I am reminded today how good life can get when we live our purpose and allow ourselves to receive. Just two short years ago I was settling for crumbs both personally and professionally and here is what that looked like: I was stuck in my corporate job working long hours and weekends because of the carrot of a promotion dangling in front of me. But I had literally reached the glass ceiling because I was not ‘in bed’ (no pun intended) with the right people, even though my work spoke for itself . I took on more and more and even started mentoring a new employee at the request of my boss all in the hopes that if I was going to do one more thing and do it well, I would be rewarded for it. Can you guess? The promotion never happened.
At the time, I was also attracting the wrong men into my life. My 15 year marriage I had settled for from the get go ended in divorce and I had just come off another failed relationship where I was emotionally and financially supporting my partner. I got stuck in these relationships because I thought this was the best I could get.
I had a limiting belief of thinking that I am not worth more. I was actually thinking that I should consider myself lucky to have come this far and MORE was not going to be available to me ever.
But then something inside of me switched. I decided to take some time off for me and refocus. That is when I signed up for Yoga Teacher Training in this beautiful location that I now call my home away from home. I was just going to do it for the purpose of deepening my own practice, not with the intention to ever actually teach.
One early morning coming out of a meditation, I opened my eyes and saw the beautiful Caribbean glistening in front of me and I knew that I could not go back to the life I had. Something needed to change. I had no idea about HOW that was going to happen, all I felt was a certainty inside of me that things were not going to be the same.
It just so happened that one of the women in my teacher training was a Life Coach. Now, I had no idea what a coach did but we became friendly and I signed up to work with her. Together we got clear on my exit strategy drilling down to what I was really passionate about. Turns out even though I was very burnt out in my corporate job, I was still passionate about marketing and there was another thing: I was excited about showing other women how they can successfully market their business.
Before long I signed up for year long Coaching and Business Certification Program with one of the world’s top success coaches.
I was terrified of spending the money. It was a lot and I had never spent a sum like this before in my life. What if it did not work, what if I did not get any return on my investment? It was scary but I did it anyways.
In hindsight I can say it is one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I am not the same person I was a year ago. I have come out of hiding. I remember it so well, at our first live event in Miami my coach invited me up on stage in front of over 150 women entrepreneurs from all over the world. You see back then I had a huge visibility problem. I was terrified of being seen and being judged. “How does it feel?“, she asked. “Take it all in!” I must admit even though I was scared it felt really good because I was surrounded by a group of supportive women.
During the course of the year, I found my voice. I became visible, no longer afraid of being seen. I started putting myself out there. With that came other changes. I was working hard on my business, establishing my online presence, getting my very first clients and I realized because I was working hard, there were certain things that I was no longer available for.
Having worked a lot on my personal development during this year, reading wealth consciousness books and listening to the teachings of my mentors, I realized that the Universe wanted me to have more that it was actually pushing me ever so gently in the direction of no longer settling for less.
When I started to expect MORE and demanded more that was when MORE started to show up in my life. As I sit here today in this beautiful place, I am grateful for my teachers who have guided me along this journey and for the great friends who have shown me what expecting more looks like because they are living it every day.
The same is possible for you. All you need to do is start to ask for MORE and have FAITH that you will receive it. Ask and it is given, ask and you shall receive. My mentor told me to act as if I was already in the possession of the things I desire, to give thanks in advance and it will manifest. And so it is.
I also did not stop investing in my personal development. I have since spent more than twice the money I paid for the year long program in a one day private intensive with another mentor. In order to receive you have to show up fully and tell the Universe that you mean business.
In case you were wondering I am teaching yoga every once in a while at the studio where I trained and the life coach is now one of my best friends.
I would not change a thing if I had to do it all over again. Sometimes I wish I had started my business sooner. Then again it is a journey and while things do not always happen on our timeline, they do happen when the time is right.
Feeling grateful and blessed.
Much love,
Simona