From: Retire Young
Zoë Watson’s life was cruising along nicely until an accident left her with serious injuries. Less than a year later Zoë relocated to Bali to launch the first ‘Bliss Sanctuary for Women’. A Bali Retreat experience without the restrictions
What was the defining moment for your Good Life Crisis?
A terrible car accident left me with worsening health over a period of about 3.5 years, I was suffering terrible migraines, constantly missing social events and spending days in bed. At the time I had a very demanding career and my health was really getting in the way of life. I was at the point that I had no joy.
Feeling completely burnt out I told my boss I either needed some help or I needed a month off. He said I couldn’t have either but I could take next week off. I decided to go to Bali.
Two days after getting home I felt terrible again with ill health and decided that I needed to take time out to put my health first. There is no point of half living a life of achieved goals with very little happiness.
When you think about your life now, what comes to mind?
Following my BLISS!
What is the biggest thing you have learnt as a result of your Good Life Crisis?
That it is impossible to see how amazing your life can be until you trust the universe, follow your instincts, use your knowledge and challenge yourself and take the plunge.
Along the way, I got so involved in my passion and creating a sanctuary for women I ignored my own health needs – but they do say we teach what we need to learn the most!
What drives you to keep going and pursuing your dream to help other women?
It constantly shocks and humbles me that people want to listen to my story and know intimate details of my life and business in order to learn how I got to this point. Other people are constantly using the word ‘inspiring’ to describe their view and how they feel about me.
I feel I owe it to anybody willing to listen to be open and authentic and to share my story. The impact it seems to have is more than I could ever imagine and creating a Sanctuary For Women travelling alone has helped so many women in so many ways, beyond what I could have ever dreamed.
Has your vision changed since you began this journey?
My vision has never been a start and end point, but a true passion to create experiences – it hasn’t changed but it has expanded. Somehow it seems like a constant flow with no closed doors, more and more the doors keep opening all the time with continuous growing, earning and creating.
What message would you like people to take away from your story?
Follow your bliss, nothing is ever ‘wrong’ it just ‘is’ and we have the power to change our destiny once we listen to ourselves and learn what our deepest values are.
Have the faith in yourself to succeed amongst many perceived failures. Life is about experience, so all experiences are valid however we feel along the way.
Each person on this earth is valid and powerful and connected so go and do what you feel compelled to do in the knowledge that our biggest fears seem to point to the things in life we need to overcome which is where we become powerful.
What is your plan for the next few years?
We plan to open two more Bliss Sanctuary For Women in Spain and the Greek Islands this year and two more each year until we have twenty!
This year is about finding an investor, continuing the growth and on a personal level dealing with my health.
Bliss Sanctuary For Women is always about following my bliss as an example for every woman out there to follow hers… and have a great time while doing it!