~ One mother’s story of truth, freedom, and liberation ~
It all changed for social worker Doris Schachenhofer when she realized that it wasn’t only her clients — troubled teenagers, challenged adults and people with prison sentences — who were trapped by their life conditions and labels such as poor, uneducated, addict or criminal.
She too was trapped in her role as mother and wife in a small country town, feeling isolated and depressed. Her husband was unwilling to move, so to honor her truth she was forced to make a difficult decision, leaving the kids with their father in their country town home.
Doris shares, “There is so much judgment around how a mum “should” be, how a wife “should” be, and it all felt small and limited to me. I felt stuck like I was in a cave and I wanted to have myself in my life and be happy again, for me and for the kids. It required a lot of courage and trust in myself, to protect myself against the judgment people project at me, my kids and my ex-husband. I adore them and without us all trying to fit into that narrow everyday stereotype of what family life should look like, there is an ease for us all that didn’t use to exist before. My kids are happy.”
Today, Doris travels the world helping people identify and let go of narrow labels, supporting people to be more of themselves and create a life that works for them.
Some of her Right Voice for You program tips include:
Tip 1: Connect with your body
Your body is the instrument you are given to use while here on this planet. It’s the thing that produces your voice and through which all communication flows, so you need to have awareness of what is going on in it and be present to its needs.
Tip 2: Don’t take life, or any one fixed idea, too seriously
The responsibility of living as a stereotype can feel very heavy. Bring humor into your life wherever possible. Maybe you can see every person you meet as a fun thing for you to play with — imagine them as a comic book character, or whatever works for you to be able to be playful and have fun.
Tip 3: Consider whether imperfect is the new perfect?
We often have a fixed idea of how life would look like if it was “perfect.” That one idea can, however, be very limiting. This idea can also come with so many judgements on self and what it means to be right or wrong, which means the only thing you can ever do is fail. Accepting the perfectly imperfect you means that however you turn up in that moment is your new perfect. Whatever comes up is okay, because it’s the truth of who you are, and you’re allowed to be you.
Tip 4: What if the truth of you is what the world actually needs?
People often think the only things worth sharing involve a big and impressive story. We all have the knowledge we think is normal, unspectacular and unimportant because it comes so easily. These things are your truth and make YOU who you are. Often, these are the things that the world needs to hear more of. The world needs more of you.
“I love the fast change that is possible with the Right Voice for You tools,” Doris says. “It’s so beautiful to see people step into their potency, into their knowing, and into the truth of their own voice to find the courage to really be themselves. It opens up a whole new possibility for the world.”
About Doris Schachenhofer
After completing her social work studies in Vienna, Doris Schachenhofer worked with children, homeless people, delinquent teenagers and prisoners transitioning back into the real world. As an Access Consciousness® facilitator, she now travels the world supporting people to be more of themselves. The classes she delivers both live and in online settings includes Right Voice for You, Being You, Conscious Parents and Conscious Kids, all specialty programs of Access Consciousness. Follow Doris here.