Imagine discovering your greatest strength when you feel most vulnerable.
There’s a 3,000-year-old story that completely transformed how I understand confidence – one that might resonate deeply with you right now.
It’s about Amaterasu, the Japanese Sun Goddess. When her brother destroyed everything she loved, Amaterasu did something unexpected.
She retreated into a cave, pulling her radiant light with her and plunging the world into darkness. Because of her hiding, the Sun literally disappeared.
Sound familiar? I know it did for me.
When my life went up in flames, I felt exactly like Amaterasu. Everything I had carefully crafted – my marriage, my identity, my future plans – was suddenly destroyed. Within one year, I experienced a devastating divorce, was robbed twice, lost a dear friend to a heart attack, and was in two car accidents.
I wanted to hide in my own version of that cave. And for a while, I did.
But here’s what I’ve come to understand about Amaterasu’s story that changed everything for me: her retreat wasn’t just about escaping pain. It was a chrysalis moment – a necessary withdrawal to reconnect with her essence.
This is the part of the story that most people miss.
When we’re facing devastation, our nervous system often goes into protection mode. This isn’t weakness – it’s actually deeply intelligent.
Sometimes we need that cave moment to hear our own inner voice again.
What’s fascinating about Amaterasu’s story is how she eventually emerged.
The other gods tried countless strategies to coax her out, but what finally worked? They placed a mirror outside the cave entrance.
When Amaterasu peeked out (drawn by curious sounds of celebration the gods had orchestrated), she caught a glimpse of her own radiant reflection. Seeing her light reminded her of who she truly was.
This is the powerful truth I’ve discovered in my own journey and in working with hundreds of clients: Your confidence isn’t gone when you’re struggling – it’s waiting to be rediscovered.
Like Amaterasu, you already possess everything you need within you. That inner knowing, that voice of wisdom, that power to transform – it’s all there, even when life events have caused you to temporarily forget.
When I finally emerged from my own cave after my divorce, I discovered my confidence had been there all along. I just needed the right mirror to remind me.
That’s exactly what happened when I followed that inner voice telling me “you need meditation.” That practice of silence became my mirror, reflecting back to me who I truly was – not the roles I had played or the identity I had lost, but my essential self.
I’ll never forget the moment I attended my first Zen retreat. Sitting on that meditation cushion, my whole body said YES. I was remembering my own light.
Later, when I booked a short film and watched myself on the big screen at the premiere, I was amazed. The nervous facial ticks that had plagued me for years on camera were gone. I looked calm, centered, captivating. It felt like I was looking at a completely different woman.
But it wasn’t a different woman – it was the real me, finally allowed to shine.
This is what I help my clients discover every day – how to find their own mirror moments.
I’m here to help you:
* Regulate your nervous system when it’s in protection mode.
* Transform your inner critic into a powerful ally.
* Access that voice of wisdom that is always there, even in the darkest cave moments.
Because like Amaterasu, your light never actually dims – it just gets clouded sometimes.
Is your life calling you to remember your light right now? Are you facing a challenge that feels overwhelming? Or maybe you’re simply tired of doubting yourself and ready to step fully into your power.
If Amaterasu’s story resonates with you, if you’re ready to emerge from any cave moments in your life with renewed clarity and power, I’d love to support you.
Remember – like the Sun Goddess herself, your power isn’t something you need to build. It’s something you need to remember.