Thursday, July 29, 2010

Anything's Possible after Trial by Fire

Carla Powers delivered a remarkable presentation for Sterling Bank's Women's Business Initiative on Wednesday.  Hers is an amazing story of courage, survival, strength, resilience, achievement, motivation and acceptance. She's beautifully captured her story in her book, Matches in the Gas Tank: Trial by Fire in the Armstrong Cult. 

Though Carla would have every reason to remain bitter and angry about being controlled, deprived, isolated and abused by the Armstrong Cult and her alcoholic father, she's embraced this tragic experience as a gift.  Her anger fueled her ambition and success.  She graduated from law school at 22, became a trial lawyer, adjunct law professor and chief counsel at one of the world's largest energy firms.

She colorfully captioned her life in the cult as her cesspool experience.  When you're in a cesspool, you can either drown in the sewer or shovel  and fertilize a garden.  She vividly illustrates that anything’s possible when we’re willing and able to passionately, intelligently pursue a life of acceptance, learning and growth.  The first step is learning to love ourselves.  Only then can we can be open to giving and receiving love. 

By surviving her trial by fire, Carla has created a wildfire of inspiration.

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