Healthy Mama Magazine SPECIAL RED Edition - Feb 2015 | Page 23

11
reveal
ways
to
the

within

By Tess Marshall from The Bold Life

Your Family of Origin

I grew up with nine siblings. I had two older brothers, three older sisters, three younger sisters, and
a younger brother. I never fit in. My sisters were tall and thin with beautiful, long, lush hair. By eleven
years old, I was short and very curvy. My hair was fine, thin, and wild.
For the most part, my siblings did as they were told but I was outspoken, out-of-control and rebellious. I wore my sister’s hand-me-down school uniforms. I rolled up the hems on the skirts and
popped buttons on the blouses. My look was unkempt. I was teased and bullied at home and at
school. Yet I didn’t go quietly into the night. I fought for my place in my family. To protect myself, I
developed a good punch and grew a sharp tongue.

I was 27 years old and married with four children
when I became desperate enough to seek out my
first therapist. I felt alone, stuck, and unlovable.
I was determined to change.
After six months of working through my childhood issues, old thoughts, beliefs, and events, I felt
alive again. It was like stripping off several layers of paint from an antique piece of furniture.

I found myself restored to my original beauty.

Cultural Influences

We’re taught by society that our worth is found in the idols of our culture—technology, status,
youth, sex, power, money, attractiveness, and romantic relationships.

If you base your self worth on the external world,
you’ll never be capable of self-love.
Does your inner critic ever flood you with thoughts of, “I’m not enough, I don’t have enough, and I
don’t do enough.”? Feelings of lack are never-ending. Every time a goal is reached or you possess
the next big thing, your ego will move the line.

Shift Your Self-Perception

Feeling worthy requires you to see yourself with fresh eyes of self-awareness and love. Acceptance and love must come from within. You don’t have to be different to be worthy. Your worth is in
your true nature, a core of love and inner goodness. You are a beautiful light. You are love. We can
bury our magnificence, but it’s impossible to destroy.

Loving ourselves isn’t a one time event. It’s an
endless, moment by moment ongoing process.

ess Marshall - The Bold Life
Tess Marshall M.A. is founder of The Bold Life and a personal development-industry
entrepreneur. If you want to be inspired, supported and experience wild success, you’re
going to want to