I first met Luisa (Lulu) Carter in 2008 when she was opening her first nonprofit Outside the Box Studio, in Naples, which became a stepping stone to the House of Gaia—a more ambitious vision that remained open for 16 years of service in a larger space. Committed to fostering a global perspective that promoted a more peaceful, creative and conscientious world, Lulu gathered together a sizable group of passionate, trained professionals. The center’s mission was to educate and connect people of all races, cultures, religions, ages and physical abilities in order to build community through programs of art, culture, well-being, travel and community service. Over the years, I participated in many projects there and was heartbroken when they closed their doors.

This spring, when Lulu announced that she was divinely inspired to create a “Shero’s Journey” for 10 brave women to sail the seven Aeolian Islands off Sicily, Italy, I immediately resonated with the intention. Seeing photos of the traditional Turkish wooden gullet that would carry us on this trip sealed my decision, and before long, I was sailing on what I felt was the most beautiful, unique boat in every harbor; swimming in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea; and watching volcanic eruptions off the island of Stromboli, as well as the very active Mount Etna.

The women on Lulu’s inaugural Shero’s Journey were all healers from around the world with psychological backgrounds, so we dubbed our time together as the “healing-the-healers journey". The beauty of Sicily provided a backdrop for introspection, self-discovery and collective transcendence. During our 12-day sojourn, the sisterhood deepened friendships and supported a reconnection to health, joy, creativity, calmness, clarity and intuition. And in the end, our heartfelt farewells were made easier with promises to stay in touch in person or virtually.

Lulu’s new book, The Shero Mindset: 7 Inspirational Stories to Empower Your Life, describes the “Shero mindset” with real-life examples of women’s struggles and victories—including Lulu’s own journey—using positive psychology to beautifully illustrate the mindset change that is required to overcome life’s challenges and snatch the opportunities. It is a must-read, as is this month’s feature story, “Stopping the Trauma Cycle,” by Carrie Gauthier, which offers mind-body healing strategies on page 24.

None of us are left untouched by big and small traumas. Evolving to become my best self has been an ongoing practice on my path to living a more joyful, loving, conscious and authentic life. I feel blessed to have had Natural Awakenings and all the resources it has brought to my life these past 30 years. I hope it has helped you, too, on your hero’s journey.

Many Blessings, 

Sharon Bruckman