Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) Dec/Jan 2018 Aspire Mag Full Issue: Taking Time fo | Page 47

The truth is, I felt it within my own life, too. A persistent determination to be better, feel better, and be more. The whole while knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that there had to be another way but not being able to find this illusive golden gate that would lead to paradise. Sound familiar? I tried so many strategies, as I’m sure you have. I started working really hard. I believed (falsely) that once I had a stable and successful career and income—THEN I would be safe and happy. I strived to create the ‘perfect’ relationship. I thought if I belonged to the “right” group of friends, all would be well. I looked for validation by being appreciated as a “good” spiritual person. The list of strategies I tried, and the false beliefs I carried, seemed endless. Although these strategies moved my life forward, and every step and lesson was valuable, they never seemed to fill this constant and ever present void that I had within me. Does any of this sound familiar, my friend? I can only describe the void as constantly feeling as if I was ashamed of myself. It was fed by the belief that something was “wrong” with me. It was an unshakeable feeling that somehow I had been forgotten and abandoned. Not to mention the” I’m not good enough” sensation, that permeated my every waking moment. Any of this sound familiar, my friend? You see it’s not just me, and it’s not just you. After years of working intimately with clients from every walk of life, I’ve found that all of us feel these feelings to some extent. This lead me to ask—What on earth is wrong here? 47 applied in my own life over the last 18 years and the results were awe-inspiring. I’ve always been fascinated by life. From early as I can remember, I’ve been intrigued to see how all of us, in all our uniqueness, seem to struggle in life. Although people said they were fine, and would give the brave smile that was expected, I always could sense the troubling sorrow just behind their beautifully painted mask.