“My Story Has Not Defined Me – It Has Refined Me”

I believe our individual stories are like tapestries woven with the threads of our many life experiences which include our past, our present and our future. These individual tapestries are just pieces of a much larger tapestry, the quilt of humanity. This is how we are connected. I believe if we would collectively begin to open our hearts and feel this connection, we would have more peace in the world. This is my vision for the world. And because I hold this vision, I am devoted to helping others open their hearts to discover their hearts longings and dreams so they can live in alignment with their life’s purpose. My passion is to help people connect with the wisdom, compassion and joy within.

My story like yours starts way before I was born. It begins with my ancestors and their ancestors  and the ancestors that came before them. I am sure on some level that we are all as old and mysterious and wondrous as the stars. But that story is way too long to tell in a website bio – perhaps in a book someday! As the oldest of seven children, I come  by my leadership abilities naturally. My siblings like to tease me that I can be bossy at times. My reply to that is this – trying to get them focused and heading in the same direction was like trying to herd cats. An impossible job of course but not one to be deterred easily, I kept at it until I learned how to  lead from a place of power and not force.

All of my life I have been blessed and cursed with many passions and  interests. I say cursed because at times it made it difficult to focus and make decisions on things such as what to major in at college. I say blessed because it has lead me to be a searcher and has led me on a journey to discover so many wonderful things about the world and most importantly myself.  A love of the arts was instilled in me by my maternal grandmother and in college I decided to major in theater. Unfortunately (or fortunately) my parents were not willing to support that major financially and steered me to a practical degree in the business school. I graduated with a degree in Computer Information Systems with a “minor” in accounting. After working as a controller for a government contractor for a few years, I helped my family form a commercial real estate business. I still acted and pursued my dream of being in the theater in my spare time until the day  my grandmother passed away. She was my anchor in the world and the one person who I felt truly believed in me and my dreams. With her loss I began to drift until I was completely lost and untethered to any sense of myself or the possibilities that existed for me. Though on the outside I may have looked successful and happy, on the inside I was depressed and struggling to find something to hold on to.  My inner state began to manifest as physical illnesses. When traditional medicine did not have the answers, I began exploring alternative medicine and discovered the mind-body-spirit connection. When I began to understand how and why we manifest dis-ease, I began my journey of self-healing and also discovered my life purpose. After studying various techniques and acquiring a number of different certifications, I began my practice of working with individuals and teaching group workshops. After 12 years as a sole practitioner, I realized my dream of opening a wellness center, The B~Well Center of Scottsdale.

I now realize that all of my experiences in life no matter how challenging and painful made me who I am today. I learned that in closing my heart I was like a rose that would not bloom and it was only by opening my heart could I truly experience the beauty, grace and wisdom within which was a gift not only to myself but to the entire world. I am still learning to stay open when life presents me with hurtful experiences but I believe love is a choice. And I believe if we would all start living from the heart and choosing love over fear, we would not only have the power to change the world, we would, as Gandhi once said, ” be the change.”

I truly believe that our story is just that, a story. I believe you can either use your story to stay stuck in your past or it can be the foundation upon which you build your strength, your courage and your character.

What is your story?