Gina Wilson

1. What’s your biggest achievement / Something you’re proud of yourself for?

“Growing up in a small town and in a single parent family, I have managed to qualify as an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist and live and work in 4 different countries in my life.  On paper, odds should have been against me.  I like to think I am living proof of what is possible when you manifest your future actively and with intention.“

2. What’s your biggest fear / something that holds you back?

“Ironically my biggest fear used to be dying.  As I have aged and become much more intuitive to how my body works and keeps me safe, I have more and more respect for it.  I also realise that my fear of dying was tied to other fears about not having done everything I want in life and also losing a parent suddenly and at a young age.  I told my therapist about 2 years ago that if I should die imminently and unexpectedly I would have no regrets.  I do my best to live in congruence with my values, to have the difficult conversations when they are needed and show love abundantly and without condition to those I love.  By my calculation this would mean I have had a pretty cool life that I am proud of – so the fear of dying has dissipated significantly.“

3. What’s your biggest contribution / Something you like to share?

“I think my biggest contribution to my profession, my society and to my friends and family is the same.  And for me that is the way I live my life starting from a place of emotion, feeling and expression.  I find that so much of life today is clinical and driven by anger, shame, fear, etc.  I am doing my best to understand, decipher and become friends with my emotions – they are my very best route map to life.  We use ‘things’ (food/shopping/sex/tv/drugs/alcohol….the list is long) to numb our emotions instead of listening to them like a wise person.  Embracing them.  And using them to guide us on our way in life.  I do this in my job, in my relationships and in my daily life and it has made me more tolerant, open, compassionate, understanding and I would like to think an all-round more resilient human.”

4. Fun Facts:

“If I had been a boy, my parents would have called me Jonty (wtaf?); I believe in lucky numbers – 2 is it…22 absolutely rocks! If ever I need to know the universe is working in my favour a 22 appears somewhere to confirm!; I have a huge stocking/tights collection – every colour under the sun you can imagine. Latest addition – neon pink!; I got my drivers licence on 7 March 1994. I reversed into a tree on 8 March. Guess that was a successful start!!!“