Podcast — Page 7

56 Song Therapy From The Beatles

February 27, 2021 By Shauna

Hello and Welcome, I’m Shauna Hoffman

I talked a little bit about song therapy in a previous podcast. This week I was listening to the Beatles and soaking it up! There is something about singing songs that remind you of your youth. And you know every lyric and guitar riff, and throw away lyrics. The Beatles sang about every emotion I have ever felt! Starting with “She was just 17”. I met my husband Bert when I was 17. It’s like our theme song! My mom sat us in front of the TV to watch the Beatles on Ed Sullivan knowing it was going to be a night to remember!

So I decided that today we are going to have a little Beatles Music Therapy! Then when I’m all done recording this episode I am going to shut the door, turn off the lights, crank up some tunes and dance!

EPISODE NOTES:

So there is this thing happening to so many people right now from going on a year of Covid lock downs, and fear and confusion and total twilight zone living. They are calling it Motivation Paralysis. And boy have I felt it. I am usually so motivated for everything I do. And the last few weeks, BAM. Motivation Paralysis. Down to the smallest thing that I love to do which is make the meme’s for the podcast. I was like…eh.

So the one thing that always makes me move is music. Move physically and it wakes up my heart and my soul! I get excited. I want to dance. When I was a kid and I had a bad day I would turn off the lights and dance my heart out!

Now sadly because of music rights I can’t play any of the clips of the songs today. But with the Beatles I won’t have to. I know when I start the lyric the music will take over your mind!

There are some real obvious ones to start with. And since all I talk about over and over again is Loving yourself, staying in the moment and dealing with where you are at this instant I have the perfect song to kick this off. It was originally released as a single. Written by John, and eventually was added to the Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album. It also appeared in their movie The Yellow Submarine and on that soundtrack.

All You Need Is Love

My favorite claim and truth lines in this song are …

Nothing you can make that can’t be made

No one you can save that can’t be saved

Nothing you can do, but you can learn how to be you in time

It’s easy

All you need is love

All you need is love, love

Love is all you need

Nothing you can know that isn’t known. Nothing you can see that isn’t shown. Nothing you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be…. It’s easy

All you need is love

Love is all you need

Truly!!! That kinda says it all!

When I decided to start putting together this podcast I did an internet deep dive into the Beatles most uplifting or meaningful songs. And there isn’t a question that this next one was on every list or even at the top of every list. “Hey Jude”. It was interesting to find out it was originally written as “Hey Jules” by Paul for John’s son Julian when his parents were getting divorced. Though Julian was only 5, the lyrics have touched the soul of so many of us and given us hope for years.

The lyrics that get me every time are these.

And when the broken-hearted people Living in the world agree There will be an answer: Let it be…

Here are all the lyrics. Let your mind sing them!

Hey Jude, don’t make it bad.

Take a sad song and make it better.

Remember to let her into your heart,

Then you can start to make it better.

Hey Jude, don’t be afraid.

You were made to go out and get her.

The minute you let her under your skin,

Then you begin to make it better.

These next lyrics are for all of you who are suffering through these times…

And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain,

Don’t carry the world upon your shoulders.

For well you know that it’s a fool who plays it cool

By making his world a little colder.

Hey Jude, don’t let me down.

You have found her, now go and get her.

Remember to let her into your heart,

Then you can start to make it better.

Now wait! Listen to these next lyrics. If this doesn’t scream self love and YOU are all you need then nothing does!

So let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin,

You’re waiting for someone to perform with.

And don’t you know that it’s just you, hey Jude, you’ll do,

The movement you need is on your shoulder.

Hey Jude, don’t make it bad.

Take a sad song and make it better.

Remember to let her under your skin,

Then you’ll begin to make it

Better better better better better better, oh.

Ok now I know you are all going…naaaa naa naa nanananaaaaa!

Next wisdom song..

I think the hardest part for so many of us during this last year is not being able to be with our friends. The healing of seeing your besties, hanging with them, laughing with them has started to take a toll on so many people. Zoom can only do so much when you’re craving a hug from your best friend. But you know… we need to take the moments we can get! Here are just some of the lyrics to one that was written by John and Paul and sung by Ringo!

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

What would you think if I sang out of tune?

Would you stand up and walk out on me?

Lend me your ears and I’ll sing you a song

And I’ll try not to sing out of key

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends

Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends

Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends

What do I do when my love is away?

Does it worry you to be alone?

How do I feel by the end of the day?

Are you sad because you’re on your own?

No, I get by with a little help from my friends

Mm, get high with a little help from my friends

Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends

OK I just love this song so much. It really says it all. And for me.. Singing out of tune is my life story. But my friends don’t walk out on me! Now that is true friendship!

There is one line from Blackbird that just resonates so much with me and for all of us during these times.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these broken wings and learn to fly

All your life

You were only waiting for this moment to arise

It was written by Paul originally to address the racial strife in the South in the 1960s. Paul said later, “This was really a song from me to a black woman, experiencing these problems in the States: ‘Let me encourage you to keep trying, to keep your faith; there is hope.”

This year has been a time for people of color to truly arise. To be heard, to be truly seen. This song resonates for so many of us on a different level. So many people around the world who feel that their wings have been broken through this last year. We all need to learn how to fly again!

This year has been the most trying one in a long time for our world! I started to list them but just stopped the recording and deleted all of them. Suffice it to say that we all have made it through! You are here listening to this podcast and I am here sharing it with you. Hallelujah! ,So I am going to end the Beatles’ wisdom song therapy with this one by George! Beautiful, soulful George Harrison.

Here Comes The Sun

Here comes the sun do, do, do

Here comes the sun

And I say it’s all right

Little darling, it’s been a long cold lonely winter

Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been here

Here comes the sun do, do, do

Here comes the sun

And I say it’s all right

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces

Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here

Here comes the sun do, do, do

Here comes the sun

And I say it’s all right

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting

Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been clear

Here comes the sun do, do, do

Here comes the sun

And I say it’s all right

Here comes the sun do, do, do

Here comes the sun

And I say it’s all right

To all of you my amazing listeners I say… Here comes the sun. We will get through this. We will take our broken wings and learn to fly! We will take a sad song and make it better. All with a little help from our friends! Because you know…All you need is love! Share this episode with any of your friends that need a little music therapy!

Now take such good care of yourselves! Drink lots of water, eat nourishing foods and surround yourself with loving beings! And maybe make a song list that you can play for yourself as you close your door, turn off your lights and dance your heart out!

Thank you for letting me into your life this week! And I look forward to popping back in again, next week.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONTENT DISCUSSED…

• A Journey to Awareness Podcast: All Episodes
• Shauna’s website: https://www.workingonme.com

WHEN DOES IT AIR…
February 27, 2021

55 Fear or Anxiety? Just Yell Stop!

February 20, 2021 By Shauna

Hello and Welcome, I’m Shauna Hoffman,

“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” ~Audrey Lorde

If you have ever gotten an email from me you will see that this is the sign-off quote I use.

Today we’re going to talk about fighting through your fears. Sometimes they are real life fears…survival, illness, money, job loss. And sometimes they are perceived fears of the unknown. Like fear of change or all the “what if’s” that we tend to obsess on. Or the big emotional ones like, “what if they don’t love me anymore. I’m not sure I can survive alone”. The word fear is sooooo big and so misunderstood and so confused with other emotions that often finding the tools to fight it off, or handle it or even recognize it becomes such a challenge. So we are going to knock the hell out of what fears look like and how to control it on today’s podcast.

Let’s talk first about the fact that sometimes it is not fear you are experiencing. But Anxiety! You see, both of them have the same physical response in your body. The Fight or flight syndrome. Let’s go back to the caveman days and what our body did when a mammoth was coming at us. We would either fight it or run like hell from it. Fight or flight. In order to do that your body kicked in to help. You breathe shallower to send the oxygen to the brain, the blood leaves your stomach and abdomen and is sent to your heart to beat faster. It’s then sent to your extremities to fight or run. It’s sent to your brain to think fast. And then your sympathetic nervous system kicks in and chemicals go raging through your body to help! Hormones, Adrenaline, Noradrenaline and a whole lotta other chemicals with really long names. The big picture is that you are ready to fight back or run!

So it makes total sense that we get confused between real fears and what is really anxiety. After all, our body can’t tell the difference. Except for this… with real fears, like a mammoth coming after you, once you are safe you go into what is called recovery mode. Well with today’s fears and anxiety it seems that the mammoth is never gone. It’s still stalking us. So we never recover. And our body, mind and spirit suffer. Exhaustion, depression, ulcers, stomach problems, headaches, body aches. And those just add to the fear and anxiety you already have!

What the hell!!!

So the first thing I want to help you do is differentiate if you are anxious or truly fearful. That means that you need to look at the facts! God I love that word! Facts! When we get anxiety or fear we tend to go into what I like to call a hallucination. We build on the facts of what we know and start to imagine all the worst that can come of it. So the very first thing you need to do is STOP! Stop and look at the facts about what you are afraid of. IN THE MOMENT! Not what could happen next. This means that you really need to see if the facts are valid and true for where you are and what you are experiencing. Or are you looking into an imaginary crystal ball and trying to tell your future. For instance.. valid fear.. I lost my job… valid fear… I need to see how to pay my bills. Invalid fear and future telling… Oh my God, I will never get another job like this one. Who’s going to hire me? I am going to lose my house. Oh gees, my girlfriend will leave me now for sure!

OK seriously? Do you see what I am talking about with future telling? All this person knew is that they lost their job. Who’s to say if they won’t get an even better one? Who’s to say that they won’t end up getting paid twice as much and loving it even more? But the fear cycled into dread and a huge wheel of suffering.I love to say to my clients, ”Wow, if you have a crystal ball and can tell the future you really can make a fortune! What are you afraid of?”

Now why is it that when fear overtakes us we tend to cycle into more and more fear? My best answer is because you have not yet trained your defense mechanisms into positive thinking. Yup. The old…the glass is half full versus half empty. After all, if you really don’t know the future why would you constantly choose the worst case scenario? Because you are allowing the fear to snowball out of control!

STOP! Then look at the facts and only the facts! Stick with the evidence that you have before you. And that may mean that you only have today to look at!

Today! Now that brings me to your NEXT TIP!! Stay in the present! What are the facts today? What are the good things you know today that can help you navigate the fear? Look at your support system; human, financial and otherwise! Look at the people who are there for you! Then put a plan into action. Fear will freeze you from action. Don’t let it. Come up with a plan! Look at how many times you have survived a challenge in the past! How have you gotten through it before?

But most importantly, look at you and all you have to offer the world. When fear or anxiety overtakes us the worst part about it is that we lose track of all that is true about who we are and all that we have to offer those around us and the world. Fear becomes this black curtain that stops us from seeing reality. And the worst part is that the reality that gets lost is who we are. All of the beauty that is us. All of our past learning lessons and our massive moments of growth. When we are in fear we forget. We forget the beauty and the strength that got us to today in the first place.

So the first thing to do is reach out to someone who remembers. Someone you trust who knows you. It can be hard at first because oftentimes have you been in fear and tried to explain it to someone and they jump back with all of this positive stuff that they can see but you can’t? And usually it just pisses you off.

This is the moment that we have to trust those that we love more than we trust ourselves. Listen to the people that you trust to help you get off of the wheel of suffering. Now the FACT here is that it needs to be someone who is being compassionate about your fear, not judging you, but who you trust enough to help you see through the darkness and the fear. Someone who loves you and sees all of you.

HA! And someone with really good communication skills! Because sadly when we are in fear our communication skills go haywire. And on that note I want to remind you of one big pitfall. Often when we become afraid we don’t see those around us the way they truly are. We become harsher on those we love who love us. When you are anxious or afraid, one of your biggest challenges will be to NOT throw all of your negativity onto those around you. Now let me be clear! That doesn’t mean that you don’t turn to them for help! It means you don;t turn ON them when they do. They are not the mammoth chasing you. Try and remember that.

Big picture with all of these hints is that I want you to find some way to actually become aware of the fight or flight syndrome you are experiencing and control it so it does not control you. You have to get back into recovery mode. In recovery mode you will think clearer, problem solve better and your entire mood and body will change because of it. So reach out to someone who can help you do that. A friend, a therapist or counselor. Sometimes even your dog or cat will be the one to sit next to you and drag you back to the moment! Listen again to podcast episode 50. An animal can heal your soul. The thing about our animals is that they only see you and all of your love. And sometimes that’s all it takes!

Probably one of the best books ever written is The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. I am going to let a passage of his wrap up everything I just said and then some. Enjoy!

“IF YOUR OVERALL SITUATION IS UNSATISFACTORY or unpleasant, separate out this instant and surrender to what is. That’s the flashlight cutting through the fog. Your state of consciousness then ceases to be controlled by external conditions. You are no longer coming from reaction and resistance. Then look at the specifics of the situation. Ask yourself, “Is there anything I can do to change the situation, improve it, or remove myself from it?” If so, take appropriate action. Focus not on the hundred things that you will or may have to do at some future time but on the one thing that you can do now. This doesn’t mean you should not do any planning. It may well be that planning is the one thing you can do now. But make sure you don’t keep running “mental movies” that continually project yourself into the future, and so lose the Now. Any action you take may not bear fruit immediately. Until it does — do not resist what is.”

Be good to yourself this week! Drink lotsa water, eat nourishing foods and surround yourself with loving beings. Thank you for letting me into your life this week. And I look forward to popping back in again next week.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONTENT DISCUSSED…

• A Journey to Awareness Podcast: All Episodes
• Shauna’s website: https://www.workingonme.com

WHEN DOES IT AIR…
February 20, 2021

54 Our Podcast Anniversary Lovefest

February 13, 2021 By Shauna

Hello and Welcome, I’m Shauna Hoffman

I am so excited for this episode because Valentines Day is the one year anniversary of the launch of this podcast! One year! Wow… did I ever think when I started it that today would come? And…and… we hit 3000 downloads this week! That just blew me out of the water to think about. I started this podcast with the sole purpose of being able to help people on their journey to self-awareness. A journey that sometimes is so gentle and uplifting and other times can be so painful and hard. Every listener that I have is in a different place at the time they hit play on the podcast. But for me knowing that I could be there for you through this process is what brings me so much joy. And what you don’t know is how much you have been there for me! Every download, every like, every comment was a way for me to know I was helping. But it was searching for the theme of every podcast that was my own journey to awareness. Many times the topic for that week had something to do with something going in on my own life. Or something going on in the world that I knew if I discussed on the podcast it would bring me answers or insight that I needed. Working through it on the podcast with my listeners was like my own therapy. Other times the topic was brought on by an issue I was helping a client with. So I knew that if I could go into more depth on the podcast they would get more relief or answers.

I thought it may be fun if today if I took you on a behind the scenes tour of the podcast world… in other words…the journey to awareness of the journey to awareness podcast!

Ha… all of a sudden I thought of the song from The Sound of Music.. Remember the lyrics.. you start at the very beginning… a very good place to start… Well, the beginning of this podcast was truly inspired by my brilliant friend, Jody Colvard. Jody Colvard is the founder/ CEO of FMG Networks, Voices of Women, and The Podcast School, she is a powerhouse that empowers writers, speakers, and experts to share their voices and messages through podcasting, radio, and TV. And she truly inspired me and set me on the right track. I learned everything from her. She helped me get the website ready to launch. She is the brains behind all of the production of this podcast. and lucky for me, she taught me how to edit the podcast each week. Or more likely, lucky for her. Because this was definitely a work in progress! This podcast would not have happened, I promise you if it were not for Jody Colvard. So here, my Goddess friend, I say thank you!!!

I think what I want to share with all of you about this process is that I really knew nothing except my topic and I had my speaking abilities. But with the right support system, I went for it. I am sharing this with you because I hope it may inspire you to go after some dream you have that you may be clueless about how to actually do! I am hoping that you can believe in yourself enough to surround yourself with people who also believe in you and who have the knowledge you may not have. It really is ok to not be adept at something and still start it! We learn so much from our mistakes and every time we have a new accomplishment it is THE most empowering feeling!

Ha.. ok, that reminds me of an experience that we had with our Sailing instructor. Many of you know I am a sailor and love to use sailing analogies when I speak or write. Well, we were out on our boat the Illusion. I was having the best time and felt so confident. Then at one moment, I was about to tack…which means to change the sails so I can change the direction we are going. Then all of a sudden our sailing instructor said. “Wait are you going to do that?” I froze and said, ”Why? What? Shouldn’t I”. He said nonchalantly, “It’s up to you, you’re the captain.” Then I said, “But am I about to make a mistake?”. He answered,” I don’t know, try it, you’ll soon find out!”. OMG! Really? So, I really had to think it through and decide what to do. After a minute I realized that I did know the answer! And what I was about to do was totally fine! So, I did it and he laughed! Seriously I was like “You put me through hell for a moment!” His answer was “No… you put yourself through hell.”

You see, He was just empowering me to be confident in my choices. I had hired the best and he taught me right. At some point, I had to believe in myself.

I think we so often second guess ourselves and that stops us dead in our tracks. But when we are truly self-aware we can take a moment to check-in and see the truth within. We have the opportunity in every moment to put other people’s voices aside…or for that matter…our own negative voices… to find the answers within. And better yet to realize we already have them! Truly that negative voice is hella loud! We have to shut it down so we can hear that soft confident and honest voice that knows us better than anyone. The one that says yes! You’ve got this!

OK, back to this podcast. I had the best support system with Jody teaching me. I knew the knowledge I had to offer to my listeners and I just had to do it. So one year ago I decided to allow myself to NOT BE perfect! To allow myself to make mistakes along the way. And to allow myself to grow. But I could do it all because I had a mission to help people find happiness. To find those places within that need to grow. To find forgiveness for themselves and others and maybe to laugh along the way! Deep within me, I knew why I wanted to do this and all I had to do was start.

Ok back to the behind the scenes tour. After I record and edit the podcast, Jody takes it and adds the intro and outro, and uploads it into the podcast platforms and my website. And now it is out in the world! But how do people find it? Enter social media! OOOOh I must admit it is the weakest part of this process for me. I absolutely love making memes with my quotes or other people’s quotes. But that’s where it ends. So, I finally hired Social Media experts to do it right! Again! It was admitting that I sucked at something so I could get help. Wait a minute! I didn’t have to be a pro at everything? Uhhhh no. Now I have these two brilliant souls, George and Sam who do it for me. Ya know…It’s just fine to check your ego and get help! It’s also fine to let other’s be there for your dream as long as they believe in you and your message! “Hashtag…surround yourself with loving beings”.

But what I also learned is that it was word of mouth from my listeners and all of you sharing the podcast that made the biggest difference. I have people send a link to a friend who may need it or a partner who is not hearing them and they think the podcast will help. FYI- Biggest shared episode for couples. episode #39 The Art of Healthy Fighting. I have newly single men or women who are reinventing their lives. I have therapists and healers that share it with their clients. I have mom’s and daughters that listen to it together. This really brought me back to the WHY of this podcast. My purpose… the podcast’s purpose… to make a difference in people’s lives.

And THAT is also why the podcast had a massive name change and new branding. The initial name was Guy Free Working On Me, based on my book. It was for ALL women on their journey, whether in a relationship or not. It was meant to show that you need to find yourself whether in a relationship or not in order to find happiness. Well hell… a big lesson in branding there! It missed a whole audience I was trying to reach. Then I heard about so many men who were listening and that was it… name change to… A Journey To Awareness.

One of the things I have found fascinating is the way I can track the messages people need to hear by watching the downloads. The most downloaded episodes seem to track 2020 perfectly. My most downloaded episode was also the hardest one for me to do Episode #21 The Great Unlearning. It was recorded the week of the Black Lives Matter protests. So many podcasters went quiet that week. For me, I looked deep within to truly explore my own prejudices and where they came from. It was very hard to do but again…it was a podcast that by helping all of my listeners look within, I helped myself.

The second most downloaded podcast went up the week of the election. Episode #42, Calgon Take Me Away! HA! We all needed to take a deep breath and find a way to relax that week! It was funny because I was afraid to call it that for fear that my younger listeners may not get the reference. But I promise you I took many a relaxing bath that week! To this day it’s my favorite episode to send my clients to who are having a stressful week.

And right along with the world my last podcast of 2020, Episode #49 The Gift of Time is the next most downloaded episode. We all needed…and may STILL need a way to re-imagine 2020. What brought me peace was realizing that for so many of us 2020 was a gift of time to be with loved ones, not work so hard, work on ourselves, get creative and so much more. I hoped it gave my listeners a change in perception!

Now my most FUN episode I recorded for my birthday week. Oh, please, please, please go listen to it! Episode #30 “Your Wisdom Day. Ain’t It Fab?” I had such a great time rethinking what it means to get older. I imagined our lives if we could just have this counter that marked our wisdom growth versus our age, we would WELCOME that number going up! “Oh yes! Got through that fight and learned a lesson”.. DING DING DING Your Wisdom age has just gone up! It was really a fun episode for me. Feel free to send it to your friends on their birthday!

And then there are the episodes with a guest. I LOVE these! It is so much fun to hear their stories. It’s even more fun to share their wisdom, their books, their podcasts. Andra Millian, Acupuncturist healer… kicked me into gear on taking care of me. Victoria Fye, a therapist who with total dedication took 17 years to go after her dream of being a social worker and helping humanity. The fricking amazing LaVelda Conrad who shared her story on episode #11 about going from an abused woman, wife, and mother, through addiction to learning all about nature, wildlife, and herself as she became …wait for it…an African Safari Guide! Really I could hear her story of reinvention over and over again! Then there was episode 51 Sail Above the clouds with Carole Fontaine. OK… listen to it then go get her book!

There is nothing I love more than empowering men and women! Bring in Laura Piening to talk about Power on Episode #32, Episode 35 with Molly Lyda where she talks about women empowerment especially in the dating world. And then the quote-unquote “badass Britt Bolnick” who talks about success through perseverance. Truly this woman is badass and shows you how to be the same.

And that brings me back to this… the One Year anniversary of A Journey To Awareness. It’s Valentine’s Week. What if you made this week a lovefest to yourself? A lovefest to your own dreams? A lovefest that gives you permission not to be perfect? A Lovefest where you surround yourself with amazing humans who adore you and believe in you? A lovefest where you LOVE ALL of your imperfections and see them as an opportunity? An opportunity to truly get to know the you that is deep inside? A lovefest that says yes yes yes you are fricking amazing and with the right support and people surrounding you can do anything you dream of? A lovefest where you walk away from toxic relationships and rise up to say I DESERVE? A Lovefest where you stop judging your body or your age or your faults but instead ADORE all that your body can do for you… in all its nuances? A lovefest of the most magnificent kind!

And then with all of that love, you spread your gifts to the world. And more importantly… you receive all the gifts and the love the world has to offer you.

You know none of that list is unachievable. In fact, all of it is totally achievable! If you are willing to look within. If you are willing to take that beautiful magical and unbelievably healing Journey to awareness!

I love this quote by Oscar Wilde”To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.”Happy Valentine’s week everyone! May the romance endure and fill your soul!

To all of you, my sailing partners on this journey thank you for allowing me to come along. Now go forth this week in self-love as you eat the most nourishing foods, drink lots of water, get so much rest, be kind to yourself, surround yourself with loving beings, and believe in your dreams!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONTENT DISCUSSED…

• A Journey to Awareness Podcast: All Episodes
• Shauna’s website: https://www.workingonme.com

WHEN DOES IT AIR…
February 13, 2021

53 True Bravery is Honoring the Moment You’re in

February 7, 2021 By Shauna

Hello and welcome, I’m Shauna Hoffman.

It’s funny. In the last episode I talked about inspiration and motivation. Well hell. I am staring at my microphone not sure what I want to talk about today! I am motivated! I’m sitting here ready to go…head set on… dogs and cats locked away… but the inspiration of what to talk about today is just not sparking! So I am going to try what I told all of you to do in the last podcast. Just start! Then let’s see what happens! See if by sitting here I can brilliantly come up with the topic for today! Funny. I talk about being our genuine selves. Yet on my podcast for 51 weeks I have NOT allowed my listeners to see me scratching for inspiration! Searching for my own answers. Next week is one year since I launched the first version of this podcast. And it’s hysterical that here I am on my last week and I cannot pull a topic out of my brain.

So, do you know what I’m going to do today? I’m allowing for the possibility that no inspiration may come! Now there is a novel idea! For me it’s been a crazy month between the holidays, inauguration, trying to stay covid safe, seeing clients virtually, recording podcasts, creating memes, getting my travel business up to speed again. Oh and that emotional last week of bringing in rescued collies from China. Maybe just maybe I need a break from thinking!

Hmmmm…..So here is what I think I’m going to do! Once in a while you have to just break the mold and try something new to find inspiration. Normally for my podcasts I would always pick a topic I wanted to share…look up quotes I wanted to add and then go for it. Well, today I’m just going to break my format! I’m going to start with quotes and see where they take me… I have a list of quotes that I have been saving. So I am just going with the flow and going to talk about a few of them!

OK. This is one from Brene Brown:
“I now see how owning our own story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.”

Wait…What? How perfect is this for this moment! I swear I just looked at my quotes and this is the first one on the list . This is exactly where I am today.

OWNING my own story! I say so often that we show different sides of ourselves to different people. In a professional world we show one side of ourselves. With our family and friends we show another. We wear different masks for different people and places! It’s normal. In one way it is how we conform to certain social norms. But have you ever asked yourself if there is a piece of you that you are not showing… that you want to show? Like right now I am sharing with my clients who listen and my podcast listeners that I am always not so profound! I don’t always have the answer.

Of course don’t tell my husband that I said that.

So let’s go back to that Brene Brown Quote again.
“I now see how owning our own story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.”

Can you ask yourself right now is there a part of your story just for today, or this week or your life that you have not yet owned? A mask you want to take off? Are you even aware of it? Think for a moment. Is there any part of you that you are pushing down just to get through the day, week or year?

A place where you are not being genuine to yourself?

Remember for me… it was that I was trying to ignore my total inability to be inspired today. And to keep up the mask to all of you that I am such a profound healer with so much wisdom to share. Ha Busted!

Here is another quote, This one by Rita Mae Brown. Gotta love those Brown women!
I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself.

Now your turn. Think for a moment. But more importantly… feel. What feelings may you have that you are not honoring. And can you be brave enough to honor them? And what would happen if you did?

The most important part of this quote are the words loving yourself through that process. The truth is that we cannot be genuine to our selves…or our STORY if we don’t see ourselves with loving eyes.

It’s by looking at ourselves with loving eyes and a loving heart that we empower ourselves to do what we have to do for our true happiness. Whether it is a small thing we are doing or a large one, It is through the love for ourselves that we become strong enough… brave enough to make those changes. When we love ourselves enough to take off the masks and show the gorgeous being underneath it.

So…what in this moment…or in your life… would honor “your story” if you were brave enough to let it? Yours may be small. Or it may be large and profound. But I want you to think about it for a moment. Check in with yourself… take a moment of self awareness and think about it…

Well here we are now and I have been talking away. When I thought I had no inspiration. It’s funny because this episode kind of touched on a few things I have spoken about in so many of the episodes this year. Just last week’s episode on creativity and motivation that said motivation comes from action. And that’s what happened. I just started this podcast and the rest flowed. Then I shared my love of quotes to inspire me! I hope when I share them they inspire you. Then there is my favorite topic of all, genuine self! And lastly the most important thing of all in the journey to self awareness. SELF LOVE.

“Find the love you seek, by first finding the love within yourself. Learn to rest in that place within you that is your true home.” – Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Your story… your true home. Wonderful images of all that I dream of for my listeners. To share with the world your story and rest in so much peace and happiness in your home within.

Oh I hope this episode brought you permission to NOT try to be perfect in every moment.

I hope you have the most wonderful week! Drink lots of water, eat nourishing foods, surround yourself with loving beings. Ones that love you when the mask is off!

Thank you for letting me into your life this week and I look forward to popping back in again…next week!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONTENT DISCUSSED…

• A Journey to Awareness Podcast: All Episodes
• Shauna’s website: https://www.workingonme.com

WHEN DOES IT AIR…
February 30, 2021

52 Imagination, Inspiration, Motivation! Bringing Your Dreams to Life!

January 30, 2021 By Shauna

WHAT THIS EPISODE IS ABOUT…

Hello and welcome, I’m Shauna Hoffman.

I thought today is a perfect day in all of our lives to believe in the possibilities and dreams in our hearts. We are going to talk about a lot of ations… imagination, creation, inspiration and motivation. and all it takes to believe in yourself to go after something you really want in life. It is the human spirit to create. We all have the ability to envision new things. From the time we were children we could make a train out of stick or snowman out of a snowball. Why? Why is it that as children we had the ability to think outside the box and create with no holds barred?

Because we had not been told yet that it’s not real. We had not been told yet that our thoughts should have boundaries and restrictions. When we were young we could claim what we would be when we grew up and all the adults would just smile and think isn’t that cute. She wants to be a fireman or teacher or President one day. No one gave us that negative list of why it can’t happen. Until one day they did.

As adults we have these weird “shoulds and rules and guidelines and history” of what we think is possible and what isn’t. And now when you dream of something you want to do outside the realm of what others can perceive of you, you get bombarded with all of the reasons why you can’t do it. And not just from other people. But from yourself! And that is what we are going to talk about today! Your dreams and how to let all those negative thoughts go and bring those dreams to life!

Years ago, I did my thesis paper on something called The Idealized System Design. It was based on a theory that you could create an ideal concept and then design it from beginning to end. But the word ideal is what made it so exciting. In an ideal system you have no boundaries that say no it cannot happen.

Think of that concept for a minute. You could create an ideal home…one that is ideal in your imagination. Not what you could afford, or someone else’s pre-built home, or stuck in a city when you want to live on a mountain top. You could create YOUR ideal home. So the concept of ideal meant it could be anything your mind could imagine!

Abert Einstein said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”

Ha I love that!

I love to use this theory with my clients, my business coaching clients, teens imagining their future, newly divorced women or men who are redesigning and reinventing their lives. Usually their mind set is open to anything. Or even ready for anything!

And then I love to use it to help people who have become sedentary in their lives or thinking and have some dream that they have abandoned or have decided is a just a dream that can never come to be. I want to play with the word imagination! As a child it was believed that our imagination was something like a Disney dream of fairies and dragons, princesses and castles. “Oh she has such a big imagination when she plays”. But the truth is anything that we want to achieve starts with imagination. IMAGINING something that we want in our lives.

So let’s think about what Imagination is. It’s the ability to create mental images of things not perceived through our senses. For instance it is a woodworker who can see a table in a piece of wood. Or an artist that can see the images they want to paint on a blank canvas. It’s the ability to create a new narrative out of something that we can’t see or have never heard before. A musician that creates a new song out of notes that are on a scale. It’s something that can construct new, hypothetical scenarios that don’t exist now but have every possibility of coming to fruition. What I love about imagination is it deletes the word CAN’T!

So imagination is the precursor to creativity. Once you start to imagine something new your next step is to create it. Now creativity goes hand in hand with imagination because as you create you want to continue to allow your imagination to think outside the box. Creativity is the ability to see something with no boundaries.

Now let’s take all of this and make it personal for you. If you could imagine anything different in your life what would it be? It can be anything as small as imagining your home with new colors, or imagining you walking a new puppy down the street, to anything as big as imagining yourself living in a different town or country or imagining a new job. It could be imagining your own creative outlet like writing or painting or singing or podcasting!

Now you have imagined it and you are on the way to creating it! The next “ation” I am going to talk about is inspiration. Inspiration is a force or influence that makes you want to create something!

Let’s think. You have decided to create a new decor for your living room. Your mind has begun to formulate all of these wonderful images and colors and feelings of what it will look like. You pick up a Interior design magazine and you see someone that has created their new space. You get so excited that it inspires you to take your IMAGINATION AND CREATION and bring it to life! You are now not only creating something in your mind, you are inspired to make it happen!

Now I am going to talk about the one ATION that seems to be the thing that stops people in their tracks. MOTIVATION! How many times have you had a wonderfully creative new idea that you have wanted to attempt. You have imagined it in your mind, talked about it to other people, maybe even written it as a goal in your life. But you have never done it? Your excuse, I haven’t found the motivation to start it. They say that motivation is the “process that causes you to take action. It activates behavior”. But here is my personal experience with my clients and what I coach anyone hoping for motivation. Some people can take their inspiration and creativity and it kick starts motivation. But, for many people I don’t believe it just shows up. That one day they wake up motivated.

I read one time that motivation comes from action starting not starting action! In other words when you have an idea or creation that you want to manifest if you just START the process that INSPIRES MOTIVATION! It is the starting of something that becomes the energy that opens up your motivation to continue! It’s watching it come to fruition that keeps you inspired. OK let’s think about this in simple terms. No one is motivated to clean a room. But once you start to clean it all of a sudden the motivation continues! You get excited to see your progress and want more! So many people envision writing a book. They think about it and talk about it. But then they say to me I am just not motivated to start it. I say sit down and write a sentence. Any sentence. See if you become motivated to keep writing. I love the book The Artists Way for just this reason. It gets your mind kickstarted to create.

Now I want to go back to something that I said at the beginning. When children create it is because they have not been told that it CAN’T be real. The biggest reason why people don’t start to create the things that they want in life is because somewhere in their mind is the word can’t.

“You can’t do that, you know nothing about that. You can’t do that no one will like it or buy it. You can’t do that there are professionals that make a living at it. What makes you think you can do that. You can’t do that. It is too expensive, or too lofty, or too unrealistic.”

The minute the word can’t or shouldn’t come into your mind it creates a judgement and fear that stops all creativity and let’s be honest…it stops all dreams from coming true. And the funny thing is it’s not true! Remember the Idealized System Design! You design something with no boundaries, no rules, no saying NO!

Pablo Picasso said, “Everything you can imagine is real”.

He also said, “The chief enemy of creativity is GOOD SENSE.”

I want you to think about your life. I want you to play with the possibility that there is something that you are dreaming of that you want to create. Something that is sitting in your mind or soul or heart that you want to bring to life! It may be a garden in your backyard, or a children’s book you want to write or a podcast you want to create! Or a wall you want to paint! I would love you to think of the words…

Imagination
Creation
Inspiration
Motivation.

Then just start it… make any movement towards your dream and see if it motivates you to bring it to life! Take any action that you can to start it! Remember that every best selling writer was once NOT a writer! There was a day that Picasso didn’t paint. Or Mozart heard the songs in his head but never wrote them down. There was a STARTING point for every person who went after their dreams. The day that they said, I CAN.

I love this quote by Ursula Leguin – “The creative adult is the child who survived.”

I want to leave you with this one… by Bruce Garrabrandt

“Creativity doesn’t wait for the perfect moment. It fashions it’s own perfect moments out of ordinary ones.”

I hope for you wonderfully creative inspirational outbursts in your life! May you hear your child voice again and allow it to help your dreams come true. May you believe in all of your capabilities to create your very own ideal world!

Now go out there and be safe! Drink lots of water, eat nourishing foods, get lots of sleep and surround yourself with people who lift you up and believe in you and your dreams! Then just begin!

Thank you for letting me into your lives this week and I look forward to popping back in again…. next week.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONTENT DISCUSSED…

• A Journey to Awareness Podcast: All Episodes
• Shauna’s website: https://www.workingonme.com

WHEN DOES IT AIR…
January 30, 2021

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