Awakening One day, my art student left the studio crying because she felt her work was not good enough. Despite mastering complex art concepts and creating a beautiful painting, she couldn't see her progress. It wasn't her skills that needed improvement … it was her “mindset”…her perception of life that was holding her back.

Perfectionism is fear in disguise.”

I began to notice this pattern in some of my clients. They focused on external results, missing the joy of learning. They believed they had to be “good at painting” to enjoy it, and felt “not talented enough,” constantly comparing their work to others.

Discovery to BreakthroughTo understand the needs of my students, I sought a coach. During our sessions I discovered that I too carried limiting beliefs: You are not enough. Work harder. Do more. Prove yourself. While this belief system had fueled my success, it also left me perpetually tired and dissatisfied. I was too busy chasing a goalpost that kept moving.

Life happens for you, not to you.

Unexpectedly, illness forced me to stop…and listen.

My pause came in the form of a cancer diagnosis. For the first time in my life, I truly stopped. I listened and asked, What wants to be revealed?

As I rested and managed pain and illness, I felt like a caterpillar dissolving inside a chrysalis—no longer who I had been, unaware that I was quietly transforming into someone new.