“Work on being in love with the person in the mirror who has been through so much but is still standing.” Anonymous
One of my greatest attributes has always been my strong determination. That being said, one of my greatest challenges has always been a lack of self worth. Forget about looking in the mirror and being in love with who I see, there are days where I would consciously look down and avoid the mirrors at all costs. And believe me, this is no way to live.
For someone who has historically puts up walls to protect myself from the criticism of others on top of my own, this is very difficult to admit. For someone who outwardly shows the world all is well, sharing this is very scary, if not terrifying. For someone whose self worth has historically been couched in whether other people (who may have issues of their own) approve of me and what I am doing, there has come a point in time for my own personal liberation where I needed to make the decision to value who I am and what I have to say to truly embrace my purpose here on Earth. That time is NOW.
Over the last year, my focus has shifted from what stops me to shining a light on what catapults me. I have set out to own , love and share my story and in doing so, I know that this decision will make a difference in the lives of anyone who needs to hear.
I am quite probably the most stubborn person when it comes to manifesting my dreams. Over the past year, faced with a career situation where I could no longer evolve in a way that aligned with my spirit, it was my self determination that fueled me despite any and all fears of failure that did in fact come up over and over again. That and paying attention to what came up, doors closing and opening, and how this all made me feel clearly acted as a guide. When I focused on my fears, I attracted people who voiced their concern for me, I heard clearly all the terrible things that could happen if I cut off my golden handcuffs, and I felt the anger of others who thought that I was selfish for placing myself in an uncertain posture for future. But when I focused on what make me come alive and the excitement of all the incredible possibilities that could come from jumping into a new space, I came up with a a strategic plan that would most definitely support me and introduce new like minded people, I could further feed that internal hunger to share my gifts, wisdom and talents; opportunities to travel on spiritual journeys came to light, and engagements where I could honor my own vision of this world popped up over and over again. But most importantly, by honoring my authentic self, I see better my own worth and purpose in this world and embrace that.
This is not to say that the issues of lack of self esteem have gone away, if truth be told, I still I encounter this on a daily basis. In fact, after returning from my journey on El Camino to Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain in April, one of the reasons that I have not been sharing my story with others through this blog over the last month has been because even after such an incredible accomplishment, I still was criticizing myself for not having it all together already. Still. Imagine that, I am not perfect still. And interesting enough, if any of my friends used the excuse not to move themselves forward because life is not perfect, I would probably sit them down and tell them to snap out of it. Life will never be perfect. There will never be a perfect time to go for your dreams. There never will be that one moment in time when your fears and doubts fully and completely subside. And, if you don’t move forward, one step at a time, you will never experience the daily miracles that are waiting or get to where you are ultimately going. So, clearly if that would be my words of wisdom, why in the hell would I not take my own advice!?!
So here you go, my tip for today: Work on being in love now with that person, a beautiful accomplished magnificent being, looking back at you in the mirror who has been through so much and YES, still standing on your own two feet, on your own journey, owning your mistakes yet proud of who and how you show up. My own and your superpower lies in owning this truth along with your uncanny ability to manifest the life of your dreams that will continue to magically catapult you on adventures interacting with others from all over the world.
This is my call to arms. This is the time where all of you need to be heard. Where you start to fall in love with your story, your message, your voice and share it with others to liberate them from the unnecessary heaviness of living. I feel a great obligation or a call to duty to share what I have learned over the past 48 years, as a seeker of wisdom, as one who has a great desire to serve others, as an attorney, mother, wife, sister, friend, mentor, now speaker, author and coach. And I am a work in progress, so much of the best is yet to come as long as I look for it and open my heart, mind, and life to others as we journey together to discover what this life has in store for all of us.
And with a strong determined mind, body and spirit, I challenge you too, pick your head up, look into your gorgeous eyes in that mirror and repeat:
“Mirror Mirror on the Wall, I will always get up after I fall, And whether I run, walk or have to crawl, I’ll set my goals and achieve them all.”
Let today your goal be loving yourself and your story, exactly as it has unfolded- share it even- the treasure is there and its worth is greater than gold!
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