... I was sharing about an incident that occurred when I was working in Human Resources at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. My kid was in the first grade, so this was about twelve years ago.
I had to deal with a lot of very demanding staff members, some of which were kind and polite, and others not so much. One day I had one of the latter on the phone, and I was so overwhelmed that I hung up on him. This was the only time I ever hung up on someone in my professional career. Of course, a few minutes later, I got a call from my supervisor, who asked me to come to her office, where this towering, very intimidating African gentleman was waiting, fuming. He had every right to be upset – I had acted very unprofessionally and immediately admitted my mistake.
Back then I would get so flustered when people were aggressive towards me or raised their voices at me. I had no clue how to handle it. To note: I had been practicing meditation on and off for almost twenty years by that time. I had also worked with a life coach on setting healthy boundaries for myself. And yet I still found myself in this situation.
In spite of all the inner work I had already done, I still had a very shaky sense of self-esteem and an undeniable need for approval and love. I took this gentlemen’s plight very personally and lost my cool.
After dinner, one of my friends told me that her thirteen-year old daughter, with whom I had spent quality time together at that point, really liked me and said she wanted to be like me when she grew up. Just writing this makes my heart really swell, that I could be a role model for a teenager I just met…
It really hit me - not giving up on yourself, in spite of failures and setbacks, focusing on growth and being a better person, and now, helping others on the same journey. It’s exhilarating and dizzying and just so inspiring.
For all of you who have worked with me, held me in friendship or love, and those of you to come… Thank you, and I love you.
During one of the cacao ceremonies this weekend, facilitator Ea Torrado asked us to share a recent win… I shared how last week, I went to consult with a physical therapist, for pain I felt in the side of my body. This was a win, because often, as healers, we fail to practice self-care in the form of asking for help. Asking for help does not make you weak, it makes you stronger! Healers and teachers also need the support of the tribe and the community. My physical therapist located a “dormant” (nice way to say “lazy”) muscle that he activated with his blade. It was painful, but as a result there was a release, and I feel that not only will this allow me to continue with martial arts training, but also benefit my afro-latin dancing and my freediving performance.
When you book a session with an expert, you are not wasting time and money, you are INVESTING your time, money and energy, in your greatest and most unique capital: yourself.
Want to be of greater service? Learn to practice self-care. Talking to friends is great, but often times they are also lost in the same frequency, and though well-meaning, their advice can lack experience, knowledge and wisdom.
Over the past year I have invested thousands of dollars on learning and growth, and it was worth every single cent. Need some guidance? I am happy to hop on a call with you to explore how we can work together.
Breathe deep. Breathe love. Wishing you all a magical week ahead XX
During my month-long stay in Moalboal, the seaside community located about two and a half hours from the bustling metropolis of Cebu City, I met some amazing people, one of which took it upon herself to help alleviate the situation with the stray dogs there. This is problem is not only isolated to Moalboal, and there are some amazing organizations and individuals in the city who are also doing a lot of selfless work to ease the suffering of stray cats and dogs.
Even before the structure was built, people were already dumping abandoned puppies on the grounds, and now the sanctuary is at full capacity, with new puppies being dumped regularly. I offered to hold a virtual cacao ceremony as a way to contribute to the expenses of the shelter. If you cannot attend, you can still donate directly to the shelter's GoFund me page here.
If you would like to join the ceremony, which will combine meditation and shamanic journey, click here.
Make sure to have your cup of warm cacao ready!
