We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anna Hsu a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Anna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you recount a time when the advice you provided to a client was really spot on? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

I approach my coaching methodology with the belief that everyone already possesses the wisdom and guidance they seek within themselves—it simply has to be unlocked. Rather than giving advice, my role is to facilitate their journey of self-discovery and empower my clients to discover their own inner voice and tap into their innate knowledge and intuition.

That being said, one particular client’s self-growth journey comes to mind. On the outside, she appeared to have it all and have it all together—and yet, self-hate and a heavy sense of unworthiness consumed her internally, giving her constant anxiety and deep sadness. But she was determined to heal and become her best self, and so we began working together.

I still recall the session where she experienced deep, authentic self-love for the first time. During the session, I guided her to be open and compassionate to everything that came up—all the judgments, the thoughts, everything. After a couple minutes, she came to the realization that she was the source of safety and love—that she didn’t need to find it from an external source, because it was all already inside. That things outside of us simply awaken the love that’s already within.

We all KNOW about self-love, but knowing doesn’t change how much self-love you have. When you EXPERIENCE true, DEEP self love, it is forever life changing, and will make an impact on you that you’ll never forget.

In that moment, for the first time in her life, she FELT deep, profound love for herself and her life. It was so momentous for her that tears of joy and liberation streamed down her face…she literally looked like she was glowing.

This experience became the foundation for her confidence, self-expression, and happiness to build upon. Because her foundation was strong, everything else that was built upon it became strong too. For if one comes from a clear space of deep inner self-love and strength, one can effortlessly discern whether something is or isn’t aligned or authentic to them.

Now after 3 months of working together, she radiates inner confidence, walking her path with a grounded and clear knowing of who she is. She has a deep sense of self-respect, no longer depending on external validation to determine her self-worth. Her heart and soul feels free, and she says she feels truly anchored in peace, even when life on the outside gets turbulent.

So I guess you could say that the best advice I’ve ever shared with a client is to slow down and be the compassionate listener to your inner world. Because underneath all the noise of negative thoughts, self-love is ALREADY there. Self-love is not somewhere to “get to” or “achieve”; it’s here, so practice seeing underneath the shadows in order to see the light. Whether you do this with a coach or on your own journey, being open to receiving wisdom from your inner world begins with compassion—being willing to see what we don’t want to see with acceptance instead of judgment. By tapping into your own inner well of self-acceptance, you will experience, instead of simply know, how incredible you already are.

Anna, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do? What makes you stand out in the industry?

I’m a certified transformational self-worth coach, dedicated to helping go-getters and high-achievers feel fulfilled & worthy beyond external achievements. I guide them to heal and overcome the negative beliefs and patterns that are holding them back from living a fulfilling life. Through coaching, my clients achieve a lasting sense of authentic self-love and empowered self-worth. In addition to one-on-one coaching, I also offer speaking engagements and workshops for organizations on mental health and self-development. My life’s mission is to help create a world where people can thrive mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

I believe what sets my coaching apart in the industry is that my methodology is based in compassion and self-healing. I use a gentle yet extremely powerful approach to help individuals transform their lives. Many people avoid therapy and coaching due to the false belief that healing must be a difficult and painful process. However, my clients are consistently in awe of how soothed and empowered they feel after each session, and I always make sure they leave a session feeling at grounded and at peace.

My coaching methodology also encourages clients to tap into their inner strength and wisdom—this way, they can develop a deep sense of self-reliance and confidence in their ability to create positive change in their lives. By guiding clients to connect with their innate power and inner resources, I help them to cultivate a lasting sense of fulfillment and joy that doesn’t depend on external circumstances.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn is that “perfection” does not mean “better”. Growing up, the narrative that was fed to me was “if you are perfect, then things will always be perfect”. What I’ve come to realize was that it’s not perfection that makes the most impact in life, but rather your energy–is it authentic? Is it intentional? Is it present? There are so many people who seem “perfect”, and yet someone who isn’t as “perfect” gets chosen, whether it be in work, relationships, or other aspects of life. At the surface level, it may seem unfair; but when we look deeper under the hood, we can see that the one that is often chosen is in alignment with their essence. This is because people naturally gravitate and are attracted to people who are in their authenticity, instead of those vying for perfection. Authenticity connects, while perfection often puts up an invisible wall between people. Those who strive to be perfect are often so internally stressed (I know I was!), and that stress can be felt energetically by others, repelling them away. So for my perfectionists out there, gently practice the freedom of simply being you, one step at a time. You will begin to see how when you let go of that need to be perfect, the world will reflect that back to you, too–that you were always already enough as you are.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

For books, I highly recommend “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks. It is a good start and eye-opener to the work that I do with my clients. The methodology and teachings in this book reveals how our unconscious trauma patterns often impact the way we conduct and manage our business. More importantly, it impacts how we feel. There are many people who are on the outside, “successful”, but they still feel like a failure internally. Being able to understand where your feelings of unworthiness are unconsciously intertwined into your work can liberate you from the hamster wheel of never feeling good enough, no matter your external achievements. This is a great book to begin seeing the empowered and grounded state of being available to you outside of the realm of “good enough”.

Victoria Washington is also a great resource and mentor for helping us create a stable foundation for abundance through faith and practicality.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alignanduplevel.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alignanduplevelcoaching/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/alignanduplevel
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annashoo/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@alignanduplevel
• Other: Free Breakthrough Session: https://calendly.com/thelittlecoachpotato/complimentary-breakthrough-call