Blogging Day 9 People Who Think They Know how Others Should Live Their Lives

My friend Reenee Cummins shared this picture on Facebook.  It spoke to me.   I am sure I have been guilty of doing this to other people, especially when I was younger and thought I knew how others should do things and when.  I was so bad back then.  I hope I don’t do it anymore. 

That cat looks quite sarcastic doesn’t it, or bored.  

Why this spoke to me is that when I was so agoraphobic I would get these intense stomach pains while trying to go to classes or church.  I remember wanting to go and driving there but I’d get into the parking lot and almost be doubled over by pain.   I’d drive away and the pain would go away.   Sometimes I drove back and went in, other times I’d go home. It was very tiring.  People would say, “Where were you?”  “Why didn’t you come to class?”  I would mumble something about not feeling well or use some other excuse. I was so afraid to tell them how weak it made me feel. Sometimes I would get brave and tell them about my fears.  “Oh just say affirmations or ask God to help you.”  I’d hear.  That hurt. Why? Because no one knew how often I did this.  I’d beg God to take this fear away.  I actually didn’t know what was wrong with me.  I thought someday I would lose control and get locked up someplace.  This was in the 1960s. 

Another time I was sitting in the middle row amongst people listening to a lecture I was interested in but I felt so trapped I felt like I needed to run.  My hands became clammy, I couldn’t concentrate on the talk, and I just needed to get out. But I didn’t want to bother anyone and I felt glued to the seat.  A friend told me to just excuse yourself, get up and get out. I didn’t know how. It was too scary. I haven’t put myself back in that position since.  I always sit on an aisle seat. 

Later I was watching the Phil Donahue show in the early 70s and there were people talking about having the same symptoms I did.  I was so excited to know there was a name for it and I wasn’t crazy after all. Dr. Hardy was a pioneer in treating Agoraphobia. 

Next came an article in the Good Housekeeping magazine about it and having self-help groups where people with these fears could help and support each other.  We didn’t have anything like this in Palm Beach County where I lived at the time so somehow I started one and facilitated it for a year.   I won’t go into the details but it was way out of my comfort zone.   I went through hypnosis, talk therapy, Primal Scream therapy and everything helped.   I’m now working with Emotional Freedom Technique – Tapping and it is very helpful.  I’m still not doing some of the things I would like to be doing but I am better.  I eat in restaurants and I can go to meetings if I want to. I don’t obsess so much about the physical symptoms that I feel but I have tapping and other tools to use.

I didn’t mean to go into this so much because this is about how people don’t seem to know what to say that is helpful.  Instead they try to tell you what to do and they can be very critical too.   Yes I tried positive thinking, meditation, affirmations but what I was actually doing was trying to cover up fears that were buried and suck it up.  It did work sometimes but mostly I felt like a loser and I was actually mad at my body.  I actually had therapists tell me how lucky I was that I felt pain when I tried to do something scary. I didn’t understand that until I got into Emotional Freedom (EFT).  Now I thank my body for trying to protect me.  When we get pains it is for a reason.  Being gentle with myself and thanking my body is much more helpful than being mad at it and tensing up.

From this I hope I’m more compassionate with people. I don’t tell them what to do or put them down for their pains.  Instead I ask them how it feels, listen with empathy and many times people feel safe enough to cry and let their feelings out.  I am so honored when they can share their vulnerability with me. 

Blogging Day 8 Mistaken Identity

 Mistaken Identity

My mother didn’t know who I was. When I was born she treated me as if she owned me. As Alan Cohen writes in his book, Dare to Be Yourself, “Like an eagle, we have suffered under a case of mistaken identity.” Mother taught me about fear. I learned them well. I forgot that I was a magnificent individual born with a purpose. The teachers told me I was dumb. They didn’t realize what a magnificent soul they were talking to. The kids called me quiver lip, harelip and ugly. One little girl named Selma said she’d be my friend when nobody was around but wouldn’t like me when the other kids were there. I was so desperate to be liked, that I let that be okay with me.

For years I tried to fit in so I’d be liked. I obeyed and smiled, was patted on the head and told what a good girl I was and oh so sweet. I liked that so I became even sweeter and would go out of my way to do things for people whether I wanted to or not.

I remember one Christmas dinner my aunt asked me to run upstairs to her room and get her cigarettes. “When will I be old enough so I can say no?” I asked. Her face stopped smiling as she answered coldly, “Never mind, I’ll get them myself.” I learned not to speak up for fear of disapproval.

When did I wake up? There were signs when I’d talk to Rev Mary L Kupferle, the minister of the Lake Worth, Florida Unity church. I’d write letters to her and tell her how scared I was and how I didn’t fit in. She would remind me that I didn’t have to follow in my mother’s footsteps. I loved Mary Kupferle and she let me write the program for her Wednesday noon service. She even paid me to type one of her books for her. She saw some of my greatness. I was so amazed when I read her obituary that she and my mother were born the same year. What a difference between two women.

My friend Ed caught a glimmer of who I was. He was the kind of friend who looked straight into my eyes as I talked and really heard me. One day we met in a Sundry store downtown Lake Worth, Fl. I showed him that one of the stories I’d written was published in a magazine that was on the shelf. He picked it up and walked around the store showing it to everyone who came in, telling them that I wrote it and pointed to me. What fun that was! We took our raggedy Ann and Andy dolls to the mall one afternoon and had them talk to people walking by. Some liked it, others scowled while some ignored us altogether. Ed and I were kindred spirits on some level. His birthday was the day before mine. I miss Ed and Mary and hope they greet me when it’s my turn to pass over.

Bernie, my husband tells me I can do it and when I was doing tarot readings at Duffy’s Sports Bar he’d tell me he heard people say they loved my readings and how good I was. He likes to brag about my talents and he has encouraged me. I’ve been blessed having him as my help mate.

When I joined ThrivingNow, Rick Wilkes and Cathy Vartuli saw my greatness. They encourage me and Cathy often says, “You Rock, Jean!” As I’ve been working with them using Emotional Freedom Technique EFT-tapping, I’ve learned to love myself even when I felt stupid or unworthy. Rick and Cathy tapped on these feelings with me during our calls and in private sessions to help me release those unworthy feelings and to love that real, vulnerable person I really am. I can truly say I love myself no matter what. It is not saying I am perfect because no one can be, but to love my humanness, my spirit.

Whether or not I actually fulfill my reason for being born, my potential remains to be seen. Maybe I am fulfilling it now as I write, teach and help people find their own wonderful selves. Maybe that’s what my life is about – courage despite traumas, love despite bullying and glimpses of freedom despite the heavy lessons of fear. Like the eagle, I say Jean Maurie, come forth and claim your true identity and soar! Be one with that great mind that created you and everyone else! Let the resurrection begin!

My Life Purpose, What's Yours?

Day 10 Write about a Dream you Once had that you let go of and where did that lead you?

Gosh this feels heavy.  "What am I going to write about?" I wondered, as I pondered my life.  I could write that I wanted to be an Airline stewardess way back when but they wouldn't accept anyone with facial scars, thinking they were caused by an airline crash - plus I was too short. Then I thought about how I wanted to live and work in New York City. But mother told me if I left home before I was married she'd hire some strong men to come and bring me home.  At that time I didn't realize I had any power.  Oh yes I wanted to be a nurse until I was in a hospital elevator with my nurses club and smelled ether. I had a humongous panic attack from all the ether I had been given as a kid during my surgeries.  Another dream out.  So where did all this lead me?

I've mentioned in other blogs that I had PTSD from all my surgeries and not being allowed to express my feelings and a big school phobia that turned into agoraphobia. So I would say my search for healing led me to an interesting and fulfilling life.

Agoraphobia

 Okay so I started searching for ways to feel safer and less afraid.  I went every week for hypnosis which helped me relax a bit more. That was working good until they wanted to drug me.  I told them no and got dismissed.  I tried Biofeedback and it was one of the first times that I ever really felt totally relaxed.  Actually I had to relax to make biofeedback work.  I would love to have one of their machines to practice with now.  I went through 3 weeks of intense Primal Scream therapy and lost my fear of losing control and being locked up someday. That was promising but it was not practical to be primal screaming all the time, especially when we lived in my mother-in-law's guest house apartment to help her with the property.  So I had to close off some of my emotions again.  

I founded the Agoraphobics Anonymous in Palm Beach County back in 1978 with the help of a group from Miami and the local Mental Health Association.  I facilitated it for a year until I knew it was time to move on.

During this time a friend was studying Astrology. I really didn't know much about it and he offered to do my chart for me.  I got so interested in how there were so many different combinations of charts.  It was fascinating and showed me why some people are certain ways and other people see the world in other ways.  He also pointed out things in my chart that showed why I felt the way I did.  And he said a window of opportunity was coming for me to grow and get out more socially.  He said the window wouldn't close but if I used the energy it would make it much easier. So I did and started taking classes in Astrology.  My teacher also used Tarot cards and I got interested in how they worked and took many classes about reading the cards on many levels.  

I loved the idea of Angels and Guides helping us so I was playing around on AOL and typing in angel names.  I found Angels Love You which I grabbed and have kept ever since. I got it as my domain name and created a web page and a page on Facebook using it.

I have since discovered Emotional Freedom Technique where we tap on the acupuncture points expressing exactly how we feel instead of trying to push our feelings down and covering them up.  When people go through traumas their instincts are to Flee or Fight, but when they can't do either they Freeze.  There are many kinds of traumas and even little ones that go on and on can turn into Post Traumatic Stress.  Like someone who is afraid to go to school every day and no one believes she is afraid but thinks she is just being naughty.  When she isn't listened to then she can develop physical symptoms like headaches or stomach aches.  I experienced this myself and have read where children were taken to the doctors for this and they don't find anything wrong so they force them to go to school. It would be better if the child was listened to and the parents or doctor tried to find out what they are afraid of so they can release the fears or learn to use tools during fear/anxiety episodes.

I am going to share with you a video that Karin Davidson teaches a child how to use EFT for anger. 

Here is another video by Brad Yates helping a child acknowledge her fear and releasing it.






I am so glad I've gone through all this so I can help people.  It is one of my greatest joy in life to help someone feel better about themselves, to be able to acknowledge how they feel instead of putting on a happy face when they are suffering inside.  I have heard to "Feel the fear and do it anyway." But that is the hard way.  Yes there are many ways to work through feelings.  I honor this and can only say what works for me

Of course affirmations can work after we acknowledge our feelings and meditation also works.  (You don't have to clear your head of all thoughts to meditate either). 

I also call in my angels for myself and even when I'm tapping I call in my angels to help me release the stuck emotions. After a session with a client we pull an angel card or two.  It is so cool that the card that appears always is the perfect card for what we have been working on.  

Look, it worked again! Look at the card that fell out as I was shuffling asking for the perfect card for this blog.

"A dream come true! Believe in yourself. The end of a difficult situation."  Isn't that what the blog for today is all about?  I just love these cards and how the angels help us.

Beam Me Up Scottie or Let the Parrots Free

Last night I watched a PBS special about rescuing abandoned parrots or parrots that people could not keep.  It was an hour long special and talked about poachers taking baby parrots from the nests and raising them to sell. Now instead of poaching they breed parrots.  There are hundreds if not thousands of parrots who now live in rescue places.

They went on to show how parrots and other birds are social and need to be with their own.  They find mates and bond.  Parrots alone in a cage get so anxious they start pulling out their own feathers.  This is like people who are in so much pain they cut themselves.

I got tears in my eyes watching this and especially when I saw a parrot raised as a baby being released and practicing flying.  Then it soared with another parrot and flew free.






This program deeply affected me, even more than I realized because I've often felt caged by fears and anxiety.  I have a feeling that I once knew how to fly but living on this planet with gravity holding me down, I forgot how.  I had a flying dream once and hope to have more.

I got into the shower and found myself sobbing, runny nose, snorting type of crying. It surprised me but it didn't stop for awhile. The crying wasn't about the birds so much but about feelings that came up for me.

I have had panic and anxiety most of my life which was diagnosed as Agoraphobia.  

I'm better now because of a lot of different therapies, especially Emotional Freedom, tapping, but I feel a lot of my life has looked like this..

What does it feel like to live a life of freedom and really fly? 


Would this make a difference?

Fear, Panic Attacks, Anxiety I felt all of these

When I was a child I had many surgeries to repair a cleft lip and palate.  I was told to be a "good girl" and a "big girl" and don't cry.  But I was terrified.  I told my mother I was nervous and she said, "Little girls don't have nerves."  Why am I writing about this?  Because as a child I couldn't flee.  I couldn't fight.  So my emotions and fears froze inside.  I had to wear a cuff that prevented me from reaching up and pulling out my stitches so I felt even more trapped.

I became phobic and when I went to school I looked different and was hard of hearing.  The kids called me quiver lip and more.  One little girl said she'd be friends with me when we were alone but when others were around she wouldn't be my friend.  I accepted that but it hurt.  I didn't learn how to stand up for myself.  I had a stomach ache every morning before I went to school and actually looked forward to being sick so I could stay home from school and not feel stressed.

The teachers didn't know how scared I was, they just thought I was trying to get away with doing my school work or they thought I was stupid.  I often sat in class staring out the window wanting to run home but I knew they would bring me back to school.

Having not dealt with any of these fears, they turned into Agoraphobia, the fear of having a panic attack and losing control.  For many years I thought someday I was going to go crazy and get locked up in a mental institution.   I used to call it "my problem" having no idea what was wrong with me or how to get help.  People would tell me to just get out there and be brave.  I had been "brave" for too long.

Why am I talking about this now? Not to make anyone feel sorry for me but to explain that I was traumatized by not being able to flee or fight.  All these fears were locked down within and came out as phobias.  I had many types of therapies and everything helped a little but it wasn't until I found Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and Thriving now that I really got help.  When we experience a series of traumas our primitive brain does everything it can to protect us, to try and keep us safe.  For me my primitive brain helped me feel safe by making me scared to go to doctors, dentists, school and I don't even like to get my hair cut.  I am getting better though thanks to learning about the Primitive Brain and how to make it my friend and sooth it.

There is a wonderful course that I took and was greatly helped that is starting again.  It is called Reprogramming Your Primitive Brain.  Anyone who signs up before midnight on Thursday gets a free 20 minute tapping session with Rick Wilkes either by Skype or phone.  Rick Wilkes and Cathy Vartuli have helped me so much and I have many tools now if a panic attack starts.  I am still a work in progress but I've come a long way.

So if you have anxiety or feel unsafe, have a problem with self-worth you might want to take a look at the Reprogramming Your Primitive Brain Course.  There are tapping videos, meditations, phone calls you can participate in and more.  You didn't need to experience the kinds of trauma I did to feel unworthy or have self-esteem issues.  There are many "small traumas" that can trigger these kinds of feelings.  Tapping is amazing and very simple.  I continue to feel more confident and happier.  I hope you will too.

With Love, Jean Maurie 

Is Your Life A Journey or a Joy?

I just watched this video (posted below) on Facebook and felt tears well up and roll down my face.  It brought up some strong emotions.  

I wonder how many of us followed the rules, trying to "get there" but it didn't work.  Did you? What are your experiences?  I would love to read them if you feel vulnerable enough to share.

The rules to be a good daughter, student, wife, mother... Clean the house when I'd rather be writing or dancing.  Have dinner on the table when my husband came home from work. Feeling guilty because I wasn't out working.  Or even feeling guilty while writing because I wasn't doing laundry or vacuuming.  

This might sound whining and maybe it is. This is how we were brought up in the 40s.  I've been unlearning.  

Here is a poem I loved and would read when I felt guilty writing or playing.  It helped some.

Out of control Anger

Have you ever felt so angry you just wanted to smash everything in sight, tear up a room, take a baseball bat and break something?

I have.  I felt like that recently after feeling overloaded about other things and was told that Microsoft was going to update my windows 7 laptop to windows 10 whether I wanted it or not.   I was furious.  It felt like such an invasion of privacy.  It was all about boundary issues.  I understood that.  But it felt like someone had knocked on my front door, pushed themselves in and said I had to use their stove whether I wanted it or not.  That would be illegal. Why isn't microsoft's pushing windows 10 on us illegal too?

Is this freedom?

I was so angry I couldn't stop myself.  I sat there crying and saying, "I don't know how to stop myself from feeling this way.  Yes I tapped, I cursed, I screamed and I kicked a cabinet off it's hinges. I called on my angels for help. Then I felt like I couldn't catch my breath and I got scared.  This kind of anger is definitely not good for me or anyone else.  I felt bad for my body and decided to use the Ho'oponopono prayer asking my body to forgive me.

I'm sorry, please forgive me, I love you, thank you.







I found out later that there are ways to prevent Windows 10 from downloading into my computer.  I know this was not earth shaking but it pushed all my boundary and fairness issues.

I don't ever want to get this angry again because while I was in the midst of it I realized how someone who was over stressed or had boundary issues could get into road rage and worse.

Even though I'm troubled about the intensity of this anger and ashamed for kicking and breaking a cabinet I choose to love and accept myself and all my feelings.

I was posting about my anger and someone posted a link about an anger room.  What a great idea, to have a place where people could actually let off steam and break things if they had to.

http://theweek.com/articles/475575/anger-room-new-way-blow-steam-after-work

I will work on this part of myself and heal it.  I feel vulnerable even admitting this much less posting it.  

Have any of you felt this kind of anger and if so, how did you handle it?  I'd love to read your comments.  

Thank you 

WHY DO WE ALWAYS COMPARE OURSELVES TO OTHERS?

A few weeks ago I met a group of people who'd I'd known online since about 2008.   I was a little nervous thinking about the meetup a week or so before. I imagined myself surrounded by a group of people and not being able to hear what was being said.  I tapped on it and worked with my coaches, Rick Wilkes and Cathy Vartuli who helped me realize I could speak up, say "I'm almost deaf in my right ear, and I'd like to switch places with you so I could hear better." Yes I could do that but it would feel awkward.  

Okay so Saturday night came and we drove up to the little Taco place in Asheville to meet these people, I was excited.   We all recognized each other and that was so cool! Here were some very lovely souls who I'd been reading their posts and been in groups with for almost seven years.  One lady was driving from New York to California with her children and she stopped here in Asheville to meet us all.  What fun!  We sat outside on benches while eating and talking.  My worry about not hearing well vanished, I had no problem.

Then the picture taking began.  I thought I was smiling.  Well I was but with my mouth closed.  I always feel self conscious about my teeth.  But we all feel self conscious about something don't we?  I've been learning about this in my Thriving Now tapping group.

This wonderful, fun evening felt good until later when I saw one of the pictures that was posted.  

I saw their fresh open faces and smiles and thought, "Oh I look like a crotchety old lady, ewwww"  It really did make me feel bad. Now I do know intellectually that we only make ourselves feel bad or good depending on how we think.  But that didn't help me when I looked at the picture.   Yes there were other good pictures but of course what do we usually focus on? The bad ones of course. Even famous writers and film stars latch on to the critical reviews even when they've read hundreds of wonderful ones. Why do we feel this need to focus on the negative instead?  Is this a human trait? Is it part of the lessons we're here on earth to learn?

I posted this picture and my feelings about it on the Thriving Now forum where I'm a member and one of the tribe members told me I was probably being too hard on myself. She posted a wonderful You Tube Video of Brad Yates tapping on comparing ourselves.




I tapped with it as I visualized myself in this picture and it helped a lot. This is when I decided to write this blog.  It does make me feel very vulnerable to write this and put it out on social media but if it helps anyone else to feel better about themselves it is worth it.  I hope the ladies in the picture don't mind me posting this.  

As Brad Yates says in this video "I'd rather love than compare and I am loving myself just as I am in body, mind and spirit."

Why Does it Feel like Everyone's Getting on My Last Nerve?

We’ve heard a lot about road rage on the news lately. What is going through someone’s mind when they get upset about being cut off by another driver? Or why does the other driver cut someone off? What has their day been like? Did their boss yell at them? Were they recently fired? Did they get in a fight with their wife at breakfast? We’ll never know. But often other people’s reactions affect our own.

What if you’ve had a sleepless night and you are in a grumpy mood? Or what if you’ve been up all night with a sick child and have to go to work the next day? Will your worry and tiredness leak out all over other people in the office or will you snarl impatiently when you call customer service about some problem? Or will someone else’s mood affect yours? Why do our moods and angers affect others? It’s because we, as humans were trained to be alert to dangers to keep us safe. When we were tribe members and a lion or tiger approached we’d all be on alert. We had to be or we might be in danger of being eaten.

Believe it or not, we still have a lot of this in us, trying to protect us from being hurt. So when our boss yells we feel it even if he’s not yelling at us. Or if I get frustrated at the way the letters don’t appear right away when I try to type something on Facebook and I pound the keyboard with frustration, my husband hears me rage. What’s it doing to him? It certainly can’t feel peaceful. Yes, sometimes I rage because I’m human and that’s when I realize I need to stop and tap to release the frustration energy and calm myself down. When we care about the people we interact with on a daily basis, so we feel upset when our friend calls and tells us that they had a fight with their partner. We’re unhappy when our son calls and says he got fired. And it can upset us when we hear a news story about someone who was bullied, who we don’t even know. The good news is that we can change our reactions and our emotions! “Really”, you ask? “How?” We can Reprogram our Primitive Brain. Yes, really and it isn’t all that hard.  Honest!

Here is what Rick Wilkes wrote. “And it’s not as hard as it sounds. I can teach someone how to write a simple computer program in 5 minutes. Cathy and I together can teach you how to start reprogramming your primitive brain in no time! And if you give it just 20 minutes a day worth of time and attention, for a few weeks, you will have developed a skill that is even more valuable than being an expert computer programmer.”

I took this course last year and even though I will still get frustrated from time to time, it doesn’t last as long nor is it as often because I have the tools to use now and can stop and tap. I can even laugh at myself for my humanness but even better, I don’t beat myself up anymore when I do act human. I used to be ruled by anxiety and panic attacks. I don’t get them as much anymore. Sure, I feel anxiety and energy rising within me but I know how to calm my primitive brain and sooth it. I have much more control than I used to. So would you like to feel calmer, more in control and happier? If so, I invite you to join me to Reprogram Your Primitive Brain. Join me? Yes I’m going to take the course again because I found it so valuable that I want to go through it another time and anchor all that I learned the first time. "You don’t have time, you say? You don’t know how? “Of course not. Your primitive brain is likely stressed from never feeling like it can take a break. We know how to shift that. “I can’t do this on my own!”

Of course not. No one can. It’s why Cathy and Rick will be there to make it as easy as possible for you.

If you’re tired of being an infectious agent of negative emotions… if you’re exhausted by being triggered by the negative emotions of others… at least check this out. Why? Because for Cathy and Rick, it is their mission to bring this awareness to Light. When we all learn how to detect that someone is “in their primitive brain” we can each respond in a healthy way rather than a reactive way. We can offer a hug or help… and not join in the battle.

The world has enough battles going on…

We want to co-creative safe, healthy, loving connections. That requires a shift out of the primitive brain into the whole of the body-mind.

It’s an honor that individuals from 77 countries have already taken this program with us. It’s making a difference. We want this idea to spread… and we want peace and confidence for each and every person… and for YOU.

Let’s do this together! You can sign up here:http://www.thrivingnow.com/primitive-brain/

With love and support," Rick & Cathy and Me too

P.S. We invite you to share this with others in our tribe. Thanks for spreading the word! P.P.S. The program closes Friday at midnight. If you are devoted to this kind of change in yourself and the world, do sign up now.”

Releasing Old Vows

Releasing old vows

“Dear God,” I wrote in my diary in 1957-58.  “If you will bring me a man who loves me I will be the best wife imaginable.  I have a lot of love to share.”

How Do You Want to Feel?

Five days with sporadic internet outages!  I phoned my internet provider daily, got apologies, work order numbers and promises.  I told them I needed my internet to be working on Thursday at 1pm because I was the host of a radio show and was told, "Oh yes it will be working."  But I had an uneasy feeling, rightfully so.  I called Maggie, my co-host and asked her to run the studio as host, which she did. I logged on as co-host and just as I suspected, my internet went down during the show again. At least I was able to interview our guest on the telephone.  

Not sure if you know but I am a big proponent of Emotional Freedom Technique and tapping.  But on the 3rd day with my internet going up and down, being totally unreliable, I was so angry that tapping didn't help much. But I tapped anyhow because I knew I was getting a benefit somewhere in my body. But I wasn't feeling less angry.  My husband suggested we get out of the house for awhile and see if our new friend who owned a farm had any silver queen corn. Bernie called him and he had four ears left that he would save for us so we drove over to his farm. As we drove I kept asking myself, "How do I want to feel?" I was still furious about the internet outage because I was paying business rates and it was almost impossible to run an online business without being able to get online.  

Tapping Points

I touched each one of the upper tapping points saying, "how do you want to feel?"  I began feeling calmer and I started focusing on the trees with their beautiful green leaves. I began noticing how many different shades of green there are on the different trees.   I focused on smelling the fresh air coming in the car window.  The sun was shining, I am healthy, I have a loving husband, we have a home, money to buy food and life is good.   I am so blessed to have learned the wonderful question, "How Do You Want to Feel?" From my coaches, Rick Wilkes and Cathy Vartuli.   How do you want to feel has helped change the way I look at problems, it has been a stress reliever and I don't stuff my feelings like I used to.

When we got to the farm, he was no where to be found but that was okay because we weren't in a hurry.  We saw a bag with the corn waiting and I looked at the rest of the vegetables he had in the baskets.   The fresh yellow squash was so beautiful so I bagged up some.  I'd been buying lots of fresh vegetables and making soup for the winter.  Here are some of the beautiful tomatoes he had for sale.

I decided to take some pictures with my cell phone because it was such a peaceful place to be and I continued feeling blessed.

The farmer's name is Mr. Lance and he had been inside eating lunch and didn't hear us pull up.   He is a native of this area of North Carolina and had some interesting stories to tell. We pulled up some chairs and enjoyed listening to him.  I also liked how he had this book that he wrote all the purchases down and then added them up with a calculator.  No credit cards, no electronic devices.  How cool and down to earth!

I wanted to  feel better - calm and happy instead of angry and it worked.  Here are some more beautiful pictures on the farm.

Another wonderful benefit of tapping and asking myself how do I want to feel is that I don't get the old stomach aches I used to get when I was upset and frustrated.   I don't get as many headaches or backaches either. No I'm not perfect yet and I still have more to learn and practice but I feel very blessed. 



To learn how to become less stressed, more relaxed and happier visit my web page and if this speaks to you, book a reading with me. 

http://www.jeanmaurie.com/

Love, Jean Maurie

Daring to Find Myself

This morning I saw this picture on Facebook and it triggered some heavy emotions in me.  I could hardly catch my breath as I read these words.  I let fear rule my life. Now that I've been involved with EFT, especially Thriving Now with Rick Wilkes and Cathy Vartuli, I'm learning to find those pieces of me I hid because I was afraid of being judged how I looked, how i spoke, and more.  I've climbed a few emotional mountains and found bravery within I never knew I had. I'm sure there are more pieces of myself I can reclaim as I continue to climb mountains, drive to unknown places and dance to my music. Does anyone want to join me?

What's Stopping you from Achieving your dreams? Is it Time To Take The Parking Brake Off Your Life…And Have More Fun!

Do you feel stuck, have projects you have to do but just can’t get around to working on them?

Do you start beating yourself up about procrastinating and call yourself lazy?

Do you feel overwhelmed and wonder if there is something wrong with you?

Not fun is it? 

What if it isn’t your fault? What if there is nothing wrong with you? What if you could find a new way to live your life more successfully with less struggle?

“First, it’s important to know that none of this is your fault! The struggle and pain you’ve been through isn’t because you’re bad or don’t deserve abundance. The reason you’ve been struggling is because a part of your brain has been fighting you.  Why would my brain fight me you ask?

There is a part of the brain, called the Primitive Brain that focuses on survival. Its main purpose is to protect you. This part of your brain has first dibs on all your resources. Your primitive brain will flood you with adrenaline and other chemicals to let you run faster than you ever thought possible to escape a bear. It can give you the strength and courage to fight a mugger or pull a car off a small child.”

My primitive brain tried to keep me safe when I was having a lot of surgeries as a child.  I was terrified but told not to cry, to be brave and be a good girl. So instead of letting my fears out I stuffed them and tried to be a good girl.   I couldn’t run away, I couldn’t fight so I froze.   I developed phobias which turned into agoraphobia, the fear of having panic attacks and losing control.   I would sit in school, so scared that I couldn’t learn and I made terrible grades.   I lost confidence in myself and didn’t know where I’d be when I had a panic attack.  I knew where every bathroom was and carried a portable toilet in my van.  I stopped going to restaurants, stopped traveling and wouldn’t go to meetings or movies.  Along with this came body pains – backaches and stomach aches.  Life wasn’t fun.  

I searched for answers with hypnosis, “primal scream therapy”, talk therapy, desensitization therapy, prayer, meditation, and more. Everything helped a little but it wasn’t until I discovered Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and joined Rick Wilkes and Cathy Vartuli at Thriving now, did I really find help.  I learned about the primitive brain and how it tried to keep me safe through all these traumas and I was able to release many of my old struggles.   Now that I understand that my primitive brain loves me so much it will do anything it can to keep me safe, I can use the tapping tools I learned from Rick and Cathy and work with my primitive brain instead of fighting with it.

Rick and Cathy have created this wonderful program, Reprogramming Your Primitive Brain And Take the Parking Brake off your Life.

 Wow, imagine getting unstuck and having more energy to finish your projects easier and stop battling your way through life! 

Imagine not feeling stressed at the end of your day!

Imagine having more self-confidence!

Imagine being able to sooth yourself and stop overeating, over shopping or whatever it is that you wish you could stop!

Imagine feeling excited about life rather than being fearful of change!

Imagine hearing your friends asking what you've done to yourself because you look younger, more relaxed and happier!

How do you do all this? 

Check out Rick and Cathy's new program, Reprogramming Your Primitive Brain and Take the Parking Brake off Your Life.

See what they've created for you:

Guided meditations
Videos
A live hour call
Some super special bonuses to help you with romance, law of attraction, abundance, sex & relationships and more.

I have received so much help working with Rick Wilkes and Cathy Vartuli  these past three years that I believe in any program they create.  That's why I am so excited about this program and writing about it - so YOU can enjoy your life more, have more fun with less stress.