If you hang out in the personal development world at all, chances are good you are familiar with the work of Dr. Wayne Dyer. He was a self-help guru beloved by millions, author of more than 30 books and a big champion of self-love, self-respect and living according to the divine laws of the universe. He passed away this weekend leaving a rich legacy.
When I heard that he had died, the first thing I did was walk to my book shelf and pull out my two copies of The Power of Intention. (I have the original boring print version but then also bought the pretty, illustrated version because it just felt so much better to hold in my hands! ) I spent time perusing the book, one of my favorites when it came out in 2004, and reread all of the things I had starred or underlined.
The chapter that speaks to me the most, however, is the one that most directly relates to my work as a passionate advocate for self-care. Chapter 7 is titled: It is My Intention to: Respect Myself at All Times.
When I read that, I got goose bumps because that is one of the cornerstones of my work. Maybe it’s because I’m now in my mid-40s and have gotten to that stage of life where I don’t worry as much what other people think about me. But it wasn’t always that way.
My Journey to Self-Care and Self-Respect
Many moons ago, I was saying yes to everyone else and ignoring my own inner voice that was begging and pleading for help and I said “Shush. I have no time for you.” I was working 70 hours a week in a job I hated, in complete denial that my (first) marriage was slowly disintegrating before my eyes and my health was in major crisis.
The Universe decided to put me out of my misery and it all came to a halt – fast. My then-husband asked me for a divorce, I quit my job and within 6 weeks relocated to a new city where I had only one friend. Turns out, that city was the amazing Asheville, North Carolina which is a powerful place for healing and transformation and that is where I embarked on my Journey of Self Care and ultimately Self-Respect.
When I arrived, I sat on my mountaintop and cried for three months. There were days when I forced myself to go to the grocery store just to buy a loaf of bread so that I would have to talk to the checkout clerk. It was a dark, dark period in my life but it was filled with tremendous gifts.
The greatest gift of all? I started listening to myself. My own inner voice. My wise sage. (Or the voice of God. Same thing in my book.)
I completely overhauled my life. Day by day. Bit by bit. Step by step. And one day, I woke up and said “OK, I can do this.” And I got back out into the world and into life. And the magic that ensued is, well, pretty darned magical!
Within a year I built a sustainable coaching practice where I was paying my rent and they didn’t repossess my car. I developed an incredible circle of friends and I started going to church. I read books, took naps and journaled my anger, my grief and my dreams for the future. I went for long hikes and went out on dates where we would take picnics up on the Blue Ridge Parkway and watch the moon rise.
Within the second year, I met the man who would become my now husband and father of our child. I knew on our second date that he was “The One”. I called my girlfriends and told them so and they said “No way! How do you know? You just met him? And you just started dating again?!” and I said “I just know.”
I had cleared the cobwebs through remarkable self-care. And I was able to hear that sweet, still voice inside and I knew. I knew that he was the one. I knew the timing was right. I knew that my life was on track again. I had learned to love and respect myself again.
An Invitation for You
I’m launching a shiny brand new 8-week coaching program September 23rd to help you revitalize your life.
If you….
Have been putting everyone else’s needs first
Are feeling burned out, stressed out or exhausted
Have problems with your health, finances or relationships
Are living your life on autopilot and not tuning in to your intention or intuition
Struggle to balance the demands of ALL of your responsibilities
…you may want to consider joining us.
I want to help you reclaim your voice, your power, your “me-time” and your self-love and self-respect!
Click here to learn more: RevitalizeU: 8 Weeks to Revitalization
Here’s to Self-Respect and Self-Revitalization!
Elizabeth
P.S. If you get a hunch that a friend or colleague might need some support in revitalizing their life right now, please give them the gift of forwarding this email. Trust your intuition…