Day 36
Field of Sunflowers.
We’ve just finished our QS Top-Up retreat which is for anyone that has been through the full five day residential programme, and one participant posted a thank you on the private online forum last night which forms todays member quote below. To some it may seems like I am always trying to ‘sell’ you the retreat, the online course, the workshops etc… but the thing is this; the approach works, so it is actually my duty to share with you the feedback from those that have already made the commitment and experienced the shift.
Sometimes it can be frustrating watching as people struggle on their own, and I know that if they received some of our magic they could find sobriety EASY. There is always light at the end of the tunnel, always a way out; if you are looking!
Likewise I used to be afraid of selling (yoga classes, retreats, clothing etc…), and I think for many people that actual asking for the sale can be extremely uncomfortable. QS has taught me about passion and purpose; that which you connect to in meditation; what your true calling is; what you are supposed to be doing with your life.
QS is so much more than an addiction programme; it’s a way of life and it reaches all corners of your existence. Now that I am in true flow it is easy to ask for the money, because what I am selling is totally congruent with my soul-calling; and it has life-changing value.
So why wouldn’t you want to hear about others’ success?
Why wouldn’t you want to know about how you can become free?
It is now my sole job for this lifetime to share mine and others journey to liberation;
Wow!
What a life!
So when I ask for the sale I am not thinking,
“More money! More money!”
I am actually saying,
“I know a route to get happy and it’s taken me 25 years of struggle to work it out, but I have condensed this journey into a retreat/workshop/online progamme etc so that you can join the collective migration to freedom”
The French word for sunflower is ‘Tournesol’ which means, ‘turn to the sun’ and we have a little bit of a sunflower theme in the private Facebook group. So when Dom, Nikki and I discovered that there was a field of sunflowers close to the retreat centre in full bloom, we decided to surprise our retreatees to a walk through them. With squeals of delight all round we also turned our heads to the sun and soaked in the positive energy that these gorgeous flowers gifted us….
Day 37
Let’s talk about mindset.
I spent yesterday in London with my sister and 19 month old niece #heartmelts and I’ve not seen them for a few weeks because life has been so busy. Usually when I go to see them I get the 7pm train home from London, therefore getting home to Suffolk at a reasonable hour and in time for dinner.
Yesterday things all went a bit odd.
Everything took longer than expected.
I wasn’t going to get out of her house until much later than usual as the builder was taking much longer than expected etc etc
You know those situations where you suddenly realise that somethings going to have to give….
…..and noticed that I began to get a little stressed.
“I’m going to miss my train”
“I’m going to get home late”
“I’m going to end up having dinner at midnight”
And after about half an hour of this I gave myself a real talking to,
“What am I getting all het up about?!”
“Why do I need to get that exact train?!”
“Why don’t I just enjoy spending time with my loved ones and LET THE STORY GO”
And so I did.
Completely.
And the stress DISAPPEARED.
And I thought how similar this was to the addiction story.
IF
We can LET GO OF THE STORY.
So many are told that it’s difficult,
They’re too old to find freedom,
It’s too late,
Too hard,
They’re not strong enough,
Not for them.
The underlying message from the media and society
YOU CAN’T CHANGE
YOU HAVE A DISEASE
LIFE WILL ALWAYS BE THIS HARD
And I say
RUBBISH TO THAT
LET GO OF THE STORY
Change your mindset
And let something else in
FREEDOM
And you can ONLY achieve that if you BELIEVE it can happen, so you’ve got to shift your mindset to that place. And the easiest way of doing that is hang out with those that have already had that shift. Where there is support 24/7 to that effect. To surround yourself with those that you aspire to rather than those that confirm that you’re too old, too far down the line, too addicted, too stuck.
Free yourself from those people.
Break free from mediocrity.
And soar into your potential life.
The above scenario of what happened yesterday is such lightweight suffering compared to what we can go through, but if we get used to acting in a more positive, believing way in the more minor situations then we are training our brain to become more like this as a set-point.
Then it becomes EASIER with the big things in life.
- Tackling our addiction
- Dealing with the problems in our relationships
- Leaving the job that we can’t stand
- Taking a serious look at the food we eat
It’s all linked:
Get strong in one area and you gain confidence in the others
BELIEVE in freedom….
Day 38
But the tunnel is my home.
Addicted to giving up: There is often so much fear around ceasing our addiction; who are we going to become? Are we going to be boring? How are we going to cope at parties? In the evening? Answering the frigging phone?
And then we get so caught up in giving up that we actually become addicted to that. I’ve done this with cigarettes and alcohol; identified so greatly with the Jo that is ‘trying to stop drinking’ that I cannot move beyond the label. The trying place has become too comfortable as I’m saying to the world and loved ones,
“I’m trying, look, I’m doing something about this”
But deep inside I’m scared shitless that I’m going to change so much that I won’t recognise myself, because WHO AM I without the drink / drugs / layer of food?
I know that life is about to get different, and I am totally resisting it. ‘Better the devil you know’ they say, yes I say that too, keep drinking, stay numb, I don’t want to find out who I really am!
Life is going to be different.
I’m scared.
I don’t want to change!
Say I don’t like who I become?
But what is the alternative…..
…..life in the struggle lane.
Not happy because there is definitely a strong light at the end of the tunnel.
But the tunnel is my home, and has been for as long as I can remember.
I can turn from the light and life and stay in this coma, can’t I?
But I’m safe here.
It’s familiar.
I know this place so well.
And everyone can see that I’m trying.
But,
WHAT IF:
- Life IS all that I sometimes allow myself to fantasise about?
- Sobriety IS all that it’s cracked up to be?
- Dreams DO come true?
- I CAN have it all?
- There IS a happy life waiting for me?
- Freedom IS available to me?
It would be unfortunate if I didn’t try, just in case it was all true.
So I did.
And guess what?
….it IS all true.
What a revelation.
Why on earth did I wait so long?
The answer is that I finally gave myself permission to move on.
I realised that I had to give it a go and see what all of the fuss was about, and because I was meditating everyday (just 10 or 20 minutes back then) I was learning to drop the story and let go of the identification that I had placed on the ‘giving up’ part of me.
When we meditate we are training our brains to actually think differently, so that this mental shift from choosing to stay IN the tunnel, to walking out and into the light at the end of it, becomes an obvious-its-a-no-brainer choice.
Why don’t you come and join me and see…..
Day 39
Make the switch from overwhelm to clarity.
Did you catch my livestream on the Inner Guidance Facebook page yesterday? I talk about how intense this year has been (good and bad), how to overcome overwhelm, and how the retreat centre is pretty much full until 2017.
Catch the full chat by clicking on the picture below:
Day 40
Jumping realities and experiencing freedom.
We are literally waiting here at the retreat centre to help you jump realities and live in freedom, so why wouldn’t you take the plunge?
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”
Jim Rohn
So if this is the case and you want to experience freedom in sobriety then you have to find a community where just that is being facilitated, and learn it yourself. You can only experience that which you believe, so some mindset shifting has to occur for you to be able to make the move INTERNALLY from struggle to content.
We have the QS residential retreat starting today and what happens is that participants jump into OUR reality of ease and freedom and study HOW we live and HOW we conduct ourselves from day to day.
People are often surprised when they arrive and their laptops and phones are not confiscated, or their bags not checked. Why wouldn’t we do this like they do in regular detox? The answer is that we are not responsible for your recovery; you are. And we think that by creating an unrealistic environment whilst you are with us is counteractive to your recovery once the retreat is over, because there is no one at home to keep you in line, you’ve got to learn how to do that for yourself.
In fact I encourage people to bring the device that they usually listen to recorded meditations on so that they can continue to do that here. THE WHOLE POINT IS TO LEARN NEW HEALTHY HABITS THAT YOU CAN TAKE HOME WITH YOU.
Learn from us.
Copy us.
Because it works.
I am celebrating four years of total sobriety on Friday and now I NEVER even think about drinking or drugging. I’m not pining after a drink, or feeling like I’m missing out when out with friends.
All of that has GONE completely.
And that’s what we are teaching this week.
To jump into the freedom reality.
And I’ll talk about HOW to do that tomorrow…..
Day 41
Five tips to get unstuck
1. Stop Connecting To The Past.
We tend to get stuck in our struggle.
And go round and around in circles.
…it’s like being caught on some nightmarish fairground ride.
The problem is this perpetual cycle of doing that which we want to cease.
So how do we break it?
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”
Albert Einstein
You’ve got to prize yourself away from where the difficulties lie, learn to let go of the past and move forwards so that you can…
2. Embrace Change.
We talked about this yesterday;
Stepping outside our normal and begin to think differently, so that we can EXPERIENCE something different. I’ve talked extensively before that we cannot experience something that we don’t first believe.
“The definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result”
Albert Einstein
You’ve got to be willing to make changes.
Life is about to get different.
Be ok with that!
3. Connect To The Outcome.
It’s time to step into a different reality and take ourselves somewhere NEW.
Perhaps we’ve never been here before as an adult so in the beginning it’s going to be a bit weird, but we must project ourselves forward to where we want to go.
Get into the energy of sobriety, good heath and how you want to feel.
** THIS IS YOUR DEFINING MOMENT **
When you step from one reality to the next.
This is it.
The decision made.
Time to JUMP!
How would somebody who is sober act?
What would somebody who is sober say?
What would somebody who is sober drink?
GET PREPARED and know what you are going to say, do, and drink in certain situations.
PLAN ahead when going to parties, family gatherings or on holiday.
What would a sober person do?
4. Meditate.
Meditation will take you much deeper on this journey; without it it’s like splashing around on the surface rather than diving right down and receiving the bounty of the ocean. For what is available to you is it all; the answers are lying immersed within you, and can be accessed when we quieten the external chatter.
Want to live your life in the constant chaos of the conscious mind?
Or learn to open up the fortune that awaits you in the depths of your subconscious? You have a spiritual trust fund that is waiting for you to be ready to inherit it, we all do. And meditation is the key that unopens the treasure chest.
The only question is are you ready?
Ready to sit on a cushion and listen to your soul.
An act so simple,
But possibly the most difficult decision you can make.
For there is no escape from yourself when you begin to look within.
However when you pluck up the courage to begin ‘the work’ it is also the most rewarding choice you will ever make.
5. Hang Out With Similar Minds.
It took me years to work all of this out on my own.
Which is why I created a community to give ongoing support around the clock.
Spend your precious time and life with people who LIFT you, support you, and get you 🙂
Day 42
“I believe” I shout into the quantum.
I sometimes get emails and remarks from people who read my blogs and see my videos which say something like,
“It’s all right for you”
“You’ve got x y z so it’s easier for you”
“I can’t do it because of x y z”
Or words to that effect.
And I wanted to explain that we are all equal, perhaps from differing backgrounds, but we each have the opportunity to connect with our own potential. And that:
The Work Is Never Done
You Never ‘Get There’
It is a continual dance throughout life of evolution.
An eternal journey towards the light; in the direction of liberation; of learning how to stay connected to source throughout the day, and then of sharing the path with others.
I do ‘the work’ every single day:
Get up at 5:30am every single day
Journal
Meditate
Exercise
Live fully committed every single day
Believe in my dreams
Leave doubt behind
Get more connected to the quantum and the unlimited possibilities that are available to all of us every single day
And that takes discipline
Commitment
Knowledge
Belief to do, and which this community gives you
BUT
…..YOU have got to do ‘the work’ if you want to see the results!
We have amazing therapists who I believe in 100% on our programme and I see them regularly. This week I’ve had a Biodynamic Psychotherapy session with Anni and broken through another veil of limiting belief that, if left unchecked, would have caused self-sabotage on some level.
Two weeks ago I had a Reiki healing session from Carol who facilitated a deeper bond with the energy that is all around us, and I had a huge insight into a new layer of myself.
All of this is woven together with daily practice on my cushion.
And it means that the journey never ends, you’re never ‘there’ as some people think.
Yes of course you find freedom, which is truly liberating, but that is not the last stop on the line; there is more! This life is a precious gift and because you’ve never been ‘there’ before, once you arrive at what you thought was your destination you realise it is just another marker in a much bigger game. So why would you stop here? Why wouldn’t you go even further into the unknown?
Keep getting up at 5.30am
Keep meditating everyday
Keep journalling
Keep exercising
Keep eating clean
Keep sharing the journey and supporting others who also believe
Stay committed
Stay true to yourself
Stay motivated
Stay inspired
Where to next?
I have no idea! But I’m unbelievably excited about it!
I’ve never been here before (4 years sober on Friday)
But I know that life and my experience is going to continue; going to evolve even further into the abyss
And actually the further I explore this unknown world the more I trust it
It feels like the perfect paradox,
“I BELIEVE” I shout into the quantum
“I’ll GIVE YOU MORE MAGIC THEN” is the response
But none of us can be on this extraordinary adventure alone
We need others to support us
And that will never cease to be the case
So I thank the community for being there, with their unending support
And feeling very lucky this morning as the rain pounds the windows and the sky burns bright red in the east
We have ourselves and each other, and that is the ultimate gift…..
Quote’s Of The Week
In this section you will read something that has been said by one of the Quantum Sobriety Online Programme members over on the very lively private forum:
“Just home from my 3 day top-up retreat at IG and feeling soooo grateful to Jo, Dom, Anni, Nikki and Tommy for such a lovely warm welcome back, cocooning me in their warmth and helping me through the next stage of my sober journey. This is my third time back at IG and it always feels like my second home […] After my amazing 5 day retreat in August I left on such a ‘high’ and, after 25 years of struggling to give up alcohol, I had such a shift in mindset that I wanted to enjoy fully every minute of life ahead; alcohol had no place in my new life.
I have been sober since.
Paradoxically this has happened at one of the most challenging times in my life but being sober has meant I have the calmness and strength to cope and to be ‘present’ for both those who need me, and myself. Sobriety is such a wonderful gift, so from the bottom of my heart, ‘Thank you Jo’ for QS, the programme and the special community you have created.”
K, Diamond Package, UK
In response to someone saying:“It’s like some nightmarish hamster wheel that I just can’t get off….is there a time when the addiction has got such a hold that nothing will help ? I pray not…”
“It’s not too late!! It’s never too late. Like everyone said just you being here and showing the awareness of what you are doing is a step in the right direction. It can be hard initially but it will become easier. We have all been where you are. We are in this together!!“
M, Online Programme, USA
“I have arrived at my destination in London, stress free. Although carrying 4 huge swords through the train station and underground really did help.. Airports and getting away from home was always a massive drinking trigger for me. The first thing I used to want to do was find a pub and stop for a drink.. Being in a crowded place with people rushing and shoving can be a big stress trigger and arriving in London on a Friday teatime a few months ago would have had my brain screaming “drink time”. Today was different. I soon realised that carrying the swords naturally kept people out of my personal space and I did get a few stares as I looked a bit weird..So I decided to have fun with it by making pretend evil eye contact with people who looked at me, whilst playing with a sword. I offered one to a lady who was cross at someone for shoving her, that put a smile back on her face. People moved for me on the tube.. I sure have entertained myself, instead of stressing”
J, Online Programme, UK
“I’ve literally been able to feel things shifting on a cellular level recently, huge swathes of pain body , mine, collective, ancestral realigning, loosinging, lightening as the new neural pathways gain strength and stability.. I’m am safe, I am loved, I am good enough, I am an innocent child of God (the quantum, great spirit, source,the universe) and I can do whatever I set my mind to… “
C, Online Programme, UK
“Jo – how is the TED Talk coming? The world needs to know about QS. So many people will be able to transcend addiction in a way that will have a hugely positive impact on the people around them and create an inspiring, liberative ripple effect in their communities. We can be beacons of light for people who are suffering and who know deep inside that there is an alternative way out. The QS way.“
D, Residential Retreat & Online Programme, UK
“Don’t miss the not being present with friends, feeling poorly later, bad night’s sleep and hungover morning part though 🙂 Felt so clear and bright this morning waking up alcohol free for work”
B, Online Programme, UK
” …something very special about this group and the support QS is offering. It’s wonderful connecting and being lifted each day. I’m new and I’m addicted to the good feeling ☺ and chats xx“
M, Online Programme, UK