I’m very excited about tonights Beyond Freedom call on Self-Image. This has been a very powerful lesson for me.
I grew up instilled with many limitting beliefs about who I was, what I was capable of and my value to the world. As a woman, I also grew up with a very limitted view of what it meant for a woman to be beautiful (such as in the airbrushed covers showing super models in the swimwear).
Using the exercise in this lesson, I was able to see myself in my entirety, beautiful, powerful and ready to take on the world. I reflect on this lesson often as it’s easy to allow “appearances” to run our life. There’s more to life than our age, the number on the scale and the limitations put on us by our families socio-economic status.
When I was 12 years old, I was incredibly inspired by Oprah Winfrey…I still am. I was raised in a home that was covertly racist. So, to turn on the TV and see a black woman, who was overweight and didn’t fit the criteria for “TV beautiful”, thriving and succeeding, I was in awe and totally realized there was much more for my life than what I was told was possible. Oprah actually cracked the foundation of my beliefs in what I was being indoctrinated with.
But how did she get to be who she is? She obviously saw herself as more as well. She was able to develop the self-image of a woman who succeeded in TV, is incredibly beautiful and gracious. She developed that self-image and grew into it.
My husband John always says to “Think From the End”. Hence, if you want to be leaner and healthier, think as though you already are and then make decisions as such. If you want to be wealthy and successful, think as though you already are and then make decisions as such. That is what this lesson is about…thinking from the end; developing a self-image of the person we desire to be and living into it.
Be – Do – Have.
I want to start by saying thank you!!! I have been following Beyond Freedom just since you all got back from Hawaii. What I have learned has motivated me to transform those limiting beliefs into opportunities. I also believe that we must see and believe from the end. I am so thankful that I saw the opportunity here!!! Thank you for all that you do to. Peace Susan Oliveira
By: Susan Oliveira on August 4, 2008
at 12:23 am
Thanks for another awesome call Shannon (and everyone who participated). I find that everytime I’m having “an issue” in my life, I can invariably find an answer within Beyond Freedom, or on one of the calls.
I am currently living in a fairly stressful and negative environment, and I walked away from this call very inspired, having received a number of valuable nuggets from that conversation.
– “Giving Yourself Permission to…” is such a powerful concept, and I have already put that one into practice.
– Today I was reminded that if you focus with your heart (follow your dreams/mission each day, live in gratitude, meditating and visualising etc) then you create the life you dream of from the inside out… that way, you’re in action, and controlling what is within your control. The visual I have is of the ripples that extend when the stone is dropped into the pond.
So to action the lessons from this call, I will be reminding myself on a daily basis of what my Mission Statement is, I will be Giving Myself Permission, and I will be Thinking from the End Result backwards.
Once again, thank you all.
By: Estelle on August 4, 2008
at 2:18 am
Another awesome call!!
I am very lucky because I come from a great family. My parents always told me I could be whatever I wanted to be and do whatever I wanted to do. I was always the over achiever, straight A student, tri varsity athlete, in college I was a member of Phi Theta Kappa honor society. I also was told often that I was pretty. My grandfather was an actor so I grew up doing a lot of commercials and after high school I was on a soap opera for a while.
I always had a great self image and then in 2001 I started dancing in Las Vegas. Now luckily because I do come from a great family, I never got into the dark side of dancing, the drugs, the alcohol, the men. However, after a couple of weeks working in the club, I realized that the “broken girls” were making all the money. I would have customers tell me “you’re too smart to do this, why are you here” and then they would go and spend money on some girl that had a drug habit or a pimp.
I quickly learned that in order to make money in this industry, I would have to use my looks and basically act dumb. So for me, I have 6 years of programming myself to get by on looks and pretend to not have a brain. I don’t think I really realized how much this was holding me back until this section of Beyond Freedom. I really had to figure out who I am on the inside and be true to that.
What is really exciting for me about this lesson is that while I am noticing the changes, so are the people closest to me. Even better, while I was concerned that I was going to have to cut a lot of people from my life because they were not on the same path, I am noticing more and more that by being true to myself and not supressing who I am on the inside, that they are curious about what is going on with me and they are starting to get into personal development, asking me what books I’m reading and why I have post-it notes all over my house, which is really making me feel like the leader because I have people that I love dearly that are looking at the changes that are happening with me, and are saying “I want to feel like that, I want to experience that.”
I went to a girlfriend’s house for a BBQ the other night, and I’m in the kitchen helping her get food ready to go on the grill, and above her sink is a post-it note that says “I am so happy and grateful now that I am a bottle server at Pur and make $250K a year working 4 days a week.” Another girl at work has a post-it in her locker that says “I attract quality vip customers every night.”
It feels so good, to know that I am an inspiration to people that matter to me.
By: Teri Elmendorf on August 4, 2008
at 2:25 am
An other fabulous call tonight!! (You cant never outperform your self-image)
The Beyond Freedom Experience is like no other. I have been a student and teacher of personal development for many years personally and professionally. And I must say that “Beyond Freedom” in the way it is put together coupled with the supporting calls and community like I experienced tonight is by far the best, most empowering and a easily applicable personal development format I have had the gratitude to be a part of.
As I have said to my advisor, This program along with community have lit a fire and passion in me I didn’t even realize was just smoldering and given me a spiritual connection of feeling like I’ve come home.
I am so thankful and grateful to be a part of this community and to have a vehicle to share the good news and be a part of showing others a better way.
By: Maria Killius on August 4, 2008
at 2:40 am
Hey Everyone
Grateful, Grateful, Grateful,
The people in my life today are so ON Purpose,
I love it!
Thank you Shannon for assisting my family with the BULLIES, my son’s were blown out of the water by your comments that piggy backed perfectly after my discussion with them.
A wonderful calmness came over our household and to be able to share and have my Boys Jake 13 and Jeff 12 be a part of this is in Incredible.
They expect to meet you in Atlantis along with everyone else, but they are looking to seek you and Shane out becuase of the wonderful law of attracition, and your assitance in the Harmony of our LIVES>!!
I thank you for who you are and taking the time to do the “Beyond Freedom Experience” call,
it has assisted be greatly on getting rid of my baggage.
Truly grateful,
Jeanne Zierhoffer, Mass.
By: Jeanne Zierhoffer on August 4, 2008
at 3:28 pm
Great call last night Shannon. This is probably the most important lesson in the programme.
I’ve never thought of myself as much of a “people person”. About two weeks ago I suddenly realized “Wait a minute! I didn’t make that decision, other people did. I’m loyal, I’m generous, I have a great sense of humour. I am a people person!”
Now my daily BF session includes affirming that “I am confident and vibrant and always at ease. People are attracted to me.” As that manifests, the implications for my business and my life are nothing short of mind-boggling.
When you get into this, you can see how everything ties together: a negative self-image grows out of limiting beliefs; the way to change a belief is to regularly affirm the new one.
By: Lyle Merriam on August 4, 2008
at 4:10 pm
Thank you Shannon and everyone else who participated in the call. As I reflected at the end of this past week’s call, I felt that this was possibly the best call I have ever listened to. Self-image is so important and although I think most people believe this, I don’t think that most people understand what it means to them. For me, self-image is being true to who you are and (as many of our calls stress) being in integrity.
During the call, I wrote in my journal a list of things that when I do each day, I feel great about. For the past couple of days, I have done each of these and I feel so great. I feel that I am being the person that I want to be and that I am in alignment with my true self. I am not distracted by the outside influences. Rather, I am following my own inner voice.
Also, I picked up the new book by Esther and Jerry Hicks, “Money and The Law of Attraction”. I highly recommend it for everyone who is in a place to receive their message. Since delving into this book, I have felt an incredible shift in my thinking.
Again, thank you Shannon. Your service to others is very appreciated.
By: LeAnn Pich on August 7, 2008
at 11:40 pm
Shannon,
Your call on Self-Image was so powerful, both through what you shared and also through what so many others on the line shared. I have been affected by it every day since then.
I am increasingly aware of how I see myself and who I am being in the moment. I am realizing that ultimately the image I am holding in my mind of myself is sending out communication right there and then, and the world is giving me immediate feedback. I can always choose again if I discover that the image is not the highest one available to me.
You read us something that you keep on your desk that reminds you of what makes you feel great about yourself. Would you still be willing to post it here so we can learn from it and use it as a tool to for ourselves?
Thank you so much for creating this incredible opportunity to learn and grow together!!
Lisa
By: Lisa in Toronto on August 17, 2008
at 11:51 pm
Shannon you are so awesome. I listen to most of the Beyond Freedom calls. Seeing myself for who I am and not worrying about how others see me has been so great for me. I to am a great fam of Oprah. Love spending time with you…
Candy
By: Candy O'Brien on October 20, 2008
at 1:03 am