Dream Builders Australia

Dreamweaving Meditation and Counselling Centre,

Consciousness,

Inspirational Mentor Interviews tagged

Brene Brown,

Diana Sandalwood,

Gandhi,

Tuesday

Dec182018

Interview with Karen Joy

Tuesday, December 18, 2018 at 8:09AM

Meeting Karen Joy is an eye-opening experience. As a former ten year columnist for the Courier Mail (Brisbane), and versatile hypnotherapist specializing in regression, her work and books on relationships invite us to recognize patterns. Our thoughts and behaviour compel us to go deeper so we grow aware of the bigger picture. This interview is packed with synchronicities, and confirms we are always in the right place, right time, to get what we need to transition into the next phase of our lives. Thanks for being open and willing to share these powerful insights.

You have had a variety of careers. What prompted your shift to hypnotherapy?

During the 1980’s, I felt the urge to start taking courses in hypnotherapy…

It is said we always receive what we need. Usually something unconscious triggers an urge. Which specific events led up to this?

Well, my husband at that stage of life was almost always late. I was emotionally reactive. I got upset and did not like allowing my emotions control me. I heard about ‘anchoring’ in neuro -linguistic programming (NLP). As it happened, I met Richard Bandler, the co-creator of NLP and decided to take some of his courses. His expertise in hypnotherapy amazed me. At one point, I accessed a key childhood memory of my dad. Due to his extreme drunkenness, our family missed out on attending an annual event that greatly disappointed me. I released a lot of repressed emotions. This course triggered more revelations. It was a turning point. Still, I was frightened about looking deeper inside myself. And yet, doing so helped me a lot.

The personal regression you share, illustrates that releasing troubling emotions linked to our past has a positive impact on our current life. It is a wake up call, an option to heal and eliminate repeated situations of high drama arising. Please continue...

Gaining insight into past lives helps people make sense of current dilemmas or blocks. Age regression is deliberately used to help clients heal unconscious childhood traumas. It brings the energy to the surface.

Sounds like its a means of accessing our blocked wisdom, guidance for the next phase of life.

Exactly!

Love that you echo Julius Caesar who said, Experience is the teacher of all things. The turning point you describe has universal relevance. We, as humans, are evolving from being controlled by fear-based beliefs and negative emotions to allowing intuition and courage to guide us. Its an inner shift to trust our feelings.

Yes.

Describe your work then. How did your NLP experience affect that?

At the time, I was working for the ATO as a tax investigator.

Were you unhappy in this institutional role?

No. I am always happy with my work, but I do like learning and change. While I was in the ATO, I studied Law and Corporate Management and moved into management and team development. During that time, technology was changing and the work environment was not keeping up with the changes. Over a decade or so, I outgrew the ATO and my role there. As I was already a registered psychologist, I decided to set up my own business in counselling psychology.

Wow! That’s a huge career shift; from ATO tax auditing to traditional psychology to past life hypnotherapy. Please share more about how this came about for you.

I spent 20 years as a private practising psychologist. Yet, as time progressed, I did not really fit into the professional paradigm. Clients often went into their past lives even without hypnotherapy. I was an effective therapist, and the business grew, but accessing past lives, even inadvertently, is not considered appropriate in conventional psychology.

It sounds like you felt restless in different environments at different life stages. Listening to yourself seems to have compelled re-evaluating your life. What did your feelings tell you?

I was not being completely transparent or true to myself.

So many people relate to this and yet, be unaware. Its like a journey to greater congruence with our true selves. We all need love. Being authentic is perhaps the ultimate example of loving ourselves. Your life choices remind us we access untapped power by being vulnerable, by doing what feels right. You echo even if it does not fit a paradigm, listening to ourselves is not something to fear. Why do you sense self- honesty is so important?

I know that I am fulfilling my purpose in life. As I look back, I can see that all my experiences have prepared me to do this work.

So if I get what you are saying here, the more honest we are with ourselves, the more confident and fearless we become, and the easier we ease into our destiny?

Yes. I also decided to train in past life therapy and life between lives hypnotherapy because of the dramatic positive changes I observed in my clients. I left psychology when I moved to Maleny (Queensland) a few years ago. It was a relief to release the restrictions of the psychology board that oversees the profession.

It is said everything we do here, every choice we make in other lives, every experience we have in this life, is preparing us for the unforeseen.

Indeed. Milton H. Erickson, M.D. says, Allow yourself to see what you do not allow yourself to see...

So many ways exist to shake us up, to shift and expand our perception. This is highlighted by investigations into human consciousness by Michael Newton and his work through The Newton Institute, Robert Monroe and his legacy at The Monroe Institute, as well as work of individuals like Bruce Lipton, Raymond Moody and Delores Cannon. I am reminded of The Tao Te Ching, where it says when a student is ready, the teacher will appear. When the student is truly ready...the teacher will Disappear.

Well said. we each grow from the wisdom of many teachers.

What unique insights do you gain into yourself through the regressions you have undergone as part of your training or therapy?

My first regression was in 2009. During this regression, I discovered I was a German soldier in both WWI and WWII. There were many challenges in that life that I had to come to terms with. I also connected to All That Is and felt so much love my circuits nearly exploded.

In Conversations: Redemption & Lessons of Love, a conversation with Raymond Moody, MD. and Melvin Morse, MD, they speak of a deeper spiritual centre that is guiding us. How do your regressions relate here?

In later regressions, I discovered some of the places and dimension I’d experienced before I came to the Earth System. I also learned about the themes I embraced during my incarnations on Earth and how that has unfolded. I have been into the dark night of the soul in many lives and emerged with a deep understanding of what separation feels like.

How have your own regressions shifted your experience in your current life?

The regressions have enhanced my life in many ways. My perspective of the universe and the earth system has expanded. I have let go of self-criticism and increased my self-trust. I know now that everything happens for a purpose. Also, I am less judging, more accepting and more discerning.

I feel very comfortable on Earth now and I am confident I will pass gently when it is time to leave my body. As well, I know where I am going and what I will be doing after I leave.

How exciting to be open to receiving and accepting such insight. We can feel your peace of mind. This reminds me of Esther Hicks and the Teachings of Abraham. Years ago, I intuitively participated in one of their cruise seminars. That experience opened my perception enromously.

Dr. Brian Weiss was a traditional psychiatrist/ psychotherapist before an experience with past live regression prompted him to change focus. You may be aware he wrote the best-seller, Many Lives, Many Masters and makes efforts to bring the benefits of hypnotherapy into the mainstream in his way. What do you feel is necessary for more people to consider it a valid, legitimate form of healing?

If by valid you mean effective, hypnotherapy already is. But being outside mainstream is fine in my view. Mainstream professions are always restricted and regulated. Institutions are founded on formalized protocol. The result is that the role of intuition and innate wisdom of the healer is minimized or even obliterated.

It is often assumed that healing practices are viewed “mainstream” or legitimate when widely accepted and thus, fully rebated by government supported Medicare. Does this imply it is necessary to lose the power and influence of the intuitive self?

I have a strong belief that those people who will benefit by having a regression are guided to do so, and also guided to the appropriate healer. Asking your higher-self for guidance at such times is always worthwhile. Everything we need comes to us when ready. This requires being open to that.

Some well-known magicians are also often described as hypnotists. Consider Franz Mesmer, James Braid, Uri Geller, the Amazing Kreskin and others. How do such individuals or others inspire you?

My favourite comic strip as a child was Mandrake the Magician (1934) by Lee Falk. He was a super hero who used hypnosis. Richard Bandler, mentioned earlier, could put random people into trance in a few seconds. Richard had modelled Milton Erickson, the famous psychiatrist who was a powerful healer and helped to have hypnosis accepted as a therapy.

Love that you observe conventional and unconventional therapies are complimentary and also that even our popular culture symbols are giving us messages about our own untapped potential. What do your magician and other inspirations invite you to do?

I was inspired and intrigued by all these people and wondered, “how did they do it?” I guess I have dedicated my life to finding the answer and understanding human nature. And it has taken me all the way to the stars. I have many answers, which I am writing about. And I continue exploring.

What similarities are you aware of/ or do you see between breathwork and hypnotherapy?

I have to admit I know little about breathwork in a formal sense, but I think I have been inadvertently and intuitively using something like it for years.

Tell us how awareness of the power of breath and came to you directly.

Thirty years ago, I had a major breakdown that was so debilitating I couldn’t work for many months. I distrusted medication so I had to find a way to cope with the pain.

Its worth noting that pain is felt physically while suffering is mental. Sometimes we experience both at the same time and are consciously unaware. How did the breath help?

Through trial and error, I stumbled on the effectiveness of deep slow breathing while holding an attitude of acceptance. I really had nowhere else to go apart from suicide, and I knew that wasn’t a solution.

I am sure that is one of the reasons I have grew into an effective healer. When needed, I use a breathing technique with my clients. It always works. But I never learned that through psychology or hypnotherapy. The wisdom came naturally to me when I required it myself. I simply share it.

What is the breath come to symbolize for you?

To me, the breath is all about accepting and letting go. We cannot survive without the breath and we cannot move forward physically, emotionally or spiritually without accepting and letting go. The words inspire, aspire, expire all relate to the word “spirit.” The breath is fundamental to all life and fundamental to healing.

It also means that you do not have to put clients into a trance to do hypnotherapy. This is connected to the breath. The mind cooperates in a divine way. Call it the imagination, the higher self, inner being, whatever fits your paradigm or understanding of the world.

As you imply, we are always co-creating with energy or the flow, cooperating with forces beyond our physical selves to awaken to more of what we already know.

Share a few examples of clients whose lives have been changed by past life regression.

Yvette was an engineer attracted to narcissists in this lifetime. She was aware of patterns but did not know why the pattern persisted. During hypnotherapy, she recalled she had been a male slave trader selling white people in an Arabian country. She sold a young girl to an awful old man and enjoyed knowing the young girl would suffer. The slave trader himself had a three- year-old daughter. He kept having nightmares of the slave girl’s eyes before she was sold, as if imploring, ‘how could you do this?’ The slave trader was killed in a marketplace fight and goes to the Other side (he did not pass over completely in previous lifetimes). While on the Other side, he experienced love and reconciliation and forgiveness with the while slave girl who had died at the hands of the awful old man the slave trader had sold her to. After 2000 years of perpetrator lives, it was possible to become joyful. The revelations that came as the result of hypnotherapy sessions led Yvette to shift her patterns in this lifetime. Among other things, she grew in compassion and changed her career to work with children.

That is a fascinating example of an inspiring life shift as the result of regressions.

Consider also aanother case. In his current life, Ayaan came to a regression feeling lost. He was stuttering at times and arguing with his wife. He was a migrant and felt he didn’t belong.

In the first scene of the regression, Ayaan is with his mother and he feels the power of her love which is totally unconditional.

Ayaan then goes to a past life in medieval times where he is a soldier who marries a high-class woman. He is loved by his wife and her noble family, and accepted by others, however he doesn’t feel comfortable. He feels like he doesn’t belong. He leaves his wife and home, wandering to a village where he teaches the peasants how to get out of poverty. He enjoys being admired and appreciated as a learned man.

During these years, he misses his wife. Eventually he returns with much trepidation. He never told her he was leaving, instead just suddenly disappearing. When he arrives, she embraces him and is completely forgiving. He weeps as he is lovingly welcomed back into the family.

In his life between lives, Ayaan learns he that he has been carrying shame. He has felt shameful in many lives and it is time to let it go. He recalls the unconditional love from his mother and sees the love between himself and his current wife. He realises he only stutters when he is speaking in public, a manifestation of his fear and shame. He is given advice on how to let it go.

Ayaan is told he will progress in his career and become well known. He will learn how to stop hiding and be able to express himself clearly in public. This is his purpose and his destiny. His relationship with his wife will improve and he will help her grow, just as she will help him become stronger.

After the regression, he feels much more settled. He now appreciates his new country, admitting that money comes to him easily here. He has a great job and family and knows now how fortunate he is.

As this example attests, we can all gain lessons from the regressions of others as well as our own, when we are brave enough to explore this path.

The examples you share also remind me of a book called The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. It is about lessons in guilt, love and forgiveness. There is also a movie. We are all reminded that it is so simple to forgive but we can only each do it or deny it from ourselves.

I must look into that!

Valentina was another case worth mentioning here. She had 40 hours of regressions. The initial trigger for her visit was her irrational emotion and stress that would arise when her child cried. Turned out, in one key past life, she was married to a chauvinistic partner. They lived in the same room with the baby and that baby cried repeatedly and severely irritated her violent partner. She wanted to keep the child quiet and accidentally suffocated it. In the current lifetime, she wanted more children but was afraid. After significant emotional release due to what she learned during her sessions, she allowed enough guilt to dissipate. The guides said she would have a girl and she did.

Gosh! That series of sessions clearly had quite an impact. Perpetrators seem to explore emotional numbness and repression and how to come to terms and heal with that. How does a client know when enough negative energy is shifted for a current life change to materialize?

It’s not up to us to control or define that.

Consider a third example: Kathy came to me with an illness (IBS-irritable bowel syndrome) During her sessions, we simply asked the guides to take us to past lives which are most relevant to her healing. In one scenario, she had a lot of kids and they all died in a car accident when she was driving and she was left alone. She progressively lost her home, material things and all else that was supposedly important to her. Homeless, destitute and exhausted, she finally fell asleep in a meadow. She died there and felt light-hearted. This experience opened this client to love, oneness, light-heartedness. In this lifetime, she had always been serious and tense which she came to sense contributed to her illness.

Love how you pinpoint that the way experiences flow in our lives, the order they come, the timing of each one, is all orchestrated, based on our evolving level of consciousness. So as we learn lessons, our health, life conditions, and the pace of our manifestations change. It reminds me of a quote by Einstein who echoes: “problems cannot be resolved at the same level of consciousness they are created”

Exactly! My role as a hypnotherapist is to orient clients during their regressions: “i.e. ‘where are you? What is happening now?’ The impulses that drove these people to seek regressions were active remnants of past lives that were no longer needed. The clients were guided to have the old programming deactivated, although they didn’t realise that at the time. It made a huge difference to their lives. They have all changed fundamentally.

I will be explaining how this process works in my next book, Twilight of Souls.

When is this to be released?

It will be available when completed.

Of course! Everything has perfect timing! You have helped so many people over the years. What prompted you to become an author?

I am so privileged to meet with high level spiritual beings every day through the regressions. They share so much wisdom. The stories of my clients’ journeys through their many lives in the earth system are exhilarating. I know why we are here and why we suffer. Even though I know how we can minimize suffering, I also know it is part of the journey, and more important for some than others.

From childhood, I always knew I was to write but for many years my writing just didn’t come together. I felt blocked and I struggled. But once I began doing regressions in 2012, I felt I had to write. I had to share what I was discovering. Finally, it flowed as I communicated the stories of my clients and the wisdom of the spirit guides.

What steps have you recently taken to focus more on your writing?

I left the Newton Research Institute Committee to be more balanced and focused on my new book. A key shift in mindset occurred in 2013 when I was sick for a year. When I came out of the illness, I saw it as a wake-up call to focus more on my writing but had to reduce my commitments and shift my priorities. I was a columnist for 10 years and my husband is also a writer. This contributes to the writer I am and continue to evolve into.

Who is the intended audience of your books, Other Lives, Other Realms and Llewellyn’s Little Book of Life Between Lives?

Both books are written for people who want to understand what it is like to have a regression and the benefits of doing so. The cases in the books are inspiring and illustrative and easily resonate with readers. That can be healing in itself. Anyone interested in better understanding the world as it is, including the darkness, from an individual and collective point of view, would benefit from my books.

I have made much effort to make the books easy to read, and many have told me I have succeeded.

It strikes me like your books invite readers make connections in body awareness and emotions as a gauge for what is going on inside.

What do you feel is the purpose of expanding awareness of out-of-body experiences (OBEs) or other mystical experiences? How, in your view, does this help or empower people?

The guides tell us that the purpose of all mystical experiences is help us discover who we really are. Earth and our bodies seem so real and concrete, we think that is all we are. Even though our physicists know all this “solidity” is really 99.999% space, it just doesn’t seem so.

If I understand your point, during regression, we are experiencing ourselves, just like in OBEs. Interview with William Buhlman offers further insights on OBEs. Growing more conscious of how and why we think and feel is the journey of soul growth.

Yes! Knowing who you really are, is tremendously empowering. You connect with your greater self, your fears dissolve and you become wise, humble, loving and compassionate. Of course, you are still human with human foibles but you begin laughing at these instead of taking them so seriously.

What do you feel is the purpose of recognizing the existence of and interacting with Soul walk-ins?

Sensing or knowing they are a walk-in can relieve a lot of confusion for an individual. One’s life purpose does not necessarily require being born and going through the early journey.

I have had a few clients who have been told they are walk ins. It seems it is always arranged with both souls, the one leaving and the one coming in. We have been told that it happens for various reasons. Some souls are of such a high vibration, their frequency is incompatible with being humanly birthed. Other souls have bitten off more than they can chew and want to leave. This is often anticipated before they are born. They agree to leave and make way for another soul. It is beneficial for both souls. The incoming soul can clean up some of the karma of the outgoing soul. This can be part of the soul-level agreement for the switch.

Share something about yourself few people know.

In my twenties, I spent 10 years in a relationship with a well-known criminal in the Sydney Underworld. I was a mess when I met him, having just left a violent marriage and my two young children. People were very scared of my live-in partner but I wasn’t. He was kind, tolerant and protective of me. I met many Underworld figures (characters in the TV series, Underbelly: Tale of Two Cities) and learned a lot about these people, some of whom were psychopaths.

Incredible! This invites us all to realize each of our lives contain potential motive script material. Whether or not we are familiar with the tv series you mention, we can each relate to themes of polarity in our lives. As we awaken, we grow aware of wider lessons we are invites to learn.

If you have a piece of advice to offer, some wisdom gained from your life, what would it be?

If you feel disturbed or distressed, look within yourself and expect the answers. If it feels right, seek external guidance, healers or therapy to assist you to grow more conscious and trusting of yourself.

I agree. Many people might find the courage to ask themselves questions but not be ready to accept or integrate the answers. Humans are often unconscious and, like Robert Monroe suggests, a technology that some are not always ready or willing to understand.

Share anything else you would like to add

Website: LifeBetweenLivesRegression.com.au (Sign up for my blogs)

Facebook Page: Life Between Lives

Oneness Maleny (OM) holds a talk in Maleny each Sunday at 4 pm (beginning again in January). Email me at Karen@LifeBetweenLivesRegression.com.au and I will arrange to put you on the OM mailing list.

For more Information on hypnotherapy go to my website or my books for my take on hypnotherapy. They are Other Lives, Other Realms and Llewellyn’s Little Book of Life Between Lives (co-author). Any books by Milton Erickson are interesting and informative. He really was the Master.

Thanks again Karen for the intimate reflections you choose to share here. May many people grow more open to the insight available to them and also find the courage to face whatever seems to hold them back. invite everyone to check our Karen's website and books. She is a gem.

Expect the unexpected and whenever possible, be the unexpected- Lynda Barry

5 Comments |

Inspirational Mentor Interviews,

Consciousness,

Past Lives tagged

NLP,

OBEs,

Saturday

Dec082018

Interview with Renee McDuffie

Saturday, December 8, 2018 at 2:37PM

I am repeatedly surprised by the ingenuity and resourcefulness of people I encounter. Delighted to share this dialogue with entrepreneur and supermom Renee McDuffie. Thanks Renee, for being open to sharing how you feel and adapt through different waves of change in your life.

How we view ourselves shapes our experience. How do you see you?

I am firstly a Mother to 3 beautiful children; Tayla, Blake and Jayda, a wife to Shane and an Online business owner/Regional Vice President with Arbonne International. I view myself as a social butterfly, always busy always on the go. I like to think of myself as a self-driven motivated outgoing personality who loves to dream and go big!

We each know what 'wake up calls' feel like. Sometimes its a dream, an intuition, a deja-vu or another experience. What prompts you to move to the Sunshine Coast?

Lifestyle. You might say I am ready and eager for bigger changes. I am also listening to my heart.

It is said that when you go with the natural flow, you sense synchronicity, suddenly consider new choices and opportunities. Share some milestones in your life that lead you to where you are.

I suppose graduating with my diploma in Children’s Services (2004), after a debilitating back injury surgery going wrong. In 2007, I had to learn how to walk again. I became a very strong-minded, determined person because of this, and shifted my priorities.

Sounds like your sense of wellness shifted. Health challenges certainly do have a way of shaking us up and guiding us to see what matters. You are not alone when you imply your own health scare gave you a deeper appreciation for life. Chicken Soup for the Soul books are well-known. Invite you and readers to check out the Interview with Darron Eastwell.

Will do. I know forst hand that if I do not have my health, I cannot care for others or do my best work.

Other milestones include; falling pregnant with my first-born Tayla in 2008, marrying my best friend Shane in 2010, having my son Blake in 2011. In addition, I took a Career change course to study in personal training ( never completed it), had my gorgeous little Jayda in 2014. Starting my new Career path becoming a business owner in 2015 which I am still so passionate about with Arbonne.

Your story echoes we gain access to different kinds of wisdom at different life stages. What specifically prompted you to get involved in Arbonne?

I discovered Arbonne in 2014 and didn’t give it much of a thought. Yet, then was re- introduced by a very close friend in 2015 and I loved the whole concept, mainly of helping others and the whole ethics of the company. I have continued to grow and love the business even more and love my team so much. I have continued on this journey and plan to for a very long time to come. This entrepreneurial role allows me to be present for my family, and the important things. It has also allowed me many travel opportunities which I don’t think I would have had in other industries. I have done many other jobs but this one has always ticked all the boxes for me as I’m passionate about the health and wellness industry and personal development.

Well, it is said we invite into our lives only what we can handle, though not everyone listens to their passions. Opportunities feel more like synchronicity when we are in touch with our feelings. Working from home has growing appeal. No wonder you are happy with what you are creating.

Share some of your strengths and weaknesses and how you use these to your advantage.

Some of my strengths are: I am strong-willed and determined- once I set my mind on something, I get it done. I have learned to be a good listener and love to help others, and am very trustworthy. I also feel another strength is that I’m non- judgemental but this has also worked against me. Weaknesses: I am a massive people-pleaser so am not always as direct and honest as I would like to be. I don’t like to upset others so don’t say some things I probably should. I do sometimes get overwhelmed when situations aren’t within my control, which brings me to the next thing: I can be a control freak! (something I am working on!) To my advantage, when I get an idea on my head, I just go for it and always find a way to make a situation work. My wish to help others can work against me as I want to help/fix everyone’s problems.

Being brutally honest with ourselves is one of the hardest things to do. Kudos to you for being self-aware and taking steps to work on those behaviours that you realize can limit you.

Describe the biggest challenge you have experienced. How do you handle it?

The biggest challenge in my life would have to be when my spinal injury caused me to have surgery which didn’t go well in 2007 (I was age 23). And after a follow up emergency surgery of a blood clot forming on my spine, waking up with no feeling from the waist down, being told I may never walk again was definitelythe biggest life-changing event in my kufe so far. I handled it quite well until I hit a point when I had a breakdown.

Author Brene Brown reminds us nervous breakdowns can be key turning points in our lives. How did yours affect you?

That’s when the determination kicked in. I worked so hard for 2 years to do all I could in rehab to re-generate the nerves and build up my muscle and strength again. Surprisingly, I wouldn’t change this moment in my life. I i made me appreciate the things we take for granted like walking, toileting etc. Overcoming struggle has also made Me who I am today. And I was lucky enough to be one of the ones to get most of the feeling back. This also lead me into the passion I have for exercise and training.

Its easy to forget we each create our own luck. We shift from believing in coincidence to seeing synchronicity, to recognizing we create and respond to all that happens. Taking full personal responsibility can seem like a big leap, but it enables us to see blessings, come what may, is that not so?

Absolutely!

Similar to Joyce Meyer, Jack Ma, Donald Trump, Gerry Adams, Jason Navallo, John Mason, Tedy Bruschi, and others who wrote books called Never Give up, your resilience adn relentless determination take you far. Your story is inspirational in that it encourages people to learn a lesson wherever they are and stretch themselves to reach the next level.

That ordeal definitely taught me a lot about confidence and character-building!

What is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done?

I am spontaneous by nature...

Aren't we all, yet, sometimes adults forget!

Well, yes. My most spontaneous adult acts are doing the world’s highest cliff jump in Queenstown, N.Z. during a Arbonne trip, and jumping out of a plane! I am an adrenaline junky.

A woman who pushes boundaries... I love your style! We each create a sense of awe and wonder in our life choices. Let us in on three things very few people know about you.

There’s not a lot that people don’t know about me as I’m an open book. I am definitely an over-thinker and over-dramatize situations in my head. I do a lot of self-talk. As much as I love a social life, I also love me-time, sitting, watching mind-numbing trash t.v. and documentaries, I also love the beach (my happy place).

Tell us about a time when you did or said something that had a positive impact on an employee, co-worker, or customer. How did it make you feel?

I think in the role I play within my business and team I’m lucky enough to be able to pep my team up and try to help them break through a block in work/ life. I can think if times I’ve cried with some of the girls in my team when I can see a breakthrough in their personal development, within themselves and making them know that they are worthy of everything that they want and more. This always fills my cup up seeing them achieve great things or stepping out of their comfort zones.

As you imply, stepping out of comfort zones does not come easily to everyone, but it pays off. If your peers and team had to describe you in three to five words, what would they say?

If my peers and team had to describe me in 3-5 words : loud, chatty, fun, positive, driven, and determined.

What people reflect back tells us a lot about our level of authenticity. Speaking of this, tell us about a dream you have yet to realize. What are you doing to progress further to make it real?

My dream is to build my business up so strong that my husband can travel less with his work and be around more and be able to be more present with me and the kids. He is when he can but is also away a bit interstate and does miss some important things. I am working my tail off to hit that goal so we can then choose to be together more as a family.

Describe a time when a colleague came to you with a problem. How did you respond?

There are a fair few times a colleague has come to me with a problem I won’t specifically name any due to privacy. Each time, listened with 2 ears and waited to respond. Sometimes people just want to be heard.

So right! Empathy and compassion can be conveyed in silence as well as through words. We each have the power to give something of ourselves to enrich the world. We do this with time, money or other gestures. Tell us about a time when understanding something differently shifted your perception and priorities.

I’ve had a few situations in life that I have learnt from when I’ve had to step back and put myself in someone else’s shoes to see why they may be saying or doing something that has upset me. I’ve learnt that there is always a reason why someone is doing what they do. I’ve also learned to to as well and I can check my Ego at the door!

Why is it important to develop connection? How do you build a rapport?

I love connecting and building a report with people I meet in life. I’m always fascinated by others and their stories and think it’s so important to build that trust with new people. I guess I listen and if I can relate to something they are saying I let them know that I understand.

Indeed. Sometimes what is left unspoken is very powerful and leaves a huge impact.

If you could write yourself a letter before leaving this world that would be received by your reincarnation, what would the letter say?

Oh gosh! If I could write myself a letter from the future and read it today- wow 😮. It would probably say live life to the full, follow your dreams and don’t let others steal them, always have fun, always laugh even at yourself and love without judgement

Add anything else you wish to say...

My website is http://www.reneemcduffie.arbonne.com

email: reneearbonne@hotmail.com phone: 0409338774

Much gratitude Renee for all you share. This is a fabulous example of how shifts in priorities happen in our lives when we least expect it. Renee, like each of us in our own way, is a true gift to this world. She shows us that once we get in touch with what matters and identify our priorities, we can create a more fulfilling life and be happier people. Yet, a big message that stands out is before we can truly love others, and make a real difference, we must learn how it feels and what it involves to truly love ourselves. This is a unique journey for each of us. And the Soul learns and unlearns at its own pace.

As Arianna Huffington echoes in her best-selling book Thrive, its up to each of us to uncover and experience directly the meaning of well-being, wisdom, wonder and giving, during our lifetime. This is what gives our lives deeper meaning and us a sense of unique purpose. Check out Thrive Global for hints.

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Chicken Soup for the Soul,

Inspirational Mentor Interviews tagged

Arbonne,

Arianna Huffington,

Brene Brown,

Power of Vulnerability,

Renee McDuffie,

Thrive

Wednesday

Dec052018

Interview with Darron Eastwell

Wednesday, December 5, 2018 at 8:21PM

We each have a story. How we perceive ourselves and respond to events of our journey, enable us to grow and also offers opportunities enrich the world. During a recent professional event, I had the privilege of meeting Darron Eastwell. This versatile author and speaker has experienced major shifts and its a delight to share our interview.

In a nutshell, please describe yourself.

I’m 44 years old, married 20 years, father of 2 kids. I live in Buderim, on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland (Australia).

Of course, there is far more to you than initially meets the eye. Would you say you had a conventional career?

Well, my main work life was a 25-year banking career with National Australia Bank (NAB). Since leaving high school, this was my only employer. I'm originally from country Victoria. However, due to my NAB roles, I relocated many times for different job opportunities. While holding Business Banking management roles, I moved around Victoria, South East Queensland and Central Queensland before settling back on the Sunshine Coast in 2015.

Sounds like you come to thrive on change. What has driven you through it all?

Working for a large, corporate bank in demanding, high-pressure jobs consumed me. However, I really enjoyed the opportunities the bank provided. After all, I never finished high school or gained any specialized education qualifications. I stuck with my banking career, worked my way up. I used to say I have a “Street-smart” degree.

Your life demonstrates that being adaptable enables us to respond well to whatever comes. Tell us how your work priorities have affected your family life.

I have always been a highly-dedicated family man with my family being my number one priority as I was the “bread-winner” for many years. My wife and I chose to raise our kids so that they didn’t have to attend day care or after school day care. So, Bianca stayed home, looked after the kids while I went to work, traditional family compared to these days, we were very fortunate.

Sounds like you had your life pretty much planned out and the details were coming together. What caused your life to change dramatically?

Due to my mountain bike accident, our roles were reversed. Bianca had to be my carer then go out and work while I stayed home and continued rehabilitation and recovery.

How did your life focus and values change in all this?

I no longer feel that my high-pressured, corporate banking job is important. I feel like I was just a number to them. All I want to do now is gain part-time employment so I’m not consumed by work. Creating a healthy work-life balance enables me to enjoy the Sunshine Coast, all life has to offer.

Share some key life challenges and how you respond.

Pre-accident, life was great. I didn’t have a worry in the world other than what most people would worry about. (i.e. how long would it last?) Yet, job satisfaction with NAB was nearing an expiry date and I still didn’t own my family home I had to work to pay the bills.

My key life challenge was no doubt was on 23/05/2015 when I had my mountain bike accident, which changed my life forever. Even three and half years later, I still have zero memory of that day and the following 12 months after the accident due to the injuries. This is probably a good thing. Injuries sustained from the mountain bike accident were as follows: Fractured Skull, Fractured Neck (occipital condyle fracture), Fractured T7 Vertebrae Severe Traumatic Brain Injury (Diffuse Axonal Injury). I was in a medically- induced coma for 10 days. I had a Glasgow Coma Score of 5 (GCS range from 3-15 -the lower the number, the more severe the injury; GCS of 3 equals a dead person). Once I awoke from the coma, I had Post Traumatic Amnesia for 32 days. Given the duration, this indicated a very severe TBI.

What you describe feels like a huge shake-up and perhaps a wake-up call on many levels. What else stands out for you?

I was in 3 different hospitals for a total period of 2 months, spending 6 weeks in the Princess Alexandra Hospital Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit where I had to undergo rehab Occupation Therapy, Speech Therapy, Physical Therapy, Balance Therapy. It was full-on.

Wow! You are certainly one resilient spirit! As your experience points out, challenges may seem economic or physical on the surface, but beneath it all, it is our attitude, will, how we respond mentally and emotionally, that determine what plays out.

Yes. I had to re-learn life's simplest of skills, basically relearn to live independently again. But I was so focused on getting well, nothing got in the way. I felt I had so much to live for including; my family, where I lived, my house, the lifestyle we had set up for ourselves. I just wanted to be healthy again. My drive for recovery came from my perseverance and 'never give up' attitude, which I still have to this day.

What you say here invites readers to quietly ponder what is really important, what they really want. Its not usually what first comes to mind. What brings you the greatest joy?

My greatest joy is that I now live a quality, healthy life with my loving family on the Sunshine Coast in our family home which we built 10 years prior. I’m living my dream. I am now able to spend more time with family, exercise more and play my guitars more.

Ahh! So, you are also a musician! Have you always played?

Well, I did not make much time for that hobby before my accident. My wife and I always spoke about returning to the coast, not having to relocate again. We wanted to live a simple, uncomplicated lifestyle, enjoying the beaches, the sunny coast, warm climate. We feel motivated to be outdoors. We wanted our kids get to grow up in such a beautiful part of not only Australia, but the world.

As the saying goes, ‘Ask and it is given.’ You have given yourself your most heartfelt wish. Tell us, in your own words, how setbacks can be seen as gifts.

Set-backs can be gifts as they can change how you think what's really important. Without your health, you little to feel joyful about.

Many people who have Near Death experiences (NDEs) also have out-of-body experiences (OBEs). My NDEs and OBEs have changed the way I see myself and the world. Consider also people like Dannion Brinkley- he died twice by lightning and wrote At Peace in the Light & Saved by the Light. We also feel the impact of OBEs explored in Interview with William Buhlman and others on this blog. How did having an NDE and OBE change you?

Surviving my near-death experience (NDE) has made me a better person and appreciate life more and I now realise how life can change in a heartbeat. My brain is empty now. I am noticably calmer.

My mind echoes: I am not going to be a victim. I am not going to be negative about what happened. I believe everything happens for a reason. Positivity is so powerful. Having a positive mindset can assist with overcoming the impossible. I wouldn’t change what happened to me for a second. It has enabled so many doors to close but more doors have opened.

This echoes that saying, "When God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window." Let us know what windows inspire you, what nourishes your soul?

I’m inspired to live the best version of this new Darron, inspired to remain happy & healthy and share my story of survival against the odds. My wife is the biggest inspiration. Without her support, I wouldn’t be who I am today.

What a heart-warming story of connection with your family, your deeper self to inspire the world. This is a perfect lead in to tell us about your new book.

My book is, The Day I Broke My Brain. Basically, this is what I did through my accident.

It reminds me of Proof of Heaven by and the implications explored in Interview with Dr. Eben Alexander and the the book and Ted Talk Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor.

As previously shared, due to my injuries, post-traumatic amnesia and severed memory problems, my occupation therapist suggested that I start writing a daily journal. This improved my memory and fine motor skills such as writing. I began with my name, address and where I had lived, my family’s names ages. Then, I wrote about my thoughts, emotions and anything that I felt like writing. This went on for about 6 months before I thought of the idea that I could have a book on my hands about my survival and rehabilitation story. Thus, over a period of 12 months, the daily journal writing evolved to have greater detail. I had longer and longer writing sessions, all by hand, to the point when I had finished my book in its manuscript version. I still have the hand-written notes today.

Other than assisting in your rehabilitation, what is your hope for this book?

Besides writing the book to help me deal with or at least uncover what happened to me, my hope is to help other people impacted by brain or other severe injury, to provide inspiration or motivation for healing. My recovery is proof that you can recover, not always 100%, but at least to redefine a high-quality and independent life. I now see life is far more than what I thought is was before my accident. Having a book is the modern version of a business card. It provides creditability, paves the way for new connections, and new career opportunities.

Your story is one of determination and empowerment. It reminds me of the attitude of quadruple amputee Kyle Maynard who wrote No Excuses. What do you foresee next?

My hope is that it continues to sell, provides opportunities for me to meet new people. Talking at public events provides more income and eventually help with me gaining employment. My ultimate goal would be if the book could be put to movie as I think its a great story a positive story of someone beating the odds and overcoming such an injury it changed his entire life for the good.

How do you envision your book can help people?

I think my book can help people not only impacted by brain injury, but it can help anyone who is lacking the drive, motivation to improve their life, change mindset to see that nothing is really bad. We do not have to wait for tragedy or an NDE to trigger the change.

What else have you done and are you doing to contribute to a new level of well-being?

After 12 months of traditional rehabilitation in hospital, I had had enough of it and was screaming out to do something else to feel happy. Hence, I thru myself into physical exercise, music therapy, meditation, yoga, and naturopathic supplements. In addition, I didn’t drink a drop of alcohol for two and half years. Now, I only drink very small amounts, changed my diet to try and eat more healthy foods, intermittent fasting and eat brain foods.

Congrats on reaching a new level of balance and well-being. Who is your book's intended audience?

My audience is brain injury survivors, their families and individuals in need of motivation due to challenges. It is estimated about 700,000 people in Australia are living with a brain injury and in America around 3,000,000 people are impacted by brain injury. Clearly, many people impacted by a situation related to my own.

Where can people obtain a copy of your book?

The book has been purchased in 17 different countries so far or reading my blog on my website www.darroneastwell.com.au

As the result of your bike accident, how has your outlook and life perspective shifted?

I love my family and extended family more than ever. I no longer fear dying.

I relate to other people who have survived near death experiences (NDEs), tragedies or overcome trauma, sickness and injury. I can relate better to these kinds of people.

I don't have patience for materialistic people who are not realistic or they show no compassion for others. In general, I feel I am a calmer, more relaxed person because of my experience and enjoy the simple little things these days better, especially chatting to people

As you look forward, how do you see your life unfolding?

I foresee my life unfolding like this:

I will continue to live on the Sunshine Coast with my family & finally can call it home
I will continue to visualize making a difference and seeing ths happen as in The Answer by Allan & Barbara Pease (I have used this technique 15 years and know it works)
I will return to working in 2019 in a part-time capacity
I will secure a job for which I am training now (as a barista within the coffee industry)

Like yourself, I can attest to the effectiveness of feeling my way into a new lifestyle and way of being. Our life focus shifts with our awareness and priorities. It happens with perfect timing. As Gandhi echoes: happiness happens when what we think, do and say, are all in harmony. Bobby Davro says a measure of success is happiness and peace and mind. How do you view success?

I will be successful at what ever I'm doing as that is how I am programmed. When I do things, I have to do it right and put in 150%. I have high expectations for myself.

If you had a piece of advice or a vision to leave with our audience, what would it be?

Never take life for granted, go for your dreams or what makes your happy and ensure you live a healthy uncomplicated life.

Please share anything else you would like to add, including events, websites, links, broadcasts or any other ways our audience can connect with and learn more about you.

Here are some links to articles about me. Invite readers to visit my website, and find information relevant to their own journey.

https://profilemag.com.au/darron-eastwell-survival/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8V19BhrUPo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLwWEupGWds

http://surviving-brain-injury.blogspot.com.au/2017/06/new-tbi-book-introduction-day-i-broke.html

http://tbihopeandinspiration.com/May2017.pdf (Refer to pages 16-19)

https://www.braininjuryaustralia.org.au/stories/day-broke-brain-darron-eastwell/

https://issuu.com/myweeklypreview/docs/mwp460 Refer to page 24

http://myweeklypreview.com.au/people/defying-the-odds/

http://www.booksofbuderim.com.au/events-galore-at-books-of-buderim

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-day-i-broke-my-brain-darron-eastwell/prod9781548296902.html

https://www.facebook.com/tbihopeandinspiration/photos/pb.397557900320241.-2207520000.1497447898./1319116004831088/?type=3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8V19BhrUPo

https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/life-threatening-accident-now-a-story-of-inspirati/3238030/

Thanks Darron. We know you are an inspiring success and continue to enrich all thoe lives you touch. You invite us all to recognize blessings where we are, and to appreciate who we are and how we can assist each other.

Notice our collective reality arises from what we choose to believe about information our elders leave us, and whether we choose to question it. If we insist on believing we are separate from God/ Source and each other, then life is about living in separation. Many people believe God condones violence as a means of conflict resolution and feel separate from what does not affect them personally. Behavior arises from belief. Our big challenge is to find ways to get people to see, feel, act collectively. The issue is we often seek to solve problems at every level except the level at which problems exist. What if creating heaven wherever you are and its the prime objective? Imagine a life without fear, guilt or anger. Imagine the end of frustration and anxiety, and negative feelings. Imagine experiencing awe and wonder, the impulse to give freely, all expressing itself through you due to your expanding awareness. We can begin to create this in lives of those we touch. It is a matter of making conscious connections. Internal shifts transform external experience.

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