Page 36 - Tracy Anderson Magazine - Fall 2021

There comes a time in the life of a woman When she no longer plays small so others can feel big
When she discards her old ways like tossed shoes in the And when she swaps the role of victim for the role of
garbage co-creator
When she shreds her list of “shoulds” and obligations
And when impossible expectations are burned in an There comes a time in the life of a woman
incinerator When she unabashedly and boldly occupies her ultimate
sovereignty
There comes a time in the life of a woman When she finally feels ready to claim her space in the
When the approval of others once jewels now turn to world
pennies in her sock And when she redefines compassion as unequivocal
When the hunt for another is now replaced by a hunt self-love
for herself
And when parental tentacles of tradition no longer There comes a time in the life of a woman
define her truth When she finally releases her childlike dependencies on
others
There comes a time in the life of a woman When she dares to rewrite a new mandate of living for
When her desire to fit in with the crowd dissolves herself
When her manic compulsion to be perfect vaporizes One that says:
And when her obsession to be voted popular eviscerates I release unworthiness and fear
I divorce servility and passivity
There comes a time in the life of a woman I divest inauthenticity and enmeshment
When she simply says “no more” I end the pretense of being someone
When facade, artifice, and guile leave her nauseated I am not
And when righteousness, dogma, and superiority
repulse her And from now on I declare…

There comes a time in the life of a woman I will ascend into my highest power
When she no longer fears conflict but faces it boldly like I will embrace my greatest autonomy
a lioness I will celebrate my deepest worth
When she guards her authenticity as fearlessly as she I will embody my fiercest courage
guards her babies and manifest the most authentic me
And when she drops the role of savior knowing she can
only save herself The time is now

There comes a time in the life of a woman I am ready
When she no longer cowers in the shadows of her
unworthiness To awaken into my renaissance. ■

Excerpted from A Radical Awakening: Turn Power Into Pain,
Embrace Your Truth, Live Free, by Dr. Shefali. Reprinted with
permission from HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins
Publishers. Copyright © 2021.
THE TIME Dr. Shefali received her doctorate in clinical psychology

from Columbia University, specializing in the integration of
OF THE A W AKENED Western psychology and Eastern philosophy. She is an expert
in family dynamics and personal development, teaching
courses around the globe. She has written five books, three of
which are New York Times best-sellers. Oprah Winfrey has
WOMAN Vlada Karpovich endorsed her work as revolutionary and life-changing. As an
international speaker, Dr. Shefali speaks at events around
the globe, spreading her message of conscious parenting and
mindful living. She also has a private practice where she
consults with families and couples.
An empowering book excerpt, by Dr. Shefali.

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