21 Aug Learning to Love Life

I have never given much attention to success stories, as I had always believed they were short lived:  the person who got thin ended up gaining weight again; the poor person who found success, but was still unhappy. I never really thought there was such a thing as “true success”.  I am honored to write my story, as I feel it represents living proof that my belief system was flawed.

A year and a half ago, it would be true to say that I was depressed.  I was overweight (though not ‘fat’).  I lacked energy and found that my kids had become a burden to me. I was in an emotionally damaging relationship and had terribly low self-esteem.

I was blessed to experience Lifebook within the four walls of the San Diego location.  Surrounded by nine others just like me, I listened and cried and wrote until my hand was numb.

I walked out on the last day of my Lifebook Session still overweight, still harboring self-esteem issues and still tired.  Only this time I held a tool that was going to change my life, but like any tool it only works if you USE IT.  I felt that if a doctor had handed me medicine and said that I would get better if I took it every day, the smart thing would be to listen.  So in a way, that’s what I did.  I just took the medicine.  I acquired recommended courses and began learning.  I read, I wrote, I envisioned.

In my Health and Fitness section, I added a picture of a model that resembled me (though obviously she was thinner and with perfect abs).  I wrote down my goals and would tell myself that I was 130 lbs (a weight that I hadn’t been since I was a teen). Within 6 months of attending Lifebook I shed 30 pounds, putting me at 128 lbs.

While I was losing weight and gaining knowledge, I started to feel different about my life and myself.  With a healthier outlook on life and the loss of immense weight (physical, emotional and spiritual) I became emotionally stable and was able to walk away from one of the root causes of my sadness – my emotionally abusive relationship.  Without one tear shed for that relationship, I am now empowered by the thought that I climbed that Mt. Everest of self-esteem and had the strength to do what it took to get there.

With the newfound freedom of being single I quickly discovered the burden of financial necessity. Since I had married young, I was entering the work force with no degree, no real job experience, no trade, and hadn’t worked in 8 years.  These months were challenging and tested my newfound self worth.  I reviewed the Financial and Career Categories in my Lifebook over and over again.  I read every book I could get my hands on about business psychology, sales and business management.  I knew something was going to work, but I was getting deeper and deeper into debt.  In complete deflation of my vision, I started looking at $10 an hour jobs.  My problem was I had no idea what I was looking for.

Here is how my Career Vision read:

“My vision for my ideal career is one that deals with people of different backgrounds.  Interesting and extraordinary people.  I see myself having the freedom to work from home or in an office if I choose.  I see myself traveling places for work.  I see being in-charge of myself and a few others…”

One year after Lifebook I finally got a break and was asked to join a sales team in an up and coming company that dealt with travel.  Within 2 months I was promoted to review luxury destinations all over the world.  With the goal of travel on the top of my list and an empty passport in my hand, I happily accepted.  That empty passport now bears multiple stamps from countries and continents on the top of my travel list, including my #1 destination – an African safari.  When I am asked how I got the best job in the world I answer that it is because I wrote it down and dared the universe to make it true.

I am still amazed at how close the attributes of my current position are to the Career Vision I wrote in my Lifebook more than a year ago.  I will always believe that writing it down had so much to do with making it happen.

It has not even been 2 years since my Lifebook experience.  Before Lifebook I was a depressed Mom and emotionally abused wife just hanging on.  I am now a 30-year-old corporate executive that travels the world.  I adore my kids, I’m passionate about my work, and I love my life.  I am blessed to be surrounded with amazing people and opportunities everyday.

This is not my story… I would like to consider it only a chapter.  I look forward to writing again about the company that I will own, the house that I will buy (it is already picked out), and the many experiences that will manifest in the years to come.

Thank you Lifebook.

Kinds Regards to All,

Bethany