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Many I's In Me Part 3 - Blessings

12/12/2019

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​Many I's In Me

I tremble as Older reveals her mystery -
There are many I's in me -
All beholder and what I see
May none of them be the judge of me
Picture

Welcome to Many I's In Me Part 3 - Blessings

In Part 1 - The Courage to Feel, I talked about the judgment I, the young child placed on I, the early adolescent. I encourage you to read part 1 now if you haven't already or if you would like a refresher.

In Part 2 - From Surviving To Thriving!, I talked about the judgment I, the mid-life adult, judged the I, the young adult's, passion for romance.  I encourage you to read part 2 now if you haven't already or if you would like a refresher.

Recall from Parts 1 and 2:

I, the mid-life adult, judged the I, the young adult's, passion for romance to be the cause of all my past, present, and future suffering, and so locked it into a box with no intention of release.

A newcomer, I, the second-half-of-life adult, has found the key to the lock box and is circulating a petition for clemency, which as you might imagine, is  seriously rocking my boat.

All the I's in me are happy to tell you that the petition for clemency  circulated by I, the second-half-of-life adult, has been signed unanimously.

 I am, for the first time in 17 years, open to having a romantic relationship.


My sexuality coach (yes, there is such thing) said that we attract what we are ready for, and I have found that to be true, I did indeed attract a romantic relationship into my life shortly after became open to having one, and the experience has enriched my life more than I could have imagined.

The biggest blessing has been realizing that I have healed. Triggers have come up, and I have handled them without getting the present confused with the past. Intense feelings of longing and passion have come up also, but I did not let them cloud my judgment as before. It was not that I choose to let them cloud my judgment before, but that I had neither the self-knowledge or self-love to prevent them doing so. 

I've had two more experiences that I believe are related.

Shortly before Thanksgiving I was luxuriating in a hot bath, one of my favorite ways to relax. I often listen to music or an audio book while soaking, but I opted not to this time. Into the quiet of my mind came the sound of my father's spirit saying, " I am so PROUD of you!" I do not know if my father was alive or dead at the time, but I do know it was his spirit that said these words. This beautiful experience enabled me to realize that even people who choose to use their mind and body for monstrous cruelty and harm have spirits that are innately good and infinitely loving.

When I shared this experience with my mother, she asked which part of me heard the message. "All" I replied. "All the I's In Me."

To understand the second experience, I need to tell you a dream I had about 30 years ago in which I opened my mouth and all my teeth instantly and painlessly fell out. Out of curiosity, I researched the symbolism of teeth falling out in dreams, and found one possible meaning was that teeth represented ideas or ways of thinking and teeth falling out symbolized letting go of these ideas. Whether you agree with this interpretation in unimportant for the purpose of this inspiration. What is important is that this is the interpretation I made of the dream. 
 
After I heard my father's spirit tell me he was proud of me, all my teeth fell out. I instantly and effortlessly let go of my anger and hatred towards him. I didn't need them because they didn't serve me anymore.

This blessed release enabled me to do what I once thought impossible - forgive him.

What teeth are you holding in your head?

Do they serve you? if not, are ready to let them go?

If the answer is yes, reach out to me!
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Many I's In Me Part 2 - From Surviving to Thriving!

10/6/2019

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Picture
​Many I's In Me

I tremble as Older reveals her mystery -
There are many I's in me -
All beholder and what I see
May none of them be the judge of me
​
Welcome to Many I's In Me Part 2 - From Surviving To Thriving! 

In Part 1 - The Courage to Feel, I talked about the judgment I, the young child placed on I, the early adolescent. I encourage you to read part 1 now if you haven't already or if you would like a refresher.

Now I will tell you about another judgment among the many I's of me, the consequences of this judgment, and the benefit of releasing it.

I, the mid-life adult, judged the I, the young adult's, passion for romance to be the cause of all my past, present, and future suffering, and so locked it into a box with no intention of release.

In doing so, I, the mid-life adult, created a block, specifically, an assumption block.

A block is something that restricts you. An assumption block is created by the belief that what has happened will happen again.

What had happened was a string of toxic romantic relationships, each resulting in devastating emotional, psychological, and spiritual wounds for all the I's in me.

I, the mid-life adult assumed that continuing to pursue romantic relationships would bring more of the same.

Recall from Part 1:

All of the I's in me have lived peacefully and happily ever since - until recently,

A newcomer, I, the second-half-of-life adult, has found the key to the lock box and is circulating a petition for clemency, which as you might imagine, is  seriously rocking my boat.


How can coaching steady the boat?

If I were coaching a client on clearing the assumption block, I would ask, "What's different about you now from you then?"

The answer to this question for me is that my intent is different.

Previously, I wanted a romantic relationship to heal my wounds, to fill the hole I felt inside, and to bring me joy that I believed I could not experience within myself. Now I heal my wounds. I have experienced joy within myself that I had not known possible.

My life is rich, but now I want it to be richer. My intent now is to live life fully with every part of myself.

All the I's in me are happy to tell you that the petition for clemency  circulated by I, the second-half-of-life adult, has been signed unanimously.

What is the benefit of releasing this assumption block?

Well, I'll tell you. The last obstacle on my path from surviving to thriving has dissolved. I am, for the first time in 17 years, open to having a romantic relationship.

How about you?

Is there a situation from your past that you fear experiencing again? 

Do you avoid the possibility of being in the same situation because you assume the experience will be the same?

If so, what is different about you now from you then?

How does this new you change the possible outcomes ?

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts! Write to me!
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Many I's In Me                                         Part I - The Courage To Feel

8/10/2019

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​Many I's In Me

I tremble as Older reveals her mystery -
There are many I's in me -
All beholder and what I see
May none of them be the judge of me


I focus my coaching on women who were sexually abused as children.

In this vein, I have chosen a poem about a powerful insight into my own journey.

Let's take a look at the first two lines of the poem:

I tremble as Older reveals her mystery -
There are many I's in me


When my repressed memories of incest surfaced at age 37, I became aware that there were two parts of the self I know as me - two I's in me. One was the subconscious part of me that experienced the trauma, and the other was part of me that split off so I could survive to adulthood.

In time, I became aware of other I's in me, each formed in a different stage of my physical, cognitive, and emotional development. For example:

I, the young child endured the violations by clenching teeth, tensing every muscle, and curling up desperately in a fetal position. I now wake from deep sleep furiously kicking away the sadistic monster of a father in my dreams.

I, the early adolescent, now believing that sex is love, embraced that same father as a lover.

I, the young adult, invested body, mind, and spirit in every chance of a romantic relationship, subjecting all the other I's in me to repeated emotional devastation. (You can learn more about the mindset of the young adult me in my The One blog post.)

Seventeen years ago, I, the mid-life adult, judged this passion for romance to be the cause of all my suffering, locked it in a steel box. and threw away the key. (For the story of the straw that broke the camel's back, read my Insight To Opportunities blog post.)

All of the I's in me have lived peacefully and happily ever since - until recently,

A newcomer, I, the second-half-of-life adult, has found the key to the lock box and is circulating a petition for clemency, which as you might imagine, is  seriously rocking my boat.

All these I's in me are aware of each other, which is what I mean by this line:

All beholder and what I see

Each also judges the others through the lens of their unique perspective  This is the meaning of the last line:

May none of them be the judge of me

For example, the young child me judges my adolescent self for embracing my father as a lover because, from her perspective, it is a heinous betrayal. 

This judgment is founded in the belief that if I had not had a sexual awakening, better still, if I had not been a sexual being, I would not have abandoned the few defenses available to me, most importantly, the will to say, "No!" with every ounce of my mind and body.

My poem "Puberty For Me" describes the experience of losing that will:

Puberty For Me

All my defenses -
       All my clenched teeth,
       All my tightened muscles,
       My fetal position cling

Opened with a string


If I were coaching a client on releasing judgment, I would ask, "How does this judgment benefit you?"

The simple answer to this question for me is that the judgment of my adolescent self as a traitor allows me to avoid feeling powerless.

I would rather endure life-long hatred of my adolescent self than accept that I was powerless against a predator who knew full well how to manipulate my sexual awakening to his advantage.

To do so would allow the horror of the powerlessness to come to the surface. I would have to feel it consciously.

In all my experience, nothing has felt worse than powerlessness in the face of violation, and its remembrance is always  at least partially obscured by the fantasy of going back in time and changing the circumstances.

My poem "Powerless" captures this best.

Powerless

There are no tears for the crying inside
No screams for the too terrified
No blows for rage trapped in mind prisons
No trip back in time to turn tables on these visions


I have spoken in my Feeling Is Healing blog post about the power and importance of holding space for emotions. When I experienced the powerlessness as a child, it was too much for me. My mind exploded, and I left consciousness.

I was not able to hold space for the feeling then, but that is what I must do as an adult in order to move forward.

And so I set my intent  and asked for the spiritual support to find the courage to move forward - the courage to feel.

The night I made this commitment to myself, I could not sleep. I was anxious without knowing why, and no attempt at relaxation worked. The next day I was nauseous and of course very tired. I laid down to take a nap.

Again, sleep did not come, but the feelings came - came like a flood. There was no question of holding space for them because they filled all space, all sense, all being.

I tell you the experience was so intensely painful that I wished I were dead.

When the pain ended, I was physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually exhausted... and yet ... glad to be alive...  and free of fear.

My passion now is to help other women who were sexually abused as children. I want my pain, my struggle. my insights, my training, and my poetry to serve as channels of empowerment for other women walking this path.. 

The pursuit of pleasure is not enough to make my life worth living
Absent service, there is no purpose - my heart is empty without giving

Continue to Part 2 - From Surviving to Thriving!
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Healing Is An Iterative Process

7/1/2019

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Healing is an iterative process -
a progressive probing hex
The first step is agony,
followed by a rest
Successive steps improve by the Delta -
Agony minus x

I began healing from sexual abuse when my repressed memories surfaced in 2004. For over two years I was in an iterative process of healing.

The iterations consisted of recovering deeper and deeper memories, processing the memories, and grieving for the child I was.

In the poem I call this process a progressive probing hex ,

The first step of allowing myself to experience the memory was the most painful, which is why I say The first step is agony. 

After this first step, I was able to emotionally come up for air briefly, which is what I mean by followed by a rest.

Then, the next iteration would begin. Each iteration yielded a small degree of healing and reduction in pain.

Successive steps improve by the Delta -

To explain this stanza, I will teach you some math.

In mathematical terms, Delta, symbolized by Δ, means a change in a quantity. The quantity in the poem is the agony of the healing process - the progressive probing hex. With each iteration, the amount of agony decreases, which I consider an improvement.

Let's look at the last line:

Agony minus x

An amount that varies is represented by a letter, most often the letter x. The "x" in the  poem represents the amount of the improvement, which varies depending on how much healing has occurred in an iteration.

In 2009 I published The Way of Reckoning, a poetry book about the experience of remembering and healing from the abuse.
At the end of the introduction to this book I wrote, "If you have not experienced sexual abuse, I offer this book as insight into the mind and soul of someone who has walked that path and come out on the other side."

I laugh at this now because since then, I have repeated the cycle I experienced in 2004 several times. Each time I was less debilitated than before and recovered more quickly, but I was not completely through the healing process. I am still in that process.

I want to draw your attention to the value of my commitment to hold space for my agony throughout this extended repetitive process. I've talked about holding space before in the Feeling is Healing Inspiration.

When my clients hold space for their feelings, we can then explore possible connections between unhealed wounds and limiting beliefs blocking progress in the present. With this new awareness, the door opens to breaking through the blocks. 

Are you facing blocks in your life?

Would you like to explore the possibility these blocks are connected to unhealed wounds?

Are you willing to hold space to feel these wounds?

Reach out to me!
​
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Buy Your Ticket!

6/27/2019

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I Sought
 
I sought friends
Friends surround me

I sought relationship
Relationship found me
 
I sought love
Love becomes me

​Everyone knows that you must buy at least one ticket to win the lottery, but I have heard many people who never buy tickets tell me what they would do if they won.

Personally, I don't buy lottery tickets because I don't see them as a good investment. I would rather purchase a certainty in the now than a chance in the future. However, there is value in the concept of taking action to bring your dreams into reality.

For some, buying a ticket means investing money, for others investing time and effort. Sometimes buying a ticket is as simple as accepting an unexpected opportunity. The most challenging (and rewarding) means is to  summon up the courage to disregard the message in your head that says what you want is just not gonna happen.

I'll give you examples from recent events in my life.

I sought friends
Outside my family, I have one friend with whom I spend time regularly. As much as I enjoy her company, I have wanted more friends in my life for some time.

When I was working in the corporate world, I developed friendships with coworkers that I wanted to grow beyond the limits of the work day. When I suggested this to my friends, they were too busy to fit time into their schedule, or they expressed interest in the idea, but would not commit to setting a time and place,

I have a similar situation at my gym, where I have a wonderful community of friends. Our time together is limited to coincidences of being at the gym at the same time. I asked if they would be interested in getting together outside the gym, but I had no takers.

I was frustrated because I didn't know what else to try. 

Recently, I went to a party where I did not know any other guests.  When I asked if I could join a group of guests who were talking animatedly with each other, one of them said yes. I did not see a natural opportunity to join the conversation, so I sat quietly.

When a husband and wife couple started  collecting their cups and plates, the usual signs  of getting ready to leave, I felt disappointed that I had not met them.  I felt I was missing an opportunity to possibly meet new friends. They had not spoken to me, and  I was hesitant to speak to them because I was thinking something that I often think in similar situations, which is that people who have not talked to me do not want to talk to me.

However, I decided to  take a chance by introducing myself. I am so glad I did because we had an enjoyable conversation in which we discovered that we had much in common. By the end of the day, I was friends with them on Facebook and invited the wife to get together for lunch. We are having lunch together next weekend!

I then introduced myself to other guest at the table who turned out to be relatives of the host of the party. I had a great conversation with them too.

This experience built my confidence, so I introduce myself to other guests, to see what other doors of opportunity would open.

I met a woman who turned out to be a docent at two local museums. When I told her a friend and I were planning to go to one of these museums this week, she offered to show us around. I took her up on this offer, and the three of us had a wonderful time!  We made plans to meet again at the other museum where my friend is a docent.

I bought my ticket, I took a chance, and I won!

I sought friends,
Friends surround me


The investment I made was three fold:
  • Effort to go to the party
  • Effort to ask to join a group of guests
  • Courage to ignore the discouraging thought that the people I wanted to meet didn't want to meet me

I sought relationship
As I said earlier, I had reached out to friends at the gym to extend our friendship beyond the gym with no success. Although there were gym community events like happy hour at a bar or a tattoo party, but I didn't feel comfortable in these atmospheres, so I didn't go.

I had given up on this endeavor, when I happened to ask one of my gym friends if he had eaten at any of the organic restaurants in town. I had found some online and wondered if he had an opinion on them.
He said he didn't know there were any, so I told him the name of one.

I got a wonderful surprise! He said he loved that place, and asked if I'd like to go there with him. I accepted, of course!

I had lunch with him and his wife, another wonderful gym friend, at the restaurant. We had a great time and are going to other restaurants in the future. I am excited to develop these friendships into relationships beyond the physical space of the gym.

I sought relationship
Relationship found me


I bought my ticket, which was simply to accept the unexpected invitation.

I sought love
Something else I wanted more of in my life is opportunities to love and be loved. As you may know, I have homeless friends to whom I give money. I wanted to reach them in more ways, so I started bringing them food and hygiene supplies. I sat with them and listened to their stories and their struggles. I made new friends and strengthened existing friendships.

I learned that one of my friends was in jail for three months. I wanted to send him something meaningful other than money, so I sent my poem "Touched," in which I mention him by name. You can read this poem in my blog,  Choose Who You Want To Be .

This was of course the opportunity to love more that I was seeking, but I also received love that I was not expecting.

On separate occasions, I ran into two homeless friends I had not seen in months. I was very happy to see them and told them so. They said they were happy to see me too, and much to my surprise, said they had been worried about me because they hadn't seen me for so long.

They were worried about me!

They, who live day-to-day, hand-to-mouth, were worried about me!

I want to reiterate that I ran into these homeless friends, who do not know each other, on separate occasions and separate locations.

I am honored by and cherish this unexpected love.

I bought my ticket - I loved.

I sought love,
Love becomes me


What dreams you have for your life?

What are you willing to invest to bring them into reality?

Buy your ticket!

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts!
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Choose Who You Want To Be

6/14/2019

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Touched
 
I keep a jar of mayo in my fridge
not for sandwiches, but for
my homeless friends
who wade humbly into lanes of stopped traffic
carrying small cardboard signs
 
I am touched by their circumstances, call them over
"What's your name," I ask
Everyone tells me their name -
Ron, Susan, JW, Sara, Donald, Reggie, Dominic, Terry, Daniel…
"I'm Joyce," I say as I reach my right arm out to shake hands -
hands cut, calloused, cracked, caring, kind
With my left, I hand the bill -
"I hope this helps you"
Sometimes I am rewarded with a hug, a head touch, a kiss -
Always, "Thank you," Always, "God bless" -
 
They look at me as if I am an angel
and I feel like one -
I know I have met God on the street!
 
The mayo is a home remedy for hair-sharing
an inconvenience for a night
In exchange for heart-sharing,
I gladly pay the price

I used to be extremely uncomfortable when I saw the ragged people with their cardboard signs walking through stopped traffic. As they approached my car, I squirmed, hoping the light would turn green so I could drive on before they reached me.

I dreaded making eye contact because it was then that I felt most keenly the disparity between the prosperity of my life and the poverty of theirs. I felt guilty because of this disparity.

I got past this mental block when I realized that I did not need to feel guilty for the disparity between my prosperity and their poverty. Although I saw the disparity as unjust, I was not responsible for its existence. 

I chose to become a person who neither accepts responsibility for suffering I did not create, nor turns a blind eye to it. This is my True Self.

The foundation principle below captures my transformation:

Each moment describes who we are and gives us the opportunity to decide if that's who we want to be.

Letting go of the guilt enabled me to look at these human beings on the fringe of society - to make eye contact, to touch and be touched by them. 

This poem "Touched"  describes the many ways and levels at which my homeless friends and I touch each other's lives.

I feel emotionally touched:

I am touched by their circumstances

We give and receive physical and emotional touch :

"I'm Joyce," I say as I reach my right arm to shake hands

Sometimes I am rewarded with a hug, a head touch, a kiss -


We give and receive spiritual touch:

They look at me as if I am an angel and I feel like one -
I know I have me God on the street!



Is there something blocking you from being or even seeing your True Self?

Do you have moments when you want to be a different person, but feel trapped by the person you have been?

Each moment offers the possibility to change - to see and be your True Self.

As always, I love to hear your thoughts!
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Journey To Self-Esteem Part Four - Silencing The Gremlin

5/25/2019

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Picture
dont-should-all-over-yourself.html Sin-Sick Soul
​
Sometimes whisper, Sometimes shout
Always fear, Always doubt
This voice inside I can’t block out
 
To the world I show a face 
Of confidence, Of poise and grace
These things are real, But only part
What’s in my soul, What’s in my heart
 
If I don’t edit, They’ll find out
Confirm my shame and my doubt
Once again I’ll hide my face
I’ll be put back in my place
 
Who am I to ask so much?
For love, affection, Human touch
To happiness I have no right
Cease my song - Put out my light
 
Who I am is an offense
Is the message I receive
Despite opposing evidence,
That’s the message I believe

Welcome to Journey To Self-Esteem Part 4 - Silencing The Gremlin.
If you have not read parts 1, 2, and 3 or would like a refresher, click the links below:
Part 1 - Mirror, Mirror On The Wall
Part 2 - Self-Discrimination
Part 3 - The Things People Say
I wrote  "Sin-Sick Soul"at a low point in my life - at low point in my self-esteem. I rated myself a 1 on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is "I am worthless" and 10 is "I am awesome!"

I was in the shadow's lair. 

To read more about the self-esteem scale and the shadow's lair, review Part 3-.The Things People Say.

I chose "Sin-Sick Soul" for this inspiration to introduce the concept of the gremlin -the inner critic we all have.

The title of the poem is inspired by the song Balm in Gilead by Sweet Honey in the rock. I encourage you to listen to it.


Below is  a brief scenario in which I use a coaching technique designed to coach a client how to silence their gremlin:

Coach: “What do you want to work on in the session today?”
Client: “I want to work on my discomfort with social relationships. I am anxious about talking to people.”

Coach: What do you do when you are presented with the opportunity to go to social events?
Client: I avoid them.

Coach: “What social experiences have caused anxiety in the past?”
Client: “I’ve struggled with having meaningful conversations in social settings. I’m worried that people will criticize what I say.”

Coach: “What are you thinking about yourself when you are in social situations?”
Client: “Nobody wants to hear what I say.”

Coach: “This message comes from your inner critic, also known as a gremlin. How do you feel when you think 'Nobody wants to hear what I say'?"
Client: “I feel a lump in my throat and tightness in my stomach.”

Coach: “That’s dissonance you feel. The dissonance comes from the gremlin’s battle with your True Self - the part of you that knows the truth.”
Client: "What is my True Self?"

Coach: "Your True Self is a perfect, powerful, and unique spiritual being. Your True Self is the person you were at your birth. Our gremlin is usually created  in childhood to convince us to hide our True Self from others and even our conscious mind.

Think back to the first time you heard this gremlin message. What was going on in your life? You don't need to share the memory with me. Just bring it to mind."
Client: "OK, I've got it."

Coach: "This criticism may serve us in childhood, but hold us back as an adult. For example, your gremlin message that no one wants to hear what you say may have protected you from danger that you were too young to handle.

Think back again to the first time you heard the message. How did the gremlin protect or serve you? Again, you do not need to share the specifics with me."

Client: "I never thought that this message ever helped me. It just seemed to put me down, but now I do see how it protected me."

Coach: "I've written a poem about my gremlin that I would like to share with you. Would you like to hear it?"

Client: "Yes."

Coach: "The title of the poem is 'Sin-Sick Soul.' The beginning of the poem describes the gremlin message and how I responded to it."

To the world I show a face 
Of confidence, Of poise and grace

These things are real, But only part
What’s in my soul, What’s in my heart
 
If I don’t edit, They’ll find out
Confirm my shame and my doubt
Once again I’ll hide my face
I’ll be put back in my place


Who am I to ask so much?
For love, affection, Human touch
To happiness I have no right
Cease my song - Put out my light


Coach: "What are your thoughts about the poem?"
Client: "I can relate to it. It describes feelings I haven't been able to put into words."

Coach: "Although you no longer need this message to protect you, the gremlin continues to repeat it because the gremlin is stuck in the past. As long as you continue to listen to and act on its message, you will also be stuck in the past. You will discount or discredit all experiences and evidence contrary to the gremlin message. 
The last part of the poem describes this phenomenon:


Who I am is an offense
Is the message I receive
Despite opposing evidence,
That’s the message I believe


The way to silence a gremlin is to bring the message into the light to evaluate it objectively to determine if the message is serving you or holding you back.

When your thoughts and actions are aligned with your True Self, you will no longer feel a lump in your throat and tightness in my your stomach in social situations. Y
our body will feel relaxed because you are at peace with yourself"
Client: “Do you mean I can choose which voice to listen to and act on?”
​

Coach: “Exactly! Congratulations on gaining this insight! You've just raised your level of consciousness! This doesn't mean you'll  never hear the gremlin message again, but you can always silence the message by choosing to listen to the voice of your true self."

This concludes this week's inspiration. 
As always, I would love to hear from you!
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Journey To Self-Esteem Part Three -         The Things People Say

5/19/2019

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Picture
We walk the fence of self-esteem
our faces toward the sun, but never leaping there
It's all we can do to keep our feet on the beam -
avoid the shadow's lair
Welcome to part 3 of Journey to Self -Esteem - The Things People Say.

If you have not read part 1 or part 2 or would like a refresher, click the links below:
Part 1 - Mirror , Mirror on the Wall

Part 2 - Self-Discrimination

I have repeated the explanation of the poem.

If you would like to jump right to the new stuff in part 3, click here.

In each part of this inspiration, I will address one of the many aspects that affect self-esteem.

First I'll explain the untitled poem.

Have you heard the saying, "I'm on the fence about this?"

Being on the fence refers to choosing not to take a side or stance on an issue or opinion. Getting off the fence would require literally standing on the ground on one side of the fence.  Figuratively speaking it means to take a stand by expressing an opinion of support for one of two opposite beliefs.

Let's take a look at the first line of the poem.

We walk the fence of self-esteem

To walk the fence of self-esteem is to be non-committal about our self-worth.
If we're on the fence, we don't feel bad about ourselves but we don't feel good about ourselves either.

Let's take a look at the second line of the poem.

Our faces toward the sun, but never leaping there

Have you heard the admonition "Look where you're going!" from someone you've bumped into accidentally because you were looking somewhere other than the direction you were moving. 

Likewise, it necessary to look where we want to go in order to set off on the journey to get there.

In the poem, "pointing our faces toward the sun" means setting our intention to take the journey toward high self-esteem. To leap there is an expression of enthusiasm and commitment to the journey. Never to leap there, to continue to walk the fence, is to enslave  ourselves to the world of "yes, but...

Let's take a look at the next line of the poem.

It's all we can do to keep our feet on the beam

A therapist once told me that people usually seek therapy because they are in pain. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is the most pain imaginable and 10 is happy, many people stay in therapy until they reach a 5 and then quit because they're feeling better. They see the goal of reaching a 10 as either impossible or unnecessary.

"The beam" is the top rail of the fence of self-esteem, and to keep our feet on the beam is to settle for a 5 out of 10.

Let's look at the last line of the poem.

Avoid the shadow's lair.

The shadow's lair is that dark place where painful feelings reside unexamined by the light. I am speaking of feelings such as worthlessness, shame, guilt, incompetence, or insignificance.
Please add any I haven't listed that come from your experience. 

If your self-esteem is in the 1 to 4 range, you are in the shadow's lair.


Whether you are in the shadow's lair, on the fence with your face toward the sun, or leaping there, I can help you on your journey.

Read on!



Have you ever been angry and wouldn't let it go even when the issue seemed to be resolved?

Did you ever ask yourself what was behind your anger?
I don't mean the specific circumstance that sparked your anger.
I'm referring to the belief about yourself at the root of it.

Well I have, quite recently, and what I discovered is the topic of Journey to Self-Esteem Part 3 - The Things People Say 

I had been working with a doctor for months to treat insomnia After trying one sleep aid after another to no avail, my doctor enrolled me in a two-week sleep study.

I did not sleep at all the first night and I slept only two hours the following morning. The second night I once again did not sleep a wink followed by three hours sleep the next morning. The third night and morning were the same.

You can imagine the state of my mental and physical health at this point. I was too tired to drive safely, I couldn't focus my eyes well enough to read, and my abilities to reason and focus my attention were severely curtailed. These effects of sleep deprivation are the reason it has taken me two weeks to write this inspiration.

In desperation, I asked my doctor to prescribe a sedative that had previously enabled me to sleep. He refused - said that a pill was not the solution. 

" Two or three hours a night is ok," he said. "You're fine."

I passed a fourth sleepless night. By morning, I was livid.

I told my doctor I wanted a different doctor and that I was going to engage a patient advocate to express my dissatisfaction with the treatment I received from him.

In a short time I found a new doctor, so the there was really no point in engaging a patient advocate to get better medical treatment from my old doctor, but I wasn't satisfied.

I was angry, and I wanted to stay angry. I wanted my old doctor  to be reprimanded. I wanted another doctor to state for the record my old doctor was actually harming me by refusing to prescribe a sedative. 

Now, I am rarely angry, and even more rarely cling to anger when the object of my anger is no longer in my life.

My natural curiosity led me to wonder why I was holding on to the anger toward my old doctor. It wasn't to get different medical care - there was something more behind it. 

One of the great benefits of coaching is that you can learn to coach yourself. Thanks to the great coaching I received from my life coach, I was able to do just that.

I recognized that my anger was fueled by level 2 energy.

My core thought was conflict, my core emotion was anger, and the result was defiance.

I was in a win/lose, right/wrong mindset.
If he doesn't give me a sedative, he wins, and I lose.
If he isn't reprimanded for refusing to prescribe a sedative, he's right, and I'm wrong.

I must win and I must be right!

If you would like to read more about level 2 energy, click the links below to my blogs on this subject:

I've Seen The World From Both Sides Now
Sharing Tree Part 1

I asked myself questions I would ask a client:

What does being right mean to me?
Answer: Being right means my point of view is valid

What does being wrong mean to me?
Answer: Being wrong means that my point of view is invalid.

What does winning mean to me?
Answer: Winning means getting my needs met because they are valid (right). For example, I would win if my old doctor prescribed the sedative because I convinced him that my need for 8 hours sleep per night is valid.
I would also win If another doctor supported my claim that I need 8 hours per night and should be given a sedative to ensure this need was met.

What does losing mean to me?
Answer: Losing means not getting my needs met because they are invalid (wrong). For example, when my doctor said that I was fine and that 3 hours of sleep per night was ok, this meant that my need for 8 hours sleep per night was invalid (wrong).
Likewise, if another doctor agreed with my old doctor, I would lose. 

If I were speaking with a client, I would say, "Talk more about that."

Sleep deprivation has been a trigger for me my whole life
  • My father attacked me almost always at night, which added the trauma of sleep deprivation to the trauma of the abuse.
  • In the military, getting enough sleep was secondary to completing the mission.
  • In graduate school, getting enough sleep was secondary to studying and completing assignments on time.
  • In the teaching world, getting enough sleep was secondary to teaching classes on time.
  • In the corporate world, getting enough sleep was secondary to meeting deadlines and putting in a minimum number of work hours.

When I left the corporate world, the first thing I did was turn off the alarms on my clock radio. I slept until I was rested everyday. I was thrilled to be able to put sleep first without risking that another important need would not be met as a consequence.

Now I feel I have to fight to meet my need for sleep.  All the solutions available to me no longer work, and the solution that has worked, the sedative, is not available to me.
This situation took me back to all the times when I had to sacrifice sleep to fulfill a duty or meet another's expectation.

I once again heard the message that my needs are invalid - not worthy of attention.

I couldn't tell you where I was on the self-esteem scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is "I am worthless," and 10 is "I am awesome," because I was waiting for someone else to tell me what to think.

When my old doctor denied my claim that I need 8 hours of sleep per night, I was at about a 2 on the self-esteem scale. When I thought about a new doctor supporting my point of view, I was at a 9.
When I thought of my old doctor being reprimanded for poor treatment of me, I was at a 10.

"Hmm...," I thought. "Things people say strongly impact my self-esteem - especially things people in positions of authority say, and especially about aspects of myself I have been insecure about all my life."

It's time for me to decide what to think of myself independent of what others say. I don't need to defer to others' opinions to decide what to think of myself, and I don't need others' opinions to support my self-esteem.

I like support and affirmation. Who doesn't?
But, I know who I am and what I'm worth because I'm the expert on me.

Let me get on that scale again - 10! 

As always, I love to hear your thoughts!

Want to continue the journey? Read Part 4 - Silencing the Gremlin

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Journey To Self-Esteem Part Two -   Self-Discrimination

5/5/2019

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Picture
We walk the fence of self-esteem
our faces toward the sun, but never leaping there
It's all we can do to keep our feet on the beam -
avoid the shadow's lair

Welcome to part 2 of Journey to Self -Esteem - Self-Discrimination
In each part of my Journey to Self-Esteem inspiration, I will address one of the many aspects that affect self-esteem.
​

If you have not read part 1 or would like a refresher, click here

I have repeated the explanation of the poem from part 1.

If you would like to jump right to the new stuff in part 2, click the button below.
Jump to New Stuff in Part 2
First I'll explain the untitled poem.

Have you heard the saying, "I'm on the fence about this?"

Being on the fence refers to choosing not to take a side or stance on an issue or opinion. Getting off the fence would require literally standing on the ground on one side of the fence.  Figuratively speaking it means to take a stand by expressing an opinion of support for one of two opposite beliefs.

Let's take a look at the first line of the poem.

We walk the fence of self-esteem

To walk the fence of self-esteem is to be non-committal about our self-worth.
If we're on the fence, we don't feel bad about ourselves but we don't feel good about ourselves either.

Let's take a look at the second line of the poem.

Our faces toward the sun, but never leaping there

Have you heard the admonition "Look where you're going!" from someone you've bumped into accidentally because you were looking somewhere other than the direction you were moving. 

Likewise, it necessary to look where we want to go in order to set off on the journey to get there.

In the poem, "pointing our faces toward the sun" means setting our intention to take the journey toward high self-esteem. To leap there is an expression of enthusiasm and commitment to the journey. Never to leap there, to continue to walk the fence, is to enslave  ourselves to the world of "yes, but...

Let's take a look at the next line of the poem.

It's all we can do to keep our feet on the beam

A therapist once told me that people usually seek therapy because they are in pain. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is the most pain imaginable and 10 is happy, many people stay in therapy until they reach a 5 and then quit because they're feeling better. They see the goal of reaching a 10 as either impossible or unnecessary.

"The beam" is the top rail of the fence of self-esteem, and to keep our feet on the beam is to settle for a 5 out of 10.

Let's look at the last line of the poem.


 
Avoid the shadow's lair.

The shadow's lair is that dark place where painful feelings reside unexamined by the light. I am speaking of feelings such as worthlessness, shame, guilt, incompetence, or insignificance.
Please add any I haven't listed that come from your experience. 

If your self-esteem is in the 1 to 4 range, you are in the shadow's lair.


Whether you are in the shadow's lair, on the fence with your face toward the sun, or leaping there, I can help you on your journey.

​
Part 2 - Self-Discrimination is about the effect on self-esteem of judging ourselves as deficient - there is something "wrong" with us.  

I'm going to share some personal stories of my own to illustrate this effect.

If you have met me more than once, you would probably noticed not only that I have acne, but that I have sores from picking at it. This comes from the message I tell myself that I must have smooth skin. I feel compelled to pick at bumps of any kind anywhere. I've had acne since I was 12 and I am now 51, so my finger nails have excoriated skin for almost 40 years. Many times I've asked myself what is behind this compulsion.

The answer was always, "I don't know," and I didn't pursue the matter further until recently. Three events occurred, which changed my mind about just accepting my self-destructive behavior.

First event: I was lying in bed one night picking at my skin as usual and my cat Michaelangelo jumped on my chest and gave me the look that I recognized as "pet me!"  I pet him for a second or two and went back to picking at my skin. Occasionally I would pet him again briefly and return to picking my skin.

Suddenly it dawned on me that I was choosing to criticize myself by "fixing what was wrong with me" instead of giving and receiving love with Michaelangelo.

I thought  to myself, "At the end of my life, I will not give a rat's ass how smooth my skin was, but I will be very upset with myself for passing up opportunities to share in love because that is all that matters."  I got up, put band aids on my sores so I could not pick at them, and went back to petting Michaelangelo.


When I woke in the morning, I did what I always do first thing, which is to look at my face in the mirror to inspect the state of my skin. I wanted to see how the sores I had made smooth the previous day looked and pick at them again if necessary. When I saw the band aids, I remembered my experience of the night before and my decision to choose love instead of self-deprecation. 

I left the band aids on for two days. Then, I couldn't stand it anymore. I took the band aids off and resumed to my usual behavior.

Second event: That night, I was sitting in the tub when I felt the familiar urge to pick at my skin, but this time I did something different. I asked the question again of why I must have smooth skin. I got the usual answer, "I don't know," but I didn't accept that answer this time. I committed to not acting on the compulsion until I knew the reason behind it. Immediately, a powerful knot formed in my throat and felt panic. 

Many long hours of this feeling ensued and at the end of it, I had my answer - the acne symbolized something I believed was fundamentally "wrong with me," something I needed to fix by scraping the evidence off my skin. 

Third event: I listened to one of Wayne Dyer's presentations, in which he spoke about the mindset  of "I am deficient." He said that people with this mindset focus on "fixing" themselves, and recognized myself in this mindset because I was trying to "fix" my skin - to make it smooth enough - and, in so doing, fix my deficiency.

A typical thought of someone in the "I am deficient" mindset is "I am not enough," for example: 

I am not <desired characteristic> enough.
Some sample desired characteristics:
  • good
  • smart
  • worthy
  • well off
In what way do you believe you are not enough?

Another typical thought of someone in the "I am deficient" mindset is "I am too much," for example: 

I am too <undesired characteristic>.

Some sample undesired characteristics:
  • Dramatic
  • Disorganized
  • Plain
  • Short
In what way do you believe you are too much?


Wayne Dyer also said that people with the "I am deficient." mindset never have enough of what they believe will fix their deficiency, and because of this, they are never happy.
I've found this to be true in my experience of picking at my skin. I've been trying to fix my deficiency for 40 years without success!  

My skin kept breaking out, and I kept picking at it in a never-ending cycle.  I was practicing self-discrimination - eliminating what, in my mind, shouldn't be included in the community of "me."

I have now consciously embraced the aspect of myself that I tried to cut out and scrape off.  I have not picked at my skin for two days - I am two days "clean." My acne has cleared up, undoubtedly because I left it alone to heal naturally.

Will my skin break out again, and will I pick at it? 

I may find another bump, and I may or may not find it offensive to my self-image. If I do, I will talk it through with all of me.

As always, I love to hear your thoughts!

​Want to continue the journey? Read Part 3 - The Things People Say

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Journey to Self-Esteem Part One - Mirror Mirror On The Wall

5/3/2019

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Picture
We walk the fence of self-esteem
but never leaping there
It's all we can do to keep our feet on the beam,
avoid the shadow's lair

Welcome to part one of Journey to Self -Esteem - Mirror Mirror On the Wall.

In each part of this inspiration, I will address one of the many aspects that affect self-esteem.
First I'll explain the untitled poem.

Have you heard the saying, "I'm on the fence about this?"

Being on the fence refers to choosing not to take a side or stance on an issue or opinion. Getting off the fence would require literally standing on the ground on one side of the fence.  Figuratively speaking it means to take a stand by expressing an opinion of support for one of two opposite beliefs.

Let's take a look at the first line of the poem.

We walk the fence of self-esteem

To walk the fence of self-esteem is to be non-committal about our self-worth.
If we're on the fence, we don't feel bad about ourselves self but we don't feel good about ourselves either.

Let's take a look at the second line of the poem.

Our faces toward the sun, but never leaping there

Have you heard the admonition "Look where you're going!" from someone you've bumped into accidentally because you were looking somewhere other than the direction you were moving. 

Likewise, it necessary to look where we want to go in order to set off on the journey to get there.

In the poem, "pointing our faces toward the sun" means setting our intention to take the journey toward high self-esteem. To leap there is an expression of enthusiasm and commitment to the journey. To never leap there, to continue to walk the fence, is to enslave  ourselves to the world of "yes, but...

Let's take a look at the next line of the poem.

It's all we can do to keep our feet on the beam

A therapist once told me that people usually seek therapy because they are in pain. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is the most pain imaginable and 10 is happy, many people stay in therapy until they reach a 5 and then quit because they're feeling better. They see the goal of reaching a 10 as either impossible or unnecessary.

"The beam" is the top rail of the fence of self-esteem, and to keep our feet on the beam is to settle for a 5 out of 10.

Let's look at the last line of the poem.

Avoid the shadow's lair.

The shadow's lair is that dark place where painful feelings reside unexamined by the light. I am speaking of feelings such as worthlessness, shame, guilt, incompetence, or insignificance.
Please add any I haven't listed that come from your experience. 

If your self-esteem in the 1 to 4 range, you are in the shadow's lair.


Whether you are in the shadow's lair, on the fence with your face toward the sun, or leaping there, I can help you on your journey.

Read on!

Part 1 - Mirror Mirror On the Wall is about the effect of body image on self- esteem. 


I'm not going to tell you foundation principles as I usually do. Rather, I'm going to ask you some very personal questions. 

Of course, I do not expect you to tell me the answers, but I encourage you to answer them for yourself.

Imagine you are by yourself wearing clothes of your choice as you answer the following questions:

When you look at yourself in a mirror, what are you looking for? In other words, what do you want to know that you can find out only by looking in a mirror?

What do you look at first?

Why?

What do you look at last?

Why?

What part of yourself do you rarely or never look at?

Why?

On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is terrible and 10 is awesome, how do you feel about yourself after you look in the mirror?

How, if at all, how has your feeling about yourself changed from before you looked in the mirror to afterward?

Why?


Now Imagine you are by yourself with nothing on as you answer the following questions:

When you look at yourself in a mirror, what are you looking for? In other words, what do you want to know that you can only find out by looking in a mirror?

What do you look at first?

Why?

What do you look at last?

Why?

What part of yourself do you rarely or never look at?

Why?

On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is terrible and 10 is awesome, how do you feel about yourself after you look in the mirror?


How, if at all, how has your feeling about yourself changed from before you looked in the mirror to afterward?

Why?

If your answer to either or both of the 1 to 10 scale questions (with and without clothes) was less than 10, what would it take to move that rating one or two numbers up the scale?

This is the first question I would ask as your coach? 

Are you ready to take this journey?  Write to me!

​Want to continue on the journey? Read Part 2 - Self-Discrimination

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Emotional Math

4/23/2019

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Picture
Emotional Math

Math is emotional when it meets money
Fear and elation eschew calculation
Generalization effaces precision
There’s always enough to buy all this stuff!
Or is it really not nearly?
One thing’s for sure, with the lens du jour,
Emotional math can’t see clearly
Can you relate to this poem?

I chose it for this week's inspiration to illustrate the influence of filters on the choices people see and the choices they make.

We all have filters that impact how we perceive ourselves and our circumstances, others and the world as a whole.

Let's take a look at the first line of the poem.


Math is emotional when it meets money

Math is the best example of something objective that I can think of.

It is what it is. 2+2 =4 always, under all circumstances, for all those who calculate.


Money, on the other hand, is often charged with emotion.

I will use myself as an example.

It is important to me to be able to buy everything I want and need without worry. When I perceive that I can't buy what I want, I feel resentment about my circumstance, and when I perceive that I cannot buy what I need, I feel fear. On the other hand, when I perceive that I can buy what I want and need, I feel secure and content.

Notice I said perceive.

Being able to make a purchase comes down to math - $2+$2=$4. I have 4$. Is $4 enough to make the purchase? Yes - I can buy it. No - I cannot buy it.

My perception of my ability to purchase without worry is formed by my emotions.

This perception determines not only what I buy , but how I choose to handle money. For example, I may make a financial decision without doing the math to find out precisely how much money I have. 

Fear and elation eschew calculation
Generalization effaces precision


What emotions do you feel about money in general?

What are you inclined to do when you receive money? 

What is your gut reaction when you see something you want or need to buy?

Emotions around money come from your experiences with money and and the value you place on it.

Your answers to the questions above reveal the filters through which you see money.

These filters shade our perception much like glasses. Through our filters we form assumptions of scarcity or abundance.

For example, someone who views money through rose-colored glasses will likely assume abundance like the 4th line of the poem.

There's always enough to buy all this stuff!  

On the other hand, someone who views money through black glasses will likely assume scarcity as in the 5th line of the poem.

Or is there really not nearly?


Some people vacillate between perceptions of scarcity and abundance, which leads to the confusion described in the last two lines of the poem.

One thing’s for sure, with the lens du jour,
Emotional math can’t see clearly



Although I have used money to introduce the concept of filters and the associated assumptions of scarcity and abundance, this is only one example.

We make assumptions of scarcity and abundance in many other aspects of life such as love, opportunity, success, trust, and sincerity to name a few.

As food for thought, spend some time in self-examination of your filters and the assumptions that come from them.

You always have a choice to change the glasses your are wearing.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts!

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Sharing Tree Part III

4/14/2019

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Sharing Tree

The Giving Tree I thought was good
Now I see unhealthy wood
It gave of self in rarest form
yet reaped no love in return
It gave and gave 'till none was left
save a stump - its one last gift
So when comes the very last page
the boy is old and tired with age
And still the boy does not see
the value of the Giving Tree
Despite the tree's steadfast will
the boy is old and unhappy still
I wonder would things different be
if it had been a sharing tree

Welcome to the third and final part of the Sharing Tree Inspiration!

If you have not read Part 1 or Part 2 or would like to refresh your memory, click the respective links.

If you would like to jump right to the new stuff in Part 3, click here. 

This poem is about the book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. If you are not familiar with the book, I encourage you to take five minutes to read it online via this PDF.  which has the full text and illustrations.

For my readers who do not want to read the whole story, I have written the summary below of the parts of the story relevant to this inspiration:

A little boy loves an apple tree, which he climbs and plays in every day, and the tree loves the boy. As the boy ages, he loses interest in climbing the tree and often leaves the tree alone for long periods of time. The tree misses the boy terribly.

One day the boy comes to the tree to ask for money, and the tree offer's the boy her apples to sell so he can get money and be happy. The boy takes the apples without thanking the tree and goes away for a long time. The tree is sad again.

This boy comes to the tree between long intervals throughout his life. Each time he requests the tree to give him something else, and tree does so at her own expense.

In addition to giving the boy her apples, the tree gives him her branches and then her trunk, until all that is left of her is a stump, which she also gives to him, hence the nameThe Giving Tree. 

The Giving Tree is happy every time she sacrifices part of herself for the boy because she thinks the sacrifices make him happy, and that's all that matters to her.

At the end of the book, when the Giving Tree has given literally all of herself to make the boy happy, he is still not happy.
When I read this book as a young child, I came to three conclusions that shaped my life well into adulthood.
  1. Loving means giving without receiving regardless of the cost to me.
  2. I can make someone happy by giving to them without receiving regardless of the cost to me.
  3. I will be happy if I give without receiving regardless of the cost to me. 

What does loving mean to you?

What do you believe about giving and receiving?

What do you think about the idea that a person can make someone else happy?


In Part 1, I explored these questions from the perspective of the Giving Tree as she responds to the boy's request for money in the different mindsets of the first catabolic (destructive) Core Energy levels, level 1 and level 2.

In Part 2, I explored the same questions from the perspective of the Giving Tree as she responds to the boy's request for money in the different mindsets of the first two anabolic (constructive) Core Energy levels - level 3 and level 4. 


I am touching lightly on the concepts of catabolic and anabolic energy here, defining them as destructive and constructive respectively. For an in depth discussion and examples of catabolic and anabolic energy, read my I've Seen The World From Both Sides Now blog. 
​
If you are new to the concept of Core Energy, you may find yourself overwhelmed by all the information.

This is perfectly normal.

Don't give up! Just take your time reading the inspiration. Use the links I've included to explore earlier inspirations in which I introduce the concept of Core Energy in detail.

Stop when your brain feels full, and come back to it when you are rested.

Level Five Mindset


​In part 3 I explore the same questions from the perspective of the Giving Tree as she responds to the boy's request for money in the mindset of the third anabolic Core Energy level - level 5.
I have an idea that will benefit both of us. I need half of my apples to reproduce the number trees I want. I would give you the other half my apples to sell. In exchange for my apples you would feed me enough tree food to grow more apples than I gave you.

The core thought at level 5 is reconciliation, which might  show up like this:

 There's nothing wrong with your perspective or mine. They are just different.

The core emotion is peace, which might show up like this: 

 I'm at peace with myself and my life.

The result of level 5 core thought and core emotion is acceptance, which might show up like this:

 It's ok that we want different things. This doesn't have to be a win/lose situation. Let's come up with a win/win option where we both get what we want.

Where do you see level 5 core characteristics in the tree's response?

How does level 5 energy show up for you?

Q&A
How does a person in the level 5 energy mindset see love?

Love means accepting a person as they are without judgment, and without trying to change them.

What does a person in the level 5 energy mindset believe about giving and receiving?

Both giving and receiving are important.
I am interested only in relationships with an equal exchange of giving and receiving. 

What does a person in the level 5 energy mindset think about the idea that a person can make someone else happy?

Happiness comes from within.

Now that you're familiar with energy levels 1 through 5, think about the relationship between the boy and the Giving Tree.

What is the Giving Tree's energy level in the poem?


If you said level 4, you are right!

The tree is concerned that the boy isn't happy, has  compassion for  his suffering, and serves him by giving of herself to her own detriment.

How would things be different it if were a sharing tree?

There would be both give and take in the relationship. It would be a win/win relationship.

There are two higher levels of core energy, but I will tell you about them in another inspiration. Five levels are enough for now.



What insights into yourself have you gained from the Sharing Tree inspiration?


How might these insights improve you relationships, both with yourself and others?
 
If you would like to know more about Core Energy and find out how your energy is distributed let me know. I offer an assessment that does that.and more.

 
I've shown you how someone in the mindset of each energy level would think and behave, but this is a simplification of something quite complex. 

Your Core Energy is almost always distributed across multiple energy levels in percentages. When I was in coach training I took an assessment that measured my Core Energy distribution under normal everyday experiences and also when I am under unusual stress.

The chart below shows my Core Energy distribution under normal circumstances at the time I took the assessment. 

Picture
I had taken the assessment eight months earlier when I was just beginning to work with a life coach. At that time over 20% of my energy was in the catabolic energy levels 1 and 2.

You can see the results of working with my life coach. Only 9% of my energy is in the catabolic levels.

What happened to that catabolic energy? I shifted it into anabolic energy!  How did I do that? I worked with my coach to raise my consciousness of who I am.

I can help you do the same if you are willing to do the rewarding work of personal growth.

Through my coach training I have become a certified Master Practitioner of this assessment, which is called the Energy Leadership Index (ELI)

If you are interested in taking the ELI assessment, e
mail me I will make it happen!

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Sharing Tree Part Two

4/7/2019

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​Sharing Tree

The Giving Tree I thought was good
Now I see unhealthy wood
It gave of self in rarest form
yet reaped no love in return
It gave and gave 'till none was left
save a stump - its one last gift
So when comes the very last page
the boy is old and tired with age
And still the boy does not see
the value of the Giving Tree
Despite the tree's steadfast will
the boy is old and unhappy still
I wonder would things different be
if it had been a sharing tree

Welcome to Part 2 of the Sharing Tree Inspiration!

If you have not read Part 1 or would like to refresh your memory, click here.

This poem is about the book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. If you are not familiar with the book, I encourage you to take five minutes to read it online via this PDF.  which has the full text and illustrations.

For my readers who do not want to read the whole story, I have written the summary below of the parts of the story relevant to this inspiration:

A little boy loves an apple tree, which he climbs and plays in every day, and the tree loves the boy. As the boy ages, he loses interest in climbing the tree and often leaves the tree alone for long periods of time. The tree misses the boy terribly.

One day the boy comes to the tree to ask for money, and the tree offer's the boy her apples to sell so he can get money and be happy. The boy takes the apples without thanking the tree and goes away for a long time. The tree is sad again.

This boy comes to the tree between long intervals throughout his life. Each time he requests the tree to give him something else, and tree does so at her own expense.

In addition to giving the boy her apples, the tree gives him her branches and then her trunk, until all that is left of her is a stump, which she also gives to him, hence the nameThe Giving Tree. 

The Giving Tree is happy every time she sacrifices part of herself for the boy because she thinks the sacrifices make him happy, and that's all that matters to her.

At the end of the book, when the Giving Tree has given literally all of herself to make the boy happy, he is still not happy.
​

When I read this book as a young child, I came to three conclusions that shaped my life well into adulthood.
  1. Loving means giving without receiving regardless of the cost to me.
  2. I can make someone happy by giving to them without receiving regardless of the cost to me.
  3. I will be happy if I give without receiving regardless of the cost to me. 

What does loving mean to you?

What do you believe about giving and receiving?

What do you think about the idea that a person can make someone else happy?


In Part 1, I explored these questions from the perspective of the Giving Tree as she responds to the boy's request for money in the different mindsets of the first catabolic (destructive) Core Energy levels, level 1 and level 2.


For Part 2, I will explore the same questions from the perspective of the Giving Tree as she responds to the boy's request for money in the different mindsets of the first two anabolic (constructive) Core Energy levels - level 3 and level 4. 

​​I am touching lightly on the concepts of catabolic and anabolic energy here, defining them as destructive and constructive respectively. For an in depth discussion and examples of catabolic and anabolic energy, read my I've Seen The World From Both Sides Now blog. 

If you are new to the concept of Core Energy, you may find yourself overwhelmed by all the information.

This is perfectly normal

Don't give up! Just take your time reading the inspiration. Use the links I've included to explore earlier inspirations in which I introduce the concept of Core Energy in detail.

Stop when your brain feels full, and come back to it when you are rested.

Level III Mindset


Let's look at the tree's response from a level 3 mindset .

I was angry with you for abandoning me, but I forgive you. I understand that you need to make your way in the world. I could give you my apples to sell, but I need them to reproduce.  I'll make a deal with you. When my apple seeds produce enough trees to meet my needs, l'll give you the left over apples.

I introduced core energy level 3 in my Journey from Judging to Embracing Part 1 blog.

The core thought at level 3 is responsibility, which might  show up like this:

I realize my frustration and anger are coming from my perspective. If I look at the situation differently, I will feel better.

The core emotion is forgiveness, which might show up like this: 

People aren't intentionally wasting my time by bringing me their problems. They just aren't capable of solving the problems on there own. I forgive them for being incompetent.

The result of level 3 core thought and core emotion is cooperation, which might show up like this:

I don't particularly like the people I work with, but I make my best effort to get along so we can do the job right.

Do you see level 3 core characteristics in the tree's response? If so, where?

How does level 3 energy show up for you?

Q&A
What does loving mean to a person in the level 3 energy mindset?
Loving myself, meeting my needs, comes first. 
I want other people to feel loved too, but not at my expense.
 
What does a person in the level 3 energy mindset believe about giving and receiving?

I see value in both giving and receiving, but receiving enough to meet my needs is more important to me than giving to meet others' needs.

What does a person in the level 3 energy mindset think about the idea that a person can make someone else happy?

Only I can make myself feel happy or any other emotion because I know my feelings change depending on my interpretation.

I can't make anyone happy because their feelings change depending on their interpretation.

Level IV Mindset


Let's look at the tree's response from a level 4 mindset.

My apples are your apples. Take all you want.

The core thought at level 3 is concern, which might  show up like this:

You seem sad. What's wrong?

The core emotion is compassion, which might show up like this: 

It makes perfect sense that you're sad!.Your going through a very painful! experience!

The result of level 4 core thought and core emotion is service, which might show up like this:

How can I help you feel better? 

Do you see level 4 core characteristics in the tree's response? If so, where?

How does level 4 energy show up for you?

Q&A
How does a person in the  level 4 energy mindset see love?

Love means giving without receiving without regard to the cost to me.
I want to be loved but that is not as important to me as loving others.


What does a person in the level 4 energy mindset believe about giving and receiving?

Giving is better than receiving.
I like to receive, but giving is more important to me.


What does a person in the level 4 energy mindset think about the idea that a person can make someone else happy?

A person can only make themselves happy. No one can do it for them.

I make myself happy by helping people. I feel happy when people appreciate what I do for them, but I don't take it personally if they don't.
I mentioned at the beginning that Core Energy levels 3 and 4 are the first anabolic energy levels. Now I'm asking you to look a little deeper.

What aspect of the level 3 mindset is anabolic?

What comes to mind for me is the freedom that comes when I realize that I am in control of my feelings instead of other people or my circumstance. 

I'll give you an example from my life.

When I was working in my corporate job, I was miserable because I was burned out on the work and burned out on the corporate experience. I hated going to work. I felt powerless and angry. I felt trapped because I believed I could not be happy without the substantial reliable income the job provided,  and I felt angry about being trapped. 

When I decided to quit my job and pursue my dream of becoming a life coach, my perspective and my feelings about going to work changed completely. There was light at the end of the tunnel - a light I created for myself. My stress about going to work and doing the job reduced immediately and decreased steadily as I approached my last day on the job.

So what happened? Why did my feelings change? The job wasn't different. My financial situation wasn't different. 

My feelings changed because my perspective changed, and my perspective changed because I changed my interpretation of my circumstance.

I realized that I felt trapped because I wasn't open to other possibilities of employment or other possibilities of career and income.

I shifted from the Core Energy level 1 mindset of "I am a powerless victim of circumstance." to the level 3 mindset of "I can change my feelings by choosing a different perspective. I can make myself happy."

Working with my life coach helped me make this energy shift.

This is what coaches do - empower you to shift from catabolic energy mindsets to anabolic energy mindsets.

After you shift to level 3, the sky is the limit for accomplishment and transformation as you shift  into higher anabolic energy levels.

I leave these questions for you as food for thought:

What aspect of the level 4 mindset is anabolic?

What is an example of the level 4 energy mindset in your life?

Not there yet? That's OK. Think of a benefit of shifting from your current mindset to a higher energy level.

As always I would love to hear your thoughts!

Want to read Part Three? Click here.

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Sharing Tree Part I

4/2/2019

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​Sharing Tree

The Giving Tree I thought was good
Now I see unhealthy wood
It gave of self in rarest form
yet reaped no love in return
It gave and gave 'till none was left
save a stump - its one last gift
So when comes the very last page
the boy is old and tired with age
And still the boy does not see
the value of the Giving Tree
Despite the tree's steadfast will
the boy is old and unhappy still
I wonder would things different be
if it had been a sharing tree

There's so much good stuff to talk about with this poem, I am breaking the inspiration into parts.

Part 1:

This poem is about the book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. If you are not familiar with the book, I encourage you to take five minutes to read it online via this PDF.  which has the full text and illustrations.

For my readers who do not want to read the whole story, I have written the summary below of the parts of the story relevant to this inspiration:

A little boy loves an apple tree, which he climbs and plays in every day, and the tree loves the boy. As the boy ages, he loses interest in climbing the tree and often leaves the tree alone for long periods of time. The tree misses the boy terribly.

One day the boy comes to the tree to ask for money, and the tree offer's the boy her apples to sell so he can get money and be happy. The boy takes the apples without thanking the tree and goes away for a long time. The tree is sad again.

This boy comes to the tree between long intervals throughout his life. Each time he requests the tree to give him something else, and tree does so at her own expense.

In addition to giving the boy her apples, the tree gives him her branches and then her trunk, until all that is left of her is a stump, which she also gives to him, hence the nameThe Giving Tree. 

The Giving Tree is happy every time she sacrifices part of herself for the boy because she thinks the sacrifices make him happy, and that's all that matters to her.

At the end of the book, when the Giving Tree has given literally all of herself to make the boy happy, he is still not happy.

When I read this book as a young child, I came to three conclusions that shaped my life well into adulthood.
  1. Loving means giving without receiving regardless of the cost to me.
  2. I can make someone happy by giving to them without receiving regardless of the cost to me.
  3. I will be happy if I give without receiving regardless of the cost to me. 

What does loving mean to you?

What do you believe about giving and receiving?

What do you think about the idea that a person can make someone else happy?


I want to explore these questions from the perspective of the Giving Tree as she responds to the boy's request for money in the different mindsets of the catabolic Core Energy levels - one and two. 
​

​I am touching lightly on the concepts of catabolic and anabolic energy here, defining them as destructive and constructive respectively. For an in depth discussion and examples of catabolic and anabolic energy, read my I've Seen The World From Both Sides Now blog. 
If you are new to the concept of Core Energy, you may find yourself overwhelmed by all the information. 

This is perfectly normal.

Don't give up! Just take your time reading the inspiration. Use the links I've included to explore earlier inspirations in which I introduce the concept of Core Energy in detail.

Stop when your brain feels full, and come back to it when you are rested.

Level One Mindset


I introduced the core energy concept, levels of energy, and the Energetic Self Perception Chart in the You Are What You Speak blog  where we explored Core Energy level 1.   

Let's look at the tree's response from a level 1 mindset.

I can't help you. I have nothing to offer. I am worthless.


The core thought at level 1 is victim, which might show up like this:

I am a powerless victim of circumstance.

The core emotion is apathy, which might show up like this:

I can't make the situation any better, so there's no point in trying.

The result of level 1 core thought and core emotion is lethargy, which might show up like this:

I just don't have the energy to do anything.


Where do you see level 1 characteristics in the tree's response?


How does level 1 energy show up for you?


 
 
Q&A
What does loving mean to
 a person in the level 1 energy mindset?

I cannot experience love because I am not lovable.
My  love is worthless because I have nothing of value to offer.


What does a person in the level 1 energy mindset believe about giving and receiving?

Receiving is everything. I cannot afford to give because my needs are too great.

What does a person in the level 1 energy mindset think about the idea that a person can make someone else happy?

I need someone else to make me happy. I can't make anyone  happy.

Level Two Mindset


​Let's look at the tree's response from a level 2 mindset.

You've got a lot of nerve asking me for help when you left me alone for so long without so much as a thank you for all I've done for you. I suppose you want to get money by selling my apples! Not a chance! Get a job, and don't even think of taking my apples! If you try, I will smack you with my branches! 

I introduced core energy level 2 in my I've Seen The World From Both Sides Now blog.

The core thought at level 2 is conflict, which might show up like this:

I'm right and you're wrong.

The core emotion is anger, which might show up like this: 

People waste my time bringing me their problems when they should fix it themselves.

People try to take advantage of me.

Nobody appreciates what I do.


The result of level 2 core thought and core emotion is defiance, which might show up like this:

I'm not going to do it, and you can't make me!

Where do you see level 2 core characteristics in the tree's response?


How does level 2 energy show up for you?


Q&A
What does loving mean to a person in the level 2 energy mindset?

When someone tells me they love me I don't believe them. Saying "I love you" is just an manipulation - a way to get me to let my guard down so they can take advantage of me.

What does a person in the level 2 energy mindset believe about giving and receiving?

I deserve to receive more than I do because I do all the work.
I give to people who meet my expectations.


What does a person in the level 2 energy mindset think about the idea that a person can make someone else happy?

People make me happy when they meet my expectations and show appreciation for my effort.

I'm not interested in making other people happy.



I will leave you here for now to ponder what you've read today.

In Part 2, I will talk about the Sharing Tree from the perspective of the first two anabolic (constructive) Core Energy levels.

As always, I welcome your thoughts!

Want to read Part Two? Click here.

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All Our Deeds Are Potter's Clay

3/25/2019

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Picture
 Every Deed

Every deed both cruel and kind
Falls on fertile ground and
Finds a mate to spawn again
'Til kings of kings are crowned

Tempt this does to measure worth
Of praise or scarlet letter
Tally thorn and vine since birth
And sum the deeds together

But all our deeds are potter's clay -
At last if not at first
And none can take our worth away
​Or nullify our worst



I wrote "Every Deed" as comfort for someone dear to me who was agonizing over harm done because it could not be undone and because the initial harm led to further harm over time. 


Although I wrote the poem before I became a coach, many of the principles I learned in training compliment the messages in the poem, so I have interspersed them in purple text throughout the inspiration.

Let's look at the first stanza of the poem.

Every deed both cruel and kind
Falls on fertile ground and
Finds a mate to spawn again
'Til kings of kings are crowned


It is true that harm done to one person causes harm to others over time.

"Hurt people hurt," a friend of mine said, and I agree. Intentionally or unintentionally, knowingly or unknowingly, wounded people wound people.

A perfect example is the passing on of emotional wounds from parent to child from generation to generation.

If you are distressed about the proliferation of harm from something you did, take heart - it works the other way too.

Love also propagates! Kindness inspires kindness, takes root in the heart and proliferates through our six degrees of separation.

Consider the far reaching and long term impact of words of encouragement. How many people we think of as heroes attribute their courage to act to words of encouragement from a parent, a friend, a coach, a stranger? 

Everything we do is out there - cruelty, kindness, and everything in between.

Life is fertile ground and we all have "green fingers."
​The second stanza is about the natural tendency to judge ourselves and others.


Tempt this does to measure worth
Of praise or scarlet letter -


It is human nature to judge - to take the measure of worth.

Typically people think of judgment solely in terms of labels such as shameful or worthless.

If this is your perception, I invite you to broaden your idea of judgment to include any measure of worth, which includes assessments such as praiseworthy and impeccable.

And now a little diversion to explain the meaning of "scarlet letter."

The picture above is a painting by Hugues, Merle, which depicts Hester Prynne and her daughter, Pearl, characters in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel "The Scarlet Letter."

I will give you the briefest of summaries here and encourage you to read more in this Wikipedia article. or better still, read the novel.

Hester Prynne, is a young woman who has given birth to a baby fathered by a man other than her husband. She is required to wear a scarlet "A" on her dress when she is in front of the townspeople to shame her. The letter "A" stands for adulteress. Her sentence required her to stand on the scaffold for three hours, exposed to public humiliation, and to wear the scarlet "A" for the rest of her life.

The scarlet letter in my poem is a reference to the judgment of shame symbolized by Hester's scarlet letter. However it is not specific to adultery or any other act, but is symbolic of judgment that a person is worthy of shame.

Consider these questions as food for thought on this subject:

Have you ever wondered if you are a good person?

Have you ever wondered if you've lived a good life?

If you haven't, take some time to do it now.

How did you approach this question?

Did you look for the answer by "adding up" the harm and good you've done, and compare the total of one to the other?

This is "adding up" what I describe in the second part of the stanza.

Tally thorn and vine since birth
And sum the deeds together


Maybe, instead you weighed each deed in your mind as to it's effect on your worth.

Is one deed so impactful that it nullifies the effects of all others?

Consider the words of the last stanza.

But all our deeds are potter's clay -
At last if not at first
And none can take our worth away
Or nullify our worst


We each have a higher coach. 

You may have another name such as higher power, God, spirit, universe, or something else.

The concept is the same - the all-knowing, unlimited source of our existence. 

For me, the source is God, so that is the name I will use.

I think of God as a potter and all our deeds as potter's clay.

A potter has unlimited creative ability with clay. The effects of even the most heinous deeds are malleable.

Harm can become healing. Healing can become growth. Growth can become inspiration.

Cruelty can become remorse. Remorse can become compassion. Compassion can become kindness.

Some transformations happen quickly, some take a years, and some take lifetime, which is what I mean by at last if not at first.

What do I mean by and none can take our worth away?

I mean that neither deeds or their effects can take our worth away.

In fact nothing we do raises or lowers our worth because worth is intrinsic to our being, not our doing.

Each one of us is a perfect, unique energy force.

We have infinite worth because we are created from the infinite worth of source.

Our level of true awareness is related to our lack of judging.

I want to clarify that I am speaking about judgment of a person's worth as opposed to judgment of their actions.

True awareness of our worth is related to conscious recognition that human worth is intrinsic and infinite.

To judge our worth is to restrict our perception of it to something that can be measured and changed.

It is impossible to hold both views.

Finally, what do I mean by or nullify our worst?

I am referring to the "adding up" of harm or good done and the belief that impact of one deed negates the impact of others. 

As I said in the beginning, it's all out there - everything we've done - irretrievable and indelible, but that's ok because

All our deeds are potter's clay -
At last if not at first


As always, I love to hear your thoughts!

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    Joyce Collins is a life coach who specializes in helping women who were sexually abused as a child to transform themselves into confident women who love themselves and lead fulfilling lives.

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