Kara Orella-Enos

I had my first official call with my book coach this week. She had me turn in some homework where I submitted my life events, a timeline to her. Her response: “Holy Wow. Tears. I just read this. Amazing you’re alive and doing so well. There is a lot of trauma. There are gifts. There are miracles.” And that is just the timeline of my life events, it’s not the full story. These are what I am writing about in my book, highlighting the miracles, hope, faith, overcoming, transcending, surviving, strength, and the things that pushed me through and forward to the woman I am today.

My next assignment from her is to write about my lifelines, the things that kept me going during these years of one trauma after another. You know, I’ve never given that much thought. How interesting… I know I’ve had an inward drive, to know that there’s something ‘better out there’ and make it happen. That I pulled myself up from my bootstraps, dug myself out from the chaos. How did I get those ideas? But when I think about this, I think how blessed I am the woman I am today, that I grew from all these experiences, that I did not fall prey to prostitution, drugs, alcohol, or worse, abuse of my own kids.  Mind you, this book is not just about child abuse, it is much bigger than that. It is the start, however, of my existence.

Showing the power of faith and a higher power, the real unseen sources of what has driven me beyond the dangers of life is what this book is about. Of course, there are people that have helped along the way and you will be able to see them in my story. People that entered my life and stayed a while, some stayed a lifetime, and some people that appeared for a moment and in a flash, they were gone but left me better.

The term transcendence comes up with my book coach, another term I have not thought much of, but maybe it captures what this story is. I am going to think about it. I would love to hear what your thoughts are on transcendence, to transcend, or a different word if you feel moved to comment.

Thank you for being here with me on this journey.

Be Courageous, Be Vulnerable

I am finally at a place in my life where I am admitting who I am. Do you think allowing yourself to be vulnerable is a sign of weakness? I sure have. I have not allowed myself to be vulnerable for fear of getting hurt. I am at a point of feeling comfortable with who I am and am starting to share it with others. I feel that people cannot like or love me if they don’t know the real me if I am not showing them who I really am. My exterior has not aligned with my interior and my A-HA moment occurred just a few weeks ago when I read the book, “The Little Black Book of Being Fabulous” by Dorris Burch. It screamed at me that I am not being true to myself or speaking my truth. God gave me the experiences I’ve had so that I can be a voice of truth, hope, encouragement, and faith.

Everyone who knows me knows that I am a wife, mom, sister, and friend. What everyone may not know is that I have anxiety, panic attacks, and PTSD. I am not talking about regular anxieties, I am talking about having anxieties that started at a very young age. I was always told to not cry, to not show other emotions except fear, acceptance, and happiness. I started throwing up at least daily at a very young age, probably since I was one or two years old because of a nervous stomach. You see, I was born into a world of alcoholism, abuse, fighting, and unrest in my household. From that, I have also had full-blown panic attacks.

I don’t share this with you for pity. I share this with you because now I am letting people know when I feel uneasy about certain situations. You see, I was always the one to adapt to or avoid situations that made me uncomfortable. Just being in a room with 10 people I don’t know can give me huge anxieties. I go from trying, to hibernating, all to avoid those feelings. But you know what…? I have ventured out of my hibernation and comfort zone.

You see, I’m learning that allowing others in is a great thing. In the past couple of months, I have found myself being embraced by other women I am just meeting. Listening to their stories gives me courage. I am opening myself up to freedom and support by sharing my truth. If you allow others to know who YOU are, not the shell you think they want to see, you open the door to numerous opportunities for love and acceptance.

It is good to share the real YOU and let others in. It’s not natural to stay alone or hibernate. Humans are social creatures and we all need to express and receive love and encouragement. I encourage you to be yourself! You never know who is watching you and who you will inspire.

~ K.O.E. (Kara Orella-Enos)

Sometimes on the path of life, you get handed a bag of crap. What do you do with it? Do you hold on to it and dwell on the fact that life just totally crapped on you? Do you stir it? (Yes, there are shit stirrers in this life). Do you examine it as if to see you deserved the crap you were just handed? Or, do you deal with it, bag it up, and get rid of it? I chose to deal with it and get rid of it. Any other choice is a waste of time, energy, and emotion. I choose to live life despite the crap that comes along. Do you know what happens when you choose to just it go? You make room for good things. 

Poop

Smooches