Misunderstood

"When you choose to forgive the same people over and over again you do so because you don't want to believe your time loving them was wasted. Bad relationships, over time, can be investments that are hard to let fo of. the key to freedom is to realize that love is never wasted. The only thing wasted in life is the time you spend focusing on an unhappy situation that will never change to fit your needs, and not realizing the true investment of time and love are the lessons God wanted you to learn." - Shannon L. Alder

"This above all: to thine own self be true." - William Shakespeare

What if I told you, you are your ultimate problem and brightest solution in every way? What if every blurry-eyed morning, the issue and the answer are in the mirror staring right back at you? What if I told you that you hold the power to create your very best life, and the process can begin right now?

According to Dictionary.com, the word allow means:

• to give permission to or for; permit: to allow a student to be absent; No swimming allowed.
• to let have; give as one's share; grant as one's right: to allow a person $100 for expenses.
• to permit by neglect, oversight, or the like: to allow a door to remain open.
• to admit; acknowledge; concede: to allow a claim.
• to take into consideration, as by adding or subtracting; set apart: to allow an hour for changing trains.
• to permit something to happen or to exist; admit

The hard truth is, none of these conditions can exist for long periods of time without your permission. If you are in situations or relationships in which negative feelings are your result, there is something happening that you are co-signing, something that you're allowing. These long-term states don't happen by accident; they require your compliance.

Welcome to Misunderstood, a journey inward in which you will look at what you are allowing in your life. This book is the manual I wish the generations before me and I had been born with. It is the offering of wisdom, insight, and tools to help you take full responsibility for your life. Misunderstood is an inner journey of self-discovery, honesty, and personal accountability to shine light into the deepest corners of your feelings, thoughts, beliefs, needs, habits, and patterns. We will explore the ways you've been misinformed, confused, selling yourself out, settling, working too hard, and working against yourself. Then, you'll be offered the tools, script, and resources to choose differently.

This journey is not one for the faint of heart. Awareness can be a double-edged sword. In fact, some have cautioned that this work should come with a warning label because once you venture in, you can't unlearn or unsee all you discover. Acceptance is part of wisdom, the journey. It's about understanding that you don't always get what you want in life, but as Mick Jagger so wisely offers, "If you try sometimes, you'll find you get what you need."

Allyson Blythe opened her private practice in 2000 as a Certified Life Coach and LCSW. Raised in Upstate NY, Allyson earned her master's degree from Syracuse University as a social worker and later became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Allyson educates, equips, and empowers others to dig deep into self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and personal responsibility. Her end goal for her clients is for them to live their very best life. Allyson states, "I love what I do. This work is much more than a job. It's a soul-journey that I'm blessed to walk through with my clients." She strongly believes in meeting her clients where they are with honesty and authenticity. She offers acknowledgment and acceptance to empower her clients to raise the bar on their thoughts and behaviors. This way, they can finally let go of fear, excuses, and old habits to reach their ultimate goals. With over twenty-five years in the field, Allyson has earned her reputation as a trusted, deeply experienced, and highly intuitive Therapist and Coach. Allyson invests in her clients' well-being by supporting, challenging, and guiding them along their journey. She challenges them to go beyond their comfort zone as they stretch and grow. Those who work with her report real results and lasting change in new levels of self-worth, relationship health, communication, self-understanding, personal performance, and overall mood and functioning. Regardless of her clients' paths, she comes alongside them to help them develop their strengths, celebrate their successes, and reach their greatest potential. In addition to her private practice, Allyson offers seminars, workshops, group coaching, and education from the stage as a Public Speaker. Her content ranges from powerful and dynamic self-discovery workshops to year-long coaching programs to help her clients create the life they dream. Her most popular workshop is The Art of Effective Communication where she has helped thousands understand themselves and communicate with others. Allyson states, "Group coaching and workshops are one of the most powerful and cost-effective ways for others to create change and reach goals." Moving to Northern Kentucky in 1997, Allyson resides in Union, Kentucky, a progressive city known for being surrounded by cities with unique, humorous names, such as Big Bone Lick and Sugar Tit. Allyson has one daughter who is now a young adult who enjoys establishing her life, career, and independence. When Ally-son is not busy impacting the lives of thousands of people from around the globe, she can be found on her yoga mat or somewhere in nature.