As many of you know this past year has been such a journey of self discovery for me, and I hope that through my words I have inspired you to open your hearts as well.  Through finding or I should say rekindling my love of writing I have opened up a new part of my heart and found more happiness throughout this journey than I knew was possible. Regular Friday Reflections contributor Tara Schiller has become a blogger that I really enjoy reading, and lucky for me she has written a book, Tara has put her heart and soul into this book and the end result is well worth it. The following is a promotional piece for her amazing new book, ‘Living an Alive Life’. 

When I found the box, I knew what it contained, so I ran away immediately. Such a thing was too dangerous to be opened and known. Even after everything I thought I’d prepared myself for, I couldn’t face the risk.


So I stayed away.


But I remembered it. It lurked in the back of my mind and called me to its side. It hadn’t been what I was looking for. Why, oh why, had it shown itself to me?!


Would I dare to see what wonders it beheld? Would I risk the heartache of knowing the unknown?

I wish I hadn’t found it. Then I wouldn’t be faced with its wonder. Then I wouldn’t have to know what was inside.


But I did find it.


Carefully, through time, I wandered back to the box, its force calling me to it with a power I didn’t understand. I took it slow, assessing my risk, until finally I had no choice but to say,

“Stop being a coward! If it cuts you to pieces then let it be what it will be.”


So I stood at the box, lid unclasped.


I took a deep, deep breath, sure that what I’d find would be horrible.

Then I opened it.


Oh, what I had been missing!

AMAZING!
How could I have never seen?
How could I have never known?!
The most beautiful creature I’d ever beheld stood tall and glorious before my very eyes.

Breathless. I was breathless.

She stole the very life from me as I stood in awe of her beauty.

Perfection. Perfection as I’d never known perfection could exist!

But she did exist. She was more real than anything I’d ever known.


And she… was me.

I came out of the meditation where I’d discovered my true self, and everything changed. I looked around and saw that I’d built an entire life based on what had been given to me by my culture, circumstances, family, and friends. But the real me didn’t fit into it at all.

This new knowledge forced me to make a choice. I could pretend that what I’d discovered wasn’t important, and continue the status quo, or I could start running full out in the direction of my heart.

I knew that chasing my heart would mean BIG changes that would jeapordize relationships and force me to put myself out there in scary ways. I’d have to expose the parts of my person that couldn’t be changed when others disapproved or rejected them.

But I also knew that discovering how beautiful and worthy of love my true self was, had cured the ever present angst within me to find answers, and I felt more alive than I ever believed was possible in this life. The choice was clear. My heart was the only answer.

I changed everything, and lost a lot. But I gained even more. And now I live a life that I’ve designed so that I can bloom, and it’s amazing! This is where my book comes in.

The more I fall in love with myself, the more I fall in love with others. And as I become more and more alive, I want others to be alive as well. Through years of trial and error, coaching clients, and having long conversations at coffee shops with many many women, I’ve written down what I believe will open the door for readers to begin their journey.

The processes that led to my self-discovery are in the book, as well as an actionable plan for implementing the things you discover about yourself. It covers emotional obstacles like toxic relationships, dealing with the loss of old patterns, and building self-belief so you can fight the battle that’s preventing you from leaping forward into your dreams. and it is my hope that when a reader finishes the book and the exercises it contains, they will feel absolutely and completely worthy of love for anything and everything that they are.

-Tara Schiller from

AbsolutelyTara.com

Thanks for joining me, be sure to stop by tomorrow for Friday Reflections, love Mackenzie xx

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