,I sat across from my Dad at a tiny little ice cream shop in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. I had asked him how my great grandparents had found our quaint little town. I had the privilege of meeting my great grandparents and spending time in their beachside home as a child. Their move prompted my grandparents to buy a summer home there. My Dad and his six siblings spent their summers on that beach, some moved to Florida as adults and all of them visit regularly, as do their now grown children, but I had never thought to ask what started it all.
As I listened to my dad tell the details he remembered, I was struck but the power of a single persons life. My grandfather had just finished his commitment to the Army and somehow his paperwork went through while they were in Florida. Since he was now a civilian, he was no longer permitted to use military resources for traveling. A few other men were in the same boat so they chipped in and bought a car together to travel back home. They drove as long as they could they could the first day and that landed them in New Smyrna Beach. They found a beachside hotel called The Waverly and liked the area so much they ended up staying several days. When they finally made it back home to Maryland, he told my great-grandparents about it since they were looking for a place to retire and, just like that, this beautiful place became part of my family's legacy. My own parents moved to New Smyrna Beach in 1990, my siblings and I met our spouses in Florida. One random overnight stay by my grandfather changed the course of my life and that was just a random detail! If a small decision like that can change the lives of the generations that follow, can you imagine the impact we can make when we purposefully pursue our callings. I was at a conference recently where Sagi Kalev talked about standing in your power, meaning that when you are doing what you are passionate about it doesn't matter what others think or if you fail a million times, you are so passionate about what you are doing and have such a vision for it that NOTHING can stop you and through the process, you change lives, inspire others, and create something that affects generations to come. I was in such a bad place when coaching came into my life. Instead of taking steps closer to who I was, I was doing the opposite. I felt like it was selfish to pursue things that brought me joy, that as a mom I should be sacrificing all the time, and over time I became depleted, fearful, full of shame, and I withdrew into myself. Coaching was the first thing in a long time that pulled on my heartstrings. I knew right away that I was attracted to it but my confidence was shot. I had spent so many years trying to find my worth in other peoples opinions and all that I achieved was making myself feel worthless because I couldn't please everyone! No one can! Someone is always going to disagree with you, disapprove of you, and frankly there will be people that just don't like you sometimes for no apparent reason. If we try to find our worth in that, we will never find it. It was a long slow recovery for me. I started stepping out, sharing my heart, and being who I was but it wasn't easy. I had been hiding and in fear of judgement for so long that being seen was terrifying, but something amazing started to happen. I started getting messages from other women that we struggling in the same way and they were encouraged by my story. My passion is healing and helping and when that began happening, something came alive in me and suddenly it got easier to be vulnerable. I didn't care what other people thought of me because those weren't the people I was trying to reach. When I was willing to step into the light and be seen, I found my tribe and I was able to stop hustling to find approval in places there would never be any. I was standing in my power. I came really close to NOT signing up to be a coach. I battled with myself for months trying to talk myself out of it and I nearly did but my husband pushed me to go for it. If I hadn't done it, I would not have healed the way I have, I wouldn't have helped all the women that have heard my story and were inspired to make changed themselves, I wouldn't be able to pass on this legacy to my daughters! They are growing up with a mother that now sees her worth and beauty and pursues her calling. They are learning to find their own gifts and stand in their own power. They are growing up in a family where health is priority, inside and out, and I am working toward a life that will affect generations to come! As I have grown into the woman I was meant to be, I have found that standing in my power means speaking the truth loudly and often, not only to my daughters, but to women everywhere! With every breath I breath, with each gorgeous soul that I come in contact with, standing in my power means creating an environment where women can practice standing in THIER power. A place where they can share their stories, heal, and be liberated from the lies that have been holding them back. The most surprising thing to me as I look back on my life is that every part of my life was leading me to this place. My heart for women, my passion for healing, my love of health and wellness, my education in counseling, my desire to liberate and set free, and a dream of doing something so much bigger than myself! Even when we get lost along the way, who we are supposed to be shines through, it's getting vision for what you can accomplish and practicing your skill set, building upon it, and creating that self-belief. I wish I could say that I caught the vision and instantly believed in myself but I got knocked down a lot. People's negative opinions still stung for awhile and would derail me here and there, but every time I wanted to give up, I would get a message from someone that drew encouragement from my story or one of my challengers would have a life changing victory and I KNEW that this was bigger than my hurt feelings. I tripped and stumbled through the process. I am a much better coach today than I was my first challenge group. I have GROWN. You are not going to be perfect in the beginning but if you are passionate, you will come alive! It will no longer matter what popular opinion is, it won't matter how long it takes you to be successful, because the vision is what fuels your passion for life. Each obstacle is an adventure, each small success is a major victory in the pursuit of your purpose. I still have moment when I lose sight of all that I have accomplished, when my vision is cloudy and my self-belief is low, but if my grandfather can change the lives of generations with an overnight stay on a road trip, my active pursuit to change lives will not be in vain! Success is not something limited to a few extraordinarily talented individuals, we all have the ability to accomplish great things. The key is diving into self discovery and finding what makes us excited to be alive! As you have been reading this maybe things have been coming to your mind that you have long given up or maybe, like my past self, when questioned about your interests, not a single thing comes to mind. Start small! For me, I committed to carving out some time for reading. I LOVE reading and it was something I cast aside when I became a mom because it felt selfish to read when I could be caring for my children, but when I started reading again inspiration struck! I got in touch with a piece of me that I had forgotten and the ideas started flowing. It doesn't have to be dramatic, it might be slow and steady but build on it! Be you! There has never been anyone just like you in the entire history of humanity and there will never be another you. You have already changed the world just be being BORN, imagine what amazing things you can accomplish when you tap into your skill set! So, in those moments where the lies and doubts start creeping in, I want you to remember the lives of my family being changed by a road trip and all the incredible moments and people that had to come together for you to even be born and believe that you have something incredible to offer this world! And the amazing part is that we don't need to look for what the world needs, we need to find what makes us excited to live! When WE come alive, we inspire and encourage others to find their passion and the whole world benefits! "Do not ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Howard Thurman
1 Comment
5/23/2017 09:48:16 am
I shouldn't strive for anything, aside from my passion. I believe that God gave me a special purpose in life. I shouldn't listen to other's words, who won't contribute anything to my life. Perseverance and dedication are the answer to our dreams. We know our own power, and we should not limit ourselves to the very least.
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Author"And Aubrey was her name. A not so very ordinary girl or name."(Or so says David Gates ;) I'm a wife to Phillip, a mother to Scarlett and Juliet. We live in the beautiful city of Thornton, Co. I'm a recovering red bull addict. I love to read. I hate to cook. I seek to be inspired and also to inspire others. I am a Beachbody Coach on a quest to be truly healthy mind, soul, and body and challenge others to do the same. Archives
February 2018
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