Photo Credit: Stacey Babcock @everloraphotography
The energy I exude in this image depicts me as a child under the age of five. It took me forty years to get to know her again after innocently succumbing to parental and societal expectations of who I believed I should be. It was a slow and steady personality development from a comfortably intuitive, sensitive, and creative being to one who questioned every move she made in fear of making the wrong one and then back again—full circle.
There were individuals, as well as an accumulation of people in the world and society itself, who contributed to the perception that I needed to be someone completely different from who I was intended to be. My insecure little self was convinced that I was not enough.
Eventually, I did the work and landed full circle back to where I started, to who I was always meant to be, but I was somehow convinced I couldn't be loved as I came out of the womb. There is no question it was difficult to go back and walk that road all over again because experiencing it the first time was exhausting. However, I knew that if I wanted to step into that little girl's shoes again, I needed to find clarity about who I truly was after gradually losing myself over 40 years. I had to commit to a process that supported my transformation back to my innate, authentic self.
I rediscovered her when I developed an intimate relationship with my core, essence, and soul—you pick what you would like to call your authentic nature. And it was only then that I had the confidence to show up as this individual, flaws and all. Oh yes, I have many, but I finally accepted that they are part of the split of good/bad, right/wrong, unique/ordinary within the personality puzzle that makes me who I am.
It was over 20 years ago when the whispering I had been experiencing most of my life became an ongoing inkling begging me to determine what wasn't right for me and what was. I sought support from Authentic Leadership Global™ and after committing to the inner work to achieve clarity, I became a certified Authentic Program and Conversation™ facilitator, supporting others on their quest to discover and be their best selves in all areas of their life—as individuals, friends, parents, partners, and co-workers. Through over a decade of working with hundreds of clients, I discovered that clarity creates confidence, and confidence is the force that moves people forward to be the connected individual we are destined to be—connected to self, others, and the world. Discovering and committing to 'being' makes the difference—the doing comes later.
The Daring to Share Self-Discovery program is part of my new program, The Book Club. The featured read is my memoir, Around the Table: Escaping the Cycle of Insanity and my in-person or virtual facilitation of the Daring to Share Your Story self-discovery workbook is the process guiding you to showing up authentically within all walks of life. I motivate and inspire you, and you determine what resonates with you—decisiveness is empowering.
Contact me to book your private Book Club, either in-person in Kingston, Ontario or virtually on Zoom
Brilliant. Your words resonate with many in many ways. You are an inspiration and mentor who has helped and encouraged so many, including me. I will be forever grateful to you for the work you do!