Posted On: Saturday, October 31, 2015
A Fairy Tale
Once upon a time, there was a little girl. She had a short pixie haircut and willowgreen
eyes. She loved to dance, play and explore. And she loved to help others
who were less fortunate.
As she grew older she discovered that in order to fit in and to be loved she
needed to behave in a certain way and follow a particular path. She learned to do
what was expected of her.
She learned to do what she was supposed to do—what she “should” do.
She quietly placed her true self in hiding, deep inside her core, and kept that self
safe from ridicule, judgment and criticism. That way, her true self would be with
her always and would be safe; she would not get
hurt. The little girl grew up and went off to college, got married, bought a house,
and had children. Along the way she forgot about her true self. She forgot what
she loved to do.
She forgot her unique gifts and talents. She lived her life according to what
she “should” do.
As time went on, she began to experience a vague feeling of yearning for
something that was missing in her life, but did not know what that might be.
So she continued her life of doing what was expected of her. It just seemed
easier that way.
So it happened that one summer the woman fell six feet down through a hatch,
into the engine room of a boat. She could have died. The next spring she was
diagnosed with fibromyalgia—a chronic pain of the muscles and joints for which
there is no cure. The follow-ing summer a bite from a deer tick gave her Lyme
disease. Again, she could have died.
It took these three life-altering events for her to awaken to her current life of
“shoulds.” These three crises created a tsunami of realization. She finally
grasped that life really is short.
She became aware that she was living her life according to rules that no longer
worked for her. She realized that she was not living the life she was meant to live
—the life that made her heart sing.
Her path then became clear. If she were going to find out what she was yearning
for, she would have to begin a journey of discovery. She needed to rediscover
her true self and her unique gifts. And she needed to do it now, before it was too
late.
So began her search. She set on the path of “the hero’s journey.” She slew
dragons—those voices in her head that said “Are you crazy?” “What will people
think?” “People won’t like you!” She dis-covered new lands and terrains within
herself. She even found her “Prince Charming.”
To her shock and delight, she ultimately found that her true self had been kept
safe all these years—in a cage of her own making, deep within her core. With
great presence of mind, she finally set herself free. Her life was now her own.
From Leslie: “I am so thrilled to accomplish my dream of writing my book, Seven
Steps to Choosing Joy. This was a labor of love for me. I wrote Seven Steps to
Choosing Joy to make a difference in how women live their lives. I wrote this
book to support each of you on your journey to healing, peace and joy.
My mission is to make a difference in how you live your life because:
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” – Annie Dillard.
The Dream Factory was huge part of my success in publishing my book. Connie
Dunn, a Dream Factory member, created a writing circle and provided feedback
and insight into the writing process. Ellen Keiter, another Dream Factory
member, was my designer and editor. She designed the cover of the book as well
as the look for the inside. She spent countless hours editing the text. The
community was there for me throughout my journey as I took steps to learn and
grow.
Thank you Dream Factory for supporting me in living my dreams!”
Leslie Ackles
billles@aol.com