Aug/Sept 2023 Aspire Magazine FULL Issue | Page 38

There was always a catch .

As a woman who used to be super serious , self-critical , and overflowing with Catholic guilt , I had no idea how to find happiness in the present moment . I was so busy trying to bury my past and prove myself for the future , that I rarely ever found time to receive the miracles and magic that danced all around me .

The nature of my highly competitive personality was to set my site and hit my targets . I almost always met or surpassed my goals . Yet by the time I accomplished my goals and realized my intentions , I was on to the next big thing without allowing for celebration . When I published my first book , it didn ’ t really occur to me that it was a big deal . I created my outline , worked hard , and published a book . Done deal . Next ! My inner task master kicked my ass day in and day out , asserting the only way to be truly happy is to work hard and keep achieving more and more . My career in sales was a perfect match for my ‘ what have you done for me lately ’ ego . I thought I was thriving because of all of my wealth and achievements . In actuality , I was living in the land of too much doing and not enough being . My divinely masculine self had kicked my divinely feminine self to the curb . I had to make some changes and create more balance in my life .

One of my first transformational moments happened while listening to Brian Tracy teach about experiencing peace of mind , self-love , and positive thinking in his popular Psychology of Achievement training series . I first listened to Brian while driving to one of the remote offices I used to manage in the late 90 ’ s . The Psychology of Achievement rocked my world and truly changed my life ; specifically his training about cultivating peace of mind and ridding ourselves of useless shame and guilt . Brian said , ” No amount of guilt can change the past , and no amount of worrying can change the future .” Until that day , it never occurred to me how guilt trips can damage our self-worth and the self-worth of others . The transformational tides began to shift for me in one road trip ! From that day forward , I have been practicing ridding my life of guilt and shame . Self-inflicted guilt trips are not welcome here , nor are the guilt trips often presented