United Arab Emirates: A battle with breast cancer led this Lebanese expat to ‘steer’ people’s lives towards healing – News

In 2014, Nadine Chammas faced a pivotal moment in her life when she discovered she had breast cancer. This diagnosis forced her to pause her life and refocus her attention on her health. In the midst of this difficult time, she found solace and empowerment in her studies of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), hypnotherapy, and theater. Determined to harness these tools in her healing journey, she embarked on a transformative path that not only impacted her physically but also emotionally and mentally.

As she navigated her recovery, the remarkable results she experienced sparked questions from others curious about her approach. Encouraged by this interest, Nadine, who has lived in Dubai for 24 years, decided to share her journey through the program she had put together. “When asked if she was an artist or a therapist, I found it frustrating. Why couldn’t it be both? says the Lebanese expat with experience teaching acting and conducting drama therapy for children.

“Thus, ‘Life Director’ became a unique title that represents my multifaceted approach, summarizing the synergy between my experience in theater directing and life coaching. Over time, this concept evolved into a method,” says Nadine, who recently returned to Dubai after presenting the Life Director Coaching method at The Education 2.0 conference in Las Vegas, where she received the Outstanding Visionary of 2024 award. . Khaleej Timespublic speaker, theater director and author from Dubai The stage is yourstalks about how we can get our ‘main character energy’ back and make our life the greatest show on Earth.

Edited excerpts from an interview:

Tell us about your formative years. What shaped your early interests in theater and acting?

I grew up in Lebanon and since I was little I imagined myself on stage. I sang incessantly, inspired by my late mother’s beautiful voice. She frequently hosted parties at our house for friends and family, often accompanied by her band, where she sang. When I was a little girl, my biggest dream was to pick up the microphone and sing.

At first, I hadn’t planned to pursue acting. It was by coincidence that I found myself in my older sister’s acting class. When the teacher asked me if he could take on a role because they needed someone, I agreed. Being on stage and performing came naturally to me, which led me to sign up for the following year. Consequently, I abandoned my architecture studies and completed a four-year program in theater acting and directing in 2000, when I moved to Dubai.

When did you first venture into the world of performing arts and what inspired you to follow this path?

Upon moving to Dubai, I found myself immersed in the festival scene, which ignited a new passion and creativity in me. I really enjoyed writing scripts, producing shows and collaborating with others. The work was not only financially rewarding but also generated recognition and appreciation. Opportunities to contribute to large-scale festivals and produce major shows continued to grow until the onset of the recession in 2008. Despite the challenges, including my sisters’ return to Lebanon and my own responsibilities as a wife and mother of two, I stayed in Dubai. It was during this period that I made the decision to establish an edutainment center called Super Doper, focusing on creating a children’s play area.

Can you define ‘The Life Director’ method? What does it mean to be the ‘director’ of your life?

The Life Director method took over eight years to develop and was inspired by my personal journey. A pivotal moment occurred when I sat in my chair and asked myself, “If I were sitting in my director’s chair right now, how would I view my own story? What messages are hidden behind these situations and why did they happen to me? This introspection led me to recognize the importance of gaining a director’s perspective on my life, seeing what may not be evident as we act on life’s stage.

I began to observe my life and the lives of others, creating exercises and games inspired by acting and life coaching. These exercises were then tested during sessions with clients and fantastic results were achieved. Encouraged by the feedback and success stories, I delved into the scientific aspects of the exercises and conducting the sessions, resulting in the creation of The Life Director method. It can be a rewarding journey, as people discover their inherent power, take control of their stories, and align their actions with their ultimate life purpose. Through this alignment, change and transformation occur naturally, empowering people to achieve their goals.

What are some ways we can apply this approach in our everyday lives?

The concept is simple: imagine yourself sitting in the director’s chair, watching your life as if it were a play. Assign titles to each situation, identify the roles you and others play, and ask yourself if you would choose to play those roles if you were the director of your own life. Consider whether these roles align with the character you aspire to be and whether you are the author of your own story or whether it has been written by someone else.

You will realize that many times we have been handed scripts and instructions that do not resonate with who we really are, simply playing roles in someone else’s story. Recognizing this, he may feel compelled to rewrite his script and take on the role of director of his own life. This is where I teach people how to craft a professional script, act as a professional actor, and direct their own lives, taking their story from the page to the stage.

Performing arts, such as theater acting, can also serve as a therapeutic outlet for emotions…

The world of theater can be healing. I conduct drama therapy sessions in which we use acting to release repressed emotions, resolve conflicts, understand arguments and miscommunications, and acquire performing skills. We also teach techniques such as breathing and visualizations to improve relaxation, creativity, productivity and general well-being.

The motto of his book is: Make your life the greatest show on Earth. However, life doesn’t always feel good, sometimes far from it. So how can we make our lives the greatest show on Earth?

Revealing who you are. As I emphasize in my method, it is not simply a journey of change or transformation; It is a journey of revelation. When you take on the role of director of your life, you will transform your life into the greatest show on earth! When you take life as a play, you will automatically want to do your best. In my book I define PLAY as:

P present

Love

An authenticity

and youth

So, be present in the moment, live from your heart, love who you are, reveal your authentic self, and maintain a child’s curiosity to discover, learn, and embrace life.

Why do you start each chapter of a book like a play script with acts and scenes?

I want to show the reader how we write a play and this is the technique you will use to write your own script.

In the book, you mention the concept of playing many roles and living multiple lives within a single life. Could you give more details on this?

Life is a series of stories, much like a play. Each story of our lives presents its own set of actors and circumstances, and we find ourselves taking on different roles with each new narrative. Viewing our lives through this lens allows us to move on to the next chapter without becoming emotionally attached to the previous one. As everything (including ourselves and our circumstances) changes, past history simply becomes a memory that we can revisit from time to time. This perspective allows us to fully embrace the present moment and be aware of our existence.

‘Main character energy’ is a slang term widely used on social media. How can we harness this energy in our lives?

Connecting with our inner self and understanding our core identity and the contributions we offer to the world. What latent talents do we possess that remain unexplored and untapped? And does our current life path align with our authentic self? The main character represents our genuine essence, which remains unchanged in all the roles we take on in life.

somya@khaleejtimes.com