If there were just one thing that I would want you to take
away from reading Where To? How I Shed My
Baggage and Learned to Live Free, it would be this: your heart and soul
want something incredible for your life.
Do you know what it is? And do you have the courage to go for it?
It took me a while to figure out what it was for me. I
played it “safe” for a long time. I followed the rules and was a “good
girl.” I studied hard while I was in
college, then carefully considered each job option throughout my career, each
relationship, and each decision so that I could achieve society’s definition of
success. You know the one: a happy
marriage, a couple kids and a dog, and a large house in the suburbs with shiny
SUVs in the driveway.
The problem was that society’s definition of success didn’t
quite fit me. I’d occasionally rebel and
do something different, such as taking a gap year between high school and
college before it was a thing to do or picking up and moving from Connecticut
to California because I wanted
to, but there was constant pressure to do what others wanted me to do with my
life. Chances are, you have felt this
pressure too!
It took a bad accident and the doctors telling me that I
would never walk without the assistance of crutches or a brace again to wake me
up. I was out of work on disability for
over three months and had plenty of time to think. And what I discovered was that I wanted much
more freedom in my life. As I thought
about it more, I had an “a-ha!” moment and realized that the only thing
preventing me from having that freedom was…me. I had bought into the roles that
had been thrust upon me and the limiting and confining beliefs that came at me
from all different directions. I had
covered up what my heart and soul were yearning for with things that frankly
just weren’t true.
I made the decision to walk away from all the ways that I
held myself back. Now, making the decision is the easy part. Actually doing it? Well, that’s a bit more
difficult because it brings up all the stuff that deep-down you are afraid of:
·
Will people still love you and
want you around if you decide to live your life differently? Check, I had that
one…
·
Am I destroying my career by
deciding to do something different? Oh yeah, that one reared its head almost
immediately…
·
What if I take this risk, lose
everything and end up homeless, out on the streets? Yup, that was a big one…
Where To? How I Shed
My Baggage and Learned to Live Free tells my story of walking away from all
the ways I had been holding myself back and began to live my life. It takes place primarily in the Guatemalan
jungle, but also in Japan,
Cambodia and Thailand. It tells how I lived in a thatched-roof hut
in a tiny village (complete with scorpions and monkeys), connected with local
shamans and participated in their ancient rituals, and became fully integrated
into the daily life of local families. It also talks about how I ultimately
faced down some of the greatest losses and long-buried pain I had experienced
to truly become free.
I hope the book inspires you to discover what your heart
wants for your life and go after it. In the book I share the six steps I took
to create the life of my dreams and I include a workbook to help you do the
same. I know you can do it!
About the Author
She is a regular contributor to Medium.com, Sivana East, and has had articles published on MindBodyGreen.com and Inc.com. Her podcast, Living A Courageously Authentic Life, can be found on BlogTalkRadio.com, and focuses on a variety of topics to help others be true to themselves.
She holds a BA in Mass Communications from the University of Bridgeport (CT), an MBA in Marketing from the University of Connecticut, a Masters in Natural Health from Clayton College, and completed an accredited coaching program through Coach U. Her shamanic training began with a Mayan shaman in Mexico and then expanded to include shamans in Guatemala and her own personal guides.
She currently splits her time between the United States and Guatemala when not traveling and is in the process of writing her third book, a handbook for people looking to define, create and live their courageously authentic life. You can find her online at www.SpiritEvolution.co.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: www.SpiritEvolution.co
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SpiritEvol
About the Book:
When Jennifer Monahan
announced her intention to leave her well-established career as a business
strategy consultant and give up her rent-controlled apartment in San Francisco to do a global walkabout for an undetermined amount
of time, her friends and family thought she was insane. But Jennifer was
excited about taking the time to truly explore and immerse herself in a variety
of cultures, so their skepticism didn’t faze her; plus she was used to traveling
alone as a woman with only one carry-on bag. What she didn’t count on was
discovering all the excess baggage she had been carrying with her from her
past.
WHERE TO? chronicles one year
of Monahan’s life, primarily in the Guatemalan jungle, but also in Japan, Cambodia and Thailand. Living in a thatched-roof hut in a tiny village,
Monahan connected with local shamans and participated in their ancient rituals,
became fully integrated into the daily life of a local family, and ultimately
faced down some of the greatest losses and long-buried pain she had
experienced. WHERE TO? shares the six steps she took to heal and courageously
create the life of her dreams and includes a workbook for readers to do the
same.
"Some
memoirs tell us stories and open up worlds we never knew, but some open up
places in our own hearts and souls that we have wanted to explore and have
never given ourselves the chance to do so. Where To? How I Shed My Baggage and
Learned to Live Free by Jennifer B. Monahan belongs to the second category of
memoirs...While it reads like the memoir of a woman who takes the courage to
explore the world, this memoir has powerful spiritual hints. In fact, it is the
story of a soul in search of itself. Where To? is a spiritual testament, a
book that describes a journey towards inner freedom and authenticity. Many
readers will feel the resonance of Jennifer's story in their own
lives."
- Christian Sia, Reader's Favorite Book Reviews
- Christian Sia, Reader's Favorite Book Reviews
Thank for for interviewing me and showcasing my book!
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