In “Your greatest wealth is you”, Beatriz Ribeiro invites readers to a journey of self-knowledge and self-love. In this self-reflective book, she addresses themes such as pain, happiness, freedom and faith, exploring the complexity of the human experience. By challenging readers to recognize their own essence as their greatest wealth, the author offers powerful insights into how to find happiness and purpose, even in the face of life’s challenges. This book is an inspiring reminder that everyone is capable of rewriting their story and transforming obstacles into opportunities for growth and overcoming.
How did you get the inspiration to write “Your greatest wealth is you” and what is the central message you want to convey to readers?
At the end of 2021, exactly at the turn of the new year, I felt a very strong desire to write the book. I had been undergoing cancer treatment with my mother since May and I felt this desire. I remember planning the time and number of pages I would write per day.
The central message I wanted to convey to readers was the importance of recognizing our existence and our own love as being the greatest wealth we can have in our lives. In such a materialistic world we need to perceive our being as the most valuable thing we can have.
Could you share some personal experiences or insights that led you to explore the topic of self-love and self-improvement?
During my mother’s cancer treatment I was able to see more closely how our self-love is necessary for our achievements. I also had a health problem when I was 23 years old, when my first daughter was born. I had to have emergency surgery and left her with just 20 days to live. It was a somewhat complicated surgery and I stayed in the hospital for a few days. When I left, I thanked God for the gift of my life and for the opportunity to return to raise my daughter.
From that moment on, I began to see life with different eyes and became even more peaceful and welcoming towards everyone. I ended up being more permissive to always seek peace and harmony. I didn’t understand that loving yourself also means imposing limits and not accepting disrespect. Knowing how to say no means respecting your values. But it was when I found myself in a relationship with a perverse narcissist, who tried in every way to destroy my real essence, that I was able to look at myself in my own mirror and blossom the greatest love for my own life.
In the book, you talk about the importance of letting go of the past and focusing on the present. How can readers apply this principle in their daily lives?
I believe that the past serves to make us evolve. I truly understand that the events that happen to us, in a way, shape and provide our growth. And, when we are able to have self-knowledge, we become aware of our actions and attitudes. We realize that people end up offering us what we think we deserve or what we don’t know we don’t deserve.
When the reader realizes that the past, with its good or bad things, was only necessary for his evolution, he will automatically let go to live the new that life has to offer. Therefore, the present is exactly what you have today and it is the right time to obtain knowledge to seek happiness consciously.
One of the facets explored in his work is the search for purpose. How do you guide readers to discover their life purpose?
I discovered my purpose when I realized that the things that happened to me, in the end, were directing me towards what made sense for my life. Discovering and knowing how to recognize our gifts and talents directs us towards our life mission. Everything that makes us full and fulfilled signals our life purpose. Knowing what legacy we want to leave for our family and the Universe strengthens our awareness that we are rich beings in our essence and existence. I believe writing a purpose helps make it clearer.
Dealing with obstacles and challenges is an inevitable part of life. How do you encourage readers to turn these obstacles into opportunities for growth and overcoming?
All obstacles are means to elevate us to a higher level of our existence. We need to go through stages in life and they will only be able to be overcome if we focus on living and learning to grow. This growth hurts and is often avoided so that we stay in our comfort zone.
But, I advise people to resist the pain. It is part of the process that needs to be overcome. Overcoming your own fears and also doing what you are not so comfortable with is necessary for your mind to learn to challenge itself. Start with small challenges and, little by little, your power to overcome them will give you the courage to take risks on bigger goals. And this flow of overcoming makes you more and more a winner of yourself.
You highlight the importance of abandoning autopilot and waking up to small daily miracles. How can readers cultivate this awareness and gratitude in their lives?
Positive thinking is something we can build into our lives. Looking at circumstances as learning opportunities encourages our gratitude. Being able to visualize the daily riches of our achievements is a gift that we can improve. The power of gratitude is immense in providing us with happiness. Being aware of this truth is a daily work of directing our mind towards this recognition of the facts in our lives. The mind needs this direction every day so that little by little this awareness becomes a habit of life. Becoming well crystallized until it becomes natural to value our existence and what surrounds us.
In the book, you mention the idea that each person is responsible for their own happiness. How can readers begin to cultivate a more positive relationship with themselves?
When we know the power of our own love, we realize that happiness already begins within ourselves. Be grateful for who you are, for your achievements and learning. Recognize your gifts and talents. We all have skills and are good in some areas of life. Knowing how to recognize them will help you materialize your own love. Having compassion for your mistakes and failures will facilitate evolution to a higher level of happiness. Only those who can experience the freedom of allowing themselves to learn have the pleasure of being happy in building a new self that can be even better tomorrow.
Along your writing journey, were there any lessons or insights you discovered that you would like to highlight to readers?
During my writing journey I realized that God was leading me along a path of self-knowledge and perception of my own life story. It was without understanding that I wrote each chapter with the natural feeling that led me to the next chapter. When I finished writing, I realized that God, with his mysteries, performed the miracle of healing that I so desired. I realized that, when I finished the work, I felt completely different and transformed. It felt natural and what seemed so difficult to me before became so easy and clear. It’s like the veil that breaks and we start to see everything so clear and transparent. I understood that God has a perfect time for all things in our lives. We need to trust and be patient with our healing process.
How do you see the role of self-acceptance and self-compassion in the process of personal development and emotional growth?
Self-acceptance and self-compassion are fundamental to our growth and our healing process. Emotional growth happens when we accept the facts and circumstances we experience, having self-compassion for what we experience and how we act. Our awareness that we did our best through our knowledge of the moment is very important, to understand that each person’s evolution is an individual process that needs to be respected.
Finally, what message would you like readers to take away after reading “Your greatest wealth is you”?
My greatest wish after reading the book “Your greatest wealth is you” is that each reader can truly feel the strength of their own love. May each person be able to see the importance of their existence as something divine. And as a miracle that needs to be loved and valued, the reader becomes more aware of their own ability to, with God, overcome the most difficult challenges in their life with a grateful heart. Knowing that winning is the path that God has already prepared for each of us, and recognizing this divine love within us will be the key to understanding that this self-love of yours has always been within you. Just wait for your yes! The yes of those who know and learn to love themselves.
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