Christina Solis

Are you tired of meeting other people's needs before your own? Or saying yes to things when you really just want to say no?

I used to feel just like that! 🫣

Making everyone else happy and not "rocking the boat" came first. Heaven forbid you upset someone, right? 🤦🏻‍♀️

If you're looking to start changing that, l've got something special for you: My free *Foundations of Assertiveness* bootcamp will help you stand your ground and speak up.

Drop BOOTCAMP down below, and I'll send it right over to you! 📩

Your future self will thank you for starting today.

Back in September, my world was turned upside down when I learned that I had not one but TWO tumors in my spine, very high in my neck.

It was a relief to find the answers I had been looking for, and at the same time I was hesitant to move forward. It was like I was at the top of the first climb of a roller coaster, and the next move forward would launch me into a faster, twistier ride than I could even imagine. 🎢

I remember on October 7th dragging my feet as I contemplated taking myself to the emergency room. What if they said everything was fine and sent me home? What if they admitted me to the hospital? What would happen to my dog Penny? 🥺

Can you blame me for hemming and hawing and attempting to wash the dishes as I looked for any reason to delay my next step? But the tingling in my hands was real. I had trouble standing up long enough to take a shower. Something was wrong, and it was up to me to do something about it. As Mel Robbins says: no one was coming to save me.

This was a level of assertiveness and self-advocacy that I'd been practicing for. Every time I spoke up to family, friends, or coworkers, and every time I dared to ask someone for help was training me for this. 🏋🏻‍♀️

My sincerest hope and prayer is that you never find yourself in such a dire situation, but I also know that if you do, you CAN make it through. There are ways to speak up for yourself to medical professionals, romantic partners, and coworkers without being "too much" or rocking the boat. You deserve to get what you need (and even simply want), and you CAN.

Does this sound like something you need in your life?

This whole experience has inspired me to create something a little different. Next week, I'll be hosting a 4 day live bootcamp in my Facebook group where we focus on the foundations of assertiveness.

It’s time to stop holding yourself back. If you're tired of the status quo, now is the time to step into your power. If you need a change, but you not sure how to start - this is for you. This experience is totally free, and I can’t wait to share it with you. (I've put the link down below ⬇️)

I've melted down years of trial and error and real-world experiences to help you shift into your next level. There is no better time to finally find your voice and feel heard. Your future self will look back and thank you for taking this courageous step forward.

POV: When you find yourself facing a tough conversation

POV: when you need to have a tough conversation and you're not sure how to start.. . . . #womensempowerment #recoveringpeoplepleaser #peoplepleaser

I just discovered the 🐦‍🔥 emoji, and I think I'm going to make it my spirit animal.

Why, you might ask? Because I think I'm about to go through a period where I'm gonna get burnt to a crisp and then come out better than before.

Let me explain...

In February/March of last year, I started getting numbness and tingling in my hands. At first, it was very minor, and it would come and go. In May, I went to see my doctor, and she recommended that I retire from my massage career the moment I walked out from that appointment.

Hell no, I told her, I've been building my business for 14 years, and it's my baby. I can take a break, but that's all you're gonna get from me. 🙅🏻‍♀️ Well, I didn't have as much control over things as I would've liked, and in September I retired and closed up shop.

So here we are, a year later, an entire year without massaging people, and the numbness and tingling in my hands is the worst it's ever been. 😞 I decided to take matters into my own hands (ha no pun intended!), and I went back to see my neurologist.

My nerve conduction study came back normal, but there were a few other little things that caused a bit of a pause. A brain MRI was ordered, and instead of waiting a month for that to happen here in town, I took charge, and my mom and I traveled last week to Santa Fe to get some answers.

I'll try to keep this brief: I have a tumor growing on the backside of my cervical spine (C2 to be exact), and it's called a schwannoma. Thankfully, about 85% of these are benign, but it does need to be removed. It's causing severe compression on my spine, and it's decently big.

Every day I notice slight changes in my symptoms, and I'm even noticing some changes in my lower legs. I'm not OK with this. The neurosurgeon can see me in the middle of November, but that just won't do either.

I thought I've been practicing self-empowerment for years, but now I see how this is going to take me to a new level. I'm not waiting around a month for imaging. I'm not waiting around for a doctor's office to call me or see me in 5+ weeks. I'm going to get the treatment and the help that I need. I'm going to make a full recovery; I'm fully convinced of that.

So bring on the 🔥 🔥 🔥, it's time to let this little 🐦‍🔥 start her metamorphosis.

P.S. - LFG

I'm going through a period where I have a lot of medical appointments, and I recently had an encounter that made my head spin a little bit. 🤕

At this particular appointment, my neurologist and I were trying to figure out what might be going on with my hands. He threw out some possibilities, one of which I had never heard before, so I asked him to repeat the name. As I tried to write it out, I realized that I had no clue how to spell it, so I asked him about that.

He turned to me sharply, "No, no, no. Don't go looking it up. You do not have that. You're not going to die. If you have six weeks left to live, I would tell you. There are no secrets in this office. Do not go looking it up and stress about it."

Whoah. Wait, what? 😳

He said a few more things, but at this point, I was already starting to shut down.

I know that WebMD and searching things online can turn into a bit of a rabbit hole, but that's not at all what I was planning to do.

I turned my head to the side to look away from him as I felt a familiar response in me from an incident as a teenager. 😣

I did my best to re-group and ground myself.

This wasn't about me looking up every single term and self-diagnosing and figuring it out on my own, I was just trying to understand what might be happening to me.

Eventually, I turned back around, and waited for him to stop typing his notes. "I'm not going to look it up," I said in a very measured voice. "You and I have worked together now for several years, and I trust in what you're telling me."

I don't remember his exact words, but he made a comment about how he would order a new nerve study, and that maybe having it done with a different doctor would help me feel more comfortable by knowing that there was a second set of eyes.

I decided to exercise my assertiveness. "I trust what you're telling me. That's not what just happened. It wasn't what you said, it's how you said it."

At that point, I think he finally understood. "I just don't want you stressing out and getting worried," he said.

Ahhhh... 💡

I've worked pretty dang hard to find my voice and own my space. What he was doing was trying to control or at least temper my emotional response. The problem is that that's a me thing. My response and how I take the news of this medical journey is on my side of the fence, and it's mine to handle.

Let me be upset, let me be scared, and maybe even let me be resilient in my own way. 🤔

After the appointment, I was reflecting on how I was able to handle this situation, but I know that speaking up to a medical professional can feel very heavy to so many others. And it shouldn't be that way; we have every right to own our space and advocate for ourselves.

This is yet one more reason why I'm so passionate about the work that I do. I created The Assertiveness Blueprint, a 12 week program that boils down all of the years of work I've done on this topic into actionable strategies that can help women (or anyone really!) go from feeling hesitant and timid to self assured and confident. 🙌🏼

I'm offering just 2 more spots in this program at a steeply discounted beta price. If any part of this post resonates with you, and you struggle to speak up for yourself (whether it's at medical appointments, work, or any other area in your life), I'd love to chat.

Comment or DM me the word "beta", and we can talk about what's going on in your world and see how I can help empower you. 💪🏼

Half way to my 30 day goal!

The Miracle Morning is such a powerful way to start the day. ☀️ I found myself in a downhill slide (personal, business, health, you name it), and I made the conscious decision to catch myself and turn things around.

The late and great Bob Proctor emphasized the power of a decision, and I firmly believe in it. I don't make a decision every single day to do TMM, I made one decision the afternoon before Day 1, and every day I honor it.

What's a powerful decision you've made recently or are thinking of making?

When I feel prepared, it does wonders for my confidence. What about you?

Let yourself come out! Be true to you, and don't let your fear hold you back. 💪🏼💕

5 Powerful Affirmations to Empower Your Voice Arm yourself with 5 powerful affirmations to bolster your self confidence and your ability to speak up for yourself.

Back in February, I launched my first digital product for my coaching business. 😱

It wasn't big, it wasn't flashy, but it was MINE. And there's something special about firsts, right?

Well, I want to draw your attention back to it because it's gotten a little bit of a face-lift. If you've ever wondered what I do now that I work from home and show up on social media a little differently, now's your chance to get a better idea.

In my on-demand course, Your Voice Unleashed: 3 Simple Steps to Speak Confidently in Tricky Situations, I help you go from feeling hesitant and timid to self-assured and confident when you find yourself in uncomfortable conversations. 💪🏼

Let me be honest with you: I don't know if you need this in your life right now, but will you do me a favor and just take a look? The more people who see it, the more likely it is that it will reach the ones who need to see this.

One thing I know for certain is that there are plenty of people - women in particular - who need a boost when it comes to being assertive and speaking up for themselves. 📢

The link is in the comments. 👇🏼