I used to think this was too luxurious for me

Ten years ago, I took my first solo trip to California after one of the hardest years of my life. That trip was the beginning of saying yes to myself. And now, I just booked my flight to go back.

I’m spending a few days with my coach and a group of women on a writing retreat and I couldn’t be more excited.

This experience is something I’ve dreamed about for so long. Uninterrupted writing time and connecting with a group of women who are following their dreams.

In the past I would write this off as not worth it, too luxurious for me, or something I’d get to do “someday”.

But now that day has come. Not because I did more to earn it, but because I know that every time I invest in a retreat or travel like this for myself, it’s in complete alignment with the life I’m building. So much happens for me on the other side. I’m more in my power and trust that my decisions lead me exactly where I’m meant to be.

This experience isn’t just an investment in my business, it’s an investment in myself, and I’ve never regretted spending money on a retreat or an experience that supports my growth.

It’s truly a full circle moment that 32-year-old Ashley would be so damn proud of 42-year-old Ashley for listening to that inner voice and doing what she always wanted to do.

Before I took my business full-time, I was hanging onto stability and settling for the status quo. I slowly started to realize that staying where I was carried a greater risk than going all in on myself.

First it was “jump and let’s see” and now I’m living it. It isn’t just a dream anymore. It’s my reality.

So if you’re still sitting on that thing from 10 years ago, or you’ve been getting an intuitive ping, you owe it to yourself to explore it and nurture it. Nothing is ever guaranteed, but if we listen a little closer to the voice inside of us, we may just hear the next step we’ve been waiting for.

The life I’ve created and the opportunities that have come as a result of getting aligned with who I truly am isn’t an accident. Ten years of committing to the inner work and now getting to share it with other women who are building businesses and stepping into their dream life is the honor of a lifetime.

And as a client said to me today: “It’s both scary and exciting”— which, by the way, is a very good sign. I can’t think of a more accurate way to describe the feeling of going all in on yourself.

And going all in looks different every time. California called me once when I needed it most and she’s calling me again. To be filled up. To pour out. And to turn one more heart dream into something real.

With so much love and gratitude,

Ashley