To my readers,
I'm taking you through the events of my early life only to enable you to understand how I arrived where I am today. I do not wish to dwell on the past, as this is a book of inspiration, love and hope. This is my true intended message. Owning my story, revealing my deepest secrets, embracing my fears and loving myself in the process has been the bravest and the most freeing experience of my life. We all have secrets, and by sharing them, we take away the power they have over us, and gives us a chance to connect with others. I understand the risk in putting my truth out in the world. However, there is an even bigger risk in hiding it.
I believed it all started with my given name, for 35 years, my name Nancy Forbes did not feel right to me. As a result, I felt extremely uncomfortable in my body. When someone would ask me my name, it triggered an awful feeling, a sense of not belonging and not knowing where I came from. It truly troubled my heart. I would think to myself, "Why is it so hard for me to hear or say my own name? Why do I not recognize this name as mine?"
"Who am I?" I asked myself.
"Was I born to the right family? Am I the only one in this world who feels this way, disconnected from their given names?" As weird as this may sound, I felt like an outsider, an absolute stranger to myself. I never mentioned this to anyone - it felt too weird and embarrassing. I felt lonely with this painful secret for so long, until now.
"Who is this person with the name Nancy Forbes?"
As a young child, I believed my name interfered with my happiness. I remember the constant struggling with extreme loneliness, and not belonging anywhere, or with anyone. I would constantly, and frantically, think to myself, "Why do I feel so out of touch, so alone, so different?" I lived with this awful feeling most of my life. I wished and dreamed for a new name, hoping to feel better about myself.
At the time, I assumed my name represented who I was, the real me. I was trying to find myself, by demanding to feel my name, so I could finally find my own identity.
"Am I a lost soul?" I wondered.
I was confused. I never thought that I was more than just a name, a name that felt foreign to me, and so much so, I continuously asked myself whether or not to change it.
"Who am I?" I asked myself again and again.
Most of my life I struggled, and suffered. It has taken me years to remember who I truly am and to create myself anew. I am always discovering, learning and working towards my personal growth, and today, I can finally say that I am comfortable with the sound of my name, Nancy Forbes.
I choose to remember where I came from. As a result, I discovered life, God, and therefore my Self. My soul represents who I am, not my name. My true essence is my heart, it is the love behind the neurotic mind. I truly exist within — the awareness.
I have learnt to accept "what is" — the things that I cannot change, and finding the courage to change the things I can. This was the starting point of transforming myself into a beautiful butterfly. In the midst of learning how to fly, I've liberated myself, in order to reveal my true spirit.
I like to contemplate and write about life. When I write, time no longer exists for me, and I feel inspired, never alone. When I pick up a pen, I look for space in my mind, inviting my spirit to join in. I am always looking for insight and wisdom. My years of yoga became part of my soul searching. After years of questioning who I am, I discovered the true purpose of my life, which is sharing the power of love with those around me. I have experienced a number of incredible things, which I would like to share with you. My findings are in relationship to my ordinary daily life, the step-by-step lessons of my experiences, and the gifts that came with them. I have written about real events, true feelings, and life lessons that I have learned and gathered over the years.
On February 9 2007, I was sitting in bed pondering, and thought to myself; my life has been like a soap opera, I faced so many challenges, and have so many interesting and entertaining stories to share. My healing empowered me to speak the truth, and I have a powerful message to tell. I want to open a world of great possibility and hope, by sharing both the joy and pain of my own transformation, and by telling the truth about my vulnerabilities, I hope to offer encouragement and to inspire anyone who needs help and desires to create themselves anew.
I am ready to break out of my comfort zone — my cocoon, to fly on this journey with you - believe me, we are never alone in this world.
Hope, Love, and Courage, from my heart to yours,
Nancy Forbes
I'm taking you through the events of my early life only to enable you to understand how I arrived where I am today. I do not wish to dwell on the past, as this is a book of inspiration, love and hope. This is my true intended message. Owning my story, revealing my deepest secrets, embracing my fears and loving myself in the process has been the bravest and the most freeing experience of my life. We all have secrets, and by sharing them, we take away the power they have over us, and gives us a chance to connect with others. I understand the risk in putting my truth out in the world. However, there is an even bigger risk in hiding it.
I believed it all started with my given name, for 35 years, my name Nancy Forbes did not feel right to me. As a result, I felt extremely uncomfortable in my body. When someone would ask me my name, it triggered an awful feeling, a sense of not belonging and not knowing where I came from. It truly troubled my heart. I would think to myself, "Why is it so hard for me to hear or say my own name? Why do I not recognize this name as mine?"
"Who am I?" I asked myself.
"Was I born to the right family? Am I the only one in this world who feels this way, disconnected from their given names?" As weird as this may sound, I felt like an outsider, an absolute stranger to myself. I never mentioned this to anyone - it felt too weird and embarrassing. I felt lonely with this painful secret for so long, until now.
"Who is this person with the name Nancy Forbes?"
As a young child, I believed my name interfered with my happiness. I remember the constant struggling with extreme loneliness, and not belonging anywhere, or with anyone. I would constantly, and frantically, think to myself, "Why do I feel so out of touch, so alone, so different?" I lived with this awful feeling most of my life. I wished and dreamed for a new name, hoping to feel better about myself.
At the time, I assumed my name represented who I was, the real me. I was trying to find myself, by demanding to feel my name, so I could finally find my own identity.
"Am I a lost soul?" I wondered.
I was confused. I never thought that I was more than just a name, a name that felt foreign to me, and so much so, I continuously asked myself whether or not to change it.
"Who am I?" I asked myself again and again.
Most of my life I struggled, and suffered. It has taken me years to remember who I truly am and to create myself anew. I am always discovering, learning and working towards my personal growth, and today, I can finally say that I am comfortable with the sound of my name, Nancy Forbes.
I choose to remember where I came from. As a result, I discovered life, God, and therefore my Self. My soul represents who I am, not my name. My true essence is my heart, it is the love behind the neurotic mind. I truly exist within — the awareness.
I have learnt to accept "what is" — the things that I cannot change, and finding the courage to change the things I can. This was the starting point of transforming myself into a beautiful butterfly. In the midst of learning how to fly, I've liberated myself, in order to reveal my true spirit.
I like to contemplate and write about life. When I write, time no longer exists for me, and I feel inspired, never alone. When I pick up a pen, I look for space in my mind, inviting my spirit to join in. I am always looking for insight and wisdom. My years of yoga became part of my soul searching. After years of questioning who I am, I discovered the true purpose of my life, which is sharing the power of love with those around me. I have experienced a number of incredible things, which I would like to share with you. My findings are in relationship to my ordinary daily life, the step-by-step lessons of my experiences, and the gifts that came with them. I have written about real events, true feelings, and life lessons that I have learned and gathered over the years.
On February 9 2007, I was sitting in bed pondering, and thought to myself; my life has been like a soap opera, I faced so many challenges, and have so many interesting and entertaining stories to share. My healing empowered me to speak the truth, and I have a powerful message to tell. I want to open a world of great possibility and hope, by sharing both the joy and pain of my own transformation, and by telling the truth about my vulnerabilities, I hope to offer encouragement and to inspire anyone who needs help and desires to create themselves anew.
I am ready to break out of my comfort zone — my cocoon, to fly on this journey with you - believe me, we are never alone in this world.
Hope, Love, and Courage, from my heart to yours,
Nancy Forbes