My life was one of a volatile beginning. This journey, shared with my readers, is for so many who suffer in silence because of the immobilising shame, doubt, and the incapacity caused by another human being. In my story, a young girl is placed in the hands of a keeper— not a husband—at a very young age. Not yet a woman, she has three children, an extra brain, no education, and no support! My eleven-year-old changed my life course when he phoned the police to protect his mum, and that was where my real life began.

I was tasked with raising three children basically on my own, educating myself, and discovering the art of survival. My consciously empowering overview (CEO) tested me and my faith in him and in myself.

The fear that had served for so long as the bars that kept me trapped had to be penetrated. I was responsible for three lives, as well as my own, even though I was a child myself, still growing up and trying to find my identity.

Through it all, I managed to buy a home, educate my children, and start my own business. I also learnt and studied all I needed to know to protect myself. I was a single mother who had to do it all.

There was great trauma in the emotional roller coaster that was my life, and trying to learn how to cope when there were no real solutions was a daunting challenge. How could I build a secure life for the four of us? The GFC came and went, and like so many, I fell victim to the banks. The only difference was that I won. No one has the right to bully you—not even a bank! My motivation was simple: I wanted to know what I had to know, not just what those organisations wanted me to know.

I had many mentors in life, people who taught me more survival skills and how to trust my own instincts. However, my story illustrates how my emotional DNA allowed me to be manipulated and blinded by a professional. Luckily, my tenacity gave me the ability to overcome even those attempts to control and sabotage me. I had to also learn how to deal with my THE BOOK own internal critic and saboteur; up to that point, I’d never understood what was going on with me internally. The mechanical robot just kept going, without any lubrication, and it became harder and harder to cope.

For every woman, emotional, physical, and financial awareness are crucial, no matter her history or her environment, and this is clearly indicated in this story. We have a tendency to sign documents and give up our inherent rights because of our emotional DNA (E-DNA), which can leave us in a vulnerable position and be a detriment to our families. My story is one of many, but I learnt to read between the lines and get to the truth of protecting my assets (ME) by learning and doing what others failed to teach me!