By Carol Look

Part 1 of 2
Part 2 of 2

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Part 1 of 2

In part 2 of this series, I will tell you the story of a woman who lost over fifty pounds after attending my one day abundance class.  I have heard about these successes after abundance workshops so often, I thought I would write a brief article describing the reasons and mechanics behind this for part 1…

One of the most important themes to work on in my abundance workshops is feeling deprived.  When someone feels emotionally deprived of money, food, services, love, attention or time, they have an inner sense of scarcity and “not enough” and vibrate this way towards the world.  This means that no matter what you show them, tell them or offer them, they can not convince themselves that they are safe and that there is enough of anything ---money, time, love, security etc.  The feeling of prosperity (enough, plenty, abundance, wealth) produces prosperity in your life, so if you can change this inner feeling, you can change your outer circumstances.  I tend to use statements as follows:

Even though I always feel deprived and know I have to hold on tight, I deeply and completely love and accept myself anyway.

Even though there has never been enough for me…

Even though my parents taught me there was not going to be enough, I accept who I am and how many resources there really are…

Even though I’m afraid there won’t be anything left for me…

Even though I feel deprived right now…

Even though I feel empty inside and want more… 

These feelings cause people to exude a certain energy in their businesses (including their clinical practices) which in fact repel what they want financially.  These feelings of scarcity also inhibit their internal peace and poise…another vibration that inhibits abundance coming into your life.

Another major theme in the abundance workshops that carried over to weight loss success is the theme of limiting beliefs.  When someone doesn’t believe they come from a family that can lose weight successfully, they don’t see themselves as a winner, and subsequently, sabotage their dieting efforts.  In the same way, a client of mine who came from a family of “financial losers” never gave himself any credit for what he could do differently from generations of poor money managers.  Often, people who have made one poor business decision become almost phobic about making other decisions.  Every time they think about investing again or making a new decision, the memory of the past failure haunts them...much like the memory of regaining the weight the last time haunts an individual who starts a new diet or food plan.  The feelings are the same, and I address them as follows:

Even though I’ll never be successful because my parents and grandparents weren’t, I accept who I am anyway…

Even though I come from a family of people who can’t do this successfully, I realize I am different and totally capable.

Even though I don’t believe in myself, I haven’t been successful before, I choose to believe in my abilities now.

Even though I remember what happened last time, I have decided to start new patterns for success. 

Finally, a third common theme in my abundance work is treating comfort zones.  When someone isn’t comfortable making $100,000 a year, they won’t be able to earn that amount with out balancing out the scales the next year. They have to earn less the following year to feel like themselves.  The same is true for people losing weight.  If they have always been and always see themselves as being 50 pounds overweight, who will they be when they reach their supposedly ideal body size?  How will people react to them?  What is their identity now?  I handle these issues as follows:

Even though I’m not comfortable with my new income (in my new body) I deeply and completely love and accept myself as I am changing…

Even though I don’t recognize myself at this new salary range, I accept my feelings and fears no matter what.

Even though I don’t belong here, I’m more comfortable where I was…I love and accept my feelings and my life.

Even though I don’t recognize myself right now, I choose to feel more and more comfortable every day.

In Part 2 of this series is wonderful success story from an EFT practitioner who lost 52 pounds after attending my one day abundance workshop.

Stay tuned,

Carol Look

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Part 2 of 2 

LINDA’s STORY

Linda came running up to me at a conference last year and said “I took your Success and Abundance class last year and I’ve lost 52 pounds!”

Linda had tried so many times to lose weight since her kids were born that she lost track of the number of times she yo-yo’ed!  Whenever she reached her goal weight, she couldn’t keep the pounds off and found herself eating just as much as before she started the diet.

I asked Linda what it was about the Abundance Class that had “clicked” for her in order to help her lose weight.  She said she had always felt that there wasn’t enough of anything --- money, food, love etc.  She ate as if there wasn’t enough, which meant she overate regularly and somewhat desperately.  She constantly hoarded food and overate to prevent feeling any deprivation.  (Please note these are major themes in the abundance classes I teach! When people feel desperate or a sense of lack and deprivation about money, they can’t seem to attract or hold onto money no matter what great opportunities are sent their way.)

Linda’s mother was obese, and died while she was trying to lose weight. So, Linda explained that she had a lot of fears about losing weight and how dangerous it might be for her.  She had associated losing weight with a threat to her life, even though it was not the cause of her mother’s death.

Her other “yes, but” resistance about losing weight was that she didn’t want to be like the people who judged other people based on their weight.  In the abundance class we did typical EFT exercises on the fear of being “like wealthy people.”  In Linda’s case, she didn’t want to “be like them” meaning she didn’t want to be like those people who criticized overweight people.  While the words were different, she related it to her fear of being thin and judgmental, and this released this connection for her and allowed her to be thin without being critical.

After tapping all day in the Abundance Class, Linda stopped feeling deprived, noticed she wasn’t feeling as if there wasn’t enough, and didn’t feel the need to hoard food in her life.  In the past when she started a diet, she would think, “How soon can I start eating normally again…”

I asked Linda, “What happened financially for you after the class?”  The most important part of the abundance class was that she had formerly felt she didn’t deserve wealth.  Since the class, in addition to losing over 50 pounds in a healthy fashion, she has attracted many more clients a week for her practice which makes her very happy.  She has also been able to put more money aside for retirement, and most importantly, she had always held the belief that there wasn’t enough time for enjoyment and friends…and she has successfully put aside time for socializing all year and is very happy with this change in her life. 

Before the class, Linda had an impression or “limiting belief” that she couldn’t hold onto money, and that has changed as well.  She has made improvements to her home, and feels abundance in her health and with her friendships.  Now medical doctors refer patients to her!!

In a follow up letter from Linda…

It was a pleasure to speak with you at the energy conference in Toronto and to tell you about how delighted I am with the results of last year's abundance pre-conference workshop.  I forgot to mention that since my "there isn't enough" block cleared, I no longer need to feel extremely full at the end of a meal like I used to (or I would feel anxious).  In fact, now I prefer to stop eating before feeling stuffed. 

And 3 weeks later… 

When you interviewed me in Toronto about the 50+ lb weight loss since your abundance course, I think I told you that the "abundance" issue hadn’t changed that much.  I just did a Quickbooks report of my income for 2005, and my income has gone up by over $20,000!  I hadn't realized it at all, because I could still fit in more clients, but it actually has improved significantly without my even noticing the improvement. 

Maybe the "I don't deserve to have money because my mother died before she was able to enjoy hers" did get cleared after all! 

And a final follow up email 7 months after the original interview, 19 months after the original class. 

Dear Carol, 

I am still eating healthily and exercising regularly and maintaining my new size.  I sometimes find myself inexplicably "hungry" when I know it isn't real hunger. 

At first it bothered me because I couldn't figure out exactly what issue was creating that feeling, but I decided to just use EFT for "Even though I feel hungry and I don't know why, I choose to feel relaxed, and comfortably satisfied." (or words to that effect).  I find that the feeling subsides

with this type of tapping statement. 

I did do a QuickBooks summary again and my income has continued to improve

compared to last year's income.  I still do not feel as if I'm working very hard, probably because my clients are doing very well, which is very rewarding emotionally, and because working with energy techniques keeps my own energy high. 

I hope that my story will inspire others to pursue energy work with you or with other therapists to resolve long-standing blocks to achieving their goals. 

Cheers, Linda

 

Carol Look