Chasing Finish Lines + Rising FREE
When you spend three decades of your life chasing finish lines,
Trying to get your hand on the wall first,
Trying to get your body just so,
Trying to secure the highest GPA in your class,
Trying to climb to the top of the leadership ladder,
Trying to separate yourself from the 'pack,'
Trying to be the BEST,
Trying to hit the next milestone,
Believing if you just get there, then you'll feel fulfilled,
Believing if you just get there, then you'll feel secure,
Believing if you just get there, then you'll feel confident,
Believing if you just get there, then you'll be happy,
When you spend three decades of your life chasing finish lines,
You start to see that the finish lines don't change you.
The moment comes. The moment passes. And, the lights fade.
Then what?
Five years ago, I was forced to face the trauma of nearly losing my then 12-mo old baby girl.
No amount of preparing, achieving or grit,
No amount of medals or money,
No amount of awards or accolades,
Nothing could have protected me from the pain I experienced (and still experience) around her open-heart surgery and tumultuous post-op stay.
Healing from that trauma changed me. It was the most brutal experience of my life. And, the most beautiful.
There's something about facing death that gave me life - opening me up to a new way of living.
I'm still a dream chaser -- I love working toward the seemingly impossible. It's woven into my DNA.
What's different now ::
I'm no longer hustling for my worthiness.
I know now that JOY and inner peace and happiness are found HERE - not there.
And, I want nothing more than to pay it forward.
To empower others to live a life they LOVE - and stop waiting until they've arrived 'there' before they experience deep fulfillment.
That's WHY the Rise Free Academy was born.
It's a vehicle to inspire + empower + EQUIP.
A safe space for forge connection.
A place to be seen and heard. To feel your enoughness.
To ELEVATE.
To stack your toolbox FULL of tools that will help you cultivate true confidence.
And the knowingness that you will RISE. FREE.
You can do hard things. Especially this kind. Because, it’s the kind that will bring you home. To you.
I’ve got you.
Let’s do this!!
{{ Here’s what Nancy R. had to say about her experience }}
“I signed up for the Rise Free Academy after becoming acquainted with Samantha through her Facebook presence. I had been on a path of self-discovery for a while, and in her postings I read the words of a kindred spirit. The thoughtful, systematic approach that Samantha takes you through in the Academy provides real tools for overcoming perfectionism by accepting the whole of who I am: mind, body and spirit. It pulls together, in a very holistic way, how my beliefs impacted my actions, and gave me truly workable skills to use in my daily life.
During our group sessions, Samantha’s ability to be vulnerable allowed me to be vulnerable also. I felt like I was talking things through with an old friend; a friend who had been there and has empathy. Because she is open with her humanity, and with her use of the ideas shared in her Rise Free Academy, I could be, too. I use aspects of the exercises daily. They have allowed me to live a more authentic life, unafraid of who I am, with the knowledge that I am worthy, without conditions.” - Nancy R.
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Samantha Arsenault Livingstone is an Olympic Gold Medalist, high-performance coach, transformational speaker and mother of four girls. She is the founder of Livingstone High Performance, LLC. and the Rise Free Academy.
Samantha helps female athletes, coaches and women who lead to cultivate the habits, mindset and skill set needed to quiet the noise and unapologetically step into their light, so they can achieve, AND feel fulfilled along the way.
Samantha earned a master’s in education and spent six years teaching science in Gwinnett County, Georgia. In 2014, after a traumatic and perspective-shifting experience involving her young daughter, she took a leap into the world of entrepreneurship to live her dream.
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.