Once upon a time, there was a little girl filled with innocence, hope, and dreams.

She dreamed of living a new life where she felt safe instead of scared, hopeful instead of worthless, and proud instead of ashamed.

Every day she saw her dad drink, her mom yell, and her younger sister cry.

That little girl was me.

But it did have rats, empty cabinets, and a lot of anger.

We had an old wood stove that we used for heat. To get drinking water, we would pack up some old milk jugs and drive a few miles away and fill them from a mountain spring.

My home was also filled with drugs, alcohol, and domestic abuse. I experienced physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. 

The first time I thought of taking my own life, I was 5 years old.

I saw my dad attempt to murder my mother many times. I wrestled guns out of his hands more times than I care to mention.

I endured constant ridicule and bullying from family members and “friends”.

It took years but as soon as I had enough money, I packed up my bags, and escaped. I moved as far away as I could without leaving the country. I went to Los Angeles, California.

I face-planted in the entertainment industry where I worked as a model and tv host. It was beautiful on the outside but hid some ugly truths. 

After my roommate got high on crack and almost burned the apartment down, I ended up homeless. So, I decided drugs and alcohol were the answer (spoiler alert: they weren’t).

And at last, I hit rock bottom with no way out. One night, I found myself sitting alone on the cold floor of my cramped studio apartment. I had $388 left in my bank account and was too sick to work.

I was overweight and had been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome and clinical depression. I felt broken - physically, mentally, and spiritually. I just wanted the pain to stop.

The hope I once had was gone. I realized no one could save me and I decided suicide was the only way out.

As a young kid, I would turn to books as a way to escape. 

In those long, fairy-tale chapters I would enter another world. Live another life. Become someone else.

Why not do that now?

So, I asked myself... if life were a book and I was the author, how would I want the story to go?

I finally stopped looking outside of myself for something to fix me and went inside instead.

I confronted my stories, ditched the shame and unworthiness, and stopped apologizing for who I was and where I came from. 

I created a new identity of the person I wanted to be and I embraced it daily.

I created a life I'm obsessed with and now I help other people - just like YOU do the same.

I'm here to be an example of what's possible. To prove that it does not matter where you’ve been or what you’ve been through. You too can take action and create the life you want regardless of your obstacles and without apologies. AND have fun in the process!

You can rewrite your old stories, step into the Identity of your Future Self, and create a life so good you're only jealous of yourSELF!