How My Self-Discovery Journey Led Me to True Healing
I was born with a physical disability called Holt Oram Syndrome, and despite all the healing I have done, writing those words for all to see, still triggers the 6-year-old version of me to want to hide. I look different from everyone else, yet I spent my entire life just trying to fit in. I believed in my bones that if I didn’t talk about having a disability or acknowledge it, then it didn’t exist. I wore this armour of protection until I was a 36-year-old, when my life changed in a way I could never have imagined.
I’ve constantly had to prove my ability. My life has been full of “no you can’t,” but that resistance just made me work harder, and it ignited an unbreakable tenacity in me. With the support of my parents, I jumped every hurdle.
I went to university and then on to law school. By the age of 26 I was a lawyer and by 29, I was a founding partner of a law firm that grew exponentially in just a few years. To the external world, I had achieved the epitome of success. No one around me knew how much I was suffering. Getting up in the morning became harder and harder and my physical and mental health were declining.
The Loss That Changed Everything
On October 25, 2023, I lost my dad. My dad and I had such paralleled life experiences. He also had Holt Oram Syndrome and a legal career. He was a Superior Court Judge. For me, this wasn’t just the loss of a parent, this was the loss of the only person who understood my life’s journey and challenges. The ground beneath me crumbled and by January 2024, I would lay in bed in the mornings struggling to get up and thinking, “it would be easier to be dead.” This was both my rock bottom and miracle moment. I asked for help from source that always felt safe for me and never let me down. You see, I’ve always had intuitive abilities and after my Dad passed, I started to hear him and receive messages from him. So, in the depths of my depression, I asked my Dad and the Universe to show me how to help myself and I followed the guidance I was being given. The message was clear, I had to stop rejecting myself.
I then dove into my spiritual world headfirst. I became a Reiki Master and I was unwaveringly committed to my healing journey. Daily meditation and seeking guidance from my internal voice became my medicine. Most importantly, I learned to sit with myself so that I could see and hear the parts of me I had been avoiding. It was through this process that I realized the most amazing thing – my disability has been my superpower. The one thing I never wanted to talk about, was the one thing that gave me the strongest voice.
New Purpose: Serving Others with Authenticity
My self-discovery journey was profound, and I finally understood that my current career no longer served me, and it was not the way I could serve others. My ingrained self-advocacy skills had a purpose beyond being a litigation lawyer and I was being called to leave law so that I could fulfill my purpose. I listened to that calling and developed my new business. I now use my expertise in resilience, self-advocacy and equality to inspire others through my speaking. I also coach individuals and corporations to find their purpose and lead with authenticity and inclusivity. I’m living my dreams and watching them continue to unfold, while I follow joy as my compass.
When you stop rejecting yourself and sit and listen, you too will find your superpower. Adversity and pain are your soul’s way of guiding you back to yourself and that’s where your purpose lies. It’s the support from the right people that gives you the courage to go on that journey and with one courageous step at a time, you will find your way to miracles.
About the Author
Professional Title: Leadership Catalyst | Motivational Speaker
