sales then working with long term unemployed people and teaching . I was unemployed myself and in my financial crisis I grabbed the easiest job I could find. I commenced working in a call centre for a telecommunications company (Optus). Within 12 month I had become the top sales person in the call centre and soon after that of all the call centres in Australia. The KPI for conversion of calls to sales was 27% but I was getting 62%. I won trips, appliances and substantial bonus cheques. I realised I'd used not being competitive as an excuse for my lack of performance. It was only by becoming competitive that I realised my full potential and became a leader instead of being average. I was an excellent sales person; I'd just never dared to believe that or pushed myself before.

7. Professional Coach

A career in telecommunications didn't turn me on but wanted to have my own business again. I trained as a coach and began coaching a few people whilst at Optus. Then I resigned and burnt my bridges behind me in order to succeed. I'd either sink or swim. That was 13 years ago. Since then I have coached literally 100's of people into a more successful and fulfilling life in Sydney, Australia and around the world including USA, UK, UAE, Asia, South Africa, and parts of Europe. Also I was one of the first in Australia to gain accreditation with the International Coaching Federation.

8. Award winning, best-selling author

There had always been a strong sense that I should write my story and that it would help others on their journey to reconcile faith and sexuality as well as educate straight people about the struggles many of us go through. I had never intended to be an author but I put an affirmation on my wall "I am a successful, published author" and began writing. A Life of Unlearning was published in 2004. It sold out. The second edition was published and became internationally available in 2007. That sold out and now I have nearly completed my third book.

9. Founding a national support organisation and becoming a recognized community leader.

In 2005, I co-founded Freedom2b, It began as a handful of people in my lounge room and when I resigned 6 years later had become the largest organisation in Australia for LGBT people from Christian backgrounds with 30 volunteers and leaders, monthly chapter meeting around Australia and an extremely healthy and active online community including over 300 individual stories. It was during this time I was twice voted one of the 25 Most Influential Gay and Lesbian Australians 2007 & 2009. In 2012 I founded a new organisation Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International 

10. Artist?

Last Christmas I picked up a paint brush for the first in 45 years. Since then I have completed over 50 works and considering an exhibition later in the year. Once again this is not something I planned but just happened. You can see some of the completed works in my Facebook album. Where is this going to go? I don't know but it's fun and I am enjoying the creativity and new skills I'm learning.  

Is there an 11???? Let's wait and see.

In my next newsletter we will explore the key principles I've learnt through re-inventing my life.

If you want to discuss re-inventing yourself I offer a one hour complimentary consultation. You can book on online here now.