The truth about my shoe collection

What does your shoe collection say about you?

It might sound like a superficial question, but I swear I have a point…
For those of you who don’t know, my boyfriend and I recently moved out of the city to our dream home by the lake.
And let me tell you…
​

​


​
​There’s nothing like the experience of packing up your life in boxes to remind you of the insecurities hiding in your closet (literally).
I happen to have a passion for beautiful shoes.
And over the years, I’ve worked hard to earn the collection of pumps, stilettos, slides and sneakers that line my shelves.

​When I was younger, my grandmother instilled in me the idea that having a lot of things was excessive and something to be ashamed of. It meant you were selfish and didn’t know how to manage your money. This negative thought pattern became ingrained in me, even though it wasn’t aligned with my truth.
As a result, I held back from letting my friends and family help because I was scared of what they might think.
But this is no way to live your life (and I don’t recommend trying to “do it all yourself” when it comes to moving, either).
How often do you hold back from showing your true self out of fear of what others will think?


I’m willing to bet it happens more often than you realize.
It’s not unusual for us to let the ideas, opinions and criticisms of others influence how we live our lives. And often, these criticism aren’t even true – we’ve imagined them because it’s what we think others will believe or say about us.
And we start wearing these assumptions as layers, covering up our true selves, because it feels safe.

It reminds me of the story of the Golden Buddha…
One day, in 1957, a Monastery in Thailand was being relocated by a group of monks. They were moving a giant clay Buddha when one of the monks noticed a golden light shining out from behind a giant crack in the clay. After chipping away at the clay exterior, the monks realized the statue was actually made of solid gold. Historians believe the Buddha was covered in clay several hundred years earlier to protect it from being stolen in an attack.
I love this story because it’s so relatable.

As humans, we tend to hide our true, golden selves behind layers of clay as a form of protection. But it’s not until we learn how to chip away at the clay—in other words, address the negative thought patterns, habits and routines we’ve adapted—that we reveal our true beauty.

---

What would you be capable of achieving if you stepped into the power of your truest self, without letting the opinions of others hold you back?

There’s truly nothing more powerful than the act of living your truth, without letting your limiting beliefs get in the way.
And when you start acting from a place of alignment, it becomes a lot easier to prioritize your own peace and joy.

When I look at my shoe collection, I see all of the hard work I put into getting to this point in my life, where I have the financial freedom to invest in what makes me happy.
And yes, shoes make me happy ☺️
When I slip into a pair of pumps that complement my outfit perfectly, I feel like I can take on the world.
It’s not about the shoes themselves, or the price tag they came with. It’s about how I feel when I’m wearing them.
​
I am in alignment with my truest self. And this is my favourite place to be.
Are you ready to chip away at your limiting beliefs and step into your true power? It all starts with the way you approach your everyday habits and routines (including your shoe obsession). I created this workshop on How to Build an Aligned Routine to help you move past your mental blocks and embrace your inner Golden Buddha.

​□ Check it out! □

xoxo - Vanessa