“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” — Anais Nin
What change are you called to make in your life?
Early in 2014, suddenly and without warning, I experienced excruciating back pain that was indescribable. I was diagnosed with a nearly fatal infection in the bones of my spine and the muscles surrounding it. I spent 3 weeks in the hospital. I was bed ridden and unable to work for months. During that time I received massive doses of intravenous antibiotics, pain killers and nerve blockers. Narrowly escaping paralysis and death, I was literally “unplugged” from my life.
During my recovery I realized that my identity had always been closely connected to what I did or what I could create. And in that state, I was unable to “do” anything. This was my “wake up call”. In this vulnerable place, I was forced to step back and take stock of what had heart and meaning for me. What or whom was draining the life from me? Where was I denying my own being, creativity, living and expressing? What needed to change? For months I was in a cocoon of healing while I reflected on all this.
Like a butterfly, I was called to my own transformation.
My mentor, the late Angeles Arrien, a cultural anthropologist, would say,
People change for one of two reasons: The status quo is TOO PAINFUL to bear any longer and we are ready to shed what is no longer serving us. We are PULLED in a new direction that is inspiring and irresistible.
I believe there is a third option: the universe delivers an opportunity to accelerate our growth.
Looking back over 2014, I am grateful to be alive, well, and fully recovered. The most valuable thing I learned from my transformative experience is the power of practicing mindfulness with self-love, acceptance, and compassion.
I discovered that the present moment is the portal to change. The gifts that await us naturally, organically unfold. When we avail ourselves to seeing who we are through a different lens, the greatest shifts occur. As I navigated through the rough parts of my journey, I was asked to shed my identity as the one who “gave” and “did” for others. I was challenged to ASK for help and allow myself to RECEIVE support from others.
I have spent decades creating the possibility for others to become and feel beautiful in my presence. Suddenly, not only was that part of my life on hold, but my own understanding of my beauty and the gifts I would impart, would forever change as a result of a new relationship I birthed with myself.
Getting support is crucial in times of change. While it was not a cure for my illness, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT tapping) was an invaluable tool for me to develop my own inner peace, groundedness and ease of passage through the most stressful part of my healing. When I became an EFT practitioner, I never could have known I would one day use it to transition from the devastation of a life-threatening disease to my cherished health. The tapping helped me to clear feelings of being mired in anxiety and fear about my illness, my prognosis, my ability to work, and “who I would be” when I emerged.
My experience with my illness, and its impact on my previously held beliefs has served to deepen my commitment to help women who want to reclaim their beauty and power.
Tapping Conscious Beauty Coaching combines my knowledge and training as a hair and makeup artist with my certification as an EFT coach. This comprehensive self-image approach is a results-oriented program designed for your individual transformation. Your need for change is my motivation. Your deepened confidence will empower every aspect of your life.