EP040: Learning How to FLY (First Love Yourself)
Straight Talk for a Curvy World®
Release Date: 06/16/2016
Straight Talk for a Curvy World®
A single act doesn’t define us, nor does a moment in time. When we feel weak or powerless, we search internally for the one version of ourselves that we think will best cope with the situation we are faced with. If our history includes anxiety, anger, or apprehension, we are basically like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’ll get. Often, we systematically compare our pain to that of our peers to self-judge our normality. Still, in doing so, we risk gathering all the pain within ourselves, primarily if we identify with it. Ultimately, we project our anxiety and anger inwards...
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*Consider who may be listening with you. This episode contains fun stuff that only adults should hear. A Special Passage for Monica From - Sometimes, it comes as a soft-bellied whisper. Sometimes it holds an edge of urgency, but it always says, “Wake up, my love. You are walking asleep; there’s no safety in that.” Now, Where Did I Put That? Aging can be fun if we consider it a never-ending game of hide-and-seek. The physical aspects of getting older are more accessible for us to deal with than the mental and emotional changes occurring within our bodies. We may understand that a tire...
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In this Best of Straight Talk for a Curvy World® episode, I talk about my book. became a #1 Best-selling book upon release and continues to show up in the top ten even today. It also won SIX national and international book awards and was selected for review by Publisher's Weekly. And even though I write about #Me-Too, my book was released long before the world ever heard that phrase! I hope you'll check it out and leave a review. Click on the title above, or request the book from your favorite bookseller. Emotional Pain in the Physical Form During Christine’s uncertainty about...
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Lucky is how Mo Hannah describes herself. And when you consider the profound impacts she has withstood, you can agree that Mo Hannah is indeed lucky. Mo was destined to have found the Battered Mothers Custody Conference. Her personal life gave her reason, and her humanity gave her purpose. Ann and Mo talk about how being in the present can alleviate anxiety and how taking your time to feel out a problem gives your inner voice a chance to speak. The physical pain caused by grief is not a structured ailment. There is no amount of time when it ceases to be, but it does change form over time....
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Caring for our parents can be one of the greatest gifts in life and one of our greatest hardships. You can never quite prepare yourself for the physical and emotional changes on the way. It is a challenging time that requires us to be many things to many people. We are the lucky ones spending as much time as possible with the people who gave us life. We are not alone on this journey. Mentions:
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*This is an adult conversation, so please be aware of who may be listening with you. A Special Passage for Lisa “I am worthy. You were born worthy. You don’t have to do anything to make yourself worthy. You are a superhero born into this world, and being you is all you need to do. Express yourself, and don’t believe the hype that says you need to be anything more than your amazing self. I used to believe I wasn’t deserving of great things, but when I began declaring my worth, my life changed for the better.” - from the soon-to-be best-seller, I AM...: A Girl’s Guide to...
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Most of us believe medicines will heal our illnesses. We do not expect a drug to exacerbate our problems, so when one does, it’s difficult to know it is at the root of the problem. Karen shares with us how Prozac caused a mania that led her down the dark hallways of depression, suicidal thoughts, and the disintegration of her marriage to a good man. She has since recovered and sings jazz twice weekly and serves as a spiritual advisor in the unity church. Mentions: - Neale Donald Walsch - Emily Cady
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Detaching yourself from grief shortly after a loss is a reliable way to ensure you prolong its influence. Frequently, additional losses compound the suffering and may cause other behaviors which eventually take their toll on your well-being. And even though most of us have difficulty handling grief, it seems men are more likely to bottle it up and not let it out. Jordan shares with us his recent reaction to the news about the loss of a peer and how he became aware of the value of living a more fulfilling life. We all must deal with this topic at some point in our lives. Jordan is one of the...
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We don’t always plan on being pushed in the right direction, and more often than not, it takes us by surprise, especially when we are in our 40s. It usually happens when we take a deep breath and martyr our lives for those we care about. In Ellen’s case, her push came right after she bought her coveted little red corvette. She suddenly found herself needing a new way to support her family. And instead of wallowing in anxiety, she channeled her father’s wisdom and chose to do something that would make her happy for the rest of her life. Mentions: Daring Greatly
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Many of us are just finding ourselves again in our 40s. Our relationships up until this point have been with people with which we share similar emotional attributes. We may try to recreate our family of origin because it is a familiar place. When we learn to stop living through other people, we start to have better relationships with ourselves. We can then build upon our losses and take risks that catapult us into clarity. Through meditation, we can tune into our inner wisdom, which will guide us in our journey. If you have benefited from this podcast and think it could benefit someone else,...
info_outline*This is an adult conversation so please be aware of who may be listening with you.
A Special Passage for Lisa
“I am worthy. You were born worthy. You don’t have to do anything to make yourself worthy. You are a superhero born into this world and being you is all you need to do. Express yourself and don’t believe the hype that says you need to be anything more than your amazing self. I used to believe I wasn’t deserving of great things but when I began declaring my worth my life changed for the better.” - from the soon to be best-seller I AM...: A Girl’s Guide to Harnessing SuperPowers
The “I AM” Initiative
Even though we live in the same area, the universe wanted Lisa Van Ahn and I to meet in Florida. We both have made it our mission to propagate the “I AM” habits. As a listener of my podcast, you are aware of how I broadcast the message. Lisa chooses to spread the message by empowering 3rd to 8th grade girls with superpowers and the 3 rules of self-defense. She teaches them that the right action is the action you take when you love yourself, you trust who you are, and you trust what you feel.
Lisa often encounters young girls who are bombarded with “this is who you are” and “this is who you need to be” directives. In her workshops and retreats, girls discover they can freely say “No. I know who I am.”
Lisa’s Journey
The common thread that is woven through Lisa’s past life is one of feeling unworthy. She succumbed to playing the part of the victim until a final “push” made her reconsider her part in her own life. She says “Your path and your journey begin with what you believe about yourself and that moves into creating your experiences. I truly do believe anything is possible. If you set yourself on the course you want to be on you will get there with the consistent behaviors of self-love, self-care, self-responsibility, and self-compassion. When you bring these things into your life anything is possible.” Lisa loves sharing these experiences because it gives her bright light a chance to shine.
“The truth is, in order to heal, we all need to tell our stories and have them witnessed.” from The Dance of the Dissident Daughter - Sue Monk Kidd
Lisa knew she needed to pay forward the kindness she received from the two owners of the kickboxing studio she went to every day after she started living her life with love, forgiveness and gratitude. She made the decision to share, with young girls, the encouragement she so desperately needed when she was young and couldn’t calculate her own value.
So, Lisa is Perfect Now, Right?
Even though she adds practices to her life in order to reach a state of mindfulness, Lisa admits she has much farther to go. It’s not like you make one decision and everything is instantly easy. A tendency towards self-sabotage is a fierce dragon which is hard to slay. The ego lives and so do collective expectations of success. Lisa says that when a self-defeating thought takes over, she thinks about things that she loves, things that need to be forgiven and things she is grateful for, so it becomes easier to cope with the trap of “I’ll love myself when”.
The Shadow Dance
There is light and dark in all of us. The dark will come and there is no avoiding it. Accepting yourself exactly as you are allows you to release the craving for what you desire. It is the craving of making something last which creates suffering. If you release your desire before the thing you want arrives, you are given the joy of having. No one thing is easy or hard for people to release. It’s based on the individual and for Lisa, it’s her business. She says “it’s a crunchy I can’t get rid of.”
Her advice to those of us stuck in our cravings, whether it is to be in a relationship or to find forgiveness for those who may have hurt us is to take a deep breath and then go out and do something today that is going to feel good. It will bring completeness, wholeness, and happiness.
Learn How to Get SuperPowers of Your Own
To stay in touch with Lisa and get weekly updates about her new book, her “I AM” initiative and her confidence coaching, enlist at Lisavanahn.com. Her new book I AM...: A Girl’s Guide to Harnessing SuperPowers and accompanying cards will be available very, very soon.
You are Not the Only One and You Are Not Crazy Either
If you found value in this podcast please share it. If you need someone to talk safely and privately with, email me at [email protected]. This email is confidential so you can feel secure in knowing that your truth is safe with me. The more support we all have and can give, the better our community will be. If you just want to connect socially you can join the private Curvyworld Facebook group or on social media @iamannpeck.
Reminder - We are planning a big event for September! The new Straight Talk for a Curvy World Live - An Affair with Joy. We will be working on self-love and loving our business from the inside out. There will be a private VIP dinner to celebrate my 50th birthday and the release of my new book. Everybody who attends will go home with a copy. Special early bird pricing is available, so sign up now!