Little did I know what I was about to experience when I ended Friday’s article with the comment, “One of the best things you can do for your adrenals, and consequently your thyroid, is to decrease stress. We are just about ready to begin a weekend – find something fun and relaxing to do – just for you…because you deserve it!”
A two day Louise Hay Workshop held in Jasper, Indiana is where I spent my weekend. What an incredible experience. If one of these workshops comes to your city, do yourself a favor and attend.
The title of the workshop sounded a little daunting, “It is Safe to Look Within.” A very skillful Louise Hay facilitator from Redmond, Oregon, Rachel Winkler (www.santiagosmate.com), led our group safely and masterfully as we worked through the program objectives:
“In this transformational workshop originally created by best-selling author Louise L. Hay, You Can Heal Your Life, you will discover the mindset that has limited your success in business, financial abundance, intimate relationships, spiritual growth, and much more.”
Learn to reprogram your subconscious mind and eliminate negative self-esteem beliefs, such as. . .
- Relationships don’t work
- Life is difficult
- I don’t matter
- I’ll never have what I really want
- I’m not good enough
At the onset of the workshop, participants were asked to identify where they wanted to experience change/move forward in life. Reflecting back on the two day workshop, I can now see how participants were led to “peel back the layers of the onion,” exposing the fears and feelings that tend to hold us back from experiencing our full potential.
What the participants learned by sharing their stories is that we all have issues. We tend to sit in our own little world and think we are the only one who can’t get it together. “Look at her, how confident she is.” “Look at him how successful he is.” However, when one becomes quiet and allows oneself to really examine the inner self, we find that none of us are alone. We all have issues that tend to hold us back. Every single one of us.
The exercises were quite eye-opening. You might like to try a couple for yourself. Grab a pen and write the heading, “I Should.” Now make a list of five “I shoulds.” Then ask yourself “Why?” after each one. Next take each “I should,” and write on your paper, “If I really wanted to, I could…” Then fill in the blank. Once you have completed the list, for each item ask yourself, “Why haven’t I?”
Another great exercise is to compose a list of “negative messages” you have received, either in your childhood or even recently. Now take that list of negative messages and turn each message into a positive affirmation.
For example, if you wrote, “Money doesn’t grow on trees.” Turn that thought around into a positive affirmation, such as: “Money comes easily and effortlessly to me.”
Some of the most revealing internal personal work came as a result of the following three-part exercise: Take a piece of paper and complete the following:
1) “I feel angry at_____because_____.”
2) When finished with #1, complete the following, “I feel guilty because______.”
3) When finished with #2, complete the following: “I feel fear that______.”
The workshop concluded with participants re-writing their “story.”
“The story I want to create next is…”
What fun it was to write the story of our life the way we want it to be. So liberating! You know what, we can write that story. Why can’t we? It is time to start NOW!
Thank you Rachel Winkler, and thank you Louise Hay for teaching us that the life of our dreams all starts with one simple step…loving ourselves. As they teach us, several times a day look deeply into your eyes and genuinely affirm, “I love you! I really, really love you!”
Now watch your life begin to blossom like a flower in springtime into the life you want to create…
