A New Way of Living

Last night, when I flipped open my worn copy of The Untethered Soul to this page ~ I knew it was a pull from the Universe to share this message with you ::

"Learn to live as though you are facing death at all times, and you'll become bolder and more open.

If you live life fully, you won't have any last wishes. You will have lived them every moment. Only then will you have fully experienced life and released the part of you that is afraid of living.

There is no reason to be afraid of life. And the fear will fade once you understand that they only thing there is to get from life is the growth that comes from experiencing it."

-Michael A. Singer

These words resonate with me on such a deep level. 

Four years ago, all the rules of my world came crashing down when I witnessed my then 12-mo old daughter's heart stop beating.

Coming face-to-face with death shifted something deep inside of me.

That moment - and those weeks that turned into months of uncertainty - changed me.

She's kicking butt now. Her heart started to heal - miraculously, they said. 

What I realized ... despite all the achieving,

Even earning the title of

Olympic Gold Medalist

I wasn't fully ALIVE.

I'd been living underneath perfectionist armor - armor so thick it took nearly losing my daughter to shatter it.  

On the outside, it looked like I had it all together. Achieving all the things.

And that's just it.

Admitting struggle was admitting failure. Hell, admitting effort was admitting failure. And asking for help meant I didn't have it all together. So, I hid it.  

On the inside, my mind was a battlefield - filled with constant chatter about all the things I should be doing - what I should be saying - how I should look - parent - coach. Truthfully, I was hard to live with - my expectations could never be met and intention didn't matter.

Nothing was ever good enough.

Because, I believed I wasn't good enough.

And even though I was surrounded by love, I couldn't really FEEL it. And if I did, it was fleeting. There was no time to soak in in the joy. 

So many years with Fear in the driver's seat - blocking me from the very things I wanted. Relentlessly searching OUT THERE for inner peace and happiness. 

What I realized - all that time and energy I spent focusing on all.the.things I couldn't control was wasted.  

I'm awake now.

And I realize more than ever that this is it.

THIS IS OUR ONE LIFE. 

And. For the first time in my life, I feel free to be who I am.

No longer feeling like a fraud. 

No longer spending time and energy worrying about what others will think. 

No longer living under the weight of all the shoulds. 

I'm done sending a representative out to live my life. Im done hiding the parts of me that felt broken.

Because, that's not how I want to spend my time here.

Because, I know now that to experience deep joy - to love fully and be fully loved - I must be fully seen.

The days of hyper-focusing on all the ways I'm not enough are done.

Because, I am enough.

{and so are you}

And, about that BS belief that says our inner critic is our edge - without it, we'd get soft and stop achieving ::

In less than a year of expanding my business, I've achieved all of my goals - and experienced so many more than were on my list. I'm making an impact - and that's beyond humbling to write.

Bottom line. I am living a life I truly love. 

Because, for the first time I am totally + completely free to be me.

It's not easy. Neither is living a life devoid of inner peace + lasting joy.

You can do this kind of hard.

You are worthy of this kind of freedom.

I've got you. And, it's time.

To rewrite the rules of your world.

To stand confidently + unapologetically in your feet.

To step into your light, fully + completely.

To live a life you love. 

To come home. To you. 

And, I can help. 

IT'S TIME TO RISE FREE.

~

The Rise Free Academy is a hybrid coaching + online learning community for women who are ready to step into their light - in a powerful, unapologetic way.

Over the course of ten transformative weeks, we will work through 8 modules via a combination of live coaching and video modules {housed in the online membership area}. We will meet face-to-face for live video coaching calls and check in during weekly office hours. In our private support and accountability space, we will have the opportunity to be seen and heard without judgement. We will celebrate our wins - laugh - maybe cry - and lift each other higher. 

It takes a village.

If you're ready for something more - honor those pulls and take the leap with us. 

This cohort starts on June 4th. Doors will close at midnight on Thursday, May 31st.

And, seats are limited. I'm not just saying this to create a sense of urgency - the limited space is about intention + values + boundaries - so I can be energetically available to every member in the academy.

I can tell you this - the women who are already logged in and ready to go - are amazing.

Here's a lil' sneak peek behind the scenes at the membership area ~  

Just a few of the things we'll do together:

Quiet the noise inside your mind

Release your fear of what others think

Set boundaries, without guilt or shame

Stop shitting on yourself with shoulds

Release the grip of the inner critic

Gain confidence and clarity on what it is you really want

Learn how to knock out your goals without sacrificing what's most sacred 

Feel fully free to be who you are

Feel a deeper, lasting joy - and inner peace

Give yourself permission to start truly LIVING your life

One more thing... 

Pouring into and honoring YOU is the greatest gift you can give to those you love.

I know investing in yourself can feel uncomfortable - selfish even. I know asking for help can feel like weakness.

You might even wonder when the hell you'll have the time to add this to your plate. Or if it'll be worth it.

You might think it's better to pass - and not fail than to try and have it be one more thing you didn't do well enough. 

I get it. I see you.

All those thoughts. All those reasons. I've been there.  Which is why I know I can help.

And, here's what I know for sure ::

If we want something different, we have to be willing to do something different.

Instead of playing out all the ways it could go wrong {as much as we wish it would, this hyperfocus on the negative doesn't actually protect us from pain} ~  

Instead, ask yourself - What's possible?

I've got you. 

And I am going to help you cultivate the courage to live a life you love. 

Authentically + Unapologetically FREE to be YOU.

Let's go!

Samantha Arsenault Livingstone is an Olympic Gold Medalist, transformational speaker, high performance coach and mother of four girls. She is also the founder of Rise Free Academy. 

Samantha empowers women to cultivate the courage, resilience and perseverance needed to live their dreams - and step into their light in a powerful, unapologetic way. She helps her clients let go of beliefs that are keeping them stuck - opening up the door for freedom, balance and joy that transcends.

Samantha candidly shares her battles with her inner critic, depression, perfection, PTSD and parenting as a working mother because she believes in the transformative power of story – and the strength that comes from knowing we are not alone. She is on a mission to pay forward all that she’s learned to help others find joy and live free.
  
A mama of heart warrior and mama of twins, Samantha and her husband, Rob, live in the Berkshires with their four girls. You can learn more about Samantha at www.samanthalivingstone.com.