Has the past stopped you from moving forward? Did you do something in your 20s or 30s that you’re now ashamed of?  For many people, the worry and fear around the thing they’re ashamed of is the reason they never move forward. Think of it like this, you’re afraid to build something because the truth of your past will come out and it could potentially damage you, so you don’t even try. Then there’s also the risk that other people will start making up parts of your past simply to discredit you and either you’ll begin to believe it yourself or it will feel so unbearable that you’ll stop building the thing you were building. The thing is, we all have a past. We’ve all done things we're ashamed of and if we’re willing to own them, then nothing, not even the fictions other people spin, can stop us. In today’s episode, I discuss my own past and the shame and embarrassment I felt when I announced on live television that I’d lost everything in the 2008 recession and was bankrupt. Owning that loss was difficult, but it is a part of my story, and as it turns out, it was necessary for me to go through that experience in order to better help you. Join me as I dive into this and what it means to be the walking contradiction. This episode is brought to you by our complimentary Purpose Chasers community. Want to share your aha moments with a group of like-minded purpose chasers from all over the world? Visit iamapurposechaser.com and join NOW.   Be Their Walking Contradiction Takeaways   Many of us become paralyzed when it’s time to move forward because the shame of our past keeps us stuck where we are. – Patrice Washington Nothing in life has happened to you, it’s happened for you. – Patrice Washington Stop allowing other people to shame you into being quiet, into playing small, into pretending your gifts are insignificant – be their walking contradiction, instead. – Patrice Washington What I love about my faith is that it teaches me the power of a plot twist. – Patrice Washington When you know what is, you don’t have to be distracted or deterred by the what ifs. – Patrice Washington Accept the facts. Your story is your story. What you’ve been through is what you’ve been through and there is nothing you can do to go back and change that. – Patrice Washington Fiction is a belief or statement that is false, but one that is often held to be true because it is expedient to do so. – Patrice Washington I can accept the things that I’ve done – the good, the bad, the ugly – because I’ve learned to embrace these things as things that have happened for me, not to me. – Patrice Washington Are you ready to become the "walking contradiction"? Are you willing to own your past regardless of what you've done? And are you prepared to put a stop to the fictitious stories that others may spin? Let us know in the comments below.   LINKS: To advertise on the podcast: http://www.patricewashington.com/podcastads Become an Official Purpose Chaser: https://www.facebook.com/groups/redefiningwealthcommunity/?ref=bookmarks Join Patrice’s Pod Club: http://www.patricespodclub.com To check out ALL of our past guests + episodes: http://www.patricewashington.com/Listen If you have questions about booking Patrice or sponsoring the podcast, email us at info@seekwisdomfindwealth.com. Find me in Social Media: Our podcast hashtag is #RedefiningWealth Instagram: @SeekWisdomPCW https://www.instagram.com/seekwisdompcw/  Twitter: @SeekWisdomPCW https://twitter.com/SeekWisdomPCW  Facebook: @SeekWisdomPCW https://www.facebook.com/SeekWisdomPCW/  YouTube: @SeekWisdomPCW https://www.youtube.com/user/SeekWisdomPCW