The Tale of the Superwoman Who Learned to Save Herself

In a bustling city, there lived an extraordinary woman we'll call Sarah. Sarah was the quintessential Superwoman - a loving mother, a dependable friend, and a dedicated entrepreneur. She had a heart of gold and a work ethic that could move mountains. Whenever someone needed help, they could always count on Sarah, no matter the time or the task.  

At home, Sarah would cook gourmet meals for her family, help her kids with their homework, and still find time to organize charity events for her community. In her business, she was used to solving every problem, working late into the night to meet deadlines, and sacrificing her weekends for the sake of her clients.  

Everyone admired Sarah's boundless energy and unwavering support. But beneath that Superwoman cape, Sarah was struggling. Her health began to deteriorate. She was stressed, overwhelmed, and emotionally drained.

One fateful day, Sarah's body gave her a stern wake-up call, and she found herself sick in bed. It was as if life had hit the pause button, forcing her to take a much-needed break.

During her recovery, Sarah had an epiphany - she had been so busy helping everyone else that she had neglected herself. She realized that, just like in an airplane emergency, she needed to secure her own oxygen mask before assisting others.  No only that, she realized that her daughters were watching everything that she was doing and she did not want them to repeat her patterns of behavior.

Sarah knew that she needed help establishing and securing her boundaries.  Her sister-in-law came over one day with some meals and told her about the work her and I had done. Marianne encouraged Sarah to reach out to me.  When we first spoke, I shared with Sarah that I had been wearing that same red cape 15 years prior!  I also shared how much easier life had been once I understood why I was was wearing the superhero cape in the first place.

As we began working together, I helped Sarah identify and clear false and limiting beliefs that were at the root cause of her lack of boundaries.  She was the oldest daughter of four and her “role” in her family had always been that of the “caretaker”.  She was praised for her problem-solving skills and ability to juggle it all.  She also “believed” that saying “no” was rude and selfish. She believed if she “could” do something, she “should”.

Once these false and limiting beliefs were cleared at a subconscious level, I helped Sarah define her boundaries. We worked on role playing saying "no" when her plate was already full.  You see, there are many ways in which you can say “no” without it sounding rude.  We then moved on to delegating task and utilizing AI so that Sarah had  more  time for self-care, exercise, and relaxation. She even started accepting help from others, realizing that it was okay not to do it all alone.

As the weeks passed, Sarah's health continually improved, and she was filled with a renewed sense of vitality. 

The moral of Sarah's story is clear - while it's admirable to help others, and to think that we can do it all, we must remember to prioritize ourselves for sustainability.   In both our personal and professional lives, setting healthy boundaries is not a sign of weakness; it's a demonstration of self-love and self-preservation.  The saying, “You cannot pour from an empty cup” is so true!

So, let's all take a moment to reflect on our own lives. Are we stretching ourselves too thin? Are we sacrificing our well-being for the sake of others? Remember, a happy, healthy you is the foundation of a successful and fulfilling life AND … our daughters and granddaughters are watching us.  Let’s break those generational patterns that are not serving our highest good!

Here's to setting boundaries, cherishing ourselves, and being the heroes of our own stories!

Hugs,

A former superhero red cape wearer,

Rose xx

RoseColarossi.com

TransformingHER Life & Business