What I think is most interesting about my story is that it can be anyone's story. I lived a normal, uneventful, unexceptional life with every privilege available to me and I still managed to get in my own way over and over again. For 20 years I allowed my unfinished business to live inside my heart and make me feel less than, unworthy, and undeserving of standing in my bright light. I was in a special purgatory called A.B.D. - "all but dissertation". Even though I was able to take the national boards and become a licensed psychologist, I would never have those 3 letters, PhD, next to my name. Every time I signed a chart, Lauren Weinberg, MS, it was like a dagger reminding me of my perceived inadequacy. It didn't matter that no one else cared - well, maybe my parents who paid for my education- but I couldn't shake the guilt and shame and ultimately, I stopped working just to avoid it. I came to understand that I never really expected to finish that degree. I couldn't see the end. I was always a "reluctant" student and somehow, I managed to not only graduate from, but get into a PhD program, at the ivy-league University of Pennsylvania. Even though I excelled academically, I never felt like I truly deserved or belonged there. I felt like I didn't deserve that degree and ultimately, I didn't take the steps necessary to follow through and make it happen. What I now understand is that everyone settles for what they believe they deserve whether it is their health, success, relationships, passion and even happiness. We all settle because of the limitations we imagine we have, but like me, everyone can learn to erase those limitations and make whatever amazing looks like to them come true.

I spent 20 years out of the workforce. Even though most of that time was spent deeply involved in community service, and dedicated to my family and friends, inside I felt like I was disappearing. In the way that these things happen, how I felt about myself inside started becoming apparent in the way I spoke about and to myself, and I didn't do one thing to take care of myself. Luckily I had a friend who told me to "stop talking about yourself that way!" and it started a cascade of lucky interventions that ultimately let to me retraining as a health and wellness coach, creating my business, and helping other people develop a deep love and respect for themselves so they feel deserving of living their amazing life. When I reflected on what facilitated my transformation I recognized that my mindset and my holistic self-care habits, body, mind, and spirit, were what made everything possible. The keystone leap came from changing the way I spoke to myself and about myself to others. What I came to realize is that prioritizing your self-care only happens when you believe you are worth the effort and that comes from your mindset and erasing your self-imposed limitations. This shifted my focus from health and wellness to empowerment and ultimately led to sharing my story and knowledge from the stage and working with organizations to help others develop that same deeply respectful and loving relationship with themselves and with others.