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Becoming the Authority of Your Life

Over the past ten years, I have been working tirelessly to reclaim authority over my mental, emotional, and physical health. The road I’ve traveled has been a long one as I transformed my life through self-care.

 It started with an important first step. I became the authority of my life. What do I mean by this? You have probably figured out by now that I like clarity in language. It puts us on the same page so we can work together to achieve goals. So let’s take a look at the word “authority.”

            The word has two meanings. The first is to be an expert on something, as in “She is an authority on eighteenth-century quilting techniques” or “He is an authority on the music of Bruce Springsteen.” Usually being an authority relates to a specific skill or knowledge set.

            Can you imagine anything more important than becoming an authority on your own life? To understand what makes your body feel best or how to find a serene place when you are agitated? To have thoughtful knowledge of your past and present so you can move forward into the future? To know what you need to keep yourself healthy mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually? What could possibly be more deserving of your efforts?

            The other meaning of “authority” is the power to command thought, opinion, or behavior, as in “the president has authority in the United States” or “my mom was the authority in our home.” This definition is equally relevant to transforming your life through self-care, because it means that you have the power to command your thoughts and behavior. You can act on what you think and what you do.

            You can take back your power—your authority—from things and people you have given it away to. You may have given away that power to a bad relationship or job. You may have given it away to doctors, without questioning and learning about your own body. You may have given it away to satisfy your cravings for foods and drinks that have been harmful to you.

            Here’s the good news: Even if you have given away your authority and let other people and situations become the expert on you, you can get that authority back. Even if you have let others command your thoughts and behavior, you can get that authority back.

            Becoming an authority on your life is an ongoing process. You learn, make mistakes, recalibrate, and keep going. But it starts with acknowledging your role—that you are the authority, not anyone else.

THE FORMULA FOR BECOMING AN AUTHORITY

While on my self-care journey, I discovered an important formula that I would like to share with you:

Fierce Determination + Laser-Focused Actions + Bottomless Discipline = Deep Beauty + Inner Worth

            There’s nothing more powerful than having a made-up mind and then going for your goal every single day with intensely focused actions and bottomless discipline. It will give you the knowledge and confidence required to be an authority on your life. And this formula will allow you to not only tap into your deep beauty and inner worth but also replenish it.

            Here’s an important thing I want you to keep in mind right now and as you move into your new future: You cannot let the well of your deep beauty and inner worth dry up. By understanding that you are the source of your deep beauty and inner worth, and then constantly taking action to keep that well filled with clean, fresh, and life-giving substance, you will transform your life permanently.

            That is what I now experience in my life and what I have helped thousands of other people achieve. I will be sharing aspects of the formula throughout this book, but let me demonstrate some of those aspects by sharing some of my own journey with you…

To read this book in its entirety visit amazon.com/author/carolynabrent 

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Carolyn’s most impressive accomplishment has been her expansive body of work. The award-winning and best-selling The Caregiver’s Companion: Caring for Your Loved One Medically, Financially and Emotionally While Caring for Yourself, and Transforming your life through self-care: A Guide To Tapping Into Your Deep Beauty And Inner Worth are in the Library of Congress, the libraries of the University of Oxford, Harvard, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, and numerous other medical centers and universities. Designated as an Editor’s Choice, she received the review of “excellent” by the Library Journal.