Copyright © 2019 Andrea Isabelle Lucas
Published by Mango Publishing Group, a division of Mango Media Inc.
Cover and Layout Design: Elina Diaz
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The Four Agreements ©1997, Miguel Angel Ruiz, MD. Reprinted by permission of Amber-Allen Publishing, Inc. San Rafael, CA. www.amberallen.com All rights reserved.
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Own it All: How to Stop Waiting for Change and Start Creating It. Because Your Life Belongs to You.
Library of Congress Cataloging
ISBN: (print) 978-1-63353-854-2 (ebook) 978-1-63353-855-9
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018962578
BISAC category code: BUS109000—BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Women in Business
Printed in the United States of America
Praise for Own It All
“Andrea Isabelle Lucas is a marvel and Own It All is a testament to her passion, strength, and ingenuity. The best part is: she’s ready to help YOU own it all, too. Read this book and be inspired and empowered.”
—Sarah Knight, New York Times bestselling author of
Get Your Sh*t Together
“What’s the biggest risk you can take today? Whatever your answer, Andrea Isabelle Lucas will ensure you say yes to it. Andrea’s journey from broke and abused single mom to successful barre studio owner will inspire you, challenge you, and force you to put yourself and the goals you want to achieve back at the top of your to-do list. Whether you had a difficult childhood and are still seeking to forgive and recalibrate, are someone who came into the world with heaps of privilege and have enjoyed tremendous success in your career, or you are a woman who simultaneously feels like she has a foot in both realities, Own It All is one of those delicious and inspiring books you want by your side to refer back to anytime you catch yourself doubting your greatness or the opportunities before you.”
—Alexia Vernon, women’s public speaking coach and author,
Step into Your Moxie
“Andrea is a passionate teacher of barre and life itself and her story will inspire you to attainable, real ways to own your life and your destiny.”
—Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito, Exhale Barre founders, authors of Barre Fitness
“This book is just so accessible—from the way Andrea connects her personal story to inspiring lessons learned to the worksheets that allow readers to translate her advice into actionable steps for their own goal setting—but I especially appreciated how the interviews with the diverse crew of role models, from style icon Kimmie Smith to US Congresswomen Kathlerine Clark to eighty-four-year-old fitness guru Esther Fairfax, added concrete examples of women walking the walk as proof positive that empowerment is there for the taking!”
—Jen Malone, author of The Art of the Swap
“Full of concrete, incredibly actionable tips for setting goals and actually achieving them, this book is a must-read for anyone who’s shooting for the stars.”
—Sarah Von Bargen, founder of Yes & Yes
To our future.
Table of Contents
Chapter 6 Own Your Relationships
It was an icy, black night in January. I ran through the thick snow covering my front yard, tore across the neighbors’ driveway, and pounded on their front door. I was relieved to see lights through the windows and hear the sound of a TV in their den, so I knew they were home, though I had no idea what I would say when they answered. My neighbors opened the door with curious smiles, but their expressions changed to shock when they saw my swollen face.
“Oh my God! Are you all right?”
I tried to reply as quietly as I possibly could so their kids wouldn’t hear me. I didn’t want them to come to the door and ask what was happening. I didn’t want them to see this…situation. I knew it would terrify them.
“Please,” I said. “Can you take me to the hospital?”
Ours was an affluent neighborhood where people drove luxury sedans and where kids went to private schools; a place where people smiled politely, wore cardigan sweaters, attended church, and chitchatted about golf—not the type of place where battered women bang on your door in the darkness, desperate