Anyone who does not support us fully in our vision of our lives, who does not sing our song, honor our gifts, stand firm in the conviction that we matter as we are, limits us. Our heartfelt response can be a simple and direct pivot away from them, a “No, thank you,” born out of the certain conviction that our unique being deserves the lamp of care and the warmth of shared vision. This does not mean we need to divorce ourselves from everyone and anyone who does not see us. It means we need to divorce ourselves from the habit of spending too much time and energy on their view of us and instead marry ourselves more deeply to those who lift us. “This world was made to be free in,” David Whyte teaches. “Give up all other worlds except the one to which you belong….Anything or anyone that does not bring you alive is too small for you.”

Dr. Maria Sirois, PsyD, is the Vice President of Curriculum at Wholebeing Institute and an inspirational speaker, seminar leader, and author who has worked at the intersections of wellness, psychology, and spirituality for nearly 20 years. As a wellness guide, Maria has been invited to keynote throughout the country at conferences for wellness centers, hospitals, hospices, philanthropy, business, academic and corporate institutions, as well as for the general public. She has been called both a “true teacher” and “an orator of great power and beauty.” Her book, “Every Day Counts: Lessons in Love, Faith, and Resilience from Children Facing Illness, was published in 2006.”