A Coaching Power Tool Created by Christiane (Christy) Evenepoel
(Life Coach & Stage Presence Expert Coach, BELGIUM)
Sculpture by Paige Bradley « Expansion »
Before Life coaching became my calling and my expertise, I was a professional actress and artist coach.
I was trained to pretend and to play different roles being as authentic as possible.
In the Entertainment industry, image is everything.
I’m an empathic and I have this “gift” to feel what others people feel. If you add the fact that I’m an idealist and I wanted to save the world and make it a better place; you can understand that I was carrying a lot of pressure on my shoulders and wearing a lot of masks on my face.
I must admit, I fell down to almost all the traps of making myself believe that I was fine.
Convinced I could do anything and be everything for … OTHERS.
I became so detached from myself that I didn’t really know what I was really feeling anymore.
I was a chameleon, a people pleaser and a great pretender and I thought it was a good thing.
It took me years of depression, a broken heart, burn out and illness to make me realize that the only person I didn’t give unconditional love to, was me.
Lately, life showed me how much I’m committed when it comes to loving or “trying to save” someone but how untrained & uncommitted I am toward my own success and happiness.
I had the tendency to drain myself for project or for love ones.
Coaching helped me to discover myself all over again and taught me to fill my cup first and only give from the overflow.
My coach Paula M. shared a quote with me that resonate instantly: “when purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable” Dr. Myles Munroe.
That quote changed my perspective on how I see myself.
Self-Love
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. Krishnamurti
I found that self-love is a not a destination; it’s a practice.
Self-love is the foundation on which we build a happy life. Without self-love, we have nowhere to put the love or abundance that comes to us.
Self love is taking care of our mind, body and soul. In that new practice I found that learning to honor my soul, my highest self help me to awaken to my full potential, heals my soul sickness, and reframes my reality.
For the waves is the ocean and the ocean is the wave. We are all souls, waves of the ocean of spirit and we must not forget it. Paramahansa Yogananda
Self-love (or healthy ego) is…
Healthy ego allows us to genuinely appreciate our strengths, accept our imperfections, and love ourselves unconditionally.
Unhealthy ego
An unhealthy ego is like a shield, protecting us from the outside world, but also preventing us from loving ourselves and our lives.
An unhealthy ego will tell you to stick to what’s comfortable, to avoid uncertainty, and to have unrealistic expectations of yourself and others. Unhealthy ego is rooted in fear, anxiety, limiting beliefs, and toxic thinking patterns.
Unhealthy ego is….
A HEALTHY EGO IS BUILT ON CORE BELIEFS THAT ARE BASED IN LOVE.
A UNHEALTHY EGO IS BUILT ON CORE BELIEFS THAT ARE BASED IN FEAR.
Self Application:
Fill up your cup first and only give from the overflow.
We often leave the “loving us” to others (partners, mother, father, friends, dogs,…) and we blame them if they don’t do it right.
It’s actually your job to learn how to love you; you are the only “thing” you are sure to keep for the rest of your life.
Loving you is learning what is good to you, what empowers you, what brings you peace and joy. It’s respecting your boundaries and showing others how to love you right.
LOVE, that’s what life is all about. Fill your cup first and only give from your overflow.
I see you, your true essence. I see who you really are. I respect you, I salute you, I love you, I honor you, I recognize you.
I am more Divine than Human
Coaching Applications:
Before connecting to the world (duties, WI FI, distractions,…), devote an hour when you wake up to connect with God, your Soul, your heart, your body and your mind.
Reflections:
The journey of our soul and self-love really is the journey of a lifetime, and it’s a journey we get to take whether we are aware or not. If you are alive you are on the journey.
With this in mind, may your journey be a conscious one where the intentions of your soul intersect with the intentions of your human nature on a daily basis, bringing both into alignment every moment of your life.