FRESH STARTS Transformation in Action
W
By Camille Leon, Founder of the Holistic Chamber of Commerce hen I finally woke up, I realized I wasn’t alone. Other people—perhaps you—have had
painful childhoods or broken relationships, have suffered from unexpected situations that caused stress
or even posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that can affect and even obstruct our life in the present.
There are healers in this world who move us from
judgment of ourselves and others, through forgiveness,
to love, even to fun and joy, because once we are healed from our past, where do we go from there? Fill your life
with light so there is less room for darkness. Shadows will come and go, and you will always find your way back to the light.
A lot more people need access to that healing, the
healing that goes deep enough to pull out old roots and plant new seeds.
Remember that you are you. You are not
your parents, siblings, or children. You may share traits in common with
family members but that doesn’t mean that everything is the
same. Explore and discover what works best for you. For me, I first had to
learn to say no to all the things (and people) that
weren’t good for me. It took
many years and a ton of prac-
tice. The more you practice no, the easier it gets.
It was like acknowledging that
driving through the back alley was
bad for my car. It was full of potholes,
and it stressed the shocks and punctured my tires.
After I decided to start avoiding the alley and take the
paved and well-maintained streets instead, I still turned into the alley at least once a day for the next five days. It was a habit, learned from repetition. It had become
my routine to turn there, and it took five days before I
consistently avoided the potholes altogether by taking the second turn instead of the first. 16
MAY-JUN 2021
The same was true for my life. It took time, once
I was even aware of how my choices had placed me
where I was, to make new choices and receive the rich results and rewards that flowed from them.
Unfortunately, most lifestyle habits have been habits
for too long and will take more than five days to change.
The Downward Spiral One trigger Can remind me That I’m not Where I want to be, And into the Rabbit hole I go. What’s the key to significant long-term
change and transformation? Stay sup-
ported! Surround yourself with peo-
ple on a similar journey. After a few months of working as a coach, I felt alone and overwhelmed. How do I juggle my time and prioritize my commitments?
How do I manage my money?
Starting the Holistic Chamber
of Commerce connected me
with fellow professionals who
faced similar challenges. For
some, joining a Sunday morning
fellowship group is a better idea.
Find the group that is best for you so
you can share your experiences, insights, and
ideas with others, and listen as they share too.
Camille Leon is the founder of the Holistic Chamber of
Commerce which serves to connect consumers with holis-
tic and integrated options for health, wellbeing, lifestyle, and business through their gatherings and their free-to-search online directory at holisticchamberofcommerce.com.
