Crystal Evans

Transcript

my heart was pounding my hands were cold with sweat as I stepped into that big noisy room but the worst noise of all was the noise inside of my head saying you you're nothing but a failure being homeless is the last experience that any parent ever wants to give a child I didn't only feel my pain but I also could see The Haunting hurt and the hopelessness hanging in the room I was greeted by a man with grain hair and a gentle smile he leaned over handing us some cinnamon rolls I was grateful for the generosity even though they were old and stale because often

I would skip a couple meals a day just to make sure that my children could eat then my four-year-old daughter bajira she just went bursting running to play with the other children her hair bouncing she was so excited happy free innocent completely oblivious to the fact that I I was just trying to hold it all together I turned to the wall to hide my tears from my children it was too much to bear it was one of the scariest days of my life checking into a shelter because I'd been running for so long in 2017 I left an abusive marriage and when I did I

left the hotel the Safari company the home and the school for Orphan and needy children that I built and it felt like my heart was being ripped out but after he nearly took my life it became evident that I had to do all I could to protect my three children and the child inside of my womb you see I left I left pregnant and when I did I found myself on a tightrope walking insecure housing limited income one wrong move and I'd come crumbling down oh I longed to give my children security safety everything that they deserved and then the final straw came in 2018

I found myself in one of the most destructive Californian fires that destroyed over one thousand homes and I picked up my children and I I ran and when I did I found myself in Calgary Alberta sleeping in my car with my infant sneaking in and out of campgrounds trying to be unseen in the freezing winter months we sought warmth in a shelter and it was in that environment that I felt invisible hidden under layers of Shame and judgment so I did all that I could to save up money and get us out my children deserved more so my first couple years out of homelessness my

biggest struggle was to believe that I still had worth that I still had something of value to offer the world I built an online business I began to travel Central America with my children and what happened next was I realized that my heart my heart still needed healing so I went on a personal transformation Journey that led me to leave it in all my rage in Rage rituals is crying all of my Tears in grief writing workshops and finding myself being carried on the wings of Ayahuasca to the most love and connection that I've ever felt in my life and that led me to creating

in person and online business Retreats that bridge both spiritual growth and business growth which led me here today the opportunity to speak felt like an opportunity to stop hiding so today today I stand on this stage ready to be seen have you ever felt invisible well this is a common struggle that we might all face but the good news is we are not here in just our common struggles but we are here in our common strengths I invite you today to pick up the purple Candle on the table and light it on the white candle I came all the way from Guatemala and brought those

candles with me I want you to see around this room the common resilience and Radiance that we have today we choose to be seen we choose to be the light that this world needs

Transcript generated from the recording and lightly cleaned. Some names and wording may differ from the spoken speech.