I grew up programmed to live the “American Dream.”
Be a good girl… go to college… climb the corporate ladder… buy a comfortable home… save a bunch of money… retire… die.
I decided to skip the marriage and kids part though. I think that was a combination of childhood trauma and being too busy trying to be the best ever at all of the things above.
[SIDE TANGO] I was at a Zoom meeting last week with a young woman I’m mentoring. She’s in her 20s. She said “You see Blaine, since the pandemic, women have to make this decision. They need to decide if they’re going to have a career or have a family. It’s really tough.”
I just smiled, nodded and thought. Yes, honey, that’s a new thing your generation is facing that no other woman has. [END SIDE TANGO]
Here’s what I learned in my pursuit of the American Dream: How to be safe, unfulfilled and drink alcohol to fill the void.
The more I work with women, the more I see multiple versions of this story. The dream might have been to be a stay-at-home mom, or a successful working mom, or a small business owner, but the result is often the same.
Many women chase a story of what life should be like that was created by a culture outside of them and when they finally get it, things aren’t so magical.
Next comes pervasive low (or not so low) levels of anxiety and depression followed by too much food, drugs, scrolling, alcohol, Netflix… pick-your-poison.
For me, to end the madness, I had to dig up the courage to move from a safe but unfulfilled place to a vulnerable and scary place.
Of all the things I did to get me there, the most powerful was taking yoga teacher training (YTT).
I took my first yoga teacher training in 2016 and left my job in 2017.
I’d been wanting to leave my job since 2012.
YTT was the greatest catalyst for personal growth and self-discovery that I had ever experienced.
The dedicated time for self-care and introspection finally led me to my authentic self, and I cultivated self-awareness, self-love, and inner peace in a way that was – for me – shocking.
Many years later, when I started leading YTTs, I saw women unfold in their own, unique ways time and time again.
