Today I sit down with Victoria Gigante, founder of Empower Yourself and Co-Founder of The Higher Purpose Project. Victoria was born with a rare heart condition and asthma. She explains in our interview how her body has always been her compass.How cool is that? I can really relate because I have always felt this way with my body. My body gives me little signs and clues. The moment I step out of alignment, I can usually feel a “shift” happening inside of me.I have a theory,“Our bodies are a physical manifestation of our emotional state.”Now, Victoria suffered with a lot of issues with her health and she realized the only was to get healthy was to change the course of her life.But what people didn’t know was she felt lonely in her marriage, stuck in her job, and uninspired in her PhD program. The condo, cats, mixer, and car left her feeling trapped and like a fraud. Her physical health was deteriorating.She felt like she was dying inside. She knew there was more to life than long commutes, mortgage payments, and dull relationships.One day, after a terrible fight with her now ex-husband, she realized she couldn’t take it anymore. She had a choice: Accept the situation as it was and lose herself OR create something completely new and CHOOSE herself!Victoria has a unique resume and holds a double masters in Psychology and Psychological Counseling from Columbia University. She spent over six years as the director of an academic counseling center, and served over eight years as an officer in the United States Naval Reserve.I was honored to interview this brave, warrior woman!!!