My life changed forever that day.

It took a year for me to be able to look at a screen.

It took years before I could do more than 20 minutes of massage for a client, before the numbness, the referral pain, and the burning would overtake my left shoulder and arm.

And before that day, I used to be able to breeze through hours of doing deep manual therapies for others without any physical pain.

I am a Massage Therapist. 

My hands are my livelihood, my money makers.

If I can’t do that anymore, If I can’t help others feel better because I am in so much pain, then what do I do now? 

Who Am I now? 

How do I help others now? 

Why did this happen to me? 

MY LIFE CHANGED FOREVER THAT DAY.

And I have a secret to tell that I am ready to get off my chest…

Even before that specific car accident, I was burnt out and tired and felt trapped in this time-for-money prison; in this never ending cycle of putting everyone else first, putting out their fires, and trying to make life easier for everyone else, but myself.

And all I could hear in my head was a flurry of questions:  

So you want to be free to be you, fully liberated and authentic, and also somehow have a deep impact on others in your life?

How are you implementing the things that matter most to you; the things that make you who you are and align with your goals?

What are your goals?

Have you been taking the time and energy to heal?

Have you been making the choices that align with your values?

What are your values?

Who are you now?

How is that working for you?

What do YOU need? 

What is missing?

My inquisitive mind was spinning with all of these questions and this is what led me onto a new journey of deeply reconnecting with all the parts of me that had been severed, severed from that car accident and from all those post traumatic stress spurred on from sudden loss of loved one after loved one.

“Disconnect to Reconnect” became my mantra through my initial healing. 

It gave me permission to TAKE A BREAK… to SLOW DOWN and start managing my time… my energy… my money.

I was broken and shattered into many pieces, and as I began to reconnect and unify those pieces of me, as I began to receive support, I found my identity.

I AM a blobfish.

A blobfish is a bottom-dwelling deep-sea fish with a large head.

And other than having a somewhat large head, I TOO, dwell in the depth of the sea. 

I TOO, am a free-from with the superpower to stay afloat in deep water.

I TOO, shift my energy within my being to maintain buoyancy, always coming back to center, no matter what.

So that I TOO, may thrive off of living in the depths of the deep waters in my life.

What does it mean to thrive while you are navigating through some pretty deep stuff in your life? How do you come back to that inner feeling of knowing you will be okay no matter what?

I AM a skilled coach.

And I am still piecing things together.

I have been on a treasure hunt, collecting undiscovered jewels… 

And now my trove is full…

FULL with PURPOSE.

FULL with CLARITY.

FULL with VALIDATION. 

FULL with CURIOSITY.

FULL with PLAYFULNESS.

And when I enter the hidden chamber where my treasure lives…

And when I turn the light on in this inner room that is so tenderly held…

the more curious I AM…

the more playful I AM…

the more validating I AM…

the more clear I AM…

of what my purpose IS.

What part of you and your journey must you shine some light on?

What part of you and your journey is inviting you to play?

The MORE curious you are, the MORE playful you will be.

The MORE playful you are, the MORE clear you will be.

The MORE clear you are, the MORE validation you will receive.

The MORE validating you are, the MORE trusting you will be.

How do you trust and follow this part of you?

Curiosity is powerful when guided by the essence of who you are and what you stand for… your WHY in life.

WHY am I doing this? 

WHY does this matter to me?

WHY do I care?

Being ME means I am in purpose and I am on purpose.I am in connection within myself and with the world that I exist in and that surrounds me.

As trust deepens for me, I claim it. I live it. I see it, and being a skilled coach means asking for and receiving support.

And as I dance into the room with you, before each and every exchange and interaction…

I AM that blobfish, malleable and free, while centered and grounded, and in my chillest form.

I AM that skillful coach, playfully thriving and joyfully skipping along my path with curiosity and clarity; with every intention to validate. 

And those gems of wisdom light up my next purposeful step on my journey in life. 

As the massage therapist…

As the blobfish…

As the skilled coach…

I am a teacher and a leader, aligned with my spiritual essence and I am here to support your alignment with the spiritual element of your life as you live out your purpose in connection with the world within you and around you.

This is who I am.

Click here for an audio version of this article:

ALINA MCGILLOWAY

Alina McGilloway

Alina McGilloway, Creator and Founder of Core Momentum™ of Illumify A•nu•mí LLC, is a Certified BodyMind Life Coach & Biz Consultant with over 15 years experience as a Licensed Massage Therapist, Licensed Esthetician, Creative Entrepreneur, and Wholistic Biz Owner.

She intentionally provides a safe space for spiritually centered high achieving leaders, entrepreneurs & visionaries, to get off the track of overgiving and overdoing and start shifting the direction of momentum in their life, creating movement away from external pressures that drain you TOWARD the internal drivers that inspire you and build you up!

She collaboratively supports you in accessing your Core Momentum™, your inner channel of resilience, integrity, and true alignment as your main driver in life toward your vision and your purpose with simple steps that unleash your creativity and express your voice authentically!

These mentorship, consultations, and coaching experiences become your solid foundation to building a system that facilitates flow as you harness your core energy, find true freedom, and feel good!

Website:

www.illuminateyourcore.com

IG:

illumify.a.nu.mi

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