How to Forgive Yourself After Divorce: Letting Go of Guilt with Brenda Reiss

Brenda, can you start by telling us a little about yourself and what led you to become a forgiveness and emotional freedom coach?

Oh, I think like most people, you know, I came through to this work through my own life experience.

You know, as I've heard on your podcast, so many people share and You know, for many years I was successful in a corporate career, you know, that capable, responsible, the person people could count on.

But in my own personal life, I was repeating patterns that I didn't really understand yet.

You know, I was the people pleaser.

I over-functioned in relationships.

I looked outside myself for validation in my personal relationships, not necessarily at work.

And it was in my third marriage that really brought to my attention this codependency pattern that had been playing out throughout my life.

It was so interesting to me because it was like, how can I be so confident in this area, but

not in this one?

And then, you know, it was an abusive relationship.

And again, third time.

So, you know, third time's a charm, right? And I was finally able to have the strength and courage to get divorced.

But in that divorce, I ended up in front of the FBI.

And because I had signed some real estate papers that I did not know was illegal, luckily.

And, you know, they were telling me, you're looking at seven to 10 years of prison.

Now they knew my name was on the paperwork, not his.

And so they knew it was him, but they had to go through me to get to him.

So I got interrogated.

It was two years of being followed.

And oh my God, it was such an experience that finally I was exonerated.

You know, there's nothing like paying attention to your patterns and beliefs when you're being followed by the FBI.

Right.

Right.

It was.