This first episode, I wanna share a deeply personal story that shaped the way I view life, freedom, and even the work I continue to do today. So we are back in the spring of nineteen eighty four. I was graduating from Miami University of Ohio, and my parents were going to give me the most life changing graduation present, a three month backpacking trip around Europe. And before I left, I shared a secret with one of my friends, Julie. We were standing in the kitchen of the house we rented with seven other girlfriends. In that moment, it was just the two of us. And I said, you know, Julie, something tells me I might go to Europe and stay. And I was hesitant to even share that story, it was a little bit weird. I was sort of waiting nervous in those milliseconds for her response expecting her to say something like, no way, Diana, you're crazy. But instead, she smiled and said three simple words that I will never forget. Can you guess what they are? She said, that's so you. And in that moment, I felt like something connected, like a switch went on that really has never been turned off since. So I'm sure my whole face lit up, my eyes probably wind, my mouth probably dropped to the ground and I thought, that's so true. So that's so you in that moment was very affirming and it rooted me in the courage to always trust that little voice inside of me. And in that moment, it said, Diana Schurr, go to Europe and stay. So from a young age, I've always felt different and for me being different has always felt like freedom. Freedom to explore, to be adventurous, to live outside the mold, like not in the mold of what society might have conditioned me to be. What it's like to be a good woman, a good wife, a good mother, a daughter, a friend. And I've even gotten a lot of confirmation about that when my kids would bring home friends after school and I could see their friends sort of whispering to them and they'd say, you know, your mom's not like the other moms. She's different. So simply just being out of the mold of what everyone else even wanted me to be so they could be happy. And it's not about going against the grain, it's simply being different than how we are taught to be, which is usually conforming in the mold. And I thank my parents a lot for this. When I had difficult decisions to make in life, they always repeated, Diana, we trust your judgment. And that helped again, let the real me emerge. So now we're gonna fast forward to the August of nineteen eighty four after three amazing months traveling around Europe and the day before my flight left to go back to The States. I called my dad from the office from one of those red telephone booths directly under Big Ben for who even remembers telephone booths. This one for international calls, ate coins faster than I could pump them in. So when my dad's secretary hands him the phone and I say, Hey, dad, I'm not getting on the flight tomorrow. I'm staying in Europe to look for a job. Well, his response was less than enthusiastic. I think he said something like, no. After a college education, you can't just become a flower child hanging out in Europe. And then I hear this beep, beep, beep, and I quickly say, I'm running out of coins. And then beep, silence. And that was that. The next day with my huge backpack that I still have, I boarded a train from Victoria Station in London to go to Mainland Europe to Munich, Germany. And since I'd studied German in college, I felt like I could get around well there. So as the hovercraft was carrying me across the English Channel, I felt something inside of me that was so extraordinary. I felt so free. I felt so alive. I felt so on my path. It was undescribable. And in that, I felt so me. And that is exactly what this podcast is all about, helping you be so you, helping you get clear and feel confident and do more of what really matters to you. Because maybe life isn't about trying to fit in, It's about getting those moments about what lights you up and in the moment being spontaneous because it gives you energy even when life gets tough. So as someone me who's been working in biopsychology, coaching and training clients in over 20 countries of the world, even creating a personality profile and coaching methodology that got me recognition as one of the top 100 women achievers in 02/2018, I've seen with people firsthand how their life transforms when they start living aligned with who they really are. For me, for them, doing things that keeps their confidence high, keeps their energy vibrant, keeps their life deeply joyful and meaningful. And maybe you want that too. So whether right now you're feeling stuck, not sure of what you want in life, unsure of who you are, hesitant to make the next move. I want you to know this, you don't have to work on yourself. You are not broken. You don't need to be fixed. You are already whole and everything you need is already inside of you. You just gotta play with who you are, play with your personality, express a better version of who you are so the real you emerges. And this podcast is my way of reminding you of that and inspiring you to explore what it means to be so you. So thanks for being here. On to the next episodes where you see some play in action. If something I said lists some light bulb moments for you and you wanna go ahead and comment and share those, go ahead then also and subscribe, and I'll see you in the next episode.
