A few days ago, a dear friend of mine gave me a beautiful reflection. She said, “Anyone who meets you can see right away that you’re authentic. It’s so obvious. You’re not trying to be anything that you’re not, and you’re not trying to hide anything.”

She continued, “But when I met you, you had so many walls up. You’ve done so much work on yourself since then!”

Now I can’t imagine living life the old way. But I can put myself back in those shoes. Back then, when I would meet someone, I would assess them before exposing myself. I would observe them extremely closely. I would let them talk a lot before talking too much. I would try to figure out who they were. And then I would try to match myself to what I thought they wanted from me. I was actually really good at both those things – figuring out who they were quickly and exposing only what I thought they wanted. If you met me back then for the first time, I guarantee you would have never seen the real Dawn.

Now when I meet someone I still connect with them, but without judgment and without fear. I see them as a divine being. I try to connect to their true essence. I do my best to stay present for them and hold space. I speak from the heart, not just from the mind. I don’t see meeting someone as a chess game, or even worse, a battle. I see it as a gift. And I love myself enough and others to want to share the real Dawn with them. Because that’s the only way we can ever truly connect.

So let’s rewind to when I met LeeAnn. We met in 2016 at a really difficult time in my life. I was becoming, but I had not yet become. I was searching. I was asking myself lots of questions about who I really was. I’d buried my own dreams and gifts so deeply down that I really had no idea. It was no one’s fault but my own. I’d let myself become a chameleon – always trying to blend in and camoflauging my true self. It was a defense mechanism.

She and I met a couple months before I received my Life Activation, and we’ve been close ever since, so her perspective is a really helpful marker for me. Right after I received my Life Activation, I took this very adventurous (for me) solo trip to Thailand. In these pictures, I see the real Dawn becoming, starting to blossom. She is just starting to open up to a world of possibility, joy, and beauty.

When I think about who I was before and who I am now, I am so grateful. I’ve received so many blessings into my life by becoming my authentic self. I’ve made so many dear friends. I’ve started new businesses. I’ve designed my life to fit me – not anyone else, or anyone’s expectations. I delight in meeting new people. It’s my mission to help others, and I am able to do so.

To get here, I had to heal so many things that were holding me back. I had to let go of limiting beliefs, forgive myself and others of many things. I let go of dogmatism and stopped being so judgmental. I had to be humble, be willing to unlearn what I was so sure I knew. I had to let love into my heart, and let it flow from me without fear or any sense of lack. I had to learn to be seen even when it was scary. I had to take big risks.

Recently, I stepped into a greater level of service as a Guide with The Modern Mystery School. I have the great honor of helping people remember who THEY truly are, and supporting them in their journey of becoming.

I still have my own work to do. The amazing part about growth is there is no ceiling. But I have gotten to the point in my own journey where I can help others in a really meaningful way. And through that service, I continue to know myself better – what is really me and what I still need to shed because it is not me. It’s a virtuous circle.

I’ve learned the only way to live a life of joy is to live authentically. And the only way to live authentically is to KNOW THYSELF. It is a rewarding journey that everyone deserves to grant themselves.