Andrea Isabelle Lucas - Own It All: The Only Person Who Can Change Your Life Is You

Copyright 2019 Andrea Isabelle Lucas

Published by Mango Publishing Group, a division of Mango Media Inc.

Cover and Layout Design: Elina Diaz

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The information from The Four Agreements section in chapter 6 is credited to:

The Four Agreements 1997, Miguel Angel Ruiz, MD. Reprinted by permission of Amber-Allen Publishing, Inc. San Rafael, CA. www.amberallen.com All rights reserved.

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Own it All: How to Stop Waiting for Change and Start Creating It. Because Your Life Belongs to You.

Library of Congress Cataloging

ISBN: (print) 978-1-63353-854-2 (ebook) 978-1-63353-855-9

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018962578

BISAC category code: BUS109000BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Women in Business

Printed in the United States of America

Praise for Own It All

Andrea Isabelle Lucas is a marvel and Own It All is a testament to her passion, strength, and ingenuity. The best part is: shes ready to help YOU own it all, too. Read this book and be inspired and e mpowered.

Sarah Knight , New York Times bestselling author of
Get Your Sh* t Together

Whats the biggest risk you can take today? Whatever your answer, Andrea Isabelle Lucas will ensure you say yes to it. Andreas journey from broke and abused single mom to successful barre studio owner will inspire you, challenge you, and force you to put yourself and the goals you want to achieve back at the top of your to-do list. Whether you had a difficult childhood and are still seeking to forgive and recalibrate, are someone who came into the world with heaps of privilege and have enjoyed tremendous success in your career, or you are a woman who simultaneously feels like she has a foot in both realities, Own It All is one of those delicious and inspiring books you want by your side to refer back to anytime you catch yourself doubting your greatness or the opportunities be fore you.

Alexia Vernon , womens public speaking coach an d author,
Step into Your Moxie

Andrea is a passionate teacher of barre and life itself and her story will inspire you to attainable, real ways to own your life and your destiny.

Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito , Exhale Barre founders, authors of Bar re Fitness

This book is just so accessiblefrom the way Andrea connects her personal story to inspiring lessons learned to the worksheets that allow readers to translate her advice into actionable steps for their own goal settingbut I especially appreciated how the interviews with the diverse crew of role models, from style icon Kimmie Smith to US Congresswomen Kathlerine Clark to eighty-four-year-old fitness guru Esther Fairfax, added concrete examples of women walking the walk as proof positive that empowerment is there for th e taking!

Jen Malone , author of The Art o f the Swap

Full of concrete, incredibly actionable tips for setting goals and actually achieving them, this book is a must-read for anyone whos shooting for t he stars.

Sarah Von Bargen , founder of Yes & Yes

To our future.

Table of Contents

It was an icy, black night in January. I ran through the thick snow covering my front yard, tore across the neighbors driveway, and pounded on their front door. I was relieved to see lights through the windows and hear the sound of a TV in their den, so I knew they were home, though I had no idea what I would say when they answered. My neighbors opened the door with curious smiles, but their expressions changed to shock when they saw my swo llen face.

Oh my God! Are you a ll right?

I tried to reply as quietly as I possibly could so their kids wouldnt hear me. I didnt want them to come to the door and ask what was happening. I didnt want them to see thissituation. I knew it would ter rify them.

Please, I said. Can you take me to the hospital?

Ours was an affluent neighborhood where people drove luxury sedans and where kids went to private schools; a place where people smiled politely, wore cardigan sweaters, attended church, and chitchatted about golfnot the type of place where battered women bang on your door in the darkness, desperate for help. Everything about this moment felt surreal and detached, like this was a movie and I was watching a character onscreen. This couldnt really be my life. This couldnt be happen ing to me.

Within minutes, I was buckled into the neighbors car. The drive to the emergency room felt like one of the longest of my life. My neighbor was so kindhearted and concerned, trying to fill the awkward silence with small talk. I replied to his questions with monosyllabic answers and nods. I could barely string two or three words together. I was so ashamed. I just wanted to evaporate. I couldnt look him in the eye. All I could think to myself was, This is so embarrassing. What must he be thinking of me right now? My life is so completely f ucked up

Finally, we arrived at the ER. My neighbor came inside with me. I remember bright fluorescent lights and the sterile scent of cleaning products, old magazines, and unhappy patients who looked like theyd been waiting a long, dreary time. I walked up to the front desk to speak with the triage nurse and fill out the requisite paperwork.

What happened? the nurse asked me.

It was a simple question, but it paralyzed me. What happened? Where was I supposed to begin? I managed to stammer out a few details.

I was home. In the living room. My partner came home and we ended up getting in a stupid argument. He just wouldnt let it go, it kept getting more and more out of hand and then

My voice trailed off int o silence.

And then he swung at you? the nurse asked, filling in the details that I couldnt seem to say aloud.

I nodde d. Yeah.

Everything replayed in my mind. That first blow had caught me completely by surprise. Hed never struck me before. Sure, there had been some red flags about his temper, but things had never escalated like this. I would never have believed he could do something like this. After punching me full in the face once, I figured he would recoil and apologize immediately. Oh my God, Im so sorry. I didnt mean to

But that didnt happen. He didnt apologize. He didnt s tep back.
He did nt stop.

The blows came down hard and fast, one after another. I instinctively curled into a ball on the living room floor, trying to cover my head. I thought if I just stayed perfectly still, eventually hed stop hitting me. I could feel my cheeks swelling up, narrowing my eyes. He still wasnt stopping.

After I lost count of the blows, the horrific truth dawn ed on me:
If I just lie here like this, Im goin g to die.

I staggered to my feet and ran from the room. He caught me halfway across the room and took me by the throat, choking me and lifting me off the floor. My survival instincts kicked in. I dont exactly know how I did it, but I managed to untangle myself from his grip and escape. Adrenaline pumped through my body, making everything feel lightning-fast and slow-motion all at once. Thats how Id made it to my neighbors doorstep. And nowh ere I was.