Aili

My journey:

I’ve always wanted to be my best self. I had a lot of ideas about what my life was meant to be like and how I was supposed to be in this world, and I was determined to have it all and be it all.

I followed conventional wisdom, got a degree and began my climb up the corporate ladder. I fell in love. I got promoted. Everything was falling into place. I was on the path to an amazing life.

There was just one problem: I wasn’t feeling it. No matter how much I succeeded, I consistently failed to see myself in a positive light. Everything seemed like a stepping stone, and I couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to life.

Something needed to change, and I had no idea what it was. Although it seemed crazy, I knew the only way to figure it out was to re-evaluate everything – even those things that were so deeply ingrained in my life that it felt like they were part of me:

My 9-year relationship. . .

My own home. . .

My salary with benefits. . .

My rising career. . .

My concept of success. . .

My assumptions about what my life was supposed to be.

Everything in question, I finally saw the light: I was never going to feel happy or complete based on anything outside of me. It needed to come from me. From inside me.

So one by one, I let everything go, and underneath it all, I uncovered something unexpected: the real me.

An amazing life starts within. From there, each moment is open to possibility; you experience the joy of being and fall in love with life. Even better, it comes with gifts:

Self-acceptance.

Connection.

Empowerment.

Trust in the universe.

Enjoyment of the here and now.

Excitement about the magic of life.

Now I’m on a new path of my own creation and learning to embrace a new way of being in this world – one connected to the wisdom of my body and the truth in my heart. It’s an adventure! I’m loving the journey, one breath at a time.

 

I know a lot about:

Learning to understand / like / trust / value / embrace / love / be yourself. I used to have a horrible relationship with myself, until I realized that I was the only person who had the power to change it. Everything you do contributes to your experience of who you are, and every moment is an opportunity to choose how you show up in the world. I’ve come a long way, and I’m still learning.

Change, personally & professionally. I’ve spent over a decade helping people create and manage change, initially in the corporate world as a management consultant on projects like re-orgs and mergers. I then shifted my focus to personal transformation, to help people realize who they really are and get what they want out of life. I’ve also made countless changes to my life and lifestyle along the way.

Getting to the root of the problem. Going through engineering’ll do that to you.

Making people feel seen and understood. Empathy’s my greatest strength (and so deeply ingrained, I needed StrengthsFinder 2.0 to see it).

Holistic wellbeing, from my Duke certification as an integrative health coach, as well as personal experience of several modalities.

Yoga, physically & philosophically. I’ve studied Kundalini, hatha, vinyasa and yin, as well as Ayurvedic yoga therapy and yoga nidra. 

Strengthening the mind-body connection. After engineering, I was stuck in my head. Yoga helped me find my way out. I’m forever grateful.

Understanding the mind. It happens naturally if you’re willing to be alone with your thoughts. (Learn to sit still or spend time in silence, and you’ll see what I mean.)

Learning to listen to your inner wisdom. Getting out of my head was the first step. Following my heart was the second. When you learn to trust what’s going on inside you, it transforms your experience of life… You let go of who you think you’re supposed to be, and discover who you really are. Life’s greatest gifts come from being true to yourself.

Aili

I’m obsessed with:

The relationship between willingness and desire. When it comes to making changes, this is where most people get stuck. Find the sweetspot, and possibilities open up.

The difference between thinking and feeling. I think/feel like we often confuse the two.

Being a more conscious being. Whenever I become aware of how unaware I’ve been, my life gets better in wonderful ways. Awareness creates choice. Choice creates empowerment. Empowerment creates change.

Yoga. (See above.)

Simplicity. Enough said.

Aili 4

Wondering where to go next? Since you’ve made it this far, I’d suggest signing up to get insights in your inbox if you haven’t already. And if you have, check out the archives.

Much love to you!

 

❤ Aili