Love your body! The truth is most of us don’t do this. We get stuck listening to the negative voice inside us. The voice torments us and makes us feel ashamed of who we are, how we look or the way we feel. I know first hand, how hard this transition can be. I have struggled with self-esteem my entire life. My friends always ask me, how is it possible, you are so gorgeous, why don’t you see it. The fact is, until you feel it, you won’t believe it, no matter what everyone else tells you. I worked my butt off to heal my body and finally started to feel a gradual improvement in self-esteem over the last 5 years. The fact is if you spend more time focusing on your health by healing your emotional and physical self, things will change and self-esteem comes with it. You will see changes in your physical body, thus improving the way you feel in your own skin. I can tell you the huge self-esteem change happened this year, over the last few months because I got out of my comfort zone. After, 1 year pain free, working on helping myself heal from autoimmune issues, taking time to relax and focus on myself, I was finally able to realize I needed to help others accomplish the same. After I started feeling healthier and happier, my self-esteem started to flourish. I started to truly look at my body as this beautiful gift, I was born with. I started to enjoy dressing up, putting on make-up and seeing the transformation my body had undergone. The true understanding of my beauty, didn’t come from close friends or family, it came from deep inside me but I had to work for it. Once, I started venturing out of my comfort zone, attending BNI meetings and networking happy hours, I realized the impact I had on others. I finally, was able to see what my friends and family had been telling me all along. When I really paid attention to the reactions others made, the complements I received and the way it made me feel, the changes started to happen. I no longer brushed off the complements, I accepted them and thanked those that gave them. I learned to give complements in return. I realized the power of complements and the desire everyone has to feel better about themselves. Over these past months, I have developed friendships with people that I never would have spoken to before. I was so shy and scared to speak to anyone because of my own insecurities and emotional struggles. When I got out of my comfort zone, accepted the complements and felt good in my own skin, my self esteem started to flourish. It allowed me to reflect on my childhood, the relationships from the past that affected my self-esteem and develop strategies to deal with those emotions. By accepting the hurt, developing a plan and actively working to improve my health, the emotional pain and self-esteem issues started to melt away. I share this because I know I am not the only person out there with self-esteem issues. I know that I am not the only person that stopped caring for myself and suffered emotional and physical pain as a result. I realize that sharing is the first step in helping others build up the courage to take on their own healing. A huge part of learning my body was physical but the emotional was just as important. Learning my physical pain, understanding it, feeling it, and learning how to combat it each and every day was the foundation for my emotional battle. By learning, how to relieve my own physical pain and tension, I was finally ready to combat the emotional pain. Emotional pain is hidden and harder to deal with and accept. It takes a real conscious effort to work on emotional struggles and make a change. These battles are easier when you have a coach to guide you through the process, I know that my holistic health coach, guided me through this final phase of healing. If it wasn’t for her, I would not have truly understand the reasons why I was so shy, why I had trouble speaking to others, and why I felt my voice was not important. This emotional process was difficult and left my voice silent again for almost 2 months, as I continued to learn myself. It was hard to express emotions and write my blog, while I was working on the final transformation. I realize now, that a lot of my physical pain, was caused by my emotional battle. I realize that holding in my emotions and not speaking my voice, caused my illness and pain. Now, 2 months later, I realize that it was the final step in my healing. I learned that self-esteem is impacted by your body and mind. I realized, that my voice is important, that my story is powerful, and I can help others heal. The power is in the journey, the connections and guidance you receive in the healing process. I am here to help others accomplish their desires and goals by helping them cherish, love and appreciate their bodies: mind, body and soul. I am here to help you find your self-esteem and keep it. I want you to know that you don’t have to struggle through this alone. There are plenty of people out there waiting to help you. I just happen to be someone that experienced it first hand, I am here to guide you through the journey, if you are ready to take the step.