The more I practice this lesson, the better I become at it. As I try to bear witness to my own energy and how my life unfolds I become better at recognizing my power in my experience.
Lona Cook wasn’t ready to truly change, shed her baggage, and reclaim her true self until she got a sign she couldn’t possibly ignore — a literal gun to the chest.
Sometimes we don’t even register that we need to make changes to live authentically. Lona realized in hindsight that many of the changes that would empower her life had been staring at her for years. During her twenties, there were literal nudges from the Universe to “wake up” around every corner. But, for the most part, she was tone-deaf to them.
A holdup at gunpoint in Costa Rica was the beginning — cracking open some light to look at life differently. Now, Lona shares that message in Reclamation, helping readers see their life — and their whole, true self — through a new lens. I recently caught up with Lona to learn what inspired her to finally write the book and the biggest lesson she learned that she shares with readers.
What happened that made you decide to write the book? What was the exact moment you realized these ideas needed to get out there?
This book has been brewing in me for over a year. I love writing so I knew at some point I would write a book on “my story.” Ultimately I felt such a juxtaposition to how I used to live and how I currently live that I wanted to use the story of this change to help others. A veil was lifted for me that allowed me to shift my life and I want to lift this veil for others.
It excites me to help others find their power and passion. I also love that our stories carry power when we let go of the shame, guilt and shoulds of our past. We can give our stories a make-over and new meaning. A big need I feel from so many women (and just humans) is we all need help letting go of fear and step into a more empowered version of ourselves. SO it wasn’t one main event that made me “ready” to write the book. IT was that COVID and the shutdowns allowed me the space to create and let the book out.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned going through your journey?
The biggest lesson I share throughout the book is that life is happening through me. I am a conduit for my energy and it creates my experiences. As opposed to being a victim, or thinking life is happening TO me. I am responsible for my life (and you are too) and I can use this wisdom in choosing how I respond to life’s happenings. This is what I want to share with others because this change/shift of perspective has made all the difference in my levels of happiness and success and fulfillment. Before I knew this secret, life seemed random. I didn’t own my power. I certainly didn’t know how to create powerful change or shed baggage.
How will you continue to apply this lesson in your life moving forward?
The more I practice this lesson, the better I become at it. As I try to bear witness to my own energy and how my life unfolds I become better at recognizing my power in my experience.
I apply this lens to almost everything now, by always asking: what is my life (or my body) trying to show me? What is this experience opening up for me? What do I want to experience or feel? Then I check into my own energy and ask if I am looking where my energy is focused? Can I shift it, if I am in a low state? By working on my energy first, I can take my power back and change how I experience my world and my role in my own outcomes.
This becomes easier the more you practice it.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Ideas in the Wild: How Lona Cook is Helping People Reclaim Their True Self was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.