AMB Cote d'Azur

May on the Riviera is a glorious month! With the Film Festival and the Grand Prix, visitors pour into the region to enjoy a celebratory atmosphere. The days are still growing longer and the summer colours are in the full flourish of their freshness and joy. The heat is only just beginning to build. For those of us who live here year round, we are blessed to enjoy so much more than a two week escape from our normal routines. We can afford to celebrate every day, but do we?

As a new visitor, it is tempting to be seduced by the warm days of summer, to consider that by moving here, we leave behind issues we are unable or unwilling to face back home. A doctor who talked on the Early Retirement Seminars I used to present would tell couples to get to know where they were planning to retire in both winter and summer. Moving to a new area, at any age, can call upon more resources than usual as you seek new friends and ways to fulfil your life. The process of change itself can surface the very issues you were hoping to leave behind, making them more noticeable because you do not have the usual distractions to avoid them. Relocating might not for the faint-hearted.

And yet, moving does give us an opportunity to complete a phase of life so that we are free to open a new chapter. Completing the past may involve letting go of things around you that you no longer need or want; being grateful for all your experiences so far (difficult and easy); learning from events that did not go so well; appreciating and acknowledging those who have contributed in some way to your life so far; forgiving yourself for mistakes, disappointments and misunderstandings all of which are part of the natural course of living. The process of completion can be concluded with a special celebration.

Completing the past leads to having a full heart. With a full heart, you see yourself with clear eyes and the confidence to embrace whatever the future is bringing. Be assured that the Cote d’Azur is very wealthy in all manner of creative human and natural resources, but you may need to scratch beneath the surface to discover them. In my experience, it can take the newcomer a full year before they settle and really enjoy being here.


For nine years, a friend and I ran a monthly group on a Saturday morning called Possible Dreams. Our initial thinking was that we often have wonderful ideas about what would we love to do, places to visit, new experiences to try out - and those closest to us inevitably discourage us. As Possible Dreamers we were free to explore our ideas without any negative comment or criticism. The meetings gave us permission to speak about whatever we truly cared about and was most important to us, and to be unconditionally heard. Many who came to Possible Dreams were new to the area, finding their way around.

Remarkably, all manner of Possible Dreams were realized, sometimes almost immediately during the meeting or over the longer term - a Dream holiday in Venice, stopping smoking; a Possible Dream marriage - then baby; selling a house in a buyers market; recovering stolen jewellery. Each month, people would come back with stories of wonderful achievements and extraordinary connections that had been made after the meeting. It seemed to me that when we openly and honestly speak from the heart, connections are made way beyond our conscious knowing. We speak to a listening universe.


How was this possible? I believe that it has something to do with being able to speak from the strength and vulnerability of the heart, without fear of being made wrong or feeling foolish. For those not used to speaking in front of a group, it took courage to be open. Their courage was rewarded with greater self-confidence. In other circumstances, I have often observed that amazing outcomes result when a person talks about what is true for them in a positive way. We would leave those meetings re-energized, inspired and motivated to take the next steps towards enjoying and celebrating our Possible Dreams. We made many new friends.


Never lose sight of your dreams and the knowledge that there are those who are more than willing and able to assist you to realize them. We may forget that in asking, and being open to receive, we are giving others an opportunity to give of their time and talents. In their giving, they also receive.

Over the nearly 30 years that I have been working with people, I have come to accept that there are no limits of possibility. Each person deep down is so magnificent that there are really no words to describe what I see. Each of us seems to have conditions or issues that challenge us at some time or another. We may be dealing with loss, addictive habits that do not serve us, difficulties at work or with finances, frustration or self-doubt.

No matter the issue, we all have a remarkable human spirit that can transform our issues into blessings - blessings that come in disguise. When I live in that greater level of awareness and perception, the freedom and joy I know liberates me from the trials and tribulations I may be dealing with in the moment. That human spirit I see we all have is what I call our “creative wealth”. It is connecting with this spiritual heart that I believe makes our Possible Dreams possible..


© Anne Naylor 2008