Almost four years ago I made the decision to take a leap of faith and move my life to a different country.

Temporarily was the plan I had in my mind. I closed shop, packed up my life and drove a motor-home to Mexico. I’d made this decision because I realized that I wasn’t being true to me. I wasn’t living a life that made me truly happy or allowed me to be connected to something that inspired me.

I needed to shake up my life.

I needed to make things happen.

I needed to start a new chapter in my story.

I settled into a small coastal town in Mexico, changed houses more times than I care to count, opened a yoga studio, launched a private tour company and immersed myself in a new relationship.

Days, weeks and months passed.

Life got busy and hectic.

And along the way, I lost myself. Blame it on adapting to life in a new country. Blame it on the stress of opening a business. Blame it on the relationship. Blame it on whatever you want. But in reality, the only place I can honestly lay blame on is myself.

I allowed my truth to be pushed to the side by others. I gave away little pieces of myself until there was nothing left to give. Especially in my relationship. His story became my story and it never quite morphed into our story. In the beginning, he admired the path I was on and wanted to hop on board, make changes in his life and ride this journey with me.

But that wasn’t his truth. And I didn’t pay attention to the signs.

Instead, I did what many of us do. I adapted my path to his—becoming his caretaker and cheerleader and all of the other roles we take on when we’re trying to help someone who’s struggling with their own truth.

I realized over time that this wasn’t working. Add stress from launching a new business, settling into a new country, language barriers and the daily life stuff that bogs us down and I was exhausted.

I became frustrated, gained weight, old insecurities surfaced and I lost my drive. This was not me. This was not my truth and I knew that if I stayed on this path, it was going to lead me nowhere good.

So I put the brakes on. I took a hard look at what I was doing and decided it was time to get my sh*t together again. I had to reclaim my story and reconnect with my truth. So I wrote and meditated and took time for myself and veered my focus back to me.

Needless to say, the relationship did not survive. While I fought my way back on track and started to rise up again, he fell further back and resented my successes. And when we parted ways, as painful and heartbreaking as it was, I knew that it was the best thing that could have happened to me in that time.

Losing my way actually helped to strengthen and deepen my resolve to stay true to me. Doing the work that needed to be done helped me create my “truth manifesto.” I’d like to share the four paths that helped me get back on track.

1. Your truth starts with you.

Take an “honesty break.” Take a moment to look at what you’re doing now. What you’ve been doing the past week, month or year and ask yourself if you are being truthful to yourself. Are you honestly doing what makes you happy? Are you sharing your life with someone who you would happily give the last bite of whatever is your favorite food?

2. Own your truth.

We all slide. We all lose our way at one time or another. Stuff happens. Life happens. It’s what we do with this that makes the difference. Whatever happened or however you lost your way is what it is—and it’s now time to own it. To embrace it. To lay in bed with it like a cozy blanket. Put it to paper. Write it out the old fashioned way. Be truthful and honest and raw. Because within this rawness, your truth is waiting to be released. Allow yourself to be vulnerable and feel whatever emotions this truth brings up. Give yourself permission to be human.

3. Value your truth

You are a person of value. And you are here on this earth because you matter. And you are reading this because you there’s a space inside of you that knows you have value. And what you have to offer the world has value. This is a part of your truth. Respect that. Give it the attention and love it needs in order for it to grow and flourish and be abundant.

4. Live your truth

This has been my official motto for the past year. I’m a walking, talking, breathing billboard of truth. I’m living my truth. The good, the bad and the ugly. Living your truth means being honest with yourself and others. And not allowing false truths or the stories we create to cloud our truth. It means giving yourself permission to be authentic and raw. And embracing all that makes you human. This is not easy. Or, at times, pretty. Because it means being vulnerable (scary, right?) and okay with being lonely or scared or insecure. Accepting that side of us allows us to settle into our truth with a greater sense of ease. We can start let go of resistance and old patterns. And make space for the flip side—joy, happiness, love, self-confidence and success.

So there you have it.

Losing my way actually helped me rediscover what my truth is and how I can connect to it in order to live my life in a way that makes me happy. I don’t share my truth at the expense of others—that’s not what this is about. It’s about being human and being honest with yourself. Allowing all that makes you human be an integral part of your truth. Because in the end, your truth lies within you. Your story is uniquely your own.

And only you can reclaim it.

Relephant Read:

The Desire Line: How We Find Our True Path.

Author: Richelle Morgan

Volunteer Editor: Keeley Milne / Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photos: Author’s own.