Lost &. Found

BY MARCIE ANDERSON

I wouldn’t describe my life at all like the book “Eat, Pray, Love,” though there are some similarities. Mine has been more like, “Can’t Afford to Eat, Plea Bargain with God, Try to Love Again.” The similarities being, I did spend ten years in India with my teacher to earn my degree in Eastern psychology & meditation, despite the majority of my friends and family who disowned me for it. I meditated—a lot—and I did regain connection to Source and unconditional love, but not in a storybook fashion.

At the end of the day, I’ve been blessed with so much: good genes, a mercurial sense of humor, athletic prowess, an entrepreneurial nature, a handful of true, loyal friends and family that love me, not to mention an amazing daughter. I’ve met and worked with famous actors, musicians, athletes, and CEO’s, thanks to my multidimensional careers in acting, modeling, personal training, yoga and now my company, Corporate Wellness Consultants. I’ve lived a colorful life and I am grateful. So why did I give up the glamorous life I had been living in L.A. to go live in India?

When I was three years old, my oldest brother, who was seven at the time, was diagnosed with leukemia. He suffered horribly for years and just after he turned 12, we shared the experience of his passing. My mother took his death incredibly hard—my parents’ marriage became strained, to put it lightly—and my brothers and I tried to smile, pretending it was normal to walk on eggshells every day. I grew up Catholic, but after my brother passed I was only going to church for the promise of doughnuts afterwards.

I was pissed off at God for taking my brother.

I was completely dismayed at the repeated empty answers that the priests and nuns would give in response to my questions around my brother’s death, which always led nowhere and always resulted in me having to do ten Hail Marys.

Fast forward 23 years. I moved from Oregon to Los Angeles to pursue various careers. I was newly inspired at the possibilities of what lay ahead, but my rosy outlook got gut punched by L.A., and a maniacal rollercoaster of events ensued. I blew my knee out, thanks to a botched modeling audition, then my agency dropped me because I was now “no good” to them. I became quasi-homeless living out of my car and on various people’s couches for a few months, contracted an upper respiratory infection with pneumonia, all while trying to juggle three part time jobs and living on roughly $5 a day. At this point, a Hail Mary wasn’t going to cut it.

For the sake of this article I’ve condensed my experiences and challenges in order to provide you at least a faint whiff of the rich fragrance of my life. Now, for the pearls of wisdom I have learned and can expertly share with others, you ask? There are far too many, but here are a few: 1) Listen to and follow your intuition. 2) Challenges and obstacles are spiritual and human lessons, not punishments. 3) Be love; give love; live, eat and breathe gratitude—you are loved more than you could begin to imagine! Remember: When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

Marcie Anderson holds her degree in Eastern Psychology and Meditation from ten years spent living and studying in southern India with her teacher. She’s a master at bridging the East and West, works with individuals, organizations and companies, both locally and globally. She's also a licensed realtor with Charleston Metro Homes. Marcie currently resides in Mount Pleasant, SC with her daughter.

skirt. | august 2019