Reclaiming Your Moxie: A Guide to Healing Your Sassy Self

By Karen Carlucci Wahner

Every one of us is born with a beautiful flame deep inside which guides our purpose and passion. Bad relationships, traumatic events, and unexpected challenges in life cause that flame to dim. That flame, also called Moxie, needs to burn brightly if we are to have the life we truly want and deserve. Reclaiming Your Moxie, A Guide to Healing Your Sassy Self guides the reader through the steps to make that happen. The author combines humor with healing and provides the reader with the steps necessary to reclaim their Moxie, fulfill their purpose, and start enjoying life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781543971095

Book preview

Copyright © 2019 by Karen Carlucci Wahner

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing, 2019

ISBN 978-1-54397-108-8 eBook 978-1-54397-109-5

For Kristen, Katie, Justin, and Kimmy

-You were always my Why

Acknowledgments

This book could not have been written without the help of others and the life events I’ve experienced. Every good thing, as well as bad, has made me the person I am today, and I am grateful for what I have learned along the way. I wish to thank my kids, Kristen, Katie, Justin, and Kimmy for being incredibly beautiful people, and allowing me to bounce ideas off of them no matter how strange they sound. I also wish to thank Bruce, for giving me four of the most beautiful gifts I could have ever received in this lifetime and for suggesting that I write in order to maintain my sanity as a stay-at-home mom. I am grateful for my teacher, Mr. Daniel Loose, whose passion for the written word, and the ability to pull more details out of me, helped me to discover that I really loved to write. A big thank you goes out to my editors, Adrienne Dillard, Elizabeth Bell, along with Kristen and Katie, who took the time to make sure I didn’t ramble on and totally destroy the English language. I truly appreciate all their help in this process. If you find any mistakes in the book, it’s most likely my fault, not theirs, because I kept rewriting things that they already said were fine. Adrienne, my twin flame, I am incredibly grateful for all your support in every area of my life. I am so blessed to have you as a friend and as my touchstone. Thanks for talking me off the ledge more times than I care to count. Tammy, you haven’t been in my life very long, but oh man, I love your moxie—thanks for caring. Special thanks to Jeff for your support. Finally, I wish to thank Spirit for guiding me to where I need to be. You have given me such incredible abundance in this life, and I am eternally grateful.

They tried to bury us,

They didn’t know we were seeds

-Mexican Proverb

Table of Contents

Introduction

Union Joe Stirs Some Moxie

Is there Moxie in the House?

Oh Where, Oh Where has my Moxie Gone?

Be Prepared to Make Some Changes

Let Go of Pain and Trauma

No More Scaredy Cats

Anger

It’s not Failure, It’s Research

Get Help to be Healed

Forgiveness

Stop Trying to Be Perfect…You’re Better Than That

Gratitude makes for a Great Attitude

Thank Your Sacred Clown

Self-Care

The Power of No

Find Your Voice

Start Telling Yourself a Better Story

Wear Your Badges With Pride

Confidence

Surrender

Get Some Faith

A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way

Get Out of Your Head

See things in a Different Light

Abundance

Find Your Peeps

Commit to Be Fit

Use the Good China

Share the Moxie

The Beginning

Resources

Introduction

I want to welcome you as you embark upon a new journey, my friend. I will be your guide along the way and my goal is to help you find the answers you seek. Not everything in this book will apply to everyone, but I believe that there is a great deal of information and guidance that will apply to all. You see, everyone has their own journey—no two are alike. Some of you have already traveled a long way while others are just starting out. For some of you, the roads have been relatively smooth with an occasional bump or two along the way while others have traveled through incredibly rough terrain. Our journeys should be filled with love, laughter, and joy, but are many times filled with stress, regret, and sadness. If you are tired of living a life that doesn’t seem to have a purpose, or you feel as though you’ve lost yourself somewhere along the way, then this book is here to help you. It will help you better understand yourself so that you can start making some significant changes and finally live the life that you deserve.

I want to make something incredibly clear before you even begin reading this book. Your intelligence has nothing to do with the situations you are, or were, in. It has nothing to do with the mistakes or decisions you’ve made. Stop telling yourself that you are too smart to be where you are in life. Many smart people have been in the same situations, made the same mistakes or decisions, and have done the same things as you. You are not stupid. You are human. I know this because I was there, beating myself up and questioning my intelligence because of a choice I made or a situation I ended up in. I used to get so angry with myself. How could I have allowed this, whatever it was, to happen? I’m too smart for this. So, here’s what I’ve discovered, my friend. You can be a genius, but if you don’t feel good about yourself, weren’t raised to be bold and unstoppable, or you’ve spent your life settling for less than you deserve, you’ll end up in situations that aren’t so good for you. Stop equating this with intelligence—you are incredibly smart and here’s how I know this—you’re reading a book to get help to figure it out. You’re seeking out resources to assist you with fulfilling your dream of a better life. As you read through this book, you’ll begin to understand why you’ve gotten into certain situations or made certain decisions in your life, and once you understand the problem, you’ll be able to figure out the solution.

The idea behind this book is to take you on a journey, and each chapter builds upon the previous one. My advice is to start at the beginning of the book and work your way to the end. This will provide you with a better understanding of moxie, where it went, and how best to reclaim it. I also suggest you grab a journal and keep it nearby because there are some exercises and writing prompts throughout the book that you’ll want to use to help you in the healing process. In addition to the exercises and prompts, feel free to write down any other thoughts or ideas that come to mind as you are reading. I find that I can be most creative when I’m in self-discovery mode. Remember, it only takes one creative idea to change your life, so keep that journal handy and allow the thoughts to flow. Since everyone is on their own individual journey, this book will be what it needs to be for each person. You may read some chapters and not see yourself in them, or you may have many aha moments in another. There are some chapters that you may get through very quickly while others may take some time. This is not a race, so go at the pace that you’re most comfortable with.

I wrote this book as if I were talking to a friend, so don’t be put off by the conversational tone of my writing. The contractions, slang, and sometimes colorful words I chose are intentional. If, for some reason, you’re agitated by all the contractions, slang, and colorful words, then it might be a good idea for you to read this book, because if you’re worried about that stuff instead of the content, then you probably need a good kick in the ass to remind you about what’s really important in life. My suggestion to you is to keep reading. For the rest of you, who need a good friend at this time, pull up a chair, grab a glass of wine, or pour another cup of coffee—I’ve got some stuff I want to share with you.

Union Joe Stirs Some Moxie

Many years ago, when I was in my twenties, I had a friend named Lil who was in her forties. The age difference should have meant something, but it didn’t—we were two peas in a pod. A woman with a petite frame and muted blonde hair, Lil was originally from Scotland and came over to the United States when she was in her twenties. Although she had been here for many years, she still had that Scottish brogue that I loved listening to and sometimes made fun of. Lil was a lot of fun and we spent a good portion of our time together laughing, drinking coffee, going out to dinner, and shopping. I remember stopping by her house one Saturday evening, just to hang out, as I often did.

Lil’s husband, Joe, was home that night, sitting on the sofa watching television as he often spent his Saturday nights. Joe looked like someone who had been in the boxing ring or a bar fight quite a few times throughout his life. He was tough as nails and could often be found sitting on the sofa in his wife-beater t-shirt, his brown hair slicked back and a grimace on his face as he puffed away on his cigarettes. He had what reminded me of a boxer’s nose, because it was crooked and slightly disjointed. I often wondered how his nose ended up looking like that, but never had the opportunity to bring it up in any of our conversations. I must admit there was a part of me that was somewhat afraid to ask. Joe was a no-nonsense guy and looked like he could pretty much handle anything you sent his way. Total tough guy who didn’t take shit from anyone.

So, there I was, just sitting myself down in a chair across the sofa from Joe, and Lil was sitting on the chair off to the side in between us. Lil and I were having our usual small talk conversation about nothing in particular when she happened to ask what I did that day. I mentioned that I had done some food shopping at our local Mega Fresh grocery store, and I was starting to list off the deals I had gotten, when I heard Joe’s voice reaching a volume slightly over mine.

Fucking scabs. It wasn’t a yell, it was just merely a grumbling statement.

I furrowed my brow, cocked my head to the left and looked over at him. I can only imagine the perplexed look on my face as I said, Excuse me?

The people at Mega Fresh are union-busting scabs. That company doesn’t pay a union wage. They’re nothing but fucking scabs, he says and then takes a drag on his cigarette.

Now is a good time to tell you that Joe was a union guy all the way. He lived and breathed union, and I pitied the guy who tried to cross the union picket line if Joe was walking it. But unions didn’t mean anything to me. I was never in one, and other than Joe, I didn’t really know anyone who worked in a union. Joe worked for another local grocery store which was obviously union. So not only was I shopping at the competitor, but I was shopping at the nonunion competitor.

Look, I was just trying to save a buck or two, not get into a debate that night. I looked over at Lil and noticed a somewhat worried look on her face, as if she knew this conversation was not going to go so well. I looked back over at Joe, gave a little shrug and said, Yeah, they may be nonunion, but I like shopping there. They’ve got some really great deals.

They’re cheaper because they don’t pay union wages, he says.

But that’s really not my problem, Joe, I’m going to go wherever I can to save some money.

This is where he starts getting a wee bit louder.

These places exist because people like you support scab companies. It makes it tougher for us union guys to get work and a decent wage.

I shoot a quick glance over at Lil in the hope of getting some support, but she’s sitting in the chair with her eyes cast downward to avoid making eye contact with either of us. Her lips appear to be sealed tight. Apparently, she was not going to get involved in this one. I look back over at Joe.

I like Mega Fresh, I firmly say back to him.

He takes another drag on his cigarette and is now sitting on the edge of the sofa. His face is red. I see some veins pulsing in his neck and his temples, and I can almost see the steam coming out of his ears. With his eyes slightly squinted, he points his finger and cigarette at me.

Now you listen to me, he says in a scary, gruff voice. This is a union house. It’s always been a union house. It’s paid for thanks to the union. Our food is put on the table with union wages. We don’t like scabs, and we don’t appreciate those who do. Seems to me like you got a choice to make.

Really? I looked over at Lil, whose eyes were now opened so wide and bulging that I thought they might fall out of her head and roll across the floor. She looked back at me with that I don’t even know what to say or how to help you expression on her face.

I looked back at Joe, squinted my eyes right back at him, leaned over, and said in a steady voice, "I like Mega Fresh. I’m shopping at Mega Fresh. My friends respect my choices. Seems to me like you got a choice to make."

A hush fell across the room. It was one of those uncomfortable and awkwardly long pauses. The air was thick and still, and Joe and I simply stared at one another. I could see Lil out of the corner of my eye. Her eyes were continuously shifting back and forth between Joe and me, I guess wondering how this standoff would eventually end.

Joe took another really long drag of his cigarette. The tip of it lighting up red to match the color of his face. The smoke filled his lungs for what seemed like an eternity. Then the exhale of smoke, which came right out through a narrow slit in his almost closed lips. He slowly leaned over towards me, his eyes which were just slits by this point, never leaving mine. Once again, the finger and cigarette were pointed my way.

Finally, he opened his mouth to speak. I thought, Oh boy, here it comes.

In the quietest of voices, almost a whisper, he leans in even closer towards me and says, I like you kid. You got moxie.

With that, Joe snuffed out his cigarette in the ashtray, sat back in his sofa, and started watching television once again as if nothing had ever happened. I could feel an immediate change in the energy of the room. I looked over at Lil,