Hi there, I'm Iona, but I go by Violet because it gets messed up less - particularly handy when feeding my caffeine habit, no one mis-hears it Diana, no one misreads it as Lona, and no one mispronounces it Yona. Why Violet? Because Iona means "violet coloured stone", a meaning it actually gets from the Island by the same name in Scotland: when the heather blooms on the island it looks violet from across the water.
I was a black belt, exercise junkie and 6.5gpa average uni student when my PTSD and major anxiety disorder caught up with me hard and I burnt out. Despite developing a chronic illness as a result, I have now completed my honours degree and am working as hard as I am capable at building myself a life worth living.
Part of the goal set that I have is to build up my charisma and put myself in a position to find and negotiate good investments, building myself a portfolio that continues to support me and my family when I cannot work, and balance my life à la Tim Ferris.
I'm looking at blogging about my personal growth journey: one of the things that I'm being encouraged to do so far is "learn like you're going to teach it/explain it to others", in order to master the topic. So along the way, as I'm developing, I'll be posting my progress, the lesson and any tips I've picked up while trying to master each new skill.
I look forward to seeing you around the community, feel free to say hi.