Apply Within

“You once told me

You wanted to find

Yourself in the world -

And I told you to

First apply within,

To discover the world

within you.” - Suzy Kassem

Last October, I signed up with The Certified Life Coach Institute to become a life coach. It’s been my calling for a long time since trudging through my divorce and filing for bankruptcy over 10 years ago. I thought about it every day but managed to use the excuses of the lack of money and time to continually put it off. 

Last summer, I accidentally stumbled upon a Ted Talk by Brene Brown about “vulnerability” while on a business trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles. It was the day which  ignited a personal journey I was so desperately seeking but was too afraid to sign up for. However, that day Brene Brown spoke to my soul as she spoke about the importance of “human connection”, shame, and the necessity for being vulnerable in order to achieve true connection with others. It was on that day driving The Pacific Coast Highway when my journey of self-discovery began, and I surrendered to tapping into my own personal authenticity. 

What began as an accidental listen to a Ted Talk was the tipping point to allowing me to face fears and make decisions that had been nagging me for many years. 

After overcoming my fear, allowing myself to be vulnerable and setting specific goals of giving back to others as others so graciously gave to me during difficult times, I became ICF certified as a Master Life Coach by Certified Life Coach Institute, and I have been taken on a journey that I would’ve never imagined.  The bonds I have formed with new forces in my life are treasures. 

However, with change there is loss.  There are some who have embraced my transformation and authenticity, others who are curious about my daily quest for it, and many who were close to me who weren’t interested in it at all.  Yet I see now, that despite the pain of some losses from arriving at my personal place today, those losses have been abundantly replenished. 

And through this all, I have been given tremendous opportunity to give back during a time when our world needs it the most. The minute my quest for finding my authentic self began, A Higher Power,  I choose to call God, and the universe aligned resulting in a path I only dreamed of. 

Today, I am different. Each day I am a better version of myself because of an accidental listen to a Ted Talk, a 7 year delay signing up for life coaching certifications which aligned me with my own personal life coach, Dezi Slusher, yoga and meditation, spiritual healing and breath work and so much more. 

Yesterday, Dezi and I hosted an “Awakening” workshop which opened the doors to peeling back the layers of limitation and setting the stage of creating the life we are all worthy of.  I talk about my experience daily at the studio to our beautiful community. I live authentically, speaking my truth.   

Yesterday, eleven incredibly brave women entered Steppingstone Haven on a song and a prayer, only with my word about my own personal “Awakening” experience. They walked in fearful and vulnerable with their own personal stories, and walked out as a sisterhood of connected divine feminine powers - forever changed.  

They took a chance on themselves, they surrendered to vulnerability. They applied within!

“You once told me

You wanted to save

The world from all its wars -

And I told you to

First save yourself

From the world,

And all the wars

You put yourself
through - Suzy Kassem