Written by: Marie Hernandez, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
With each step the dirt crunched under my shoes like the pops of Rice Krispies when milk hits them.
The air was fresh and chilly, I could see tiny puffs of breath as I walked up the incline through an olive orchard on the side of a mountain in Buti, Tuscany.
A slight hint of olives kissed my nose as I stopped and took a deep breath in. The view was out of a movie.
I stopped to take it all in.
Alone with nothing more than olive trees and a lone horse in a pasture, my chest heaved with tears. The path to this place was treacherous...filled with the pain of failure, limiting beliefs, unworthiness, betrayal.
I closed my eyes and saw her...the little girl so lost and alone. Looking for validation, looking for the answers, looking for someone to make her happy – to take all the pain away.
"Buongiorno, cara, stai bene?" His voice brought me back to the present and I quickly swiped at my dripping eyes.
"Si, sto bene, grazie! Buongiorno!" I replied to the man, dressed in worn kaki pants, a blue checkered flannel, work boots, and a cap. The green scarf around his neck made him look so "put together". I smiled as I walked away, these Italians could somehow make work clothes look presentable!
As I continued on the seemingly endless dirt and pebble path my mind drifting, contemplating, imagining, remembering, I looked up and, like a distant apparition, I could see her...me, my future self standing there so confident, sure, and worthy of all that I accomplished.
I stopped again to look out into the horizon, dotted with rolling hills speckled with castles, villas, vineyards and olive groves...and my future. The future I would create, because I could, because I deserved it, because I get to.
I suddenly knew what I would do. I knew I would take any risk, invest any amount of money and time and create a life I WANTED.
I didn't need validation, I didn't need someone to give me the answers – they were inside me, I didn't need someone to make me happy, or take all the pain away – I WAS AND AM MY OWN SAVIOR.
I only needed to take the chance on myself. To believe in my dreams, to trust in the process.
And that's what I did.
I rushed back to my rented villa, tucked in the countryside of Tuscany that I HAD MADE HAPPEN, and started right there.
I hired a coach, I invested in myself immediately, I took action.
And here I am today... living my best life, traveling the world, connecting with amazing people, teaching others how!
Now, when I look back on that little girl, she is smiling because I saved her. I gave her the life she wanted, I turned her tears into little girl giggles. I love her.
Together we crush our fears and live our dreams!
What dreams do you want to achieve? What does it feel like when you see yourself achieving them? What is the cost if you don't achieve them?
What are you waiting for?
Marie Hernandez, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Marie Hernandez is a women's empowerment and digital entrepreneur business coach. After a devastating divorce at 50 that left her jobless, 10 thousand miles away from family, with 16 cents in the bank, she knew she needed to rewire her thinking. She has dedicated her life to the service of women who want to become empowered to alter the course of their lives.
The owner and CEO of Marie Hernandez Coaching, LLC., she travels, lives, and works globally and offers women’s empowerment coaching programs that help women 45+ bridge the gap from where they are to a place of love and strength and live any life they choose. Download her free workbook "Rewrite Your Life Story," which will help guide you to understanding the lies we believe and shift your mindset from limited to "anything is possible."
