Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mikki Proffitt. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Mikki, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
It was thirteen years ago when I worked as an addictions counselor at Sandy High School. On my first day back in the office after the holiday break, I received the devastating news of the passing of a dear friend, a teacher from another school district, on Christmas Eve. Her unexpected passing marked the end of a courageous battle with cancer. Sitting at my desk, I found myself shaking my head, knowing I wanted and needed change in my life. In that moment of reflection, memories of my friend Becky organizing a fundraiser a year prior to purchase a dairy cow for widows in a small Ugandan village flooded my thoughts.
It was at that moment that I knew that I was to lead a group of at-risk girls—those not considered leaders but rather labeled and overlooked in the school system—to Uganda. Almost instantly, a student who had been expelled for the past year walked into my office, exclaiming, “Mikki, I’m back.” Looking up from my desk, I greeted her and casually asked, “Do you want to go to Africa?” Her response was an intrigued, “Africa?” To which I emphatically replied, “Yes, I’m dead serious. Do you want to go to Africa?” She winked and nonchalantly said, “Yeah, I’ll go to Africa with you,” before heading to class.
Later that morning, another student came to my office, inquiring, “Mikki, do you happen to know anyone who can fill in for the speaker I had scheduled to talk about Uganda for my senior project?” Without missing a beat, I responded, “As a matter of fact, I do.” Coincidentally, a close friend of mine, acquainted with the widows in the Ugandan village, happened to be back in Oregon from Uganda.
I promptly emailed my friend, asking him about his availability and proposing the idea of bringing a group of at-risk high school girls to Africa. His response was, “Mikki, anything you put your hands to, I’m behind you 100%.” And so, our journey began.
With a clear vision of our trip scheduled for the following December, I had ten months to assemble a team, raise funds, and navigate the planning and implementation of this unprecedented goal. I had never been outside of North America, much less leading a group of teenage girls. What was I thinking?
I established a multi-layered application process that every interested girl had to undergo.
Within a month, our team of five girls and I coalesced into The Hands of Hope Team. Despite not having a penny to our name, most, if not all, of the girls hailed from backgrounds of poverty, dysfunction, or addiction. From a worldly perspective, the odds were stacked against us. However, I knew differently and soon, so did my girls.
We worked tirelessly, organizing car washes, pop can drives an auction, and donations. It felt as though the stars were aligning in our favor. On October 29th,, I met with Paul to discuss airline tickets, priced at approximately $2500 each. Thousands of dollars short and with a deadline fast approaching we urgently needed to secure the tickets. Paul sternly cautioned against putting the expense on a credit card, to which I promptly responded, “I don’t have a credit card with that limit, even if I wanted to.”
As the conversation unfolded, Paul looked at me with an unexpected and frightening proposition. “Mikki, if I can find the tickets and put them on my credit card, will you promise to pay me back in 30 days?” I was stunned and immediately asked, “What would you do?” he replied, oh no, this is not my decision to make, this decision is all yours.”
A sense of knowing flooded me, and I knew if I refused his offer out of fear, that would mean forfeiting our journey to Africa. So, I said “YES.” Paul managed to secure the tickets and although it was truly the eleventh hour, we raised the $6,000 within the thirty days. Our tickets were booked, —we were going to Africa.
Having achieved every goal, surmounted every obstacle, defied judgments, and overcome all odds, The journey with myself and five remarkable teenage girls, carrying 8,000 one-dollar bills, pristine and unmarked, sewn into my sports bra. Departing from PDX airport on December 10th, we embarked on a 32-hour flight to Jinja, Uganda.
We not only made it but during this transformative 3-and-a-half-week journey, we immersed ourselves in the culture and made forever friends. During this time, my team had the privilege of experiencing an African Christmas, devoted to serving others and delivering gifts to strangers, hidden villages, and all beyond their wildest imaginations. This beautiful, challenging, and richly deserved experience became a milestone in their lives.
During our final days there, my girls visited the children’s hospital in Jinja, where they met a gravely ill little boy named Obama. Devoting themselves to him from the moment they met, they were resolute in their mission to find a home for him. In Jinja, the responsibility of feeding children in the hospital falls upon the parents, if they are alive or able to care for their child.
Miraculously, my girls found a compassionate Ugandan woman who opened her home, heart and care to welcome this gravely ill little boy named Obama. A year later, we were so excited to receive a heartwarming picture of Obama as a chubby, happy, and thriving little boy. This experience encapsulates the profound impact of compassion and the extraordinary potential for positive change that can arise from anyone, anywhere as small, heartfelt gestures. On that day, once again against all odds, my girls played a pivotal role in saving Obama’s life.
Since that memorable trip, each of my girls has graduated from high school, some pursued higher education, while others embraced motherhood. Sadly, last year, one of my beautiful girls, Riki, the same one who walked into my office so long ago and winked at me, passed away. Her death left a profound void in my heart, as she held such a special place in my heart and my life and always will.
In the tapestry of our shared experiences, the trip to Uganda stands as a testament to the resilience and potential within each of these young lives. Through the challenges and triumphs, we forged bonds that transcend time and space. As we continue to navigate life’s journey, the memories of that extraordinary adventure will forever be etched in our hearts, a reminder of the strength that lies within, even in the face of adversity.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Growing up in a home of alcoholism, trauma, and a lack of love or approval, my childhood was devoid of safety, stability, and predictability. Survival was all I knew, although I didn’t know it at the time, I lacked personal identity, autonomy, agency, and or any sense of self-worth. What felt normal for so long eventually became my life’s work. The pivotal moment occurred at 30 when I read Claudia Black’s “It Will Never Happen to Me.” In that singular moment, I realized I was an adult child of an alcoholic. This revelation ignited a profound change, propelling me to pursue a college degree in Addictions Counseling. Admittedly, it wasn’t a well-thought-out decision, but it truly marked the beginning of my healing journey and led me to the work I am passionate about today.
This choice led me to a profound understanding, extensive training, and valuable experience in the journey of healing and transformation. As the saying goes, it takes a village, and that holds true for me. The love and support of mentors, teachers, guides, and counselors, combined with my commitment and determination to healing, allowed me to transform adversity into opportunity. This journey and it’s been a journey; has added depth, meaning, and purpose to my life, all of which I now passionately share in my work.
Fast forward to today.
Over the past 35 years, I’ve been immersed in the worlds of addiction counseling, fitness training, energy medicine, and healing, all while continuing to learn about the beautiful complexity that is the human experience – body, mind, soul, and spirit and how movement is truly our medicine.
I never bought into the idea of compartmentalizing; instead, I’ve been on a lifelong mission to understand and weave together every aspect of our being. My journey started 44 years ago with a pair of running shoes, and little did I know it would become my salvation and the heartbeat of my life’s work – a journey where movement transformed from a mere workout to the medicine I bring to the lives of those I serve.
Today, my approach is a holistic, heart-centered fusion of empowered movement—a secret weapon to help my clients conquer self-doubt and navigate the maze of self-doubt and uncertainty.
Together, we embark on a journey of embodied change and transformation fueled by crystal-clear clarity, unwavering purpose, and actions that sing with inspiration.
These practices include:
• EFT and The Chakras
• Breathwork and Meditation
• Heart-Centered Free Writing
• Grief Movement
Sound Healing
• Physical Fitness
Together, we peel back the layers of stuck emotions, stored traumas, old narratives, limiting beliefs, hidden wounds, and addictions.
Through this process of holistic, heart-centered, empowered movement, you unveil, unlock, and unleash your most authentic, powerful, whole, and brilliant self.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Backstory: Growing up in a home of alcoholism, trauma, and a lack of love or approval, my childhood was devoid of safety, stability, and predictability. Survival was all I knew, although I didn’t know it at the time, I lacked personal identity, autonomy, agency, and or any sense of self-worth.
In my childhood home, safety meant staying unnoticed—working tirelessly, avoiding mistakes, and never asking for help or guidance. I felt invisible, gripped by fear, and perpetually as though I never truly belonged. These formative experiences forged a core belief I’ve termed “never-enoughism,” highlighting the prevailing sense of inadequacy that defined my early years.
The lesson I persist in unlearning is:
The lesson I persist in unlearning is to unlearn the lies and instead cultivate, establish, and deepen the roots of my innate worth, value, and true identity. Today, I acknowledge that I am not defined by who I was told I was or I wasn’t or the bad things that have happened to me.
I am not the mistakes I’ve made, and there have been many! Instead, I am the author and creator of my own story, life, and destiny.
Today, I know…
Today, I know that I am the steward of my intentions, power, purpose, heart’s desires, and dreams. More often than not, I realize that I was created in the likeness of my Creator—PERFECTION!
Today, I know that I am the hero of my story, and no one is coming to rescue me. I understand that I have a purpose, a mission, and a calling. I am aware of the Power of Choice, recognizing that my decisions determine my destiny.
Today I am committed to never giving up on myself and dedicated to serving others for and in their highest good. I firmly believe that when we know better, we do better, and when we do better, we can change who we are, what we think, and believe and redirect our lives no matter where we come from if we are willing to commit to taking meaningful messy and imperfect action. There will always be ar ripple effect, which subsequently changes the world around us.
I hold the belief that my healing is your healing, and your healing is my healing. I am you, you are me, we are one—Together, We Rise!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
By now, you can see that my entire life and journey is a story of resilience. For me, it’s about firmly planting my stake in the ground and declaring, “Thus far and no more.” The cycle of abuse, addiction, trauma, and lies stops here and now. This commitment has led me to repeatedly press forward, persist, trust my intuition, take risks, and continue my journey against seemingly insurmountable odds because I understand what is at stake. I’ve chosen to speak up and tell the truth, even when it went against the norm or felt like swimming upstream, risking potential rejection, retaliation, or exclusion. This was particularly challenging within my family of origin. Through this journey and as a result of being a lifelong learner and student, I’ve learned that resilience may involve facing rejection. Today, I’m gaining the understanding that:
Rejection is God’s (or the Universe’s) protection.
I haven’t been rejected. The Creator hid my value from them because they’re not assigned to my destiny.
Rejection and failure are victories! They remind me that I’m one of the brave ones willing to take risks.
Rejection is redirection, guiding me toward something better.
Rejection is happening for me and not to me.
Rejection is helping me build the resilience, muscle, and strength necessary to bear the weight of my future successes.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mikkiproffitt.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MikkiProffittEFT, https://www.facebook.com/mikki.proffitt
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/mikki-proffitt-a5bbb018/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHelFkeyUnw5RjZLQ5aQeLA