Unlocking Your Awesomeness: Interview with Ludmila Gin

Today’s interview is with Dr. Ludmila Gin an EFT practitioner and 2^nd Degree Reiki healer. It was wonderful to find out more about her work and how Ludmila incorporates EFT and Reiki into her practice!

What lead you to become a healer?

I would hesitate calling myself a healer… What I do helps people heal, but I would not say that I possess any special power. What I possess is the desire to help, certain tools (like EFT or Reiki) and my intuition based on my life experiences. As many people who engage in therapy I came to it through wrestling with my own demons, walking my dark tunnels and finding a way forward. In my blog on Self-love and Selfishness I share something of my personal journey. I thought of studying psychology when finishing school. But around that time a close friend of mine became ill with anorexia, got very depressed and nearly died. She never fully recovered, and the feeling of helplessness I have experienced engendered self-doubt that put me off the thought. It took me over twenty years to come round and finally embark on the path of therapy. I’ve done a lot of work on myself along the way and also discovered that I had a knack of bringing it out of people. Friends, colleagues and sometimes total strangers (like a person sitting next to me on a train) would share with me their emotions and concerns. They found talking to me helpful, and I also found it fulfilling as I really enjoy meaningful conversations. So I followed the thread, discovering my interests and my abilities. And gradually it led me to doing therapy.

I love what your website says about EFT therapy and how it “helps transform fear into faith, anxiety into trust, anger into compassion, pain into love.” When did you first discover Emotional Freedom Technique?

I first discovered EFT during a very stressful period of my life a few years ago. With all the personal development work that I’ve done, I’ve never heard about EFT before and suddenly within one week it has been brought to my attention from three different sources! And I also had a chance to experience it in action and was amazed at the relief that I felt. Be it a coincidence or fate, but I went and trained as an EFT practitioner with AAMET (Association for the Advancement of Meridian Energy Techniques), then added to it Reiki… Now I am doing MSc in Counseling and Psychotherapy. So my journey is unfolding!

As a practitioner do you come across many people skeptical about trying EFT? Is there something specific you do or say that alleviates their skepticism?

Skepticism is a healthy thing, I believe. I am the biggest skeptic myself! Having been involved in academia for many years I learned to question things. And – no one still knows how exactly EFT works. Just as nobody knows how acupuncture works. Or even paracetamol for that matter! Are these the particular meridian points that produce the effect or the fact that rhythmical tapping distracts the rational mind and helps one get in touch with their subconscious? I don’t try to dissuade the skeptics, but simply offer them to try and see for themselves. Often they are taken by surprise and become very enthusiastic about tapping! So far in my work it was not skepticism, but a fear of feeling emotions (grief, anger, fear, etc.) that presented a biggest problem. It is difficult to do tapping effectively with people who totally block their emotions and just “feel nothing.” It is a challenge and may require long preparatory work involving other techniques and approaches (for example, movement with music). 

I watched one of your videos in which a woman is discussing how tapping gets her into a meditative state; do you recommend people tap before they meditate? Are there specific things EFT does for a person’s meditation practice?

EFT is indeed a very good gateway to meditation. If you meditate in the evening, after a full busy day, tapping will help with releasing stress and calming your mind. Tapping is also good for sharpening your intention and tuning in to the meditative state or the topic you want to focus on. However, EFT on its own can also be seen as a meditation of sorts. When you tap your brain begins to function on a different wave length as you relax into the process, concentrate on one thing and follow it through instead of going in all directions after a myriad of thoughts. EFT-meditation could be a very good alternative for people who are high strung and find that their thoughts wander too much when they sit in silence.

I discovered you also do Reiki healing as well. How do you use Reiki in combination with EFT to help heal others? Are there specific benefits to Reiki?

Reiki is a hands-on treatment that promotes deep relaxation and facilitates re-balancing of energy – its emotional as well as physical aspects – in your body. In this way it also promotes healing. I often do Reiki as a complementary treatment to EFT because working with emotions can be very taxing and exhausting. Sometimes people feel shaky or chilly after a big emotional burden has been shifted. Reiki helps replenish the energy and also integrate the changes in your organism. When I do Reiki as a separate treatment I also like to precede it by a short tapping session – for the similar reasons as doing tapping before meditation. It removes the layer of stress and quiets the mind making one more receptive to Reiki.

With EFT one basically learns to accept and love who they are. In a world where thinking about & caring about yourself can be seen as selfish, would you mind explaining the difference between selfishness and practicing self-love?

This is a very big topic that causes a lot of confusion. I actually wrote a blog article precisely on this topic, you can read it here. In a nutshell, I compare self-love with a way a mature parent would care for a child, taking into consideration the child’s needs, desires and harmonious growth. Selfishness, on the other hand, is similar to a child’s attitude to him/herself and the world. Small children want an instant gratification of their desires and they lack maturity to consider the consequences of their actions. A child may want to eat a whole box of chocolate sweets or take a toy from another child without thinking how it will affect his/her health or his/her friendships. When you care for yourself in a mature way, when you are in touch with your needs and aware of your strengths and limitations you are also able to give more to people around you and you will not later resent what you have given. 

In addition to EFT, are there things you do daily to keep yourself motivated and happy?

Daily – oh, it is a difficult question for such an unsystematic person like myself! Although I actually manage to tap daily, even if only for a few minutes, I guess I try to do things that make me happy. Things that I find nourishing for my soul. Like spending time with people who share similar interests, reading a good book, doing something different (had a horse riding lesson the other day!), keeping active. If I sit at home for the whole day I begin feeling old and sluggish. So I make sure I go walking or cycling every day. Accomplishing things that I set for myself makes me feel good. And, of course, my therapy work is a big source of joy and motivation. When I have a successful session I feel inspired and it helps me gain confidence.

 

Over the years I have learned the importance of creating space for myself. The space where I can pause amongst the hustle and bustle of the daily rush and become aware of my self and my feelings. It is so easy for us to slide into becoming “human doings” rather than “human beings”! So, even though I don’t meditate daily, I make a conscious effort to reconnect to my center and rebalance my energy, in one way or another. 

Up Next

Thank you, Ludmila, for the amazing insight and tips. I so appreciate what you said about creating space for yourself, we all need to do that! I truly believe with EFT this & more is possible. For more information about all the wonderful things Ludmila is doing please visit her website.

 

Next week’s interview is with Michael Lawrence author, speaker, and meditation & hypnosis coach! Check back next Tuesday September 10^th to learn more Michael and his hypnosis & meditation techniques.

For more information on EFT please visit my website. For tapping video’s and guides on how to use EFT check out & subscribe to my YouTube Channel. Keep tapping!

 

Unlocking Your Awesomeness: Interview with Jason Stephenson

Today’s interview is with Jason Stephenson founder of the awesome Relax Me Online site where he provides truly beautiful music for meditation, yoga, hypnosis, and more. Jason is what I like to call a ‘Meditation Guru’ and has been studying meditation for over 15 years. I was thrilled to ask him a few questions about meditation, music, and motivation!

How did you get started meditating? Where did you learn so much about meditation and the importance of it?

It was really by accident as to how I started meditation. It was a usual Monday morning train trip from Wollongong to Sydney, from my home city in NSW Australia, up to the big smoke - Sydney. I was heading off to work and this morning I was feeling uneasy. Over the past months I had not been happy. Work was just that... work. I knew there was more to life. What about my dreams of acting and singing? They had been put on hold whilst I continued in a job that drove me into the ground.

Today something was about to overcome me on the train trip. My friends could see that I was unsettled on this trip and they were asking me what's wrong. I had no answers. We were about half way to Sydney when the train pulled up at a little station called Otford. Otford is known for its beautiful national parks and nature reserves. Something overcame me. I was compelled to grab my bag, jump the seats and get out. And so I did. I had no idea what I was doing. Well, maybe in some ways I did. I needed time to think. I made it out of the train door just as they closed and the train left. Along the train platform I could only see one guard. I was the only one there besides him.

So here I was in business clothing, black shiny shoes and getting off at Otford with my backpack heading up the mountains. At this point, I can only tell you that for the first time in 5 years I felt a freedom unlike anything I had ever experienced! It was overwhelming. Continuing up the steep incline things were racing through my mind; "What will my boss say?" (I had no mobile phone with me), "What am I doing?", "Where am I going?!" I had no idea, but all I knew was something exciting was about to happen. I came to a rocky outpost overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was a beautiful day and not one cloud in the sky. Taking a large breath of freedom, I breathed deep and began to relax. Not think. Just relax and be in the present moment (first time in years!!!)

Looking out over the big blue I sensed this amazing peace within me. Oh, I can't tell you, but wait, as they say, there's more! Closing my eyes, I pushed my backpack away from me, took off my shoes and just breathed. Bird life was abundant here and it was heaven to my senses. This WAS high quality ambient music. The birds, the ocean waves crashing way below and little lizards scurrying in the bushes - the sounds were relaxation music in progress…of a natural kind.

Now I must have sat here like this with my eyes closed for what may have been only a few minutes... 5, 10 or 15 minutes at the most. I've no idea. But it felt like eternity. Suddenly, I totally 'let go.' I was totally free within of everything. No thoughts were present. No sounds. No nothing! I was simply living in the moment. Suddenly, what I can only describe as "waves of peace" washed over my entire body huge, pulsing waves. And in those moments of peace I knew that everything I had ever wanted to be, everything I had, everything I dreamed of... was right here, right now in this present moment. Even all of the people I had ever loved - and even the ones I had not yet met, were with me in that present moment! All of the ambient music I had ever listened to before was all rolled into one - just through being with mother nature herself. Sure I know this may sound unreal and farfetched to you, but it was real. Within those few seconds, I had touched 'nirvana', 'heaven' or call it what you will. These moments changed my life forever. This was my very first meditation experience - not even setting out to meditate, I encountered it. No meditation music, no chanting... only silence and mother nature. It's kind of ironic that I now operate an online meditation music and ambient music store with Relax Me Online, many years after this experience. I left the national park that day, feeling new, refreshed and a changed man.

The following day I went in to work, handed in my notice and went ahead and pursued my dreams of acting and singing.

I know you grew up surrounded by music, did you always know how powerful music can be?

Oh yes! I have always been a highly sensitive person and picked up on music from a very early age - and the powers of it. My parents were both musicians so I was constantly surrounded by beautiful music and powerful voices. From as young as I can remember, music tapped into my emotions like no one or nothing else. It was my comfort. I was a loner during my school years, so music gave me all I ever needed. It was my best friend.

Would you mind explaining a bit about the healing power of music?

Music heals on many levels. Sounds (which are actually vibrations) can affect our emotions. Music can make us feel alive, happy, sad, joyful, and at peace. It can also be distracting and irritating to us if we choose to listen to the music that does not ‘fit’ with us at a particular time.

Music has been proven on a scientific level by Japanese Dr. Masaru Emoto that it can actually change the crystalline structures of water once frozen. He discovered  that when he  played classical music to a glass of water and then froze it, the crystals in the ice when put under a high powered microscope  were perfectly symmetrical and beautiful. He found the opposite when  he subjected the water to heavy metal music. The crystals were scattered in appearance and out of alignment.  The results of this experiment were nothing short of remarkable. And if you think about it, the human body is made up of around 70% water… Music must then affect us on physical levels too.

 

Could you also talk a bit about brain entrainment and how that helps people relax, heal, etc.?

Brainwave entrainment is something I have only discovered over the past 3 years, although has been around for decades. It’s a rapidly growing field that involves the study of how changing brainwaves by natural means, will allow people to effortlessly enter states of increased intelligence, creativity, relaxation, pure energy, and more.

Researchers and scientists have found that different bands of brainwaves, are associated with different mental states. For example, the brainwaves of a sleeping person are much different than the brainwaves of a person who is awake. There have been many scientific studies on this field, although more could be done, however “Big Pharma” would not fund these studies as there is no money to be made in natural healing. The studies have shown that brainwaves not only provide insight into an individual’s mind and body, but they can be stimulated to actually change that person’s mental state. And this is where brainwave entrainment recordings come into play; by causing the brain to produce, or decrease, specific types of brainwave frequencies, it is possible to bring about a large variety of mental states, and emotional reactions.

I have received countless letter from people that my recordings I produce have helped with lowering of blood pressure (one lady even come off tablets altogether!), assisting with depression and anxiety, deeper meditation etc. Personally, I love it for meditation.

For someone who has never really meditated, would you mind sharing a few easy tips to start meditating today?

First tip would be to start today… now. This moment, if only for 5 minutes…close your eyes, take a breath and re-connect with yourself. Meditation is not about trying, it’s about being. Just be. Yet many find it so hard to be in the present as we are expected to multi task today with so many things going on. Today, more than ever before, we need to slow our minds down.

You can turn your waking life into a meditation by learning to be in the present moment. When you walk, you can be meditating. Just walk. Be present. Feel the earth under your feet. Connect with your breathing. Allow thoughts to come and then go. Don’t try to push them out. Just observe them and send them on their way. So many people get angry when they cannot stop their minds from racing during meditation. This then defeats the purpose. Over time, your thoughts will become less and less when you begin to live in the moment. If a thought enters, just allow it to drift off like a cloud floating in the sky.

A guided meditation is a good way for a beginner too as this aids the mind in learning the techniques of connecting to the breath, and having a visualization can assist the mind from wandering.

 

Reading a bit about you I discovered that at one point in your life you began seeking a deeper peace within yourself. Would you say your wonderful site has helped you find even more peace and in what way?

I guess Relax Me Online is another part of my journey of healing and relaxation and returning to the source. In building this site, I have the opportunity on a daily basis to listen to beautiful music and produce music for others that can heal and relax them too. So it works for me and it works for my customers. This is a part of my journey to help make the world a more peaceful place. 

I also discovered you work with crystals, would you mind sharing a bit about crystals and their healing & restorative properties?

Like music, crystals too have energy. Everything is energy. I think Einstein said that didn’t he? Everything IS energy. And that goes for crystals too. Crystals come from deep within the earth, and not only look pleasing to the eye, but many people gain from touching them, meditating with them and even using them as healing tools. Some say that the power of crystals is all in the persons mind that is using them. If that is the case, then I still say it is a wonderful thing - even if it is a ‘placebo.’ Never underestimate the placebo effect. Find more information on Jason’s crystal site here. 

Are there specific things you do each day to keep motivated and optimistic?

For me, I write a list of to do things each morning with a cup of tea in my hand.  This helps me keep on track.  I pray and meditate. These are my times of peace and healing - and they are a part of my life - my connection with God is a personal one. We have a thing going on, God and I. I love my communication with him.

Coming Up

Thank you Jason for your lovely & helpful answers! I so enjoyed learning about the day you played hooky from work, climbed up a mountain, and for the first time in a long time came into the present moment! Check out Jason's website and learn to come into the present moment! Check back next Tuesday for more awesome tips on ‘Unlocking Your Awesomeness’ from EFT Practitioner & Reiki healer Ludmila Gin.
 

If you’d like more information on EFT please visit my website. Also check out my latest YouTube videos & please subscribe! Thanks for reading~

Unlocking Your Awesomeness: Interview with Serguei Levykin Part 2

This is the 2^nd portion of Serguei’s interview. Serguei Levykin is an EFT & Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner, Hypnotist, and Life Coach. Serguei excels at helping people clear their emotional blocks to have a happier life. I was excited to ask him a few questions about all the ways he's helping people overcome their fears.

I know you focus on helping people get over their fear of going to the dentist, is there something a person can do while their sitting in the chair to relieve anxiety quickly?

Yes, if they couldn’t tap before being called into the dentist’s room, they can while sitting in a chair use the thumb and index finger of one hand to tap on or squeeze the sides of each finger of the other hand, on either side of the nail. This technique comes from SET, Simple Energy Techniques developed by Steve Wells and Dr David Lake. Just keep tapping or squeezing each finger in a row repeating the cycle until your fear or anxiety has subsided. Of course, for long-lasting results I would suggest that you work with an EFT practitioner to address the core causes of your fear.

Would you mind giving a brief overview of Neuro-linguistic Programming and how it helps with the healing process?

Neuro-linguistic Programming was first developed in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder from their study of such highly efficient psychotherapists as Milton Erickson and Virginia Satir and from modelling of some of their approaches and it has evolved into a large collection of communication and psychotherapeutic techniques that can help influence the subconscious to cooperate with the conscious in achieving your desired outcomes. I mostly use the communication techniques, such as matching, mirroring, leading and pacing, as well as questioning, and such aspects and patterns of NLP as sub-modalities and reframing to get to the core issues and I use EFT for the actual clearing of emotional patterns and beliefs. I also use future-pacing from NLP, amongst other things, to test the results.

I also see that you incorporate hypnotherapy into your practice, when did you first start using hypnosis? What are the benefits of using hypnosis?

Although I have learned self-hypnosis when I was still in high school, I formally learned hypnotherapy in 2005. As I have mentioned, I have been fascinated with hypnosis since I was about 11, and I see it as a great tool for communicating with the subconscious, uncovering hidden memories and the events that have led to the development of current emotional patterns and beliefs. It is also great for installing new resourceful patterns and beliefs after clearing the negative ones with EFT, with full cooperation of the client, of course.

Do you have any specific tips to help people to start feeling good about themselves?

Of course, the first thing I would recommend would be tapping / EFT for clearing negative emotions and beliefs out of your life. Identify a specific negative belief about yourself, or an emotion you feel towards yourself on a consistent basis, and try to find a specific event in the past that has first brought this on, and start tapping on it. For example, you may uncover a negative belief about your body or your appearance that prevents you from feeling comfortable in social situations.  Ask yourself, “Where did I first learn this?" or "When did I first started doubting my physical attractiveness?” A memory may come up of a situation when your parent, or friend or someone else who was significant in your life at the time made a remark or even looked at you in a certain way that you interpreted as being disapproving of your appearance. Start tapping on your negative feelings about it, and tap until you have cleared them. You may need to tap on several memories that contributed to this, or more than one emotion around those events, but ultimately you will be free if you persist with this. Being as specific as you can is the key. Even better, find an EFT coach who can help you with this work.

I would also suggest that you learn to ask yourself better, more empowering questions, such as “What’s good about me?”, “What is unique and special about me that I really appreciate?” , “What could I be happy about right now if I wanted to be?” or “What am I grateful for right now?” etc. Ask these kinds of questions every day and don’t stop until you come up with at least 5-10 preferably new answers. You will soon notice that this too will start changing your habitual thinking and feeling patterns, and you will start feeling much better about yourself and about your life.

What's Next?

Thank you Serguei for all the amazing information! You can visit Serguei’s website here. 

Next week’s interview is with Jason Stephenson founder of Relax Me Online and relaxation guru! Please check back next Tuesday to learn about meditation tips to help you relax.

I hope you’ve learned a bit more about Emotional Freedom Techniques and ways to de-stress. For more information on EFT check out my website as well. Thanks for reading!

Unlocking Your Awesomeness: Interview with Serguei Levykin Part 1

Today’s interview is with Serguei Levykin an EFT & Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner, Hypnotist, and Life Coach. Serguei excels at helping people clear their emotional blocks to have a happier life. I was excited to ask him a few questions about his work, hypnosis, and techniques he teaches to help people quell stress!

When did you first discover Emotional Freedom Techniques?

The first time I had heard about Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) was in 2003, when I attended the annual Anthony Robbins’ Leadership Training in San Diego. This event is usually taught entirely by Tony’s staff, however Tony occasionally used to make an appearance if he wanted to share something interesting and important that he had been experimenting with. 

Our group got an introduction to TFT (Thought Field Therapy) and EFT directly from Tony, although I didn’t quite get it on that occasion, perhaps because it was so radically different from everything else that was taught in the course and there wasn’t enough time to explain it properly.

A couple of years later I got a better explanation from Rod Sherwin from Melbourne, Australia, whom I knew from crewing Tony Robbins events together and who had then recently become an EFT practitioner. I was so intrigued that I ordered a full set of Gary Craig’s EFT DVDs shortly after.

What made you want to become an EFT practitioner?

Ever since I first discovered the power of hypnosis to change people’s habitual behavioral patterns, at a stage hypnosis show that I attended when I was in primary school, I have been passionate about finding ways to help people overcome their limitations and achieve their full potential.

I had studied a lot of self-development materials and popular psychology books and attended a lot of workshops and seminars before finally achieving my dream of studying hypnotherapy several years ago. I have also completed my Neuro-linguistic Programming certification around the same time, and studied coaching.

To apply my new skills I spent a couple of years training with and volunteering at Lifeline, a government-funded telephone counseling service for people in crisis situations, and I practiced on friends and family. I still did not have the courage to go professional though, until I absorbed myself in applying and learning EFT.

Its simplicity, ease of use and efficacy blew me away. It helped me resolve several personal issues and I knew I could help a lot of people with this tool. I realized that I had enough training and experience to start working with people, but I was still lacking some formal training in EFT, so I signed up for AAMET approved Level 1 and Level 2 courses, and found a mentor and that was the start of my professional EFT practice.

Do you feel when you first started as a practitioner people were skeptical about trying EFT? Was there something specific you said or did that made them more willing to give it a try?

At the time when I started working with EFT people were becoming more aware of EFT and tapping, so it made the job of convincing them easier. With the skeptics experiential approach seems to work best. Usually I mention and refer them to the existing research on EFT and then suggest that we try to use EFT  on an issue that they have unsuccessfully tried other approaches with. Most people that I have worked with have been open-minded enough to try it and to experience the results for themselves.

What kinds of things do you typically help people work through with EFT?

The majority of people that I have worked with so far needed help with stress and anxiety, relationship and heartbreak issues, getting clarity on what to do with their lives at the times of transition, as well as resolving traumatic memories and events from the past that caused fears in the present. These have included fear of dentists, fear of public speaking, fear of making changes, as well as fear of flying and of snakes, and many more. We all fear something and EFT is one of the best tools for overcoming fears and phobias.

Next Step

This is the first part of Serguei’s interview, don’t miss the 2^nd part which will be posted Saturday August 24, 2013. Thank you, Serge, for all the amazing information! You can visit Serguei’s website here.

I so agree with what Serguei says about us all fearing something, because we do! It's a natural human response to danger, or what we deem dangerous. Fear can lead to so many other detrimental issues from phobia's to health problems. This is why I recommend at least trying Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to start releasing the fear.

Please visit my YouTube Channel for helpful EFT videos.

Unlocking Your Awesomeness: Interview with Pamela Gail Johnson

Today’s interview is with the happy and upbeat Pamela Gail Johnson. Pamela is an author, public speaker, and she founded 'The Secret Society of Happy People.' Visit her website here.  I asked her a few questions about her site, life, and how she stays so darn happy!

I absolutely love your website, it’s filled with fun videos and uplifting messages. Was there a specific moment when you knew you had to start ‘The Secret Society of Happy People?’ How did you come up with the name?

I came up with the name for the Society when I was thinking about a humor column for an empowerment newsletter. I asked myself, “Where are all of the happy people?” and then I thought, they have their own club and don’t tell anyone about it. I then saw people wearing Mardi Gras masks, just in case a parade-rainier crashed the meeting it would protect their identities. And obviously they were chatting about things that made them happy.  Then I day dreamed their banner: The Secret Society of Happy People.  I spent the next year sharing my brilliant idea for a humor column with people and many of them would say, “Let me know when you start it, I want to join.”   I can’t pinpoint the exact moment I said, “I must do this.” I think it was more of a collection of moments that I finally thought, “Why not have a Society for happy people?”
 

How has your life changed since creating SOHP?

That’s a hard one because we’ve been around so long it’s just part of my life. I plan vacation time from my day job around Happiness Happens Month for example.

But overall, I’m consistently humbled by the people who reach out and say the Society has made them feel OK about being naturally perky and equally humbled by the people who say the Society has helped them recognize more happiness. I get to celebrate happiness with people by helping them find and – or keep their happy. 

What would you say is the best way for you to reach people and let them know about SOHP?

The internet has changed the way everyone communicates but it’s certainly allowed groups like the Secret Society of Happy People to be accessible to happy people around the world.

Could you talk a bit about happiness and how much it’s improved your life and those you’ve connected with in your group?

I’m a natural silver lining seeker even in challenging situations. So I can’t say happiness has changed my life since I fall into that genetically blessed bucket. It’s not that I’m happy all of the time because no one is, but when I’m unhappy I work through it pretty quick.

I think for others in the group, we have some people who just feel happy to connect with other mostly happy people.  Per our survey that’s how most of our members classify themselves. But we also have many that use our 31 Types of Happiness to identify more happy moments, read our blogs, newsletters and join to help them increase their happy moments or develop a habit of happiness which anyone can chose to do since our attitude determines about 60% of our happiness.

When did you write your book Thirty-One Types of Happiness Guide? How did you discover all the different types of happiness?

The guide was written in the fall of 2012. However, we started out I think 13 years ago with the 21 Types of Happiness and expanded it to 31 about 10 years ago. It’s been part of our message for years since we want to help people recognize more of the happy moments that they already experience.

The list came up after looking at some feeling charts and noticing they usually listed 2 unhappy feelings for every happy one. I thought shouldn’t that be at least equal. So I wondered how many types of happiness I could identify.  We have more, but 31 is a great starting point.
 

In your book you talk about feeling ‘awestruck’ and how surprisingly wonderful it is. Would you mind sharing a particular moment that made you feel extremely awestruck?

Of recent, we’ve had some of those huge super moons that are beautiful. I think most of my awestruck moments seem to be connected to nature. I mean, how do you look at the Grand Canyon and not be awestruck by the miracle of Mother Nature.

What specific things do you do to keep yourself happy and amused on a daily basis?

First I’m easily amused, so to quote a line from the original movie, Arthur, “Sometimes I just think funny things.” So it doesn’t take much for me to find amusement in even annoying situations on a daily basis.

Otherwise, I focus on balance and being thankful (two types of happiness). Balance for me is about am I getting enough sleep (not so much this time of year), am I eating right and exercising. Am I making time for friends and family ~ to have experiences with the people I love not just think about them.  And I start and end my day with my gratitude walk with my dog, Tater, where I remind myself of all of my blessings.   

Do you have any other tips to help everyone increase their happiness right now?

I recently read an article about why we need to unplug every 90 minutes to maximize our productivity. I’ve been testing the theory and have found that the downtime helps you recharge so you can optimize your busy time. That alleviates stress which then helps one keep their happy. I’m so into this thought that I did a Happy Inspiration audio on the topic for our new Social Member program and it’s available as a sample audio if anyone wants to listen go here. 

Wrapping Up

Thank you, Pamela, for sharing some of your knowledge with us! I appreciate your amazing outlook and all the helpful suggestions to ‘keep our happy.’ I love what you said about finding balance and remembering to be grateful...two very powerful and positive things we can do for ourselves!

With Emotional Freedom Technique many people have been able to release past hurts & traumas and find ways to love their life again. EFT is wonderful way people can ‘get their happy back!’ For more information on EFT please visit and subscribe to my YouTube Channel and join me on my website!

If you’d like to get a personalized EFT script, or do a Skype or phone session with me please email me: annagEFT@gmail.com.

Be sure to check back next Tuesday August 20th, when I will be doing another interview with Serguei Levykin. Serquei is an EFT Practitioner and Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner. I am thrilled to discover all the ways he is helping people relieve stress, anxiety, and fear (especially fear of the dentist) with EFT, NLP and hypnosis!

Unlocking Your Awesomeness: Interview With Ginger Kadlec Part 2

This is the second part of Ginger’s interview. Ginger Kadlec is a child advocate, blogger, and child interviewer. Please read and share this post with everyone!

 

5.) Would you talk a bit about ‘body safety’ and how it helps children feel more secure?

Body safety is an amazing program! I’m continually amazed at the response we receive to this 20(ish)-minute class. We cover quite a bit of ground in that short amount of time, including:

• The difference between “good” and “bad” touches
• How to say “NO!!!” to a bad touch and what to do next
• Discussion of proper body part names
• Who to talk to if someone tries to touch a private body part
• Age-appropriate real life examples/stories of things that could happen

The body safety message is shared in a child-friendly fashion that isn’t scary, but that is ‘real’. During these classes, children are engaged, ask questions and eagerly offer responses. Teachers and administrators consistently rate the program and presenters highly, and each year additional schools in central Indiana register for the program. 

One component of the program is that the instructor shows a police badge (some are fake, like mine, but there are several volunteer police officers who use their real badges) and asks for student  volunteers to leave the room with the instructor so their private body parts can be checked out to be sure they are okay. Inevitably, about half the kindergarten class will raise their hands to leave with the instructor… scary. Those numbers dwindle as the children get older, but inevitably, hands will rise. This offers an opportunity to discuss “tricks” that “people with their thinking messed-up” will try to play. It also allows us to reinforce that NO ONE has the right to touch a private body part for no good reason or just to play a game, regardless of the job they have, how old or big they are, or their relation. It’s a powerful message that reassures children their bodies belong to them!

6.) How do you keep motivated and positive?

I love what I do!  When I first became involved in child advocacy, I thought, “There is NO WAY I could ever be an interviewer.” And while it can be tough and there are cases that do haunt me, I know I am making a difference in helping to protect children from some terrible situations. Plus, the people I have the opportunity to work with (like other child advocacy, law enforcement, case managers and prosecution professionals) are AMAZING! They are the ones who deal with these cases day-in, day-out. I deeply admire and find inspiration in their dedication and passion.  

I also am motivated by the people with whom I’m connecting (like YOU) via social media! The fact that so many people are rallying behind the cause to raise awareness of child abuse prevention simply fires me up! It’s also been incredibly humbling to hear from abuse survivors who have reached out to share their stories…they are the inspiration behind starting the “Hopeful Hints”.  Have I mentioned that I love what I do???

7.) Do you have any suggestions for anyone else who wants to make a difference and contribute something to the children in this world?

There are countless opportunities for people to help children. One super-simple step to help raise awareness is to share, re-tweet and post information via social media. There are many volunteer opportunities to work with children in your community. If you are interested in helping abused children or preventing child abuse, I recommend contacting a child advocacy center in your area to discuss volunteering. Women’s shelters, schools, after-school programs and community centers are always in need of helping hands. Also, most of these organizations rely on the generosity of donors and sponsors for their funding – financial contributions are crucial and always appreciated. Many have fundraisers and need volunteers to help with those.

Finally, if you suspect or even have the slightest inkling that a child is being abused or neglected, PLEASE be the voice for that child and contact:

• Your local law enforcement agency or dial 911
• The National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (800-422-4453)
• Your local Department of Child Services or Child Protective Services

Working together in these various efforts…I am convinced we WILL improve the world one child at a time!

Wrapping Up
 

Thank you, Ginger, for answering all my questions so completely! I have learned a great deal from all the information. I so appreciate everything you’re doing! Please visit Ginger’s website for more information.
 

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) has helped many adults and children clear away stress, fear, anxiety, traumatic experiences, and more. EFT gets directly to the problem, it doesn’t matter how intense it is or how long it’s been around - the cause is always a disrupted energy system. Negative states of mind disrupt the body’s energy system and can lead to emotional, physical, and mental problems.
 

Check out EFT4kids help children start using EFT.
 

For more information on EFT please visit & subscribe to my YouTube Channel and joing me on my website. If you’d like to do a Skype, email, or one-on-one session please contact me at annagEFT@gmail.com.

 

 

Unlocking Your Awesomeness: Interview With Ginger Kadlec Part 1

Today’s interview is with the extraordinary Ginger Kadlec a child advocate, child forensic interviewer, and writer who is helping improve the lives of our nation’s children! On Ginger’s website she writes, “Caring, capable adults improve the world one child at a time” check out her site here. I was happy to ask her a few questions about her work and all the wonderful things she’s doing.

1.) What made you decide to make a dramatic change in your life, leaving your executive job to work with and help children?

Frankly, I *lucked* into it! My husband and I worked for several years in the corporate world and were at a point in our lives where we wanted a little more personal flexibility – you know, to travel, spend more time with each other and just enjoy life. So, we both decided to pursue freelance consulting and project work. During that time, a dear friend of mine was a board member for a child advocacy center called Chaucie’s Place. The executive director who helped start the center moved on to another opportunity, so the board was looking for someone to serve as interim director for several months while they conducted their search for a replacement. My background seemed to fit the bill. Well, it didn’t take long before I immediately fell head over heels in love with child advocacy work.

2.) How long have you been working with children? Would you mind explaining a bit more about what a child forensic interviewer is?

I have worked with children as a volunteer on-and-off through the years, but in a dedicated child advocacy capacity since 2008. I became a child forensic interviewer in 2009.

Basically, a child forensic interview takes place in cases of alleged child sexual or physical abuse, or neglect as part of an investigation by law enforcement or child protective authorities. Typically, a multidisciplinary team (“MDT”… which often includes representatives from child advocacy, law enforcement, prosecution, child protective services and victim advocacy) conducts a neutral, child-friendly interview of the alleged victim to gather information about abuse that may or may not have happened. There are various protocols for child forensic interviewing, but I am trained in and am a guest instructor for the Child First/Finding Words interview structure. Ideally, a child speaks one-on-one with a trained interviewer who follows protocol, keeping the child’s needs at the forefront of the interview. The child and interviewer are in a comfortable room while the rest of the MDT watches the interview via closed-circuit TV in another room. The interviewer often wears an earpiece so the MDT members can ask questions of the interviewer without disrupting the conversation with the child. It’s truly an amazing model and is much friendlier and less-scary for children than going to, for example, a police department (even those with “soft rooms”). Child advocacy centers often present a home-like feel, with toys, books, games, comfy furniture and bright or pastel colors (or even murals) on the walls. They don’t “feel” like places where criminal or child protection investigations happen.

Speaking of which, alleged perpetrators are not allowed on the premises. In the event an alleged perpetrator is another child (which, believe it or not happens pretty frequently) and a forensic interview is needed for that child, the alleged perpetrator would come to the center at a time when the alleged victim is not present. Many times when the alleged perpetrator is a child, we’ll want to talk to that child to see if he, himself, is a victim of abuse.  

3.) What would you say is a good way to empower children and help them feel safe, secure, and confident?

I think there are several ways to empower children that can begin as soon as they become verbal! Here are my Top Four suggestions:

1st Listen and believe! I believe these to be the most important actions parents can take in empowering children. Heck, even we adults feel good when someone is paying attention to us, right? I think it’s even more important with kids – it helps them feel valued and validated. In the event a child discloses abuse to an adult, it is imperative that the adult immediately believe the child… no matter how outlandish the child’s accusations or stories may seem. Over 90% of child sexual abuse victims know, love or trust their abusers. In fact, over 40% of child sexual abuse happens at the hands of family member. A vivid reminder of how sexual predators can be even the most respected of community icons is the recent scandal involving Penn State Asst. Coach Jerry Sandusky. Remember, the facts will work themselves out during the course of any investigations that take place, but it can be devastating to a child if the adult in whom they confide does not believe them. Additionally, not believing or taking immediate action could potentially lead to further abuse and serious harm for the child.

   2nd Teach children the real names of their body parts. This may not seem like such a big deal, but it is! Not only does it help them feel comfortable with their bodies, but it also aids children in the event they are ever sexually abused. For example, a little girl told her teacher that her uncle touched her “buttons”. The teacher innocently assumed the little girl was referring to the buttons on her jacket instead of her breasts and missed an opportunity to intervene and stop the molestation. I interviewed a child once who called a “penis” an “esophagus”… now that’s confusing. J

3rd Teach children which body parts are private… and have them practice saying “NO” to inappropriate touches. This is a basic element of the body safety course for which I am a volunteer instructor. This is pretty important, though… I can’t tell you the number of child forensic interviews in which I’ve been involved where a child didn’t say “no” or put up at least a bit of a fight against a molester’s advances… and they became victims of abuse. On the flip side, kids who know to say “NO!” or offer some resistance are most times left alone. Sexual predators are more likely to abuse children that acquiesce or that they believe can be manipulated. Talking with kids and reinforcing that, “No one has the right to touch a private part of their body for no good reason or just to play a game” is crucial! Also, have children practice saying “NO!” at the top of their lungs. Not only will they enjoy the opportunity to yell, but believe it or not, it really does help them feel empowered to protect themselves, no matter who their perpetrator might be.

4th Maintain an open level of rapport with your child.  Communication is key. I’m a big fan of “sound bite parenting” where parents reinforce key messages in everyday, teachable moments and small bits. Helping kids feel safe isn’t a one-‘n-done deal. It takes a lot of open, candid conversation throughout their childhood and teen years.  The more comfortable parents are in talking with their kids about these issues, the more likely their lines of communication will be two-way and open.

4.) I love the hopeful hints section on your blog it’s filled with lovely quotes and messages. Where do find most of your messages and do you have a favorite quote you’d like to share?

I love quotes and subscribe to different motivational emails, etc., which is the source for several of my Hopeful Hints. One of my favorite websites for finding quotes is “Good Reads” (www.goodreads.com/quotes). I will also use an occasional quote I read on Twitter.

My favorite of the Hopeful Hints I’ve done thus far is, “A very little key will open a very heavy door,” by Charles Dickens. Just by telling one responsible adult, children in abusive situations can find refuge. But it often takes them using that key to even crack that burdensome door. Predators use all sorts of tactics and tricks to keep children from disclosing abuse… and unfortunately, it often works. In fact, I conducted a couple of child interviews just this week where I suspect the perpetrators “coached” these children to keep silent. Oh, how I wish they would have been able to just pull out their little key… but abuse disclosure is a process and doesn’t always happen when those of us involved in investigations think it should.

Next Step

I broke Ginger’s interview into two parts because I didn’t want to shorten any of her answers. Child abuse is an issue that effects everyone. You may have been abused yourself, you may work with children or have children, or you may know someone who's been abused. Our children are the future and it’s up to all of us to help make this world a safe & loving environment for them and for ourselves.

Emotional Freedom Technique has helped many adults and children work through traumas, fear, anxiety, and learn to love & accept themselves. There is a great website that helps teach children how to use EFT www.eftforkids.org. Be sure to check out Ginger’s website www.gingerkadlec.com.

Check back Saturday for the second portion of this interview! For more information on EFT please visit & subscribe to my YouTube Channel.