Hi, I'm Mae Novak!

About ten years ago, I was totally stressed out. I couldn’t understand how other people seemed to live their lives so effortlessly while I was ungracefully army crawling my way through. I was trying to be something I wasn’t, trying to fit into the mold of a “normal” life. I knew the way I was living my life wasn’t working, but I didn’t know how or what to change. I had a deep sense that I had an incredible life ahead of me, but I didn’t know what that meant or how to gain clarity about what to do next. I was desperate to find my path and I had no idea that I was on the verge…… of an amazing and life-changing breakthrough.  

 

“The good news is, if we can recognize illusion as illusion, it dissolves. Its survival depends on our mistaking it for reality”    

 -Eckhart Tolle

 

In 2008, I read this quote, and it split my mind open. Seriously, not just like, “Wow, that’s really insightful!”, but it literally struck me like lightening and, in an instant, changed EVERYTHING I thought I knew about myself, about how life worked, and about what was possible for me. I experienced a shift in consciousness that I never knew was possible. Right then, I realized with my whole existence that the only reason I thought of myself as “not creative”, or “not good at math”, or just plain old “not good enough” was because I was mistaking those illusions for reality. I was mistaken. So if it was my mistake, it was mine to change. For the first time in my life, I knew with ironclad certainty that I was responsible for my thoughts, my emotions, and my feelings. I was responsible for all of my actions. I was responsible for my experience in this life. All of it. I was responsible. So that very day, I began the long journey of untangling myself.

After gaining this new perspective, my life began to change drastically. Some changes were really devastating and difficult to navigate. But most of the changes were really fulfilling and wonderful. I finally finished college and earned my Masters in Social Work. I met my current amazing husband, got married, and had a slay-master of a daughter, who is the light of my life. Throughout this period of time, I began surrounding myself with affirmations focused on what I wanted my life to be like. I would make pillowcases with affirmations printed on them, write them on coffee mugs, write them on my mirror, and repeat them in my mind as often as I could remember. Along with reading nearly every self-transformation book at the bookstore, and seeking professional counseling from a variety of individuals with different specializations and backgrounds, I began to find my way back to myself.  The real ME without all the “shoulds” and “ought-to’s”. The true ME. The wild ME. The ME that gave ZERO “F”’s about what anyone thought of me or my decisions. Most importantly, I learned how to trust my instincts and listen to the voice within, which used to feel non-existent, but now feels loud and clear. Today, I know what it feels like to be in the “flow”. I have a deep sense of the best decision to make, the best path to follow. I know what it feels like to be on the wrong track. I know what to do to get myself back on the right track. I learn much more quickly and I do a much better job of avoiding unnecessary sabotage.

Throughout this process of learning how to “know”, I used affirmations as an invaluable tool to help me remember the truth about who I really am. This is why I created Yay! Brand. I wanted to share this amazing tool with you, so you, too, know that you are doing something to help yourself remember your truth, your grace, and your absolute worthiness. Yay! Brand aims to help people who are on a path of deep personal growth to ground themselves in intention on a daily basis so that they can move past their fears and live a life of purpose and joy. I believe we all need to refocus on forgiving ourselves, remember that everything really is always working out for us, and that we have the power to deliberately focus on things that are within our sphere of influence. Because if I have learned nothing else, we are the only ones that have the power to change our lives. It is great to say “you are enough” but it is infinitely more powerful to say “I am enough.”