As I mentioned on a preview blog post, Marianne Williamson’s quote about “Your playing small doesn’t serve the world” started me on a thought process about what I was doing to silence my voice and what I could do to change that. However, it wasn’t until almost a decade later that I began to put my thoughts into action, and that happened largely because of an amazing trainer named David Wood.  Since he was essentially the catalyst behind me daring to step out and discover my power, I wanted to have him be my “first interview.”

Much of what David Wood teaches is that in order to really live a full life, we must have an authentic connection to both ourselves and to others, and that often requires that we step out of our comfort zone.

“Fear of humiliation and the fear of rejection are number one and two over fear of death.”

I didn’t know that what I felt was a fear of rejection; I just “knew” that I didn’t measure up to the amazingness of others and that being a part of society was a lot more comfortable if I could do it from a place of invisibility. I stuck to where I felt confident.

“A lot of people feel that they have to wear a mask in order to survive,” 

And although I didn’t’ realize it, that’s exactly what I was doing. I showed only those parts of me that appeared to be “good enough,” and the rest of me stayed behind a mask.

I wore many masks for many years, and I became so good at that I even I believed they were the real me. I had no idea what I was doing to myself. I just knew I was lost…

“Then we ask ourselves, ‘What is authentic about me? Who am I?’”

During a week-long retreat on Thatch Caye, David Wood’s private island in Belize, I was gently pushed outside of my comfort zone. I was encouraged to remove the masks. I felt exposed, The experience was excruciating—terrifying!—and I was left feeling wonderfully free. Life suddenly became exciting again and I knew I never wanted to stop feeling that way.

“Authenticity is one of the most succulent discoveries when we realize that we are completely transparent…

“…I don’t know anybody who hasn’t gone through a phase of self-doubt. But we gotta understand that we can’t think our way into the world we want, we have to BEHAVE that way. We need to constantly step out…”

Even when it hurts.

Enjoy this interview with my mentor and friend, David TS Wood: