Breaking Free… To Become Me

**Below is a real story from someone who may be your friend or is sitting beside you.

“They say if you believe it, put in the work - you can manifest it.

I meditate every day. It’s an intentional act to find reasons to love myself – the biggest challenge of my life has been loving myself as much as I love everyone else. I work hard at manifesting self-love.

I got married when I did not like, much less love myself.

A few years ago, I divorced my husband after 15 years of marriage. We are amicable, strive to be friends, and share two beautiful kids. It is not easy some days, as for me, the blame and shame remain heavy. We didn’t grow together, and I summoned the courage to divorce him because I didn’t want my kids to grow up thinking what we had was healthy. It was painful to set him free, but I did. I have been honest with our kids about it. They are happy and healthy because we grew through this difficult time together, with humility and trust.

I confided to my loved ones I was unhappy in my marriage for many years. Yet, when I shared we planned to separate – they were devastated. There was scrutiny about the timing, the delivery of the message, my mental health, and my commitment to my kids. After years of processing how much trauma this caused my extended family members, I fully admit – things may never be the same. I’ve made them uncomfortable with my truth. It’s been lonely. I survived, became stronger, and leaned into myself. I love this about myself. 

As a child of immigrants, expectations are high, confusing, and never directly communicated. I grew up learning to keep the peace, ensuring I put everyone else first - my parents, my siblings, my husband, my kids - until a day came when I knew I was lost. I had grown up to become a reflection of what all my loved ones wanted me to be. I confronted this truth. I changed. I am who I want to be. I love this about myself.

My daughter was gravely sick with a pancreatic tumor amid my divorce. I fought with my family to stay by her bedside around the clock for weeks. I consulted with colleagues and doctors on her treatment plan, advised her on how to get her pain under control, and nursed her back to health. I love this about myself.

I left a comfortable managed care career of 15 years and shook off the criticism and fears about instability as a single mom. I went to my dream school, studied venture capital, and found a table where people value my contributions. When I found myself in toxic environments in which people told me I was not an executive leader of any kind, I held my head high, spoke my truth, and kept going. My north star will always be to make an authentic and meaningful impact. I love this about myself. 

I stumble and fall every day - literally and proverbially. I get back up, heal, forgive myself, and grow. I always lead with my heart in pursuit of unconditional love. I believe in and trust, regardless of painful experiences. My heart will not harden. I love this about myself.

I have become the person I needed as a child, and my kids recognize this. I am authentic, radiant, and ugly at once, and they love me regardless. I am a radical mother, and I love this about myself.”

**This is a real story from someone who may be your friend or is sitting beside you.

I told my girls that this is our new CEO.

They asked me a bunch of questions like:

“Dad, aren’t you a boss?”

“Dad, are there a lot of women CEOs?”

“Dad, what is she like?”

“Dad, do you report to her?”

“Dad… I want to be a CEO.”

"Yes, I do report to her and many others. I do learn from them and I hope they learn from me. That’s how leadership works. You can be anything you work for."

”This is such an opportunity to teach them servant leadership, that Christine Wallace is the CEO I have been looking for, and that my girls can be anything they want as long as humility, hard work, and opening any door out there is possible.

True well-being doesn’t come in a bottle, a pill, or a package.

The healthiest drink is water.

The best restoration comes from sleep.

The path to happiness is paved with gratitude.

Longevity thrives on movement and meaningful connections.

It often starts with structure and support, but the real work is ours to do.

**I still write lunch notes to my teenagers…(used to be weekly but it’s slowed down)

They read them, share them with their friends, and they save them.

I have been trying to connect with them in various ways and the lunch notes have been effective.

➡️ We are not alone and with small, consistent steps, we can unlock our greatest potential!