The Movie That Changed My Life

To my past I say: I Love You. I'm Sorry. I Forgive You. Thank You.

 

I will never forget the day when I first saw The Shawshank Redemption movie. To say that this movie changed the trajectory of my life, and that it is the reason behind why I am still alive today, living a free life in the United States, doing the work that I truly love for a living and manefesting my best life, is an understatement. 

I was about 14 years old, living a very strict typical middle-astern life. In addition, there was all kinds of abuse going on that was unique to my family that included verbal abuse, physical abuse and emotional abuse. My life, like all the women in my family was planned out for me. Get groomed to be a good wife, cook, clean, have babies and be a submissive servant to the godly husband, that is entitled to have up to 4 wives. You keep your eyes down, only speak when spoken to, and with a very low toned voice. 

I felt trapped, suffocated and hopeless. There was absolutely no way out of this generational cycle of enslavement, no women in my immediate environment has ever veered off this wifely path. I was not able to imagine what was possible for me. There was no internet, no cell phones, no cable - at least where I was in Yemen at the time.

So when I saw The Shawshank Redemption, and watched how Andy dug his way out of a prison cell, with a rock hammer, one day at a time, for over 19 years, and used a rope to escape through the tunnel and prison sewage pipe, my mind exploded! At the time, I thought that the movie was based on a true life story, which made me even more inspired. This movie was imprinted deep in my heart ever since that day, and has guided to me through every obstacle that I encountered throughout my life. Coming to the U.S. getting a visa, getting a work permit, becoming a citizen, discovering who I am as a person, healing old wounds and trauma, climbing the corporate ladder, getting my body in a healthy physical shape, completing my 200 hour yoga teacher training, starting my own business; and the journey continues and will never end...When ever I feel like this is the end of the road for me, I remember Andy and the rock hammer, that he created himself, and how he crawled his way out of an impossible situation, one day at a time, I immediately pick my self up, and carry on. 

I do it one day at a time. What has helped me the most is that as I am very intentional about how I start and end my day. I set my intentions when I first wake up on how I want to feel for the rest of my day, and I practice gratitude as a way of checking in before I go to sleep.

I know that these days are especially tough for many of you, and that everyone has a story and a struggle. So today I share with you this 5 minute guided mediation to allow you to set an intention for your day. It is said that if you focus on nothing, you become distracted by everything. Begin to build that focus and concentration muscle, and train your mind to focus on what matters to you. Anything is possible, just remember Andy. It starts here...