How you were as a child and the messages you received from your parents inevitably influenced your development, for better or worse. Lucky for you if your family enjoyed and encouraged you to develop naturally as the goddess type you are. If that was the case, chances are you felt good about yourself and had a huge head start in developing all the strengths of your personal goddess type.

 Unfortunately, this isn't always the case.

Joni tells of the turmoil that erupted during her teenage years: “I was convinced that I had been adopted,” she says. “There was absolutely no way that these people could have been my natural parents. We were so not alike in any way. Nothing I did would ever please them.”

 “I’d spend the entire day at school trying to be invisible hoping none of the other kids would notice me. I would just die with embarrassment if a teacher ever called on me. Then the first thing Mom would ask when I got home was ‘Who did you hang out with at school today’? Both parents pleaded with me to invite someone to go to the movies with us or to invite a bunch of the girls in my class over for a slumber party. I hated it. Why couldn’t they just leave me alone?”

 By nature a shy, introspective type, Joni was truly not a natural ‘match’ for her outgoing and sociable parents. They had pushed her to be more like them, alienating her as a result.

It's no surprise that Joni's self-esteem plummeted—leading her to attach herself to a small group of similar ‘misfits,’ frequently skipping classes and experimenting with drugs.

Joni’s story has a happy ending.  Armed with an understanding of her inborn goddess type, Joni switched college majors to one where she was soon being applauded for her creative intensity and that matched her desire to live quietly in a fashion that suited her goddess type.

Joni is now a published poet and successful songwriter. Currently living in peace with her goddess type, she is not particularly outgoing but she IS self-assured and happy with her life.