Meet Simona: The Story of the Path Less Traveled By
A brief introduction to Simona through her inner and outer journeys
First, I would like to thank Dr Mehmet Yildiz for a warm welcome to the wonderful and fast-growing ILLUMINATION publication here on Medium. I am grateful to be part of such a strong community of writers who inspire and empower so many with their words.
Writing about myself feels dangerous. It assumes that there is an individual Self to write about. And on one level, there is. But I believe we are all pieces of the same essential fabric. Together we are co-mingling along this journey that we call life, simply playing out our ever-changing roles as we help bring each other back home — to our hearts where we have always known ourselves to be one.
As cliché as it sounds, the best way to describe myself would be simply by stating I Am. Fresh, alive, present, ever-changing. Here. Now.
“Once you label me you negate me.” ― Søren Kierkegaard.
Writing about myself feels like translating infinity into a few blocks of paragraphs.
But to play within the rules of the standards we have set as society as we describe ourselves in terms of our past and our future aspirations, I will shed a light on the particular form that this soul is currently appearing in.
Meet Simona through a very brief summary of her life story:
THE EARLY YEARS
Simona was born in Brno, Czech Republic. She spent most of her childhood playing with her friends in the small village square, hanging out with dad and his friends in the local pub, and wandering through nearby trails and forests. When unfortunate circumstances led her mom to have to go work overseas, Simona joined her a few years later and moved to Florida at the age of 12.
THE COLLEGE YEARS & THE PROFESSIONAL PATH
While working on her Finance degree at Florida State University, she spent her nights and weekends serving wings and beer at Hooters. It was there where she met amazing women who would turn out to become her life-long best friends as well as her soul partner Bryan.
Upon receiving her degree, she landed a wonderful job at a large financial company as a financial advisor, eventually getting an MBA and a Certified Financial Planner designation.
FACING THE FACT THAT TOMORROW MAY NEVER COME
Life had clearly revealed its fleeting nature to her early on. Within 5 years of her dad’s passing when she was 21, she also lost her step-dad — both souls that have always inspired her and flooded her with unconditional love. The inevitable contemplation of her own mortality has fueled her desire to fully live out her life story her way — without regrets.
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” — Robert Frost
SAILING OFF FOR NEW ADVENTURES
In April 2019, Simona and her partner Bryan waved goodbye to Florida to start their adventures of exploring the “old” continent. Returning back to her native Europe, they wanted to experience more of the world’s beauty — to soak in the wonder of the world’s diverse cultures and landscapes.
Over the past year they have visited 14 beautiful European countries while spending most of the time volunteering in 5 of them — Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Greece — through the Workaway work exchange program.
It has been one amazing journey. They’ve explored many beautiful corners of this world, but more importantly, they met many souls that demonstrated the beauty and goodness that can arise within the soul of humanity. Simona wrote a summary of the most important highlights of their journey on their travel blog: Humanity Through The Lens of a Traveler: 12 Lessons from 12 Months on the Road
Simona currently considers herself very blessed to be writing from the beautiful Greek island of Corfu where spring is blossoming in the most vibrant display of colors.
WHAT PULLS ON HER HEART STRINGS?
Simona is a lover of life itself. Nature is her refuge. Her heart is always thirsty for knowledge as she loves delving deep into the mysteries of the nature of existence and reality, the mind-body connection, and the intersection of science and spirituality.
She believes in the beauty of human potential and in our mutual interdependence. She believes in compassion and wisdom as healing forces.
She has been through the valleys of fear and self-doubt, unable to see her own light. That is why she feels that it is her mission in life to help others see the beauty of their own light.
It aches her soul to see so many people feeling powerless when she can see the beauty of their potential just waiting to be released. She believes that expanding perceptions through knowledge is key. Understanding is the antidote to fear.
The more we understand ourselves and life, the more we can trust our own hearts. We all have the power of neuroplasticity on our side — we can rewire our brains to see more of life’s blessings and opportunities. Through becoming more present, aware, and mindful, we can infuse our lives with more meaning.
HELPING OTHERS REMEMBER THEIR MAGNIFICENCE
Simona’s soul longs to express itself through words. Words that flow from the heart — from that place where we know ourselves to be one. Words that help people realize our true interconnectedness.
She knows beyond any doubt that uplifting words can heal and trusts that those who are in need of her words will find them at just the right time.
In May 2020, she and her partner Bryan published a compilation of Simona’s inspirational poems and Bryan’s photos from their travels around Europe in their book “You Are Essential: 101 Reminders of Your Magnificence”.
Simona also recently published “I Am Essential: A 52-week Guided Self-Gratitude Journal” to help women cultivate more self-compassion through guiding them to remember their own magnificence on a daily basis.
In addition to her other projects and work, Simona is currently working on a book that integrates her own life lessons with scientific insights to help young women overcome fear and self-doubt while they pursue their life’s highest vision.
She is excited about the path that is unfolding for her — the path of the heart — the path of trust and compassion.
“Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment.” ― Rumi.
Care to peer deeper into this silly soul’s musings?