Emily Paulson - Certified Professional Recovery Coach & Author, "Highlight Real: Finding Honesty & Recovery Beyond the Filtered Life"
Emily Paulson
Emily Lynn Paulson is the author of Highlight Real: Finding Honesty & Recovery Beyond the Filtered Life. Emily is an entrepreneur, certified professional recovery coach, She Recovers Designated Coach, and a member of the long-term recovery community. Formally trained as a chemist and a teacher, she rose to success in the top tiers of a skincare company, where she gained her voice and a platform for sobriety and healing.
Sober since January 2, 2017, her recovery path is focused on ruthless honesty, grace, and self love. She is passionate about connecting women with resources for recovery from trauma, eating disorders, and substance abuse, and believes that sharing our truth with each other is the best resource of all. Today, Emily lives in Seattle with her husband and their five children.
Emily’s driven to help people just like you live their best lives. She’s committed to show women that they can be true to themselves, pursue their dreams, and still make a difference. She strives to end the shame & stigma of mental health, and substance abuse disorder through one on one coaching, public speaking, and writing.
I’m so excited for you to connect with Emily, check out her work her book, and follow along as she continues to help women build a life that they don’t need a vacation from.
I'd love it if you'd introduce yourself, what you do, and what you're working on.
First and most importantly, I’m a wife and mom to five awesome kids. I live in Seattle WA, but was raised in Montana, and have bounced around to a variety of places in between. I am a Certified Professional Recovery Coach and a writer, and my book, Highlight Real: Finding Honesty & Recovery Beyond The Filtered Life, was published in the fall of 2019. Currently, I’m writing for various publications and working on my TEDx talk in between shuttling kids around and doing all of the other things LIFE requires!
How did you get started?
It depends how far back you want me to go, because everything I am today came from what my life path shaped me to be! My writing and my book was born through the process of getting sober, as was my training and certification to become a Recovery Coach. My position as a network marketing leader prior to and during my recovery gave me a platform to speak and write about my experiences. All of the life lessons, blessings, and challenges prior to that, made me who I am today!
What inspired the work that you're doing?
Ultimately, recognizing that sharing my truth and my story would be cathartic, not only for me, but for other women, gave me the freedom to pursue everything I’ve done since becoming sober, and everything I pursue going forward. It took one brave woman sharing her story to give me the strength to reach out, so I consider what I’m doing paying it forward for others.
What is your biggest passion? Do you feel like you're living your passion and purpose?
My passion is helping other women find their path toward healing and embrace their truth. And yes, I know I’ve found my purpose! Truly our purpose in life as humans is to help other humans, and by being the best mom I can be to my kids, while being honest and accepting my flaws and shortcomings, and showing up for other women the same way, I’ve found the right place for me.
What is your joy blueprint? What lights you up, brings you joy, and makes you feel the most alive?
Watching my kids do things they love brings me so much joy. Traveling and experiencing new places and meeting new people makes me feel alive! I also love participating in hobbies for the simple joy of it, without any money or accolades attached to it. I sing in a choir once a week for that reason. I try to find the “little joys” in life everywhere I go, because you can always find them if you are looking hard enough. It can be as simple as petting a cute dog outside of the pharmacy or listening to a great song in the car.
How do you live intentionally? Are there tools/resources/practices that you rely on to help you stay mindful and grounded?
I am ruthless about my recovery! I regularly attend meetings and surround myself with people who support my recovery. Without that, I know I will have nothing. I meditate regularly. I keep a gratitude journal. I exercise to keep my anxiety at bay. I schedule plenty of alone time for solitude and reflection. I regularly see a therapist. I read for enjoyment and for personal development. I have hobbies. I have many tools in my personal development toolbox, and while sometimes they get rusty, I do my best to use them all as often as I can.
What would your younger self think about what you're doing now?
She would say, “Really? Are you sure we are talking about the same person?”
Do you have a go-to mantra or affirmation?
The Serenity Prayer! Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
What is your biggest dream?
To watch my kids grow up with self-love and self-respect. Truly. I don’t really care if they have “important” jobs or go to amazing colleges, or whatever standard of success I used to think applied to adults when I was their age. I want them to pursue their dreams and find happiness within themselves, and have the tools to course correct when things aren’t going the way they want them to be. If that means Ivy League, trade school, community college, no college, backpacking through Europe, marriage, no marriage, parenthood or not…ultimately, I want them to find their own version of happy! I have everything I need for myself, so the ultimate dream would be to watch my children find the paths that work best for them.
To learn more about Emily and her work check out her website www.emilylynnpaulson.com, and on Facebook @emilypaulson, Instagram @wowyouhaveyourhandsfull and @highlightrealrecovery and you can find her book here
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