Sitting on my closet floor with an intense audible cry and more tears than you could imagine, I felt the most intense sadness. My dream is waiting? What dream?

Your view of me was quite converse to my reality.

YOUR VIEW LOOKING IN:

  • Handsome husband and two healthy girls
  • Big home with nice cars in the driveway

    • SVP title with hundreds of amazing employees who depended on me

  • Income in the high six figures with lots of toys
  • Beautiful hotels while I traveled for work
  • A smile on my face

THE TRUTH FROM THE INSIDE:

  • Family dynamics were at an all-time low, and I was doing everything I could to make sure no one saw the truth.
  • The big house and nice cars only hid the tension behind those closed doors.
  • My career had taken its toll on me, and I had lost myself. I had been playing in a man's world, and I couldn't find me.
  • I was spending as much as I earned in an effort to fill the holes in my soul.
  • My closet floor became my usual crying platform. While packing my suitcase for yet another trip, I sat on my closet floor, crying and begging God or anyone who would listen to help me find a way out.
  • The smile you saw in my photos? It was a pathetic attempt to hide the truth of my pain. Looking back at my photos, the truth was written all over my face--but no one saw it. If only someone would have noticed.

    • WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE:
    We’ve been given an amazing gift. The gift is simply to recreate our life each and every day. In other words, the power is ALWAYS within us. Yes, I too did not believe I could change my circumstance. My list of reasons clearly explained why I needed to remain stuck. The truth is that the answers were ALWAYS within me.

    5 Tips to Unlock Your Stuckness:

    Speak It
    Become aware and speak your truth. Your first step is to verbalize the truth to yourself.

    Example: "I'm am exhausted beyond belief. I run here and there, never really catching my breath. I can't answer the question of what makes me happy; I don't possess an answer for that simple but profound question. I go to bed drenched in sadness, and I see no way back to ME. I've lost me."

    Speak It Again
    Speak this truth to a friend, your Life Designer (that's me), spouse, etc. There is pure gold in speaking your truth. Own it; it's your truth, and no one can take this away.

    Let Go of What You Know
    Let me tell you: this is no easy step. Letting go means you're willing to accept a different way of approaching this world. Letting go allows us to make room in our soul, in our heart and in our brain for a new way of living. With pen and paper, list 10 ways you approach life.

    Example:

  • Up at 7 a.m. each day, I need my eight hours of sleep.
  • I prefer to solve problems on my own.
  • I'm highly competitive and therefore must always be the best.
  • I love being recognized with awards, salary increases, etc.

    • Reframe It
    Take time to read your statements out loud. Is this way of being in the world helping you to achieve your First Class Female way of life? It's time to reframe the above statements into other possibilities.

    Example:

  • I'm out of bed by 6 a.m., which gives me an hour of "me" time before the family wakes up. I'm using this time for meditation and reading the newspaper.
  • Working alone can feel isolating, and I'm willing to share my ideas with others. This promotes their sharing their ideas with me. Collaborative work enhances my mood and the quality of my work.
  • I'm willing to do the soul work to understand that I'm perfect at being me. There is not one other person who is as perfect at being me. Therefore, I do not need to compete. I am perfect as is.
  • Recognition is received from myself and in the form of self-love. I am willing to love myself deeply and appreciate the work that I do: both the work I do for others and the work I do to make myself whole. True worth is being developed from the inside out, and this is what being a First Class Female is all about.

    • Live It – Love It
    While these steps may seem simplistic, they're not to be perceived as the whole answer. You lost yourself over many years, and bringing you back will take support. Nonetheless, you have taken a very positive step. With each step in course correction, you will be greeted with a positive affirmation. Shhhh. Listen for the signs that you're moving in the right direction. Open your eyes wide; can you see the signs that you're on the right path? Just be still and attentive.

    You can create your First Class life and make life changes that feed your soul. Your ability to feel Life, Love and Luxury in Alignment is within reach. I can feel it; can you?

    Author's Bio: 

    A multi-faceted entrepreneur with 25 years behind me in Corporate America, my quest continues to bring the message to women that our answers are within. I deeply understand the limiting beliefs and roadblocks we encounter, and my job is to co-create your step-by-step choreographed path to realizing each one of your Dreams and Visions. 

    At 49, I look back and question how am I so fortunate.

    • I raised two amazing, college-educated daughters on my own.
    • I continually made $500,000 to $750,000 annually minus a college education and, may I say, with a whole lot of integrity. (The most rewarding part of the income was the integrity piece.)
    • I have a thriving marriage to an amazing man who wasn’t always so amazing (alcoholism).

    I acknowledge being deeply thankful to feel fully connected with my PURPOSE AND PASSION. To fully embody living life as a First Class Female is an amazing experience, and my mission in life is to inspire and teach women to shift out of “I’m not enough” to Standing Tall in the First Class Female powerful self.