As I write these words, I want to be very transparent in sharing that I’ve been struggling with some serious writer’s block. Or, as I like to put it: my creative flow has been congested for several months. No doubt, there has been quite a bit of personal shifting in my life, as of late, and perhaps this has contributed to the congestion. No matter the reason, I thank you for staying with me during this pause.

I’ve missed being here and feeling the release of words onto the screen. What has carried me through are the amazing adoptees I’m so blessed to coach. I’ve listened to their journeys and to their struggles. I’ve celebrated their triumphs. I’ve found a power within myself, through the listening, to unblock my own congested areas—clearing a path to this moment that finds me writing, again.

And, what I want to share today are the 5 fundamental ways, I believe, adoptees can ignite deeper awakening within themselves as they enter 2022. Dr. Joe Dispenza is a researcher, lecturer, and author who believes that each of us has the potential for greatness and unlimited abilities. Sound familiar? You hear a similar messaging coming from me. I believe that every adoptee is a HERO: capable of healing their pain, emerging from limiting belief, reframing their experiences, and overcoming any obstacle. In other words, every adopted person holds the potential for greatness.

Yet, you can’t build a sturdy house without, first, establishing a strong foundation. The foundation is fundamental! As adoptees, if our intention is to ignite a deeper—greater—sense of awakening within ourselves, as we step into a brand new year, it’s vital that we do the work of putting into practice the fundamental tools to help us build a strong inner foundation—a strong inner home.

I want to help you build an inner home that is filled with peace, self-empowerment, and undeniable purpose.

So, let’s begin shall we? Let’s move through these 5 fundamental ways to ignite adoptee awakening as you enter 2022. I’ll start with a brief explanation of what awakening means, to me, just in case you’re wondering. Awakening is a revival of attention shown to ourselves—a renewal of interest in what we have to discover about our truth, as adoptees. It’s a waking up from a place of dormancy within and coming alive to what is real for us.

Awakening cannot be achieved if we aren’t willing to practice the creating of space to assist us in hearing what our inner home wants to share. In order to open the door to this place within, it’s so important to implement these 5 tools.

1. Awaken to the power of stillness. The world is loud. Our inner home doesn’t have to be. It’s essential to take time to disconnect from the noise and reconnect to your truth. In other words, unplug, even if it’s just for 15 minutes a day, as you begin. Give yourself the gift of sitting down and closing your eyes.
2. Awaken to a breath that takes you deep into presence. As you sit, practice taking in deep and long breaths. Feel your internal rhythm as you inhale and exhale. Center yourself in this way. With each breath, go deeper into the centering and focus on the present moment. Nothing else exists but the now. As you move deeper and deeper into presence, you’ll find a creative energy emerging. It’s here to assist you. Consider this energy as your guide.
3. Awaken to the power of choosing your emotions. As adoptees, it’s so important that we become the master of our emotions. Say to yourself, as you sit in stillness, “I am defined by the visions I hold for my future. I am not defined by the memories of my past.” Decide on the emotions that you want to feel as you begin to build your future and create a peaceful, empowered, purpose-filled inner home.
4. Awaken to your truest identity. See the identity that you want to claim as you sit with your eyes closed. See that person! As you hold the vision, begin to rehearse in your body who you will be when you open your eyes…and when you step out into the world. No one else defines who you are. You get to define you! As adoptees, we’ve often been given narratives of who others think we’re supposed to be. One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is shedding any false narrative and stepping into your truest one.
5. Awaken to what is life-affirming for you. Finally, as you claim your truest identity decide the thoughts, words, and beliefs that you’ll allow to come with you. You wouldn’t allow into your home someone who isn’t invited. Why do we allow uninvited thoughts, words, and beliefs to sneak in? We have the power to choose who or what enters our inner home. Remember this: our thoughts create our reality. Words can harm us or heal us. Beliefs can ruin us or revive us. Make a choice of what emotions no longer serve you. Let those emotions go. Choose only those thoughts, words, and beliefs that bring you back to life. In other words, your inner home should be filled with only what is life-affirming.

Through the daily practice of these 5 fundamental ways to ignite adoptee awakening, you’ll feel a strength building within you—the creation of a foundation that will sustain you. We can’t hear our truth, see a clear vision for our future, claim an identity that feels right and good for us, or identify any thoughts and emotions that might be ambushing our happiness if we don’t do the work of deep and meaningful self-discovery. Dr. Dispenza says it this way: “Knowledge is power, but knowledge about yourself is self-empowerment.”

I wish for you a self-empowered life. I wish this for every adoptee. I hope you’ll consider using these tools to deepen your knowledge of who you want to be. I hope you’ll allow these tools to open you up to receiving all that you deserve. And, I hope you’ll begin today. Here’s to revival and renewal as adopted people.