Belief Tool #1 Beliefs Are the Foundation for Our Identity I have not had an easy life, but I do believe I have had the life I was meant to have. My parents were divorced when I was young; my mother was severe- ly depressed and my dad was busy having an affair. As a teenager, I did everything imaginable to act out and rebel. I was involved in many things that made my mother shudder with disbelief when I told her. As a young adult, I was careless with huge amounts of money and very self-destructive in my personal life. I lost my dad to alcohol-induced cirrhosis and my broth- er to a cocaine overdose all within the same year. My beautiful show horse died a gory death in front of my eyes and my first beloved dog drowned in a pool while I was standing nearby. These are all very horrible things, but I believe they were truly meant to be. I do not argue with them or my Creator. I believe these events helped shape me to be who I am. I believe these events help me coach clients, raise my kids, and sup- port my husband. It is this belief that helps me live a life filled with joy and excitement in spite of and because of the things in my past. 110 • If IAm So Smart, Why Can’t I Lose Weight?