Make It Count. Reflections on a Month of Transformation (Dedicated to KYLA)

What happens when you start living your dream life? What starts to change? What kinds of feelings do you have...what is it really like to feel completely open to the unknown and to work  everyday towards building your life masterpiece?

PEACEFUL.

EXCITING.

SCARY.

LIKE YOU’RE IN FREEFALL, BUT KNOW YOU ARE GOING TO LAND SOMEWHERE BEAUTIFUL.

A month ago today, I was preparing to go to the Growth Summit to get inspired into action and to be around other people with big dreams in life. I was blown away by the Speakers, Les Brown, Rachel Hollis, Trent Shelton...and as I would listen to them, I felt this tiny voice tell me “Get in a room and INSPIRE PEOPLE!” I never saw “motivational speaking” as an option - but after watching these incredible souls speak their truths and share their most vulnerable moments in life...the failures, the rejection, the NO ways, the sorry - go somewhere else, I realized that the only difference between these speakers and myself, was that they FULLY COMMITTED to their DREAMS. They decided to GO ALL IN. They decided to DO IT NOW. They decided to LIVE BIGGER LIVES.

Shortly after returning, I held my first Women’s Empowerment Workshop with Kyla Mitsunaga, a Women’s Empowerment Coach and inspirational happiness speaker. Although I had done lots of workshops before in previous jobs, this one was different. I was sharing the “stage” with someone who has already proven herself - travelling around the world - speaking to all kinds of audiences - sharing her truth...on top of that she is about to release her first book in Korean and English. I knew that this experience would grow me, but I also had the self-doubt voice ask “Are you worthy to share the stage?” and then my inner coach say “Level up Dom! This is your chance.” The workshop ended up being a success, with great participation, and hunger for more from the participants. I felt good, but I knew I can do better.

The next morning, Kyla and I started gameplanning - and had all these ideas to start building a movement - start EMPIRING (Empowering + Inspiring) women - to live their greatest lives. When you are dreaming, it's great to dream with visionaries - because it gets you on another playing field. I am stepping into a bigger version of myself and it’s crazy...but feeling fear and saying yes to your dream, is quite liberating. I feel more like me, I feel like my soul is shining brighter because I’m following this new path...I’m eternally grateful for attending Kyla’s Happiness Workshop just two months ago, I am eternally grateful for two fellow embassy family members who shared Kyla’s name with me, I am eternally grateful for the little voice in me saying that I can live my dream.

As I stepped more and more into my dream life, I knew that I had to say NO to other opportunities. I recently spoke with my first coach, Lois Hughey, who introduced me to the whole health coaching scene. I signed on with her and lost my 25 lbs of post-baby weight through Optavia, and was so pleased with the program that I decided to become a health coach. When I arrived to South Korea, I was unsure about pursuing  ‘health coaching,’ since my heart was not fully in it. But I didn’t make a hard decision - I kept drawing it out - and each time I spoke to Lois, I felt guilty because I didn’t want to disappoint her. After mulling over the decision for a few months - I finally decided to say NO to health coaching, and to SCREAM YES to my DREAM, to GO ALL IN, to LIVE A BIGGER LIFE, and to DO IT NOW. Wow, did it feel amazing to psychologically let go of something that didn’t ring true for me.

Last week, I held my first Intro to Personal Development Workshop - I had a total of seven people attend. I got up there, and just started sharing my personal growth journey. I felt natural. I felt peaceful. I felt inspired. I felt empired….because I knew that the words coming out were coming from a place of gratitude and service. All my life, my dream was to be of service to others, while using my super Dom powers to lift others up. Standing there and listening to the participants talk through their dreams, made me feel so blessed. Blessed to do work that matters, do work that inspires, and do work that moves people forward in life.  

Yesterday, I met with Youjin Lee, an inspirational entrepreneur and Founder of April Magazine, and Kyla (again :)). We are planning a Panel for Women Entrepreneurs - sharing our stories of struggle and self-doubt - to encourage others to explore entrepreneurship as an alternative career. Speaking with Youjin, I was BLOWN AWAY, by her knowledge, her passion, her conviction, and her vision...I had a moment of thinking “Am I worthy to be in this room?” Yes, I am worthy. Because I believe I have greatness in me. I believe in myself. I believe in the work I am doing. With this belief, fear just fades away. I’m not afraid anymore to GO ALL IN, I’m not afraid of FAILING, I’m not afraid of REJECTION, I’m not afraid of WHAT OTHERS THINK, because I’m confident that no matter where this journey takes me, it just feels right.

It has only been one month, since I went to the personal growth conference...and in that short month, I gained the most wonderful gift - COURAGE TO SAY YES TO MY DREAMS and BELIEF IN MYSELF THAT I CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Wherever you are in your journey, you are not alone. I was there just a month ago - doubting myself, asking am I worthy, worrying about what others think, scared of disappointing people, and simultaneously scared of being a smashing success - just what if...what if I do become big, what if I do become a WORLD CLASS Speaker and Author? Right now, the worst fear I have is what if I don’t become a World Class Speaker and Author? What if all my talents die with me because I was too scared to fail? That would be the ultimate failure - not living to my highest potential because of fear. I believe in my dream, and I hope as much as I fight for my dreams, you fight for yours, because you only have one life, Make It Count.