By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning
“To get over the past, you first have to accept that the past is over… It can hurt you no more.”
– from a Buddhist-inspired quote
For many impacted by systemic injustices—like the sub-postmasters in the Horizon scandal—the past is not just a memory; it’s a weight. A wound. A story without resolution. And while the fight for justice continues, many come to realise: even when justice is served, it’s often too late, incomplete, or disappointing. The life that was taken—through years of anxiety, loss, and disconnection—cannot be returned.
So what now?
🔁 The Trap of Waiting
Waiting for the courts, the compensation, the apology—these are righteous pursuits. But to remain in limbo until resolution comes is to risk letting more of life pass by unclaimed. It’s a silent grief—a continuation of the theft.
The brave truth is this: healing must run parallel to justice-seeking. Not as a betrayal of the cause, but as an act of self-respect. Of survival. Of hope.
🧭 The Power of Parallel Healing
At the Academy of Life Planning, we call this approach Parallel Healing: the conscious decision to build your favourite future, even while your past remains unresolved.
It is not about “letting go” before you’re ready—it’s about reclaiming your power to create, even in the shadows of injustice. It’s a journey of transformation from being a victim of circumstance to an architect of possibility.
🎯 Start With a Life Plan
We invite you to begin with a vision—your GAME Plan:
- Goals that reflect who you are becoming
- Actions rooted in meaning, not trauma
- Means that align with your reality
- Execution that honours your energy and capacity
This isn’t about ignoring your past. It’s about building a future that is no longer owned by it.
💡 Heal Financial Capital Through Human Capital
For many, the scandal didn’t just cost money—it cost identity, confidence, community, and hope. But within each of us lies Human Capital—our experiences, skills, values, and stories. This is wealth waiting to be unlocked.
By:
- Sharing your story with others
- Teaching what you’ve learned
- Mentoring those on a similar path
- Building something rooted in purpose
…you begin to transform pain into value. Emotional currency becomes social currency, which can become financial stability. This is how we heal the financial capital deficit—not with bank bailouts, but with self-led regeneration.
🌱 Justice + Joy Can Coexist
Parallel Healing isn’t about giving up the fight. It’s about refusing to surrender your whole life to it.
It’s about saying:
“Even as I fight for justice, I choose to rebuild. Even as I grieve, I choose to grow. Even as the system delays, I choose to live.”
🕊 In Memory of Ian Davis
This movement is inspired by lives like Ian’s—people whose journeys remind us that time is precious, and the future is ours to shape, no matter the past.
Rebuild & Thrive offers a pathway back to yourself.
To reclaim stolen years with purpose.
To rewrite your ending, starting now.
Academy of Life Planning 