No One Does It Alone

It’s about that time of summer where I’m reminded that three years ago—nearly to the day—my brain stopped working. It was a hot July afternoon when I found myself crying in front of my computer (again), because I couldn’t remember how to build websites anymore, let alone who half my clients were.

Desperate and overwhelmed, I made the decision to ask for help… and the following Saturday afternoon, I found myself sitting on his couch with my eyes closed, sobbing harder than I had in months. I’d stopped breathing, resisting the next step of the process with every inch of my being. I could physically feel every cell in my body saying “oh hell no, we’re not going there.”

He was speaking to me clearly and firmly, pushing me to do what I needed to heal what had been broken. Pushing me to say what I couldn’t bring myself to say so that I could finally move forward.

“I don’t want to,” I sobbed.

“You have to,” he pushed back, “say it.”

An hour and a half and I was spent. My cheeks were covered in mascara, my voice was fragile, and I could feel the exhaustion in my bones. He asked if I was sure I could drive home as I floated out to my car, collapsing into the driver’s seat. The rest of that day is still a blur.

The following night I took another step towards healing my PTSD by releasing some items that needed to go. Things that continually reminded me of the hardest moments of my life and were keeping me stuck energetically.

“I think I need to clear it all out,” I’d realized on a call a few days earlier.

“Yes,” she confirmed intuitively, “bury or burn some of those things to truly release any ways you’re holding onto being responsible or carrying the burden.”

As I let go of what no longer belonged in my space, I got so nauseous I could barely stand up. I spent the next four days sicker than I’d been in years… burning up at night with a fever that brought chills and sweats and aches all over… a throat that could only tolerate tea and popsicles… and skin that actually, physically hurt to the touch.

On the last night, I went to bed packed full of anti-inflammatories with a 102-degree fever, chilled to the bone and intending to go to urgent care as soon as it opened the next morning.

Instead, I woke up drenched with sweat pouring out of me, my skin as pale as snow. My throat stopped hurting, the aches in my bones went away, and my fever was gone. I felt like I’d been through an exorcism.

But when I finally stepped back into my life and work, I was back.

I could remember things I’d forgotten and I could function in ways I thought I may never be able to again. I could talk about things without crying, and I felt so energized I worked until 3am without a second thought.

I would never have found my way back from the trauma of my loss without two sweet souls who showed up in my life just days and weeks before it.

One, a phenomenal and highly intuitive coach who helped me see things on a much deeper level… the other, a wise man whose brilliance and skill guided me through the most challenging process of my life, yet gave me my brain back OVERNIGHT. Both of whom supported me through the many, many layers of healing well beyond that first year.

Mentors and guides are a powerful aspect of Journey Mapping™.

They’re those sweet souls that drop wisdom right when we need it… that walk us through processes and experiences that heal us on a level we never knew we needed… or who grace us with the kind of presence, love, support, and guidance that helps move us into what comes next.

Mentors and guides come in many forms, and finding the ones that are most aligned for YOU and YOUR JOURNEY is essential. Nobody does this work or goes through the healing and discovery process alone. No one. Whether it’s books, podcasts, blogs, programs, divine downloads, or one-on-one support… we are all looking to someone or something outside ourselves at times. And with the right mentors and guides, we’re learning how to trust our own inner wisdom and knowing around what our right next steps are.

So tell me, where are you feeling stuck, and who or what is supporting you right now? Where could a mentor or guide possibly accelerate the healing and growth process?