GINNY’S CRUX POINT
Between 1996 and 1997, I went through some of the most life-changing and difficult events one can experience.
January 1996: My mother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer while I was pregnant. My father had passed about 2 years earlier, which was when the doctor later told us that my mother’s cancer had started growing.
May 6 1996: My beautiful son Julian was born. It is by far the best thing to happen in my life - ever!
May 5, 1997: A day short of a year later, I changed careers and joined Spencer Stuart, a global executive search firm.
June 10, 1997: A month later, my mother died.
December 26, 1997: I asked my husband for a divorce.
My father’s passing was a defining moment that forced me to question my career and was the catalyst to go into executive recruiting, but more than that, it forced me to question my existence and was the beginning of my spiritual journey.
Over the next couple of years, I questioned if I could be a good mother as a single mother while managing a demanding career. I questioned if I could be a good executive recruiter.
Eventually, I succeeded in managing and overcoming my self-judgment and self-doubt, and trading them for self-love. It certainly wasn’t all at once and it is a journey I am still on.
I refused to let myself feel guilt in raising my son. I did the best I could and that had to be enough. I couldn’t be more proud of Julian and who he is becoming before my very eyes.
At work, I learned the executive recruiting business by carving out a place for myself that allows me to be considered an expert in the space - I know it better than most - wrote a book, (working on another) and have parlayed my expertise into a lucrative speaking career.
I learned discernment and that I don’t owe anybody anything. You don’t have to befriend everyone who wants to be your friend. Same for other relationships. As you become more confident and set higher standards for yourself, expect the same for others you let into your life - not everyone can some with you on this journey - it doesn’t mean you can’t show them love, but it does mean you don’t OWE them your time (with a few exceptions).
I learned discernment and that I don’t owe anybody anything.
In all aspects of my life I learned to ask for help - from those in the physical and non-physical. Definitely not always easy for a fiercely independent person.
For me, I think it came down to this:
I had to love myself enough to give my loved ones all that I could while saving enough for me to thrive.
I had to love myself enough to walk away from people who couldn’t love themselves enough to love me.
I had to love myself enough to forgive myself for my transgressions and others for theirs.
I had to love myself enough to release grief and pain and connect to something bigger - Infinite love and the ability to create and manifest a life of my choosing.