LAZEL a celebration of someone who didn't lose heart

By Lizelle Hartley

LAZEL a celebration of someone who didn't lose heart

ABOUT THE BOOK: In LAZEL, we encounter a woman who suffered childhood trauma, poverty and an undiagnosed learning disorder. If you meet this polished, poised, and successful woman today, you would never imagine her troubled past. Hartley tried to fit in, to be a good girl, to not stand o

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lizelle Hartley
• Release date: Dec 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9780646890036

Lizelle Hartley

Lizelle is a business & personal mentor, motivational speaker, stylist, author, and podcast host. Lizelle loves fashion and has worked in the fashion world as a fashion designer & stylist for many years. There is confidence in knowing how to dress. There is power and enjoyment within the way we style ourselves to complement the brand or company that we work for.Lizelle has always been an entrepreneur and business owner, passionate, enthusiastic, and determined to make businesses succeed and to help groups implement mentoring into the workplace. As a business mentor Lizelle inspires her clients to believe in their own success and achieve all that they can.

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LAZELLabel text filling page

LAZEL

A celebration of someone who didn’t lose heart

Lizelle Hartley

Lizelle Hartley

Copyright © Lizelle Hartley, 2023

First published 2023 in Perth, Australia by Lizelle Hartley

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by any person or entity (including Google, Amazon, and similar organisations) in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, scanning, or by any information storage, and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

The experiences and views expressed by the author in the book are based on her personal experience in life. The events are explained from her perspective alone and may not represent the same experience in the eyes of others.

We advise that the information contained in this book does not negate personal responsibility on the part of the reader for their own health and safety. It is recommended that individually tailored advice is sought from your healthcare or medical professional. The author will not be liable for any errors, omissions, loss, damage, or claims arising from the contents of this book.

Contents

Preface

Dear Reader

HEARTBEAT

Introduction

Foreword

Chapter 1

Broken Pieces: Surviving the Wreckage

THE HEARTBEAT OF CHAPTER 1

Let’s Take Action

Chapter 2

Whispers of the Wind: Life in the Caravan Park

THE HEARTBEAT OF CHAPTER 2

Let’s Take Action

Chapter 3

Finding Strength in Adversity: A Lesson from Aunty Hettie

THE HEARTBEAT OF CHAPTER 3

Let’s Take Action

Chapter 4

A Battle with Dyslexia: Discovering Self-worth Through Setbacks

THE HEARTBEAT OF CHAPTER 4

Let’s Take Action

Chapter 5

Chasing the Impossible: Breaking Through Barriers

THE HEARTBEAT OF CHAPTER 5

LET’S TAKE ACTION

Chapter 6

Finding Value Beyond the Title: The Right Decision?

THE HEARTBEAT OF CHAPTER 6

LET’S TAKE ACTION

Chapter 7

Stitching Dreams: Embracing the World of Fashion

THE HEARTBEAT OF CHAPTER 7

LET’S TAKE ACTION

Chapter 8

From Thunderstorms to Tender Moments: My Love Story

THE HEARTBEAT OF CHAPTER 8

LET’S TAKE ACTION

Chapter 9

Leap of Faith: A Step Towards Forever

THE HEARTBEAT OF CHAPTER 9

LET’S TAKE ACTION

Chapter 10

An Unexpected Journey: Embracing Life and Finding Ourselves

THE HEARTBEAT OF CHAPTER 10

LET’S TAKE ACTION

Chapter 11

Lost in Translation: Navigating Language Barriers in a New Country

THE HEARTBEAT OF CHAPTER 11

LET’S TAKE ACTION

Chapter 12

Embracing the Unknown: Empowering Others on the Road to Success

THE HEARTBEAT OF CHAPTER 12

LET’S TAKE ACTION

I Am…

JOURNEY TOGETHER

Also by..

THE JOURNEY OF NOT GIVING UP

THE BIGGEST GIFT FROM LIFE: MY GIRLS

A NOTE TO MY GIRLS – HAZEL AND ROBYN

Afterword

About the Author

About the Co-Author

I Want to Hear From You

Thank You

LAZEL

Untitled

Preface

THIS IS A PIECE FROM MY HART

TO YOUR HEART

L is for luxury

The luxury of her smile

A is for abundant

Her cheer knows no bounds

Z is for Zip

The quirkiness in her step

E is for enchant

For enchant you she will

L is for loyalty Loyalty she will always show

Lazel is a stimulating person. She brightens social gatherings with her fresh and original ideas. Her conversation tends to be sprinkled with novelty and wit. She has the gift of tact and diplomacy. An easy-going nature and her charm endears her to others.

LAZEL is based on my true life story.

This book is dedicated to My life partner Michael and to our daughters Hazel & Robyn and with thankfulness friends, clients, followers and YOU, the reader.

Dear Reader

I’m thankful you’re here reading my life story with the idea to learn, grow, be inspired to overcome your own challenges, and follow your dreams. I am here to bring light to the possibilities of living the life you were born for.

This book is for you, as you have been my inspiration to step outside my comfort zone. On days when I lost the motivation to keep writing this book, I pulled myself together and gathered the strength to dive deep into my past, sharing more tears than I ever thought possible. If you have allowed yourself to be labelled by others’ opinions, this book is for you. If you feel like it just won’t be possible to put the pieces back together this time, this book is for you. And if you are constantly fighting against the negative thoughts in your mind, this book is for you.

Through my story, I invite you to reflect on and challenge the labels that have been placed on you throughout your life. It is my hope that you come to believe in the Fabulous YOU and become the best version of yourself. Someone may have gifted you this book, someone who wants you to see yourself in the positive light in which they already see you.

Your life journey is your decision. It is also your decision on how you will journey through my life story. You may choose to open a random page as a starting point, or maybe, like me, you will turn to the last page and read it first. Maybe you are ready to read each word from the start with undivided attention.

This book doesn’t have the perfect recipe to solve your problems or take away your challenges. Instead, it aims to help you look at situations and circumstances in a new light. It shows you that life can change, and that the possibilities awaiting you are even more amazing than you can ever imagine. It is your life, your journey. I wish I could say life was easy, but it’s not. It is through effort and courage that transformation occurs – when you decide who you are and never stop believing in your own potential.

Come, walk alongside me as I begin this journey, sharing my experiences with complete vulnerability, honesty and transparency – solely for the purpose of inspiring you.

HEARTBEAT

At the end of each chapter, I leave you with a piece of my heartbeat. We will only be alive as long as our heart is beating and, in my view, keeping the heart healthy is all about your mindset on how to be alive. For me, encouragement is the key ingredient that strengthens the heartbeat. I want to encourage you to discover your inner strength, to work and fight through circumstances that stop you from becoming the person you’ve always dreamt of being.

I offer five steps after each chapter to help you on your journey to overcome your challenges. Use them, especially if there is something within a chapter you are dealing with right now in your life. Through sharing my story, I aim to connect with you on a personal level because we all have our unique stories and face challenges we must overcome.

Choose the most important point from each action plan that you know you will benefit from right now and start your journey from there.

I leave my trademark, my stamp, my logo wherever I go.

L with Heart logo

L❤️ is the symbol that defines me and what I am known for. The heart in my logo plays a significant part in reflecting what I stand for. The key ingredient is encouragement with love. It represents my last name Hartley, as ‘hart’ in Afrikaans (my first language) means ‘heart’. More importantly, it reflects the passion and devotion I pour into the people in my life, empowering them in every way I can. Even if it’s just my signature with a big yellow heart at the bottom of my email that puts a smile on your face and helps you to feel consciously loved, it’s worth sharing.

The reason I wrote this book wasn’t just to share my story, but to help you, the reader, in any small way to overcome your challenges. By sharing a part of my heartbeat with you, I hope to convey my passion, dedication and commitment to support you on your journey.

TOGETHER, WE CAN OVERCOME OBSTACLES AND ACHIEVE PERSONAL GROWTH AND TRANSFORMATION, SO WE CAN STRIVE TOWARDS LIVING OUR DREAM LIVES.

Introduction

I stop and reflect on a very special night in my life journey. It began with a catchy invitation to 50 special girlfriends, telling them that my 50th birthday was going to be a never-to-be-forgotten celebration. Many friends say nothing about me is ordinary, so my cocktail birthday party was going to be no exception. The invitation indicated it would be a celebration with a difference where fashion, fun and fabulous food would be a big part of the night. I received excited comments at the mention of the black and white colour scheme for the guests’ outfits.

I wore my chic, curve-hugging, asymmetrical yellow dress. It was ideal for the occasion and the yellow colour stood out in the crowd. This time, I was standing out for the right reasons. So many times in my life, I had attention for all the wrong reasons. But this night was to celebrate me, and the attention was by choice.

As I entered the room, a song by famous song writer Ezereve, specially composed for the night began to play. The attention to detail inside the venue was mind-blowing and exactly how I envisioned it. Breathtaking centrepieces caught the eye. The fresh, fragrant orchids with showy blooms symbolised innocence, elegance, luxury, classiness and beauty – things I had longed for most of my life.

I couldn’t help but be madly in love with the luxurious and stylish Christian Louboutin black high-heel shoes with their famous red soles that were centrepieces on each table. Throughout my life, I’ve always been in love with fashion. I admired designers but never had the opportunity to wear their outfits until much later in my adult life. As a young girl all I had were hand-me-downs – nothing special, just practical.

Transcendently impressive perfume bottles with sublime fragrances added to the decorations. Perfume is so part of who we are as women and, again, something that was a luxury and out of reach for me for most of my life.

Black and white photos of different sizes were scattered over the floor. Attention was drawn to the images of special moments from my life. This was a celebration – a reminder of those who’d played such an important role in my journey up to now.

The backdrop was Perth’s cityscape. The pier and quay were lit in warm golden sunset tones across the Swan River before the fireball of the Sun turned on its back and sank gracefully behind majestic Kings Park.

The private gourmet chef showcased miniature canapes and divine hors d’oeuvres as tasty appetisers in a black, white and yellow palette. It was out-of-this-world food art. It was just as I wanted it to be. I had chosen everything about this evening and everything was perfect.

I moved through the room, greeting my guests with a warm smile and hugs. The atmosphere was electric. Gasps could be heard when they saw me dressed in yellow. This was the moment I had been waiting for all my life. I was ready to confidently celebrate my passion for people, friendships and family; my flair for style; my milestones, goals and achievements; and my love of life.

My guests were taken by surprise when I asked them to write a word that described me directly onto my stunning yellow dress with a black permanent marker. Against the rules? Why not? It felt different. Emotional. Soulful. So intensely, wonderfully good. It felt that I had finally broken through what was holding me back in life. With my whole heart, mind and soul, I was living life and not allowing life to live me.

Hours later, the panoramic views faded as the Moon hid behind the clouds, indicating the end of a celebration that would be forever embedded in memory.

Reliving my life through writing this book fills my heart with joy for the woman I am today and the blessings I