Brainz Magazine Exclusive Interview
I woke up one morning and I could not move my arms, they were completely paralyzed and the pain was excruciating; it seemed like a nightmare yet it was my reality that I would live in for a decade; I had a burnout that manifested in my arms. Barely being able to move my arms and living in chronic pain became my ‘norm’. I used to be someone that was a high-achiever, very goal-oriented and wanted to change the world, the difference was that I did not know then how to deal with my daily stress, with my emotions, set healthy boundaries and had no self-love. I did not even know what self-love meant. I did not value my sleep, did not listen to what my body was telling me and my go-to drink was everything with caffeine, and I even saw crying as a sign of weakness. I was also not conscious of myself and was looking for external validation in my career, relationships and physical appearance to give me happiness. I was in a place of lack.
I am originally from Mexico, grew up in the US and come from a very high IQ family yet with no emotional education, so I never really learn to value myself first. There was also alcoholism, drug use, psychological and emotional abuse in my family and I just wanted to run away from everything; and that’s exactly what I did. When I was twenty years old I went to Spain to study Medicine, and after three and a half years I found the cultural shock too much, so I chose for myself instead of a career. I then moved to France, learnt French, and studied Medicine for a year. However, I never really felt ‘home’ anywhere and was in search of a place that I could call ‘home’; without realizing that it was me that I needed to accept and love. I then moved to Amsterdam, and because I did not speak Dutch yet, I could not continue with Medicine, so I did a completely different study. It was not a surprise that after living in my 5th country with no real emotional support, nor family or good friends, lack of emotional education and not knowing how to deal with my stress that I got burnout.
I felt frustrated because my whole life had gone from having ‘everything planned out’ to not knowing if I could be able to sleep at night. I went to so many doctors and even to therapy yet nothing seemed to work for me.
I remember being in Geneva at the United Nations for a week-long conference on Human Rights and people were coming up to me to ask me how I could help them, I remember that I was in so much pain and tired because sleeping was almost impossible during my burnout. It was at that moment when I had my ‘Aha moment’;
"How can I help others if I cannot even help myself?"
Today, I am a Certified Coach, Trainer, Public Speaker and the CEO of my own company: The International Breakthrough Academy. I want to impact as many people in the world by teaching and coaching them on how to deal with daily stress, have Self-Love, emotional education and have more Work-Life Balance. Also, how they can break through from what is holding them back and realize that we always have a choice in life, regardless of what we have gone through. I speak 4 languages fluently so I coach and give training ‘On & Off-line’. I have also created my own methodology which is simple, fast and everlasting because I have been pain-free for years; I speak of experience so I know how I can help you.
I believe that in the Personal Development world and in the Mental Health sector, there is not a ‘one quick-fix solution’ but rather little simple things that one can do on a daily basis to get amazing results. Besides the many mentors that I look up to, the fact that I want to be a better version of myself today is my biggest motivation in my life; it is Me vs Me, yet now I come from a place of love.
Today I am still a high-achiever, very goal-oriented and still want to change the world, yet this time around I know how to deal with my daily stress. My biggest achievement both personally and professionally is that I have managed to turn off the ‘chit-chat and the inner critic of my mind, I have Inner Peace and even in super stressful moments ‘I am like the eye of a hurricane… calm within, even amongst the storm’.
Also, now I have Self-Love, I have learned that one cannot give what one does not have. It was the love for me; Self-Love that taught me to set healthy boundaries, be emotionally independent, be at peace with my past & in the present, become empowered, be conscious of my Mind-Body Connection and above all, Self-Love was the key ingredient that got me out of my burnout
