Powerful Beyond Measure: 3 Steps to Claim Your Power Within for a Happy & Healthy Life

By Cynthia E. Mazzaferro and Marci Shimoff

A transformational guide to living a life of authenticity and abundance, rooted in love, acceptance, compassion, and kindness.

 


Learn how to discover and embrace your inner power, release and heal the emotional residue from the past, and envision a future of unbounded possibilities that allows your passions and purpose to be fulfilled.


 


Through insight, self-exploration, and step-by-step practical exercises, Powerful Beyond Measure guides you along the journey of lifelong spiritual growth—empowering you to take control of your destiny and create a life filled with joy, health, happiness, and success.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Sep 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9781683501510

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

I’ll never forget the devastating day when my husband told me, in a broken, calm voice, that he still loved me but couldn’t live with me any longer. I could feel his agony and regret as he spoke, unfamiliar tears spilling down his cheeks. My throat tightened and my heart lurched as my own tears started to flow. I stood there for a moment in disbelief. My mind raced as I tried to grasp the magnitude of what he was telling me. How could this be happening? What did he mean, he loved me but couldn’t live with me any longer? How could he destroy all that we had created? What about our commitment, our vows in front of God—for better or worse, ‘til death do us part?

I struggled to understand. Why was he doing this? Was our life so bad? We had two healthy, smart, ambitious sons who had both recently struck out on their own and were well on their way to independence. Tom had achieved professional success and was able to retire early. Wasn’t this our time for freedom, to explore and do what we wanted without family obligations pulling at us?

Tom was always a gentle man, avoiding confrontation at all costs. Although he may not have been as emotionally expressive as I needed or wanted, I always felt he would walk the world for me. He told me there wasn’t another woman. Intuitively, I knew that was true, but the realization that he would rather be alone than with me cut me to the core.

My world was crumbling. I begged him to stay. I was angry, hurt, and defensive. I criticized myself for being a failure. I fought to regain my bearings as a storm of shame, profound sadness, loss, and grief swirled within me. I felt completely broken.

As Tom went upstairs to pack a few things, I sat alone in our family room, unable to move, tears flooding uncontrollably. I felt hopeless, deserted, and unable to speak. I knew that no words I spoke today would change his mind. My mind raced. How would I survive? How would this affect our sons? What were the financial implications? How could I protect myself?

During the terrible hours and days that passed, I had frequent flashbacks to my first experience with abandonment. I was only seven years old when my father deserted my mother, my four sisters, and me. I know now that my father’s rejection some fifty years ago triggered the profound feelings of abandonment, commitment, and loss of love that affected me in ways I’d carry throughout most of my life, but at the time, all I knew was that it was happening all over again. I was living my worst nightmare. Was I such a bad person? Had I done something to create this? Why was I being rejected by another man who told me he loved me? Had I always worried deep in my heart that Tom would leave me, like my father had? I couldn’t understand why the men in my life who were supposed to love and nourish me would just turn and walk away.

I was nauseated most of the time, unable to eat, and filled with a profound emptiness. I spent hours reflecting on our life together. I had given everything to my family and marriage. Tom had worked long hours, occasionally traveling overseas, while our boys had maintained busy schedules with school and sports. I had put my career as a physical therapist and ergonomist on hold so I could support them in their passions, and I took great pride in my roles as wife and mother.

Tom moved into a hotel. We talked on the phone occasionally about household matters. I asked him to come back so we could work things out, but he said he needed space. I felt that if I pushed more that would only drive him farther away. Maybe we both needed time.

After ten agonizing days, we agreed to meet at a local coffee shop. It felt wonderful to see him, to feel his presence. I was thrilled that he hugged me when he came in. Our time together was engaging, each wanting to know how the other was doing. It was evident that we both were hurting, and we listened to each other closely, really trying to hear what was being said. I could feel that he still had very mixed emotions. He hugged me again as we left.

A few days later, he called to tell me that he was going to move into our second home on the lake; spring was approaching, and it had to be opened up anyway. I felt a stab of resentment that he was going to be enjoying himself alone in our beautiful play house, the one we’d created together. How would that help resolve the situation?

I had a strong gut reaction—intuition was speaking: I needed to go up to the lake house. I found these inner thoughts really bizarre. I couldn’t believe I was feeling like I should go there. I was so afraid of being rejected once again. What would he think? How would he feel about me coming there uninvited? Would it make the situation worse? But with each question my mind offered up, my heart continued to tell me I just had to go. This was one of those choices in life when you have to decide whether to follow your intuition, even when it’s in direct contrast to what your mind is telling you. I actually had to trust my inner feeling: I was supposed to go there, to help clean up and open our beloved waterside house. I know it sounds crazy, and my mind was telling me all the reasons not to, but I followed my heart. I decided not to call him or ask permission to meet; I just followed that inner voice that told me to just go.

Well, I certainly surprised him when I showed up! When he asked why I’d come, I said I just had to, that this was our home. Amazingly, he was receptive, and I started to help clean and open the house. As I cleaned, tears flowed at all the memories that filled the walls. We had so much to be happy for, and his leaving was just throwing all that we had been blessed with back at God, without a shred of gratitude. It hurt so much!

Later in the day, Tom and I started talking. Really talking. We talked and cried together for hours, expressing our deepest thoughts and desires. I encouraged him to return home so we could work it out. Thankfully, in what I knew was a very difficult decision for him, Tom agreed to move back to our primary home and continue to work on resolving our problems.

Over the next few months, I found myself trying desperately to change the things about myself and my behavior that I thought bothered Tom. Since he didn’t show his emotions easily or openly, I avoided getting into deep, emotional conversations or saying anything that could be construed as instructions or telling him what to do. I even stopped asking what he had planned for the day, in case it might seem like I was being controlling. I was experiencing a constant inner tug-of-war. I was unsure of what to say, and I worried about everything: what our boys would think, what the future would look like, if our marriage would survive.

As I dealt with all the questions and internal unrest, I began to realize that there was something deeper going on inside me. I needed to find the answers within myself—to understand the underlying root cause of my feelings and the behaviors I’d developed to cope with them. I needed to understand the defense mechanisms I’d created to protect myself and, more importantly, how to heal my emotional wounds so I could move forward and embrace the fulfilled, loving, grace-filled life I wanted and was meant to live.

Thus began my journey toward self-knowledge. I dove deeply into the internal investigative work necessary to bring personal healing and the resolution of events from my past. It wasn’t until I actually starting to deal with the original wound—my father leaving—that I gained some relief from its emotional pain and gained the power to change my present. I had wondered as a child if somehow I had been responsible for Dad leaving, but when I started to look at my parents’ divorce from an adult viewpoint, I realized it had nothing to do with me. I had to consciously reverse my old patterns of belief and insecurities and put the ownership of my father’s behavior back on him instead of myself. I began to see myself as a person with substantial worth and value, and I learned to recognize that my dad’s inability to be committed and show love to his children was his issue; it was his choice, and the absent role he played may have been exactly what I needed for my soul’s growth.

This process of personal resolution, development, and healing wasn’t always easy. When I would deal with one aspect, another door would open, revealing another layer I needed to resolve. I had been holding on to so much emotional pain from my childhood—as we all do—and it negatively affected me in almost every aspect of my life.

I had to catch myself when self-doubt started to creep in and my mind tried to remind me of all the reasons I wasn’t able, capable, worthy, or entitled to. It took some time, but once I was able to identify the falsehood—the triggers—and understood that my father’s abandonment had nothing to do with me, I was well on my way to changing the physical, mental, and emotional responses that I would normally internalize, making me feel like a victim or someone lacking. Once I started to see myself as worthy, loveable, and important, then I could apply this inner feeling of harmony and self-love to my relationship with Tom and others. I was able to be more open. I stopped worrying about rejection or abandonment and shed the fear that I was somehow not good enough. My life was proof of the philosophical Law of Attraction: what we put our attention on and how we think about it reflects energetically onto ourselves. I was discovering that we create much of what we think and feel, and we manifest and control exactly what we live and experience! Powerful, but scary at the same time.

Our marriage did indeed survive, but it wasn’t always easy. It took a lot of time, hard work, patience, and compassion, but we got through it together, and our marriage is stronger than ever. As difficult as that experience was, it had a profoundly positive impact on my life. It forced me to face myself in ways I hadn’t before. If I’d been completely honest with myself, many aspects of my own personal life were far from tranquil and harmonious. Tom’s leaving was a wake-up call: something within me needed to be addressed, a lesson needed to be learned. Tom and I both needed to grow.

As an adult woman, I look back and realize now that each step of my life was a rung on a ladder that brought opportunities for personal growth and development. Using the dynamic, empowering process I’ve laid out for you in this book, I was able to identify emotionally triggered memories that played a very significant role in who I became. As I continued to grow and recognize the wounds from which I needed to heal, I became alive. I could see what I struggled with and the life lessons I needed to learn. I can pick any point along my lifetime continuum, see the potential lessons that availed themselves to me, and acknowledge how each experience has significantly contributed to where I am in my life. This process has been incredibly rewarding for me personally and is the foundation of my work in the world today.

Did I ever envision writing this book, reaching thousands with this profound healing work, and enabling people to be Powerful Beyond Measure? The answer, quite simply, is no, but miracles were ever present and pathways unfolded beyond what I could ever have imagined, facilitating my purpose work. I actually had to learn not to be small and accept that this was my divine calling and gift to the world. I believe we each walk our paths so we can learn and share those lessons with others. I feel so blessed, recognizing that my life is only a mere extension of my life’s purpose. I embrace the people and opportunities that come into my life as part of my understanding and growth. This knowledge and realization has been life-changing for me on so many levels. Soon, you’ll experience the same transformation in your own life as you read and delve into this book; miracles will unfold, and your heart will be overflowing with love and happiness.

I have found time and time again that our struggles are opportunities the Universe creates so we can learn and grow. I learned how to open myself up to the lessons the Universe had so patiently been trying to teach me. Most importantly, I discovered my own inner power, the power within that was allowing me to be Powerful Beyond Measure! I now had the power to take charge of my thoughts, emotions, life, and my destiny.

This power is in you, too. It’s in all of us. We sense it when we have that gut feeling or hear that inner voice we call intuition—the one that whispers, "You know what’s right for you. Life can be better. You can be happy. You deserve love, respect, and compassion."

Are you ready to unveil your inner strength—to become Powerful Beyond Measure? The most important step on any journey is taking that first one. Congratulate yourself—you took that first step when you decided to read this book. You are following your intuition: you’ve acknowledged that you have the desire, commitment, and willingness to change and that you want more, you deserve more, and, most importantly, you want to be happier on the inside and outside. You’re seeking answers to all the same questions I asked myself.

The good news is that I can help you find those answers. This transformational book will show you exactly how to reveal and harness your inner power. You’ll learn how to understand and take control of your emotions and embrace a life filled with vibrancy and passion, where each new day brings adventure, awe, and true happiness. During this process, you will understand and accept that you are the one who must be in harmony with your self and that transformation will ultimately bring you a profound sense of oneness and inner peace. You will discover that you are Powerful Beyond Measure and fall in love with yourself once again.

Powerful Beyond Measure will be a valued resource that you’ll return to frequently to unravel new aspects of truth that need to be revealed and incorporated into your life. The concepts in this book will exceed your greatest expectations as they facilitate enlightenment, healing, forgiveness, awareness, personal transformation, directional shifts, and even miracles that will support your passion and purpose. To obtain the greatest benefits from this book, I strongly encourage you to actively participate in all the exercises, start a journal, be courageous as you move outside your comfort zone, and commit to following the intuition that has led you to this book at this time. All exercises, templates, and meditations are available to download or print and can be found at www.PowerfulBeyondMeasureBook.com/forms.

Becoming Your True Self

The search for your true self is central to the Powerful Beyond Measure process. Are there times when you struggle with who you really are and ask, Is this all there is? Do you find it hard to believe that you are unique, important, and here to play a beneficial role in the world?

We have been molded and shaped by what we have been taught, told, and accepted as truth. These imprints from family, institutions, cultures, and religions have infiltrated our perception of ourselves. Many of us blend in with the masses, feeling like we’ve lost touch with our true essence.

Using the powerful key steps found within this book, you will learn to connect with and be true to your authentic self—who you really are, not what you believe others want you to be, what you’ve been told you should be, or the persona you’ve come to believe is you. That self-image is based on filtered, distorted, and misperceived notions. Who allows us to be judged and evaluated, accepting others’ perceptions of us as our own? We