Walking into the Unknown with Tamar Salas

If you or anyone you know has ever experienced depression, you know it’s not a good place to be. When you are depressed, a sense of hopelessness, sadness, and despair engulfs you. Your mind tricks you into believing that there is no possibility of any hope or grace that could come your way. You feel stuck in a long winding dark tunnel with no end in sight, and you might wonder if your suffering would ever end? I am here to remind you that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. No matter how bleak a situation may appear, the possibility of healing exists. Your soul & spirit has the Power to heal any ailment in your physical body, including depression.

My guest today suffered from depression for several years, and it wasn’t until she learned to connect with her soul and spirit that she finally healed herself. In this interview, you will find out how she accomplished this arduous task.

My eighth guest for ‘Walking into the Unknown’ series is Tamar Salas, who is a Personal Transformation coach based in Australia. Tamar is also an Author, Kung Fu Expert, Spiritual Advisor and a Life coach. She helps her clients achieve their goals through personalized martial arts training and personal development.

Question: When did you decide to step into the unknown?

Tamar: Exactly eleven years ago I hit rock bottom. I had been suffering from depression for several years prior and taking prescription-based medication. In 2008, I made a bold decision to walk away from a life of anti-depressants, doctors, and psychiatrists. I dared to believe that I could find a way to heal myself, and that decision felt like walking into the unknown.

I vividly remember this one day, I was feeling really low and depressed. I decided to go for a walk in the city and stumbled upon a Martial Arts Kung Fu Academy. I had a flashback moment to 30 years ago when I had just started Kung Fu training. When I was a kid, Kung Fu was my passion, it was my rock, and I studied it for six years in Chile before moving to Australia. However, I couldn’t continue my learning in Australia because I couldn’t find a suitable teacher.

The day I stumbled upon the Martial Arts Academy, I immediately signed up for classes, and within six months, I was free of anxiety and depression. I didn’t have any symptom of depression! It was incredible; it was truly a miracle.

Question: How did that decision of walking into the unknown unfold for you?

Tamar: I was running out of options with depression. The first time I was diagnosed with Depression, I took my doctor’s advice, took pills, and, had regular psychiatrist appointments.

Eventually, I just got tired, and I said, “No, I’m not going to live a life sentence of depression; this is ridiculous.”

My doctors would tell me that there is no cure for depression, but I wouldn’t buy it. I had followed his advice for a couple of years and then finally, I just began trying new things on my own, until I ran out of things to try. With God’s grace, I have a massive curiosity for life and don’t easily take no for an answer. I had been suffering for so long that I was tired of my suffering, and I just made up my mind that I was going to figure out a way to heal myself. And so, I canceled all my doctor appointments and threw away all the medication.

In retrospect, the moment I decided to take rein of my mental health in my hands, things started to shift for me, instantly. Right people began to come into my life; I discovered Kabbalah (spiritual teaching). I started getting signs from the universe that I was on the right path, and I stumbled upon the Kung Fu Academy!

What created a long-lasting shift for me was my meditation and spiritual practice. I learned the fundamental truth that every single one of us has two aspects inside us – the negative force of Ego and the Incredible positive force of the Soul. The ego wants to destroy everything, and the light of your soul wants to live, it wants to share. Whenever you are sad, or down, or overwhelmed, it’s nothing more than the negative force of Ego. So get rid of the Ego, and what is left, is the Real you.

I finally understood that the source of my depressive thoughts was in reality, my Ego. And once I had this understanding, I then started asking myself every single day – whom am I listening to in my head? My Soul or my Ego? And who do I truly want to listen to? My single decision to trust myself and believe in the possibility of a solution got me out of depression. This healing, unquestionably, had a massive impact on my life, and I felt compelled to share my story with others.

The thing is when you have suffered for as long as I did, and then you find a solution to your suffering, of course, you want to share with other people and help them.

Very quickly, my work was no longer about me; it was about making a difference in the world. I am so grateful that my journey has touched the lives of thousands of people. I help people around the globe with my hands-on coaching approach. Since each person has a unique mind/body/soul composition, I like to tailor the solutions that uniquely fit each client. The most fulfilling part of my work is when I see people change and transform, when they have an Aha moment, or when they say I never saw like this before.

It just takes one ‘Aha’ moment to turn your life around.

Question: What are the three lessons you learned by walking into the unknown?

Tamar: The first lesson I learned is to ‘Follow your heart.’ Only your heart knows the way. All the answers you are looking for are not going to come from your social media feed or the overload of information. The answers will come from the silent whispers of your soul. You already have everything you need so, listen to your inner guidance.

Number two is to help other people. We are put on this planet to help one another. Keep the inner light flowing, because the moment you stop helping others is when the light shuts out. Make your mission bigger than yourself.

Number three is to love yourself so you can love others. Do the things that bring you joy. It could be as simple as basking in the sun, sitting in a café, and drinking your favorite coffee, going out into nature, or perhaps, sleeping a bit longer. Every single human on this planet has that one thing that ignites their soul. Do whatever makes you happy and turn it into a habit. Turn your happiness into a habit.

In conclusion,

• You have the power to change any circumstance in your life provided you turn inward, and connect with the power of your Spirit.

I hope you learned valuable lessons from Tamar's sharing. Please make sure to connect with Tamar on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. You can also connect with Tamar on her website.

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If you struggle with Fear and Failure, then make sure to check out my book on Overcoming Fear and Failure here.