Bitch

Debbie Ford (https://www.debbieford.com/) is a bitch. She said it. Not me. But I can relate.

In my adulthood, I have been accused of being bitchy (I like to think of it as sassy) and it’s a label that’s hard to shake. So I’ve spent a lot of time trying to hide it. This week’s IIN lecturer, life coach Debbie Ford, had the same experience but she looks at it differently. Instead of denying who you are, embrace it. “Use it or it will use you,” she said. The very thing you dont want to be, can actually be your greatest gift.

The bigger lesson here is learning to love the totality of ourselves. On this journey toward becoming a holistic health counselor, it’s something I have been learning to do. It’s something I have to do to be able to help others do the same. “Walk your talk” as they say at IIN.

Debbie talked about finding the highest expression of yourself (Higher Self) and relinquishing your fear (Ego), the part of ourselves that tells us we’re not good enough. When you do this, you can create a vision for your life and feel worthy of pursuing it.

I think I have had a vision in mind for the past few years — to become a holistic health counselor — but fear and circumstance prevented me from pursuing it. After a tumultuous breakup and the feeling that I had “lost myself” coupled with an unfulfilling corporate job, I decided it was time to take back my light and do something for the greater good. Enrolling at IIN was one action toward making my vision a reality and letting my light shine.

I have a lot of work to do, but I’ve come a long way since three months ago. I’m generally happier: I love myself more and feel at peace with where I am, I’m conscious of my old thought and behavior patterns and challenge myself to change them daily (most often successfully) and I’ve fallen in love with a man who supports and values me.

So am I a bitch? Sometimes. But that is just one part to my whole. The part that makes me assertive and tenacious, the qualities that will make me a successful business owner. I am also, and just as importantly, kind, caring, generous, forgiving, spiritual, intelligent, curious, thoughtful, insightful, passionate, creative, gracious, impatient. A sister. A daughter. An aunt. A girlfriend. A friend. A professional. A runner. A yogi. A writer. Someone who loves relentlessly. Someone who has been hurt and loved again. Someone who has hurt someone else. I could go on. Forever.

All of this and more make me who I am. Am I proud of it all? Most of it. But I will embrace it all because the totality of my qualities and experiences have shaped me into the kind of person I want to be. Authentic. It’s this authenticity that will drive my success with clients. Because I can openly and honestly share who I am, it’s my hope that this will inspire people to become who they want to be.