Jimi Up Your Life
One Kiwi and his quest for greater mental awareness
There’s no need to roll out the red carpet when you cross paths with Jimi Hunt. What you instantly learn about this Wellington-born inspirational speaker, mental fitness advocate and Live More Awesome charity founder, is that he’s happy to talk anytime, to anyone. It doesn’t matter where you are or where he is. Sometimes he’ll be in Mexico, en route from Melbourne to Sydney, heading home to Tauranga or dashing down the Guinness World Record World’s Longest Waterslide – his invention.
“Connecting with people is my game first and foremost. You have to reach out to everyone – everywhere – if you really want to change conversations around mental health,” he explains.
Rewiring an old train of thought
Injecting a fresh wave of mental fitness thinking across multiple generations is no easy feat, but Jimi is committed. Reaching out to individuals, businesses and organisations around the globe.
“Mental fitness isn’t about illness. Everyone stands to benefit from being mentally fitter.”
The ‘fitness’ concept is easy to grasp, he says. “You exercise at the gym because you want to feel better. It’s the same with mental fitness – it has roll-on benefits. You have better relationships, perform better at work and generally achieve more.” he explains. “It’s about taking radical ownership of your mental fitness and looking after it.”
Flicking the switch
Making the choice to tap into your mental wellness – or ‘flicking the switch’ – is the first step – and is different for everyone.
“Some people have this ‘ah-ha’ moment, for others it’s a progressive realisation. I want people to make this switch before they hit rock bottom. My story from the bottom up is nothing unusual but it caused a horrendous amount of discomfort which is the catalyst for change.”
Being brutally honest with yourself is an essential ingredient on the road to mental change and maintenance – no matter your starting point.
“Picture a mental fitness continuum with zero being dead and 100 being God-like enlightenment – we’re all on it somewhere,” he says. “You might be at 30 and want to move up. It’s going to take time. You don’t just teleport from 20 to 80.”
Baring your soul
Sharing his own story – honestly and vulnerably – has enabled him to forge deeper connections with his audience.
“A man approached me recently after one of my talks. He was around 55, fully tattooed and an ex-gang member. He cried on my shoulder because I’d helped him realise that he had mental fitness and it was his responsibility to make it better. That’s how you create change.”
Where’s your starting point for the mental fitness rank?
“Well, you can start right now with my 100-day Basic Reset,” he enthuses. “It’s free and begins simply with drinking 2L of water for the first few days, moves into incorporating light exercise, then mindfulness practises, perspective training and meditation – five key stages – throughout its duration.”
Want to know more about Jimi, his work, his charity – Live More Awesome – begin his 100-day Basic Rest programme, and read about some of the cool awareness crusades like Lilo The Waikato and World’s Biggest Waterslide?
Then jump online to www.jimihunt.com