Stop. Feel. Act. Repeat.

“The mind doesn’t have a connection to action” LUZ explained. I hadn’t ever thought about it that way before.

“It is how we feel that drives action.” she said. It was at this part of our conversation that I asked her to dive deeper.

I met LUZ 8 months into my journey of self discovery, early in 2022. A path I had begun to travel, one filled with light and also shadow. I knew I needed to immerse myself in the uncomfortable; a concept long known to bring about change, and after months of initial work on me, I decided to pack a suitcase and head to Nosara, Costa Rica. I had an intention boarding that flight; to be able to answer the question “Who am I when I am not who others need or expect me to be?” I had been unable to answer this ... I needed to reintroduce me to, well, ME.

I had a deep desire to shed the layers of armour I had carefully welded together over decades.?Armour that rewarded me with everything I thought I wanted at work - roles, promotions, accolades, and personally. What and more importantly who was going to be left when all the pieces had fallen?

I was full of fear, of wonder and I was already deep in the uncomfortable.

“If how we feel drives our actions, how do we even begin to move through the feelings of paralyzing self doubt?” I asked.?

“Ahhhhh, yes,” said LUZ in her beautiful melodic Spanish, “we need to learn to listen to our gut while quieting the mind. The intrusive thoughts that arise are so, because they are not aligned to our true self, our wellbeing. They are guided instead by our past, triggered by stress and exaggerated by the opinions of others we have granted authority to."

I felt seen for the first time in a long time. I knew I needed to work out why I was placing so much emphasis on how others felt about and reacted to me. I felt that if I could identify this and let it go, I would open new doors.

Quiet the mind, listen to the gut, got it.

Easier said than done. I am a 5:1 manifesting generator, designed to multitask and if don't have several things going on at the same time, I am unproductive. Yes, the very part of me that some misjudged as scattered is actually my super power.

That was?almost two years ago. LUZ nearly 25 years younger than I, is both a forever sister and an elder to me.?The modalities I learned and continue to practise to quiet the chatter and listen to my inner knowing, turned me inside out and then right side up :).

The decision to embark on this journey of self discovery and work with sisters across the world has lead me to walk away from:

• A business (leading me to create two more aligned with my purpose in its place),
• Life long relationships (and in the process, opening me up to healthier ones),
• And yes .... an attachment to the opinions of others.

The first was actually FUN, the last one was really hard and the middle one was so painful, I didn't think I would make it through to the other side. When the relationship to some close family members and a decades long friendship ended, it was a hard I hadn't imagined and yet was necessary. The indifference to opinions from those who don't know me nor would put my best interest at heart, is liberating. #ProtectYourPeace This work, this dedication, this journey to live with intention, in turn led me to create safe connecting spaces and places for women of all generations. Bringing them together is showing them what IS possible.

Intention needs an action. Action needs a feeling. Feeling needs Alignment.

When our words and/or actions are misaligned with how we feel, it has a profound (and potentially harmful) impact on us.?

Prioritizing our wellbeing will create a fertile ground, one where we are in alignment with our values and we will see our intentions realized. And when we accomplish our intentions, we FEEL good and when we FEEL good:

• We experience more calm, less stress.
• We react differently.
• We are able to pivot easier.
• Our nervous systems are healthier.

AND we are able see perspectives that were not available for us to see before.?

During my journey of discovery, one that continues today - I was introduced to women who in their wisdom and with their modalities & teachings reintroduced?me to ME. Plant Medicine, movement, breath work, ice plunges, time in the Blue Zone and jungle of Costa Rica ... all critical to my growth.

I am eternally grateful.

My work led me to create Unlocking HER Retreats for Women, in Canada and in Costa Rica and would never have happened without these women in my life. The dedication to my own wellbeing, the willingness to deal with my darker side as it came up (oof), forgive & heal myself and the ability to recognize & celebrate joyfully the gifts I have, continues to fuel my passion to advocate and create for women.

LUZ, Psychologist, Human Design Therapist and Founder of True Self, lives in Costa Rica and we speak every week. On our call yesterday she said, “You are a soundboard for others intuition L.A., remember if it is not a clear ‘yes’ for you, it must always be a clear ‘no’ and that will always lead to more ‘yeses’.”

LUZ will be holding space for us all at my last Unlocking HER VIP Women’s Retreat in Tamarindo Costa Rica this coming February 9-16th 2025. How lucky are we! To learn more about our Retreat visit www.UnlockingHer.ca or to work or chat with me, reach out anytime. #Puravida