When the going gets tough, how many of us decide that maybe this is it? We can't do it anymore. Lurata Lyon is a public speaker and coach who has an inspiring story to share with the world. She has come through her very own journey of survival. From battling through war in the former Yugoslavia to setting up her own fitness business and ultimately moving into the coaching circuit – she gives people an easy-to-access framework for achieving their goals and making them realize that at the end of the day, we are all survivors in our own battles of life. It's just a matter of getting up and putting the pieces together.
Vanilla Luxury: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your career and your family?
Lurata Lyon: I was born in former Yugoslavia (now Serbia). My father was a doctor and my mother was a professor of languages. I am the only child and I grew up with a humble upbringing where we didn't have too little or too much - but we were always happy. My childhood was spent around my cousins and my parents' friends. I was a very polite child who never rebelled. My family used to always say that I was an old soul in a child's body. Academic wise, I was an overachiever. I admired my dad because he was a doctor and I wanted to grow up to be just like him which is why even as a child, I would always help him with patients. He would ask me to go and get the mixers before he created them into liquids for injections - these memories stay with me forever. Right when I was finishing High School, troubles began happening up north in Bosnia. I had to drop out of technical engineering by the time I was 18 because of the war. All schools were shut and we were in hiding.
Fast forward to a few years later, When I first arrived in London. I became a fitness trainer and I found great pleasure in managing my emotions through this. It inspired me to help others and so I took this on a larger scale and ran my own business in personal training for 10 years in the UK. These training sessions were not just for physicality, but also for post-surgery, back surgery, life coaching and all types of training. During this time, there were a lot of problems in my body that I wasn't aware of. I was told that it was an injury that won't heal. I had 2 slipped disk that was probably caused by the abuse when I was kidnapped back in the war. I eventually had to stop working as a personal trainer because that would have made me paralyzed. And that's how I ventured into public speaking, coaching and motivational speaking.
Vanilla Luxury: What was the turning point in your life that made you decide that you were going to start working on your career?
Lurata Lyon: Initially, I was not working in London because I couldn't speak English. But I realized that I needed to do something about it. It's either I made something out of myself or I let myself go. Growing up, I remember going to my dad and telling him that I couldn't be a doctor like how he was and he told me not to worry because I will always find a way to help others. And that's how I started. I was going to the gym to be sociable and to find friends, I would just jog on the treadmill and it made me feel good. This motivated me to start helping others feel the same way about themselves - that's where my passion lies - in helping others.
Vanilla Luxury: What do you think is the key factor that has brought you to such success in life?
Lurata Lyon: I'm not too sure as to how to answer this question. But, I feel my persistence and commitment when I felt I was doubting myself is what got me through. What I found out with a lot of people is that we always doubt ourselves. I always negated myself hence creating a pattern. To be successful, we need to learn from everything, pick up the pieces and start all over again. It's just persistence and believing that every failure is a lesson in disguise.
Vanilla Luxury: What has been the most challenging phase throughout your journey to success and how did you overcome these challenges?
Lurata Lyon: My emotions. It was my past that was always holding me back and it was challenging for me. Later did I know that it was my mindset that was letting me down. I found out that depression was the cause of everything. The moment I realized that I had control towards my destiny, it changed the way I looked at life. I always overcome challenges with my mindset. There are days when I would wake up and realize that I had been thinking of something negative subconsciously through my dreams. I would wake up feeling raw. I don't dwell on it and quickly change my mindset by thinking of how much I have to be thankful for. At the end of the day, depression is something that we create in our minds.
Vanilla Luxury: You just published your book, “The Devil Couldn’t Break Me”. What is your book about and what are readers expected to take away from this book?
Lurata Lyon: Well, there are a couple things to take away from this book. When I initially wrote the book, it was to raise awareness about my story and to make people realize that there is still war going on in the world. Eventually I realized that not everybody has to go through war to experience what I went through. War could be in our homes or workplaces. Most people don't realize how lucky they are for the childhood that they've had. This book is meant to change the mindset of the readers. It will inspire them to look at what's holding him/her back and to relook their outviews in life. This book will make them realize how fortunate they are to be alive. It's all about recognizing the message and realizing that we can do something about our lives at any point in time. It's about learning how to say NO to the things that don't feel right.
Vanilla Luxury: From setting up a fitness business, to coaching public speaking, to being a motivational speaker and now launching your own book - which part of your career did you enjoy the most?
Lurata Lyon: Coaching one-on-one or one-to-many, the goal has always been to help people overcome their fears of public speaking. Motivational speaking is something that I really enjoy because I like being around people and inspiring people. My book was launched to raise money and to give back to a charity that supports women. It's really difficult to pick because I enjoyed them all and they're all so different. On an emotional level though, I would pick motivational speaking because it's an emotional experience between me and the audience. It becomes somewhat of a life changing experience.
Vanilla Luxury: Any regrets in life?
Lurata Lyon: I personaly don't live by regrets. Failure is always a lesson. Personally, I think it would be fair to say that my biggest regret is not speaking out about my story earlier. I wish I had spoken out sooner and I wish I did the book much earlier so that others may benefit from it. It's still not too late, but it could have been sooner.
Vanilla Luxury: Any tips for all other woman out there struggling with their own battles?
Lurata Lyon: I strongly believe that just because women are genetically different it doesn't mean that our knowledge is different. You must first believe in yourself, trust yourself and recognize your strengths. When you're 100 percent sure that these are indeed your strengths, you should never feel different based on the classification of your gender. Self-confidence is the key. It starts within yourself and no matter how much knowledge you have, if you don't have the confidence, you will shy away.
Vanilla Luxury: What is the one object you can't live without on a daily basis?
Lurata Lyon: Not one but three things - pen, paper and running shoes. I need to write down everything thus my pen and paper and I run everyday.
Vanilla Luxury: Your life philosophy or favourite quote?
Lurata Lyon: Being a victim is not a choice but being a survivor is your choice
Lurata Lyon has recently launched her book, "The Devil Couldn't Break Me" where she shares her story of courage and hope and the strength of her spirit. To know more about Lurata and what she does, visit her website at www.luratalyon.com.
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