Fit-Twist Health: Authenticity

Where I was in 2010:

I didn’t fit into the corporate world. I’ve failed as a yoga teacher because I wasn't making enough money to pay my bills. What should I do? Deep in my heart, I still wanted to be a writer, but didn’t think it was possible. So, I kept working for someone else, putting my dream aside. Then, the economy tanked and I had to take a lower paying job with no health benefits. I felt like I had no choice. I was a victim of the recession. I cut my budget, stopped going out as much and made ends meet. My social life was almost non-existent. Instead of going to the mall or movies, I went to the library where I could borrow books. I couldn’t afford to go to a regular yoga class unless it was donation based yoga. I was being responsible, paying my bills in full and on time. Compared to my successful sisters, I felt like a failure. For a while, I just gave up and lived like a robot. I daydreamt about quitting my job, taking a year off to travel (to escape the rat race). I’d go backpacking, stay at hostels and travel on a tight budget yet enjoy every moment of it. I was on auto-pilot at work, looking forward to the weekends and to my escape. Within 18 months at a job that didn’t even pay for parking, I realized the security it represented wasn’t what I wanted anymore. I resigned from my job even though it was very scary to do so and went to visit my sister in Singapore. I had no idea what I really wanted, but just needed to get away from it all. I got to spend quality time with my 4-year old niece and really bonded with her. I also brought my travel journal and yoga mat so I could write and do yoga in the guest room every day. I realized that my old habits were keeping me from my dreams. I needed to change one step at a time, to connect with my passion and find ways to achieve my goals. I imagined how I'd feel to do what I love, what my perfect day would look like and my dream job. The answers came quickly to me:

Freedom: Having enough money and time to do what I love

My perfect day: Writing, being creative or having fun and practicing yoga

My dream job: Get paid to write

Where I am now:

I am writing my book, going to Landmark Forum to get unstuck and creating a possibility of being authentic, responsible and able to connect with others in a deep way.