As I grew up, I quickly started to learn that helping people bought me the best personal rewards. When I say rewards, I mean that feeling inside you get when things have gone well, or when you finally sit down in the evening and feel truly content.
As I reached my late teens and starting to concentrate more on navigating my way through life I never really settled on a plan or career path, I just tried to do what I loved doing while trying to help people along the way. For many years this was in the outdoor industry, finding my way to a number of different companies who work in the outdoors, but who’s main goal was challenging people in safe environments. Then discussing their emotions and helping them develop coping strategies to manage stressful environments. Finally showing them how to take those coping mechanisms and write them into their everyday life. Basically, helping people navigate through life being the best and happiest individual they could be.
I then found my way into the World of Funerals, while this may sound strange to a lot of people, I really enjoy the work. This was finally something I could do where I could help people on a much deeper level. I quickly realised I could do this for the rest of my life, without the worry that the physical strain of expedition work put on my body.
I started with one of the large companies and got qualified. While gaining loads of experience, meeting and working with some great individuals who I will be forever grateful to. It just didn’t fore fill all my dreams, a perfect example is having pressure put on me for not selling enough limousines. Therefore not meeting “targets”. This really wasn’t how I felt this job should be. In the end I decided to set up my own business, under my own name. What a proud but scary moment that was, seeing my name above the funeral home for the first time. This was 8 years ago now and to be honest, while I still worry (we all worry), I love being able to help people so much more than ever before.
Part of this journey, the personal side, has been me making myself happier as well. My personal joy had been really tested when coming towards the end of my time at the last job and it took me a while to get myself belief back.
I am sharing this story with you now because I am really proud that over the last 3 years I have been practicing Reiki Healing, and last week I received my level 2 certificate. This is such an important part of my life. My main use for Reiki has been my self-healing, very much internal up to now. It has helped me process much that has happened in the past, helps me stay strong, allowing me to be the best I can be all the time, and has also led onto further learning about the energy of this wonderful earth we all call home. In December I start the next chapter and will start working on becoming accredited. This means I will be able to work publicly in private homes and Hospices etc. This is my next dream, to not only be able to help people when they have lost someone they love, but also support people who maybe ill and help them relax and cope a little better. Reiki started as a personal journey but is developing into something that will enable me to help more people, and may also put me into contact with more people who may simply want an ear to talk to when they need it most.
You may be wondering why I have decided to write a blog on the subject of my journey, especially as blogs tend to be short, so how can I possibly write enough about my 44 years of existence to make any sense or be interesting. I as I have typed the words onto the screen in front of me, I have also wondered why I am doing this and who would want to read it. However, I do feel it is important for a couple of reasons. Firstly, if you are checking my website out because you are in need of an undertaker, then this gives you a bit of an idea of who this G Burdett Funeral Director is. More importantly I want people to know that until I started this business I didn’t have a life plan that looked further than a couple of months into the future. I simply had this feeling inside that I would like to help people and make this World a more bearable place for us all to live in, I felt like this until my late 30’s. While not conventional, this is fine. On my own I can’t make a massive difference to the World, but I can make a difference to the people I come into contact with, and if we all did this then surely that would make a bigger difference. As far as telling my story in more detail, maybe one day I might do that. When I have spoken to people about what I have done with my life so far they do tend to be surprised at the places I have been and the experiences I have had. That however would be for a whole different blog.
I will be sure to keep you posted on where the Reiki part of my life leads, and I am very excited to be able to potentially help more people who may need it.