Hi There, I'm Lora.
Just like you, I have felt the intense overwhelm of trying to juggle it all.
...Work,
...Parenthood,
...Marriage,
...Self-Care,
...Physical and Emotional Health….
I have cried on my commute into work, telling myself that the life I am living is not sustainable.
Feeling like if I was somehow not Super Parent, Super Professional, Super Spouse… I was ‘not enough’.
It was not until I experienced a full on professional and personal burnout that I realized my expectations were flawed.
I share my story in hopes that it resonates with you and gives you hope that there is another way.
To know that no matter what chapters may have unfolded in your past,
YOU have the power to choose a different Path.
Rewind a decade ago…
On paper, I looked like I was doing great in life. Finished my degree, got a government job, was saving for a house and was in a loving relationship.
But I was just so numb.
So stuck.
Feeling suffocated thinking this was it for the next 30 years of my life. Yearning for something more.
I was living life in a haze. Numbing the precious hours after work with social media, Netflix and other vices. Letting society dictate my energy versus owning my light and truth.
Until I made the conscious choice to do something about it.
Many people believe that there has to be a ‘sign’ or some sort of catastrophic event to ignite change.
But it is as simple (and as difficult) as just making the decision.
For me, there was no major “aha’ moment as to when I chose to change my life. It was more a cumulative series of events in my life – battling an eating disorder for years, binge drinking, losing multiple loved ones within a 6 month span, not dealing with the grief, being in toxic relationships, gaining 50 lbs, numbing all emotions, turning into a passive aggressive person who started resenting people – the whole shabang.
It was years of building up until one day
I did not recognize myself anymore
I did not like how I was showing up each day; seeing the dark instead of the light in everyone and myself.
Do you find yourself repeating a cycle over and over again?
One day when I was at a particularly low point and just tired of living life in the mundane; I DECIDED to make the CONSCIOUS CHOICE to move forward.
Once I made the conscious decision that it was time to start showing up the way I wanted to show up each day, my life began to change. I prioritized my mental health. I took responsibility for what I could control. I reconnected with my emotions. I started to accept myself. I learned how to communicate more effectively and I started achieving my goals.
In 2018, I became a Mother.
And I could no longer NOT live in my truth. For it was not just about me anymore - but about how I showed up for my daughter as well.
Fast forward to 2020 where life as we knew it changed….
Like so many, I was thrusted into a world I did not know, trying to manage work, motherhood and all the changes going on in the world.
And like so many, I experienced heartbreak, loss, confusion and exhaustion during the years to follow.
The life I had so meticulously built was changing and I had no control over it.
So, I did what most high achievers do - I thrust myself into my work projects. I focused on what thought I could control - the fallacy of being "super" in all areas of my life.
I pushed harder to get my business going, while navigating the tumultuous years of COVID. I pushed harder in my career - continuing to try and prove myself- that I could manage it all - motherhood, covid, career, building a business, and growing my family.
I felt I had to be strong.
And after pushing myself so hard, I lost a pregnancy.
Instead of dealing with it… I pushed myself harder.
I stuffed the emotions of the past years, the loneliness and the loss down and dove into work.
and then…
I burnt out.
It was something so surreal to me… I wanted to get so much stuff accomplished - yet mentally, emotionally, and physically I could not.
For the next year and a half I would spend my time - rebuilding myself. implementing the tools and techniques that I wrote about to bring myself back from the brink of extinction.
I showed myself grace and learned how to:
- disconnect my self-worth from my job.
- allow myself to slow down - I mean really slow down - without the guilt.
- To be okay with giving it only 80% some days… so I could use the other 20% for my mental health.
- I learned how to be more present with my kids
- to set up boundaries with work, in particular, the expectations I put on myself surrounding work.
- to pause and re-prioritize what was truly important to me. (Not what my ego and society told me should be important to me.)
Most Importantly: I had the wake up call that I am 100% replaceable at work. But I am 100% NOT replaceable at home.
And I learned and embraced the fact that self-awareness is the foundational step of self-care.
I accepted that a bath, a vacation, a spa day was not going to ‘fix’ me.
I learned that self-care is just one piece of the wellness ecosystem and that I needed to make significant changes in my lifestyle and way of being.
I had to start putting the same amount of effort that I put into my career- into sustaining and proactively managing my mental and emotional health.
As the past few years have taught us…. the only constant is change.
And with the world mental health crisis exploding right now, it is more important than ever to get practical tips and strategies into our self-development toolkit so we can take preventative and proactive steps to manage our emotional health.
We need to shift from looking at self-care as a one off - but rather integrating it into a holistic, sustainable lifestyle.
An intentional lifestyle.
Today I can proudly say I have restored balance in my life. I have learned how to set boundaries. How to say no (without the guilt) and how to align my life and my time with what is truly important to me.
And it all started with a choice.
A choice to choose another narrative
A choice to put the effort into myself and how I view my world.
The choice to invest in myself.
Are you ready to get aligned with your definition of happiness?
We have all we need within us to make the subtle changes which will have immense impact.
I would be honoured to support you on your journey.
