Tag: Personal Power

How I Cured Severe PMS

I’ve debated for as long as my writings have submerged whether or not I wanted to divulge this part of my life. Not because it’s personal, but because the “cure” didn’t come in the form of a person or special herbal supplement. The cure was actually something so simple yet required a miracle mindset to achieve.

Let me start from the beginning.

For as long as I could remember I had debilitating PMS symptoms. From intense cravings, bloating up to 5-7 pounds in water weight, irritability, intense emotions, and this was the clincher for me – depression.

Like clockwork every 2 weeks I would dread the 14 day mark where these symptoms would arrive and drive me crazy until the 3rd day into my menstrual cycle. I began tracking every period so that I can brace myself and prepare for the 2 weeks out of every month (that’s 6 months of the year by the way) where I would need to mentally strap myself in for the ride.

Researching cures was a part time job. During every break and bedtime reading it was reading the latest scientific research on which herbal supplement, exercise, hormone treatment might possibly be the cure for me. I was searching for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow… and the Unicorn.

I tried visiting multiple doctors and every emerging biohack that existed, and while I saw incremental changes it was nothing compared to the peace I so deeply desired.

Birth control pills were out of the question. I tried it once and cried for no reason in public and it wasn’t until my mother asked if I made any changes to my supplement regimen that I realized it was the pill that wasn’t working for me.

How to cure PMS naturally

What truly helped was getting in tune with my body. The first time I ever realized this was when I went gluten free after having done an elimination diet when I first started Crossfit. Going gluten free was a game changer. No longer did I have the debilitating cramps that kept me popping ibuprofen and staying in bed! However, this was short lived as I still encountered many of the other symptoms that equally drove me crazy.

Fast forward several years I remember being curled up in a ball and fervently praying to God, the Universe, anyone that would listen. I prayed that I be at peace… for my mind was driving me insane.

Just thinking about the next 14 days was driving me crazy. You see, I was perpetually in a state of being a slave to the thought. A puppet to the PMS gods.

I prayed out of desperation because none of my strategies were working and I didn’t have any more cards up my sleeve to even consider.

I prayed to see things differently. Ultimately, I just prayed for peace. I remember distinctly saying, “I don’t even care if I continue on with these symptoms, I just need the peace.”

In complete and utter surrender I fell asleep and the next morning I decided to walk 4 miles to city center instead of taking the bus. In that moment I realized I was in a different state. I remember to this day that if even an inkling of a PMS related thought (or any negative thought for that matter) crossed my mind I just decided, “Nope, not going to think about that right now.” and I moved on.

And fast forward another few years later – still NO PMS SYMPTOMS. None, nada, zilch, nothing.

I remember in all my 20s saying to God, “If you cure me of this I swear I’ll write a blog post about what happened.”. So here I am fulfilling my promise.

And I can almost hear the disappointment because I of all people very well know by no means is this a sexy cure all. I know first hand how desperately satisfying and exciting it is to have someone say, “I tried X product with X person and my disease is completely gone! I am loving life now!”.

But I need to be completely honest of my own experience – it was what worked for me.

If someone would have told me this story in my early 20s I would have rolled my eyes and said, “Yea, lucky you but that isn’t going to work for me.”.

It wasn’t until years later after becoming an Integrative Life Coach (and years of studying various modalities related to neuroscience) that I realized what I did on my own is an actual thing.

You see, we are playing a movie in our minds eye all the time and what we see is a mere reflection of what we think. We can be at peace right away, symptoms or not, because it isn’t the PMS that is causing us our suffering it is our thought about it.

I just simply changed my thought.

We have become so accustomed to believing our thought is fact when really it’s just a thought. It takes a mental meta-model to truly see the nuances but it can be done. Why do you think mindfulness has made it so big? It’s achieving the same goal of separating thought from fact.

And I get it. It’s not the sexiest cure; but I also understand it’s individual timing. It’s trusting the journey in where you are. It’s the willingness to see things differently and sometimes that willingness only appears when you are so desperate.

Truly this was the moment where I experienced a miracle. I mean, if someone told me I wouldn’t have anymore PMS symptoms the next day I don’t know if I would have believed it.

Again, this was the moment I realized just how powerful our brains truly are.

Were the symptoms real? Of course. But it makes me question (and thus launched me deep into the research of the brain) and why I became an Integrative Life Coach, just how much of the symptoms were caused by the power of my own thoughts vs. my body?

I’ll say it again, through years of my own research I have come to learn that thoughts cause emotions, not the other way around. HOW we look at life, our very own perspective and belief systems, are the very basis of how we will experience life!

This is the true work of personal power. Understanding our very own foundation allows us to become the strong pillars we so desperately seek in our lives.

So whether it is PMS or some other patterned thought/behavior – just recognize that there is possibility in making your experience of the situation completely different.

On that note, I bow deeply to anyone reading this post going through PMS or any other similar situation… your strength, courage, and determination does not go unnoticed.

In deep wellness,

Susan

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Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash

Dreamwork: The Recurring Dream

Unbeknownst to me I’ve been having a recurring dream on and off in a span of a couple of weeks. So how do I know this? Well, somehow in my meditative state this morning I became aware of this recurring dream… and it’s meaning.

First, let me tell you about this dream. Like almost ALL dreams this one is particularly odd 😉 I seem to be running, whether on a treadmill or out on the natural pavement, but every time my left foot hits the hard surface of the ground I notice that the heel edge of the shoe is crinkled from having stepped on it so many times and I am struggling to make sure that with each step I am trying to jam my foot back into the shoe so that it is secure and doesn’t fall off! As you can see, this gets QUITE frustrating…

There’s no conclusion to the dream, just the constant anxiety and pressure to ensure the shoe doesn’t fall off!

Well, guess what? As soon as I became aware of the dream I realized it’s meaning!

It’s all about LETTING GO.

How many times do we try to make something work on our own, OR believe this one way is the only way?

To me, this dream symbolized a few simple, yet deep truths.

  1. I’m reminded that the struggle comes in trying to do it all ourselves. Oftentimes we feel alone in our endeavors and/or our thoughts. We begin to believe we truly are alone and that no one could truly “get” us and our thoughts furthering ourselves from seeking friendship and true understanding of the human experience.
  2. Furthermore, I’m reminded that when we try to control every aspect of the situation in order to get to an expected outcome, this keeps us in a state of suffering and panic. Why? Because there is no way we can control anything outside of us. This includes events, and yes, other human beings.
  3. Lastly, I’m reminded that when we try so hard to achieve the thing we think we want, the desire keeps us in a state of suffering. Will we get it? No one knows. Are we enjoying the journey? Certainly not!

It’s funny, I hadn’t even realized I was having this dream and yet, when I became aware of the dream I instantly became aware of it’s true message. And what a relief!

We all go through moments where we need the reminder, the pep talk, the simple loving touch to remind us of WHO WE REALLY ARE AT OUR ESSENCE. After all, what truly matters in this thing we call life?

I cherish and honor these simple remembrances of what it truly means to be alive, and to awaken me from my shift in perspective so that at the end of the day, I can truly live from a heart of divine love and presence.

May we all cherish the reminders.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Seth Macey on Unsplash

Letting Go Of Mental Shaming

I see a lot of mental shaming that goes on when people can’t seem to make a desired change. Particularly when they don’t understand why all of their efforts and mental willpower doesn’t lead to enact permanent change.

First of all, don’t judge yourself. That is the worst thing you can do in this type of situation. Why? Because it’s not your fault. And trust me, I’ve been there myself where I used to judge and blame myself for failing multiple times in trying to change behavior.

You see, somewhere deep down in your unconscious mind there is still a limiting belief (aka Fear) holding you back. So no matter how hard you try or consciously believe you want the change, there’s still some work involved in trying to get your unconscious to believe it.

Aside from actual behavior, another way we know we are running old belief systems is by taking a closer look at our body. Our bodies store a lot of this hidden emotion; more than we can ever truly know. Try to think of one specific goal you’ve been trying to work on for the past few months or even years. Now, take a moment to be honest and ask yourself, “what event or trigger prevents me from going the last mile?”. You’ll often notice that when you recall a specific moment your body is also reacting to the limiting belief. Whether it tenses up, becomes anxious, angry, etc. your body is only reacting to a running belief system.

Now for the good news: whether you get to the underlying belief system or not is not nearly as important as this one fact – you have the power to change.

As I’ve mentioned before, making permanent change requires you to understand and pinpoint specific moments where desired change should happen and change your response by changing your state. If old belief systems were running our outcomes then it requires a NEW belief system to make new outcomes. What do you need or want to believe so that you don’t run up against the same wall over and over again? How do you need to feel in order to overcome the block? These are just a few key questions you can ask yourself to get started.

Now, having said that though also requires a bit of faith and surrender. After all, if we can’t surrender and/or aren’t willing to see things differently where is the room to consider possibilities? Change? Hope? Where is the room to learn, grow, and be open to greater magic to unfold?

And of course on that note…

Sometimes, surrendering and knowing this is where you need to be for where you are is good enough.

Sometimes, what we need is more compassion and time for the dust to settle.

And sometimes, that is more than good enough.

So be kind to yourself. Trust the process and know when you are ready you have all that you need to make positive change happen. Last but not least, lean in to surrender and faith. Don’t be too tied to a specific outcome. After all, who knows what the Universe might give you instead? 😉

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash

Friday Focus – 12/8/17 {Cherishing The Moments}

Seattle has been absolutely gorgeous this past week, and I hear it’s going to stay this way until next week. This makes my heart skip a beat. If you’ve ever spent a non-rainy day in Seattle you know very well what this might feel like. The fresh, crisp, cool air, the warmth of the sun on your face, clear blue skies, outlined by the evergreens and the cascades everywhere you look. It’s pretty much perfection! Don’t get me wrong, the rainy days can be just as cozy… but as they say you can’t take the sun out of the girl. 😉

Lately, I’ve been cherishing every moment. Finding the good in every moment. Each time I let the pup out in the morning I take a BIG gulp of fresh air. I feel the coolness of the air come into my throat, down my lungs, all the way through to the back of my heart. Then I open my eyes and stare up at the huge evergreen in my backyard and thank God for this moment. I end this small moment in time by standing in awe of what is truly in front of my eyes.

What makes these days even more precious is knowing that these are the last few days of 2017!

I don’t know about you guys but I am all about making each and every moment count; which by the way reminds me of a truly great article by Tim Urban who so eloquently put our time into perspective.

No matter how stressed I am, when I take a moment to truly appreciate our time I am left with immense gratitude. After all, it’s perspective, and a question we can ask ourselves right now is, what lens am I wearing today?

As we approach the end of the year things can get hectic, reallllly hectic. So for this week’s Friday Focus it’s all about cherishing the moments. How can we stay in wonder and gratitude throughout the day? What small, minute moments can we cherish and love knowing this moment is all we have right now?

Here’s to another sun filled weekend, and may we appreciate the stillness that is always present.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Zhifei Zhou on Unsplash

How You React Reflects Your Core Beliefs

Have you ever said one thing but noticed your actions never followed through? Or maybe your body didn’t feel as relaxed or calm as your voice did?

One easy way to know whether your words match your core beliefs is to notice your reactions.

How you REACT is a deep reflection of your CORE BELIEFS.

“She doesn’t bother me anymore” – Yet you feel tense and angry inside

“My fear of big dogs is completely gone” – Yet your body tenses up just a bit every time you see a big dog

“I can’t wait to see you next week!” – Yet your stomach drops and you don’t feel elation like you would a really good friend

“I’m really exited about this new job” – Yet, you don’t feel good deep inside your heart

These are only a few examples but it’s enough to get the gist of the pull quote above. How are you reacting and does your body language and emotions align?

Take a moment to think about one thing you want to happen in your life. Whether that’s to date more people, find that new job, finally get over someone, start a new diet, whatever it is, take a moment to name one thing you are so sure that you want and have wanted for a really long time now.

You have it? Ok, write it down as an affirmation. An example would be, “I have a soul charged career and work with people I love to see every day.”

Once you’ve written your affirmation down, say it out loud. Declare it.

How did that feel in your body? What emotions came up for you? Is there a feeling of doubt? Did you cringe? Did you feel a bit defeated? Or did you feel a smile on your face? Elation? Belief? Trust?

If you felt more of the first category of emotions don’t fret. The point here is not to be disappointed about this, it’s to get excited about it! Yes, excited! Why? Because now you have a clue as to why your deeper, subconscious self doesn’t believe the statement you read aloud.

Take some time to do some pattern recognition work. Look back at the times in your life where you tried to make this change, but ultimately change never happened. In what ways did you sabotage yourself? What are some core limiting beliefs you had in the past that prevented you from following through on the change?

The best way to do this reflection is automatic writing or free flow writing. Get out a note pad, journal and a pen and start writing. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know what to write yet, just begin writing! Repeat the same word over and over again until something flows.

Another way to do this is to write a letter to God, The Universe, or Your Higher Self and then write a response back as if God, The Universe, or Your Higher Self were writing you back. You would be surprised at how easily the answer comes.

You see, the answer is always within us. It doesn’t matter what modality you use, just find the one that works for you.

Throughout these processes you will begin to realize a few core limiting beliefs have been holding you back. Typically these core limiting beliefs sound something like:

  • There’s no such thing as a career I love for me out there
  • I don’t think big dogs can truly be nice or I must attract the scary big dogs
  • I can’t seem to handle anxious emotions very well

Whatever your core limiting belief is you will notice it right away once it begins to come to light, and THIS is what needs to be worked on before change can happen.

Typically, if you are truly ready to break the limiting belief, once you’ve identified what those are for you, you might notice your mind already working and shifting toward positive change. If not, don’t worry, now that you know what your core limiting beliefs are you can work with a trusted friend to create accountability, do some research, listen to podcasts, or reach out to resources such as a therapist or life coach.

This should be exciting and I hope you begin to feel the work of change growing inside you. Once you’re truly ready for change you’ll begin noticing open doors and little hints here and there… follow them.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Andressa Voltolini on Unsplash

You Are A Miracle Machine

“You are a miracle machine. When you get out of your thinking mind and just feel from your heart center the anxiety fades away. Anxiety comes from believing you have done wrong. Because deep down you have blocked the miracle. When you love and see and feel with your heart, anxiety does not exist. Anxiety is a human, ego condition. When you feel it, drop into your heart and believe in miracles. Come up to your natural state; your higher, true state. No one can hurt you. Only you can hurt you. You are the powerful one. Make it so.“

Photo by Kristopher Roller on Unsplash

Understanding Your Power

Do you actually know how powerful you are? How much light is within you? How beautifully perfect you are? How your soul is the perfect creation of this much grander piece of art that we are all connected to?

When we understand what is truly important, we have a means of accessing this at any time. Especially during the moments we need it most.

Any emotion other than Love is fear. Fear of loss, shame, embarrassment… even anger, jealousy, anxiety… these are all emotions that lead to the ROOT of what it means to be human – the need to be loved and accepted.

What tends to keep us in this state of fear is like a dense, murky fog that hasn’t been lifted yet. If we can realize we already ARE the love and acceptance we are searching for and in need of the fog suddenly fades. You can see the light that was always there, hidden from your view.

Trust where you are. It is showing you something… Feel all the feels, follow through on your emotion, then look to see the hidden gift. Was it to strengthen your faith? Was it to strengthen your knowledge? Was it to reaffirm your own light? Time and time again, there is a gift in every situation but only you can find it.

So, after you read this post take a moment and close your eyes, and when you do feel into your heart. What do you notice? What is it whispering to you? Listen to your heart and don’t forget your light.

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Anthony Intraversato on Unsplash

Friday Focus – 12/1/17 {Living With Complacency Or Finally Making CHANGE!}

I am beyond excited about a couple of things. For one, it’s DECEMBER. To be honest, I didn’t really feel like it was the holidays just yet. But something hit me yesterday… maybe it was all the neighborhood decorations, the overall mood of this city, or sitting at Starbucks reading Peter Levine’s Trauma and Memory while Christmas music was playing in the background. Either way, I am FEELING IT and excited to give this last month of 2017 100%.

Second of all, it’s Friday Focus and today – I wanted to talk about something that I have been feeling passionate about ALL WEEK. Clearly I have a lot of passion in general these days given the number of CAPS I’ve been using so far in this post 😉

Ok, so for this week’s Friday Focus I wanted to talk about PATTERNS.

Yes, I write about patterns – a lot. But what I want to drive home today, especially since a lot of people will be reflecting on this past year and working on New Year resolutions, is the idea around pattern recognition and why change ensues (or doesn’t).

Can we for one moment have a come to Jesus moment about our patterns? It’s one thing to say, “Oh yea, I kind of do that don’t I?” and grin at your friend, it’s a complete other thing when you actually recognize the pattern and the EFFECT it has on your life and most importantly the outcome.

Which outcome, or area in your life are you unsatisfied with? You see it every single year and yet, no change. Why? No really, WHY?

Scrutinize your patterns. There is an underlying emotion that is prohibiting you from stepping forward and making progress. Did you know that?

Often times, we say we want to make change in our lives and yet, we know deep, deep down we won’t do anything about it. And to be honest, that’s ok.

You see, we have to be completely READY for change to actually happen. No matter how hard you consciously try, if your subconscious doesn’t believe you, then unfortunately change won’t happen.

I actually LOVE telling people this because it’s the wakeup call that everyone needs to hear to A) either come to peace with the complacency and stop the mental shaming or B) grit their teeth and believe it to their bones that they are actually ready for CHANGE.

Isn’t that empowering? I mean, either way…. Now the power is truly in your hands!

Ok, this was sort of a love rant because I truly do care. I mean hey, we’ve all been there where we wanted to see change in one area of our life but couldn’t figure out why. This is one big hint as to why that might be the case!

When you have a moment to reflect, jot down the patterns. See where you are held up, where things aren’t flowing, and try to understand yourself a little more. It’s the one small step toward change you can make today before understanding the type of change agent you need to seek 💗

In deep wellness,

Susan

Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

 

There Is No Order Of Difficulty In Miracles

“There is no order of difficulty in miracles.”

~A Course In Miracles

This post will be short but hopefully it’s importance and truth will impact you nonetheless.

Have you ever felt a miracle? Felt or seen a complete 180 and wondered how did that happen? Perhaps you were witness to a miracles by a family member, friend or co-worker. Or perhaps you know deep down that you’ve experienced a miracle before in your life but have lost faith in miracles appearing in other areas of your life.

A Course In  Miracles says there is no order of difficulties in miracles. So how can we believe in miracles but not have faith in one specific area(s) of our lives? Remember, the mind cannot believe in both, it only believes in one.

Which belief is running dominance in your life today? The one of miracles or the one of fear?

Take careful inventory of where you have doubt, worry, and fear in your life. Write it down, burn it, and declare faith in miracles and surrender all outcome. When has doubt, worry, and fear every worked? If you look back in your life wasn’t in complete surrender and blind faith when new doors opened or things magically worked out?

This post may be slightly different than the NLP based posts but the one thought of having a split mind (believing in both fear and miracles, which doesn’t exist by the way) struck me so hard this morning I needed to share and remind – If you’ve ever believed in miracles then you know it to be true in ALL areas of your life. 

What miracle are you waiting for?

In miracles,

Susan