Spiritual Guide | Inspirational Speaker | Lorraine Cohen

If an egg is broken by outside force, life ends. If broken by inside force, life begins. Great things always begin from inside.” – Jim Kwik

On a recent call with a good friend Lisa Carvill, she mentioned being in a “fertile void”. We’ve both been doing deep inner healing and introspection, taking periods to slow down and rest, and letting go of people and things in every area of our lives that no longer serves us.

The Fertile Void” is a place of preparation for something new to be birthed while living in the abyss.

Here’s an excerpt to a TED talk transcript with Suzanne Braun Levine:

“The term is a Taoist concept that describes a step in the process of change, when everything seems lost and nothing yet found. That is where we find ourselves as we make the transition from adulthood – a well-documented and well-scripted stage of life – to Second Adulthood – a totally new life experience being defined by living longer and healthier lives and by arriving there as more confident and experienced women (men get there too, but not along quite the same route).

Like adolescence, that other very tumultuous transition that it resembles, Second Adulthood is about reinvention. Margaret Mead once said that adolescence is no less than “the birth of the soul.” The Fertile Void is, I believe, where the soul is reborn.

You enter feeling broken, and you emerge feeling broken open. The process is a mission without a goal. We get impatient. We feel frantic and stuck. The unremitting unknowingness is maddening. But desperate as we are, we have to give ourselves some slack. We have to go with the flow. The solution to being stuck is being still.”

I resonate with so much of what Suzanne say about my own spiritual journey of feeling broken open to be revealed to my Truest Self. This is the journey of enlightenment and living from Higher Guidance.

Read or hear the rest of her interview here

After big growth spurts and extensive creative periods I often found my life slowed down and I felt disconnected from my guidance, like being “out in the desert.” I realized those were gifts of time for deep rest, contemplation, and play; to come back into harmony with myself and what’s next.

The Fertile Void has some similarities to my desert experiences and what is different is that I feel very connected to my spirit. I sense I am in an incubation period for something big to break out, which might be ME. Each time I ask for a glimpse, my guidance seems to say with a wink and a twinkle, “You’ll see!”

This is a time of letting go of everything and everyone that is no longer serving you to allow your spirit to light the way. It is also a time to stand in courage, faith, and trust in a higher plan for your life unfolding.

Imagine cleaning all the furniture out of your house to create a fresh, new space. In this period of preparation, you must let go of the need to be busy doing something and you must let go of the need to know how, what, when and why.

Do you feel like you are living in the Fertile Void?

Breathe..

The answers come when they are meant to.

You may find that whatever you are trying to do is not working despite your efforts and intentions.

Sometimes you must have a break down before you have a break through…..

The Fertile Void is a space of  emergence and a rite of passage to live from a higher expression of your truest self and destiny When you stop pushing and slow down you can ask those deeper questions like, “what do I really, really want?” and connect with the core of your heart.

Each period of expansion brings deeper answers.

I think of a Sherlock Homes line, “The game is afoot,” in anticipation of an adventure to unravel a mystery.

The Fertile Void is not static. It is a place of transformation and creation; a blessing and a pathway to live from POWER, passion, and purpose. Make the whispers of your soul the guiding force in your life and use your mind for the practical functions of your life.

Allow your spirit to carry you and you will feel the hand of Grace no matter what is happening in your life.

You are being taught to live in new ways; for your life to become fun, easy, joyful, abundant….

Embrace the mystery. The best is yet to come!

Blessings,

Lorraine

Want some help to navigate this period? Check out my services

I was asked the question, “Are you willing? on a coaching call many years ago. I was struggling with stepping up and out in a bigger way.

My fears and “not good enough” messages were swirling in my head. I knew I was sharing my gifts and talents in comfortable ways and the idea of being more visible felt daunting.

We were speaking about my doing interviews, leading online teleseminars and in –person workshops, creating products and programs….yikes.

What did I have to offer that anyone really wanted and would pay for?

And what if I failed?

I came up with excuses and reasons to resist expanding my work into new areas and yet, there was a part of me that felt excited at the opportunities.

So when she asked, Lorraine, are you willing? I knew she was also asking if I was open to new possibilities and opportunities to fulfill my deepest desires and dreams. The first step in saying YES to something new is to be willing AND open to experience life in a bigger way.

I explored:

Am I willing to fail?

Am I willing to succeed?

Am I willing to learn something new that might become something fabulous?

Am I willing to be uncomfortable in uncertainty?

Am I willing to let go of the need to know and take a leap of faith?

Am I willing to let my heart and soul guide me for the pure joy of the experience?

Am I willing to let go of what I think I have to do to allow what is ready to unfold?

Am I willing to have fun with creating what I want?

Am I willing to be open to possibilities?

I had a lot of resistance!

So I said Yes!

I was willing then and still ask myself that question whenever I am stretching out of my comfort zone.

And when I began working on surrender I realized that I didn’t know how to really let go without feeling resistance or trying to control, manage, or direct what I was feeling, thinking, and experiencing. I could talk about surrender conceptually but embodying the essence of letting go completely and embracing life in each moment felt elusive.

So, I started with a willingness to learn how and put out my prayer request to be shown how to let go with as much Grace and ease that I would allow. I am still learning how to let God and let go every day!

You don’t have to have everything figure out!

Just start with a willingness!

Is there something you have been struggling with? Perhaps it is something you have been resisting? Perhaps there is something you have been TRYING to change or create without a lot of success? Maybe you have convinced yourself that something you deeply want is out of your reach because you feel inadequate or not enough?

Asking yourself the question, “Am I willing?” is an invitation to freely play and explore the field of possibilities without the burden of shoulds and have tos or feeling pressured to make something happen by your own efforts.

Being willing and open, like you were as a child, invites magic and miracles; to flow with life and see each day as a grand adventure.

Here are five ways to deliberately play in the field of willingess:

1. Experiment. Be curious to play with an idea for the fun of it. Make “what if” a game that allows you stand in wonder and possibility! Meander with a sense of purpose by letting go of the need to see and understand where the path will lead. It begins with just one step that always leads to the next. You can use experiences to find out so much about yourself including what you really, really want.

2. Redirect your energy and imagination. Turn anger, fear, anxiety, and feelings of unworthiness into your passion for what you want to be, have or do. Becoming aware in the midst of an emotional and physical reaction can empower you to embrace the charge and then shift the energy towards what you most want to create. Flip the switch!

3. Question the messages you are telling yourself. You might be using past experiences as an excuse and reason to hold yourself back. What if what you are thinking, believing and telling yourself is a big fat lie. “What happened then is sure to repeat”. Take the gifts and learning from prior experiences to plant seeds for a blessed present and limitless tomorrow. Remember that when you align with the Divine, anything is possible!”

4. Stay consistent with your spiritual and self-care practices. These are critical pieces to staying centered and connected to the wellspring of wisdom within you. Your Higher Nature knows the quickest route to live your greatest life and guide you “home.” Take time to pause, integrate, and rest when you need to just BE!

5. Surround yourself with a strong, healthy, and like-hearted community of support including trusted friends, colleagues, and professionals. We all need help sometimes for accountability, an emotional boost, a kick in the pants, a mirror reflection, and for deeper healing processes we cannot do ourselves without getting in the way!

The next time you find yourself using excuses, struggling, empowering your fears, questioning your brilliance and competence, giving up, feeling frustrated, overwhelmed or stuck…

Stop and breathe deeply

Think and feel into something you really, really want.

Take another breath

Rest into your body and notice the sensations you are feeling.

Take another breath.

Ask yourself, “Am I willing for this (whatever you want) to manifest in my life?

Breathe deeply and stand in your willingness and openness to be taught, shown and guided to have what you really, really want. Make that verbal declaration to yourself and out loud  to the Universe. “Yes, I am willing and open to….” Be specific in what you are inviting into your life as a prayer.

Let go of the need to know how, what, or when your prayer will be answered. What you don’t know how to do, the Divine does and relishes the opportunity to teach you. Trust that you will be shown and intuitively guided through experiences that will serve you in the highest way.

And be open to the magic of possibilities!!

As I sit here on my laptop working because my primary computer has become infected with a malicious virus, I am reminded of a wonderful phrase that my mother often repeated to me in times of hardship, disappointment and struggle: “This Too Shall Pass”.

While many assume that it is Biblical in origin, it doesn’t ever actually appear in the scriptures. It is instead a proverb that has brought comfort to people for hundreds-if not thousands-of years.

When we are mired in the frustrations, aggravations and tribulations of life, it is easy to think that we may never find our way out. It feels oppressive and restrictive-often overwhelming. In those moments of despair, it’s almost as if the light cannot break through. You might feel so alone or alienated that you don’t have the strength to go forward.

That is the time to remember these comforting words: “This Too Shall Pass”. Just remind yourself that what you are experiencing this very moment is not a permanent state. That whatever you feel or experience now, is ONLY TEMPORARY. It will change! Because everything changes. Time moves on. Everything is a permanent state of evolution. Each moment holds the promise of new possibilities.

Whatever it is that is plaguing you right now will evolve. It may clear up by itself. You may find an answer through your own effort or even divine request. Someone else may intervene. New information may become available. People who can assist will come forth. Something new may come to light. And sometimes, time just heals all. Oftentimes surrendering the problem to the Universe opens the window to solution.

The important essence to hold onto is that LIFE WILL GET BETTER FROM HERE! By telling yourself-or comforting someone else with This Too Shall Pass-it creates the space or the light for upliftment. It opens the door for HOPE and RELIEF.

Once you recognize that not all is lost, you can open your mind and heart for solutions, or to simply breathe in positive energy, energy that will open pathways for resolution. And sometimes, there is no resolution. You just need to allow yourself to feel better to attract something new and better into your life. To let go of the pain and suffering…to create an opening for lightness, for joy.

I, too, have felt the heaviness of loss, or of the misery of misspoken hurtful words that ended a friendship-or a mistake that cost me dearly. But I remember my mother’s wisdom and realize that tomorrow will be a better day, and the day after, even better.

This Too Shall Pass are four magic words that portend renewal, rebirth and relief.

Use them when:

• You are simply depressed

• When you are in pain over a relationship

• When you have lost a loved one

• When you feel you have unintentionally offended someone and they won’t allow you to make it right

• When you have made a grievous error

• When circumstances are pressing on you

• When you are facing deep financial challenges

• When someone has hurt your feelings

• When you are not forgiving yourself

• When you allow yourself to feel “less than”-inadequate in any way

• When you are struggling with illness or physical pain

• When your work situation is unpleasant or not rewarding

• When you simply feel beaten down by life

Remember that you are in a temporary state and the next moment has the seeds of potential for joy, happiness, abundance, resolution, clear skies and comfort.

~Submitted by Jackie Lapin, Author of Practical Conscious Creation and The Art of Conscious Creation; How You Can Transform the World;
Founder and Creator of LifeWisdomNetwork.com®, http://www.jackielapin.com

We all know that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.

Did you know he also invented the stock ticker, the electric vote recorder, the automatic telegraph, the electric safety miner’s lamp, fluorescent lights, the motion picture camera, and the phonograph?

While struggling with the light bulb, he replied, “I have not failed seven hundred times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those seven hundred ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.” From the book, “The Power of Patience”, by M.J. Ryan

Do you have a fear of failure?

Do you cringe at the thought of making a mistake?

Do you expect the worst to happen rather than the best?

Fear of failure is a common reason people hesitate to say YES. For many, the attachment to doing something that leads to an expected or desired outcome often determines whether an experience is viewed as positive or negative. It’s only good if it goes the way you want.

I was doing a presentation a few years ago and one woman said, “Failure would be devastating. I know I would be so disappointed with myself for a long time.” To her, it was one of the worse things she could do. OUCH!

If you do something that does not lead to the outcome you desire or hope, how do you use that experience to help you positively? Do you see it as a learning opportunity or a reason to beat yourself up?

I have a good friend who is a health professional. Years ago we worked briefly together to expand his business. He talked about wanting to offer workshops, sponsoring speakers, perhaps creating some products… his eyes lit up with passion as he talked about his desire to reach more people beyond his local area. He’d been talking about expanding his business for quite some time and he was stalling. He joked about being a big procrastinator and wondering if he’d be able to break through his fears of failure.

Whenever he got close to pushing through his resistance, he’d back away by saying, “My business is doing well. Maybe I should be grateful for what I have”. He admitted that his parents often settled for the status quo because they feared the unknown and their fears made a powerful impact on his view of risk and expansion.

After a few months of working together, he quit. He was too afraid to push through his blocks and go the distance. In the next few years he sponsored a few workshops and now he focuses strictly on his practice. Is he happy and content? He seems to be. Or perhaps he has convinced himself to want less than his soul is asking of him to be? Who knows? This is his life journey.

Being successful in any area of your life includes a learning curve. That means making mistakes and experimenting with decisions and actions to create the life you are here to live. Accomplishments can be defined as the completion of an action. ANY action. I encourage you to be willing to recognize and appreciate your courage to both succeed and fail, which is all a success, really)!

Do you think Donald Trump was a huge success on his first attempt?

How about Oprah? If you look at where she started and who she has become, her rise to becoming a powerfull influence for women has soared over the years because she has had the guts to set a new standard for talk shows and the willingness to be a transparent model of authenticity to people worldwide.

How about you? Are you the same person you were five years ago? If you’ve been growing yourself and your business, the answer would be no. Even if you haven’t put a lot of time and energy into personal growth, it is impossible to remain the same indefinitely. We are either moving forwards or we are moving backwards.

We use past experiences as a barometer to measure future experiences and projected outcomes. We can hesitate to say YES because we believe, “If this happened in the past, I fear the same experience will repeat in my future”. We can use past experiences as excuses to take risks and take quantum leaps. To expect the past to repeat itself exactly is impossible because we aren’t the same people today that we were then. The potential for themes and patterns to recur is probable if you haven’t done the inner work to clear limiting beliefs, resolve past pain, and self-sabotage.

In fact, we can manufacture any reason to avoid doing anything we don’t want to do. The more evidence we collect to prove our reasoning, the better positioned we are to make our case to ourselves and to others. And we can become brilliant in our defense to avoid stepping out of our comfort zones or retreating back when the going gets tough. Enlisting others to support our case makes things a whole lot easier to avoid.

Common beliefs regarding failure:

• I have to get it right (perfect)
• I don’t have what it takes
• If I say no, people won’t like me
• I have nothing valuable to offer
• If I’m really “me” people won’t like or love me
• Things don’t usually turn out well for me (self-fulfilling prophecy?)
• It’s too hard
• Success happens for other people not me
• I’m not good enough, smart enough, lovable enough..
• I’m not ready
• I won’t be able to handle….
• I’ll lose…. (fill in the blanks)  and that would be devastating  (Is that really true?)
• Maybe what I have is enough and I should be happy with the way things are and not want more

Which ones do you relate to?

Self-fulfilling prophecies give us even more ammunition to prove why something doesn’t work out well. Wikipedia’s definition of self-fulfilling prophecy is “a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to be true”. If we are resistant, expecting something to go poorly or fear it might go well (fear of success), you can bet we’ll find ways to sabotage ourselves so we can prove we’re right. That gives us permission to come back and say, “I told you so!” to ourselves and others because we didn’t really say YES!

It is through the trial and error experiences that we develop our unique formula for happiness and success.

When I was an addictions counselor we talked about trusting the process and the journey of moving from one place to the next. The challenge? Having the patience and tolerance to go the distance without getting discouraged or scared. “I want it to happen NOWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!

There is a difference between failing at an effort and taking on the identity of a failure.

There is a difference between making a mistake, and identifying with result

Do-ing something and Be-ing something are two vastly different truths!

Yes, you will minimize the chances of too many costly mistakes in your life by doing your homework, making informed decisions, and creating solid strategies to implement. Remember, that even with the best plan that includes anticipating possible outcomes; life will still bring you the unexpected. When you include failures and mistakes as part of your strategy to success and outlook on life you will rebound more quickly to each situation as it arises so that you continue to move toward your destination.

Getting things you may not want will help you get that much clearer about what you do want. In that way, your commitment to your dreams and goals become more compelling.

We are human beings! We react, respond, screw up, and do things brilliantly.

My philosophy?

• Every situation offers a growth and healing opportunity. Look for the gifts and blessings in each experience that challenges you and invites you to be more than you are, especially when it is undesired.
• Approach life with more self-love and compassion for those times you judge yourself to be less than your best.
• Aspire to see yourself and others through the eyes of love (if you aren’t already there!). And when you have those moments when you slip into your humanity rather than your Divinity, forgive yourself and use the experience as an opportunity to heal and grow.
• Don’t take yourself so seriously. Remember to laugh and have fun.
• You are a powerfull Creator. At every moment you make choices that will either bring your joy or misery depending on your attitude. What will you create today?
• Experiment with new things and learn all you can from each experience regardless of the outcome.

Fear of success and fear of failure are two sides of the same experience.  By definition, success and failure is can be seen from multiple viewpoints. Both results offer opportunities for self-discovery and change.  It is through the process of succeeding and failing that we come to know more about who we are and what we want. We learn about our unique talents, skills, and gifts through the opportunities we create that invite us to shine. And we learn how to develop the courage to be the Light we are meant to be in the world.

“When we come to the edge of all the light we have
And must take a step into the darkness of the unknown
We must believe one of two things
Either we will find something firm to stand on
Or, we will be taught to fly.” -Patrick Overton Copyright © 1975 The Leaning Tree

We learn to cultivate strength, courage, and faith that give us wings when we are meant to fly! To live fully, you must fully participate – succeeding and failing for the joy of the experience. Life’s a journey! Enjoy the ride

 Ready to create your  greatest life?

Join me for a four-week mini journey into Courage and POWER beginning Wednesday, June 11. Learn how to make fear your friend, unleash your inner hero, and partner with the Divine POWER within you to liberate you from the grip of your mind AND start thriving in ways you never have before. Early tuition ends Thursday, June 5, midnight EST.

 Click below to learn more

>> Journey into Courage and POWER <<

This is the last time I am hosting this life-changing program that has helped people worldwide to transform their relationship with fear so that they could stop holding life back and thrive in way they never have before!

Blessings,

Lorraine

“The mind gives us thousands of ways to say no, but there’s only one way to say yes, and that’s from the heart.” – Suze Orman

True success is living an authentic life in harmony with your soul~ Lorraine Cohen

What’s your definition of success? Have you ever asked yourself that question? If you have, you might have realized that your definition of success has multiple answers.

Is it to have a thriving business that generates thousands or millions of dollars?

Meeting that special someone and having the loving relationship you yearn for?

Losing those extra pounds you’ve been holding on to and establishing a healthier lifestyle so you feel and look better?

Being authentic and doing things that support your passion and purpose?

Making a difference in the world by helping others to have happier lives?

Feeling happy with yourself and at peace with your life?

Success means different things to each of us. It’s natural to want to feel a sense of achievement; to feel your life has meaning and purpose. And yet many people hold themselves back from actualizing their greatness and following their heart because they are afraid.

Working with thousands of people for more than 25 years, I have found the one of the most powerfull blocks that keeps people from making changes in their life is FEAR. For many, fear of success has been a big hurdle, even more than failure.

Who wouldn’t want to have more happiness, more money, more ease, more love, more… right?

Many times our focus is on a future success, something that is not yet in our immediate reality and hopefully, within our grasp. That is, if we want it badly enough.

Have there been times when you have blown an opportunity? Perhaps it was too much success too soon? Perhaps fear of not being good enough has kept you from allowing good things to happen and you continue to sabotage yourself so you stay stuck in struggle and suffering.

Sometimes the fear of actually having the things you dream about is stronger than the desire to realize your dream. It’s one thing to want something that appears to be out of reach. It is another to have it within your grasp. Uncertainty and the unknown is uncomfortable. Comfort zones are very enticing. The devil you know….

Common beliefs regarding success:

• People expect a lot from me and I must consistently deliver at a high level
• If I succeed, people will expect me to succeed at everything I do
• Success has to be hard
• This will take too long
• This is too hard
• If I am successful, I won’t have any time for me
• If I am successful I will lose my family (time, closeness, divorce)
• Success happens for others, not me
• I’m not smart enough, good enough…
• People will judge me
• People will be jealous of me
• I’ll sabotage my success

What is there to fear if you really say YES to success?

1. Fearing your own power. Remember the Marianne Williams quote from A Return To Love?

“…Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of the Universe. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others…”

If you truly stepped into your potential, who would you become? What might you actually accomplish? When you come to the end of your days on earth and look back over your life, what do you want to see as your legacy?

2. More commitments and responsibilities. Several years ago I attended a class on money and success. In one of the exercises we were asked to imagine that we were standing with our arms open to receive all the money we could ever want or need. As the money came pouring in, we were then asked to notice what we were thinking, feeling, and experiencing. I fully expected to feel joyfull with my arms open wide with excitement for myself and all the good I might do in the world. Instead, my arms went up to block some of the flow. What a surprise!

I realized that success and money meant more responsibilities and commitments and I already had plenty to do!  Working more deeply with my beliefs around money and success helped me to shift my thinking so that I could attract more abundance into my life without having to add more stress, Some worthiness issues also popped up to show me I had some further inner healing to do.

3. Success is life changing, personally and professionally. Success brings losses and gains such as saying goodbye to friends, making new ones, changing your lifestyle, becoming more visible and well known. Great success can go to your head and have a negative impact. Look at some of the struggles celebrities have had with their successes.

Success can also be isolating and lonely when people feel they need to look and show up a certain way for others because of the roles we take on in our personal and professional life as parent, father, wife, mother, boss, CEO ….. You know the old saying “It’s lonely at the top.”

Success calls us to grow up. Becoming  a mature adult might suggest that we must also suppress the spirit and playfulness of our inner child which is untrue unless we willingly choose to abandon that part of ourselves. Fear of success can feel scarier to many people even more than fear of failure. Having to maintain a high level of success can be daunting. And once you’re at the top, the belief might be that the only place to go next is down. We can easily forget that we are always at choice and can success can mean whatever we want.

4. Feeling like a fraud. Ouch. That’s a common fear of “being found out” or exposed to NOT be the person people want, expect, or think you really are. The fear is that if people find out the truth, they will judge you, leave you, stop loving you, throw you away……

Being discovered can feel like a terrifying threat and yet, I believe that we all just want to be loved and accepted unconditionally. The truth is that when we dare to expose the things about us we feel are unlovable to others and they still love us and want to hang out with us, we experience deeper intimacy, trust, and safety in our relationships.

5. You won’t have a life. Many people feel that if they reach a high level of success they will lose themselves in their work. They will be so busy having a prosperous business or career that they will have to sacrifice a fulfilling personal and family life. The key is getting really clear on your values, priorities, boundaries, and life vision so that you are making decisions that honor what matters most to you. With the limitless opportunities life offers, continuing to check in with yourself regularly will help you to make the right choices to enjoy your life.

Have you been resisting or denying who you are meant to be?

Whatever definition you have for success, you are always at choice as to what you say yes or no to.

Many people feel success is dependent on a good result. It’s a failure if it doesn’t go the way they want. I challenge that belief saying, “We can celebrate success for any action we take regardless of the result because we are willing to try something new. Every experience offers a healing and growth opportunity. Being open to recognize the gifts and blessings, even if they feel undesired, can help you shift from a victim of circumstances to the hero of your own life story”.

Ready to create your greatest life?

Join me for a four-week mini journey into Courage and POWER beginning Wednesday, June 11. Learn how to make fear your friend, unleash your inner hero, and partner with the Divine POWER within you to liberate you from the grip of your mind AND start thriving in ways you never have before. Early tuition ends Thursday, June 5, midnight EST.

Click below to learn more

>> Journey into Courage and POWER <<

This is the last time I am hosting this life-changing program that has helped people worldwide to transform their relationship with fear so that they could stop holding life back and thrive in way they never have before!

Have a great day

Lorraine

“When experiencing new and exciting changes in life how can you expect to know how it will all go? There are times when you’re required to step blindly off the ledge only to find that with faith you are transported on the wings of love to a new and beautiful vista to explore! Today is such a day.. let fear be what it is, and let faith help you soar regardless of the fear.” – Colette Baron-Reid

What you may not realize is that from the moment you were conceived through age 6, you have been bombarded by thousands of emotional charges that have impacted on who you have become. In addition to what you have inherited from your ancestors and your family, your world has been shaped by cultural conditioning and your personal life experiences.

Fear has been a dominant energy on this planet for thousands of years. 2012 heralded a shift of consciousness and a new era of love, peace, and prosperity. The grip of fear will begin to wane as you “come home” and wake up to who you really are with the Divine presence within you to be your guiding Light.

You may view fear as an enemy, something to be gotten rid of rather than seeing fear’s value as a friend and pathway to your homecoming.  Fear can keep you stuck and frozen or be a motivator and catalyst for change. Healthy fear can be a positive benefit to your life. Irrational fear can keep you separate from the life you were born to live and separate from God.

When your fears become strong, you might get very small because a younger part of you, an inner child is feeling frightened and needing some comfort.

As long as you judge anything about yourself to be bad or wrong, the peace and self love you seek (that we all seek) will not happen.  To feel whole means creating a welcoming place within you to love and embrace all of you – your thoughts, your beliefs, your feelings and your actions.  The first step is a willingness to love and accept yourself as you are with COURAGE and an open heart.

You are not broken, you do not need to be fixed, there is nothing wrong with you.

Changing your relationship with fear is a step forward to reunite you with your Sacred Self and the Divine while calming the fearfull “little you” inside.

Here are 5 myths many folks have about fear:

1) Using affirmations will change your fear beliefs if you say and write them for 21 days. Some people swear by affirmations and they do have some benefit. BUT, your subconscious is in charge of what you think, feel and do as a human being. Affirmations only work with the conscious mind that operates a teeny tiny part of your mind and don’t go deep enough to create long-last shifts in beliefs.

2) Positive mindset will change fears. Relying on your “attitude” to shift fears and worry will work in short bursts. Fears return because no permanent inner shift has occurred. Real transformation goes beyond mindset.

3) If you face fear head on, the fear will become overwhelming. Attempting to repress fear only gives it more power to impact your life especially through self-sabotage. Shining a light on the illusions and fear your mind has created invites them to crumble, freeing you from its grip forever. Transformation can occur in seconds.

4) Fear is an enemy and something to be gotten rid of. Whatever you judge within yourself as bad or wrong creates more separation and pain from who you really are and the connection with Source. Fear can be used positively when turned into any ally.

Read my article, “9 Valuable Gifts from Fear”

5) Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is about following your heart in spite of what your mind and feelings are telling you; being willing to take those leaps of faith to follow your Divine urges. Faith is feeling trust before the evidence shows up and having the courage to do whatever it takes “in fear”.

Take an honest look at what is driving your thoughts, feelings, and actions to create your current reality.

Is it love? Is it faith? Is it courage?  Is it Grace?

Or is fear, pain, struggle and scarcity?

Is your scaredy cat still controlling your life and keeping you from feeling fully alive and prosperous???

Are you believing everything you THINK?

This is a time for new beginnings and shedding old paradigms that suck the life out of your heart.

This is YOUR year!

Ready to create your new courage story and rewrite your future?

Join me for a four-week mini journey into Courage and POWER beginning Wednesday, June 11. Learn how to make fear your friend, unleash your inner hero, and partner with the Divine POWER within you to liberate you from the grip of your mind AND start thriving in ways you never have before. Early tuition ends Thursday, June 5, midnight EST.

Click below to learn more

>> Journey into Courage and POWER <<

This is the last time I am hosting this life-changing program that has helped people worldwide to transform their relationship with fear so that they could stop holding life back and thrive in way they never have before!

Love and blessings,

Lorraine

“You are allowed to be scared. Fear doesn’t come up because you did something wrong, you’re doomed, or you look funny. Fear comes up because you’re not seeing some gorgeous, valuable and much-needed jewel right where you’re standing, and it will absolutely not let you go out that door without it.” - Mark Silver

I’ve been dancing with fear all my life. For example, when I was in my 30’s I overcame fear of public speaking to become a sought after speaker and I moved to a new state with little money and no steady income to build a coaching/spiritual guidance/therapy practice that is approaching its 28th year. Was it scary? Hell yeah.

How did I deal with my fears and doubts? At the time I used what most people were working with: affirmations, creative visualization, focusing on being in the present, breathing, hypnosis, emotionally eating….techniques geared to interrupt the mental messages, body sensations, and change beliefs and “get rid” of the fear feelings.

The focus was all about stopping and getting rid of unwanted fears and feelings.

In the late 1990’s my life fell apart for the second time.  After buying a new home, a new car, doing some home renovations, my therapy practice suddenly began to steadily decline. Money fears created a panic and I found the usual mind control techniques failed to provide any long term relief. I had periods of feeling terrified, helpless, angry, desperate, and sad. At other times I saw something miraculous happening that would change my life if I just stayed strong and trusting to walk the distance through the darkness into the Light.

What was missing?

I began to understand the missing pieces.  I realized that facing fear is not about overcoming it, it is about walking through it. I began looking at fear in a new light…

Instead, imagine seeing fear as an ally to:

• Keep you out of harm’s way by alerting you to danger

• Help you to discern when you need to set healthy boundaries to be safe and protected

• Support you in developing courage to show up to LIFE

• Build faith in yourself, others, and God

• Provide motivational and inspirational energy to break through perceived limitations and illusions to stand in your greatness.

• Show you when the “little you” inside needs attention and comfort; to feel love, care, and protection

• Empower you to find your voice in your relationships, your business and in the message you wish to share with the world.

• And most importantly, show you when you have disconnected from the Divine within you, the True Source of your Power.

Trying to get “rid of fear” is a mind game you can’t win.

As long as you see your fears as an enemy to defeat, you will continue to wage war against yourself.

To transform fear you must walk through it… to see the illusions and reclaim your Power.

The darkness or challenge is a pathway to the Light. You can get stuck in the story of a perceived problem. When you look for the deeper meaning of each experience that challenges you, you will always find healing, learning and growth opportunities.

Debbie Ford once wrote:

“Love the fears that you hold in your hand more than anything you have ever loved before.

Think about all the hours you have spent trying to deny, avoid, and get rid of these fears, and thank them for showing you your human limitations

Thank your fear for sending you out to look for ways to get rid of it. Look at how you have grown, healed and evolved in your search! Think of all you’ve discovered during your search! 

Thank your fear for bringing you into a journey of self-discovery to find your True Self and reunite with The Divine

Thank your fear for guiding you to see illusions created by your mind and being the catalyst for inspiration and motivation to take steps in faith, trust, and courage.

Thank your fear for helping you to reach out and connect with others, for your fear is probably what brought you to read this post!

Thank your soul for bringing fear into your life as a pathway to find your way back home to God – this presence within you that loves you dearly– this energy that always triumphs fear.

Love your fears as you would anything you cherish- bless them, honor them, and use them as the sacred reminders that they are…lighting the way back to the wholeness of your Sacred Self and into the loving embrace of the Divine.”

Beautiful wisdom….

You are living at an auspicious time in history, waking up to see life through a new set of eyes in this Era of Enlightenment.  Fear will continue to be a part of your life experience as you grow and evolve. A critical key to dance in this new energy is to learn how to live in the present moment, embracing each experience without resistance and allowing your feelings to be fully felt without trying to control, manage, move, and direct their elimination.

Any attempt you do to try to control your experience will create more resistance and suffering.

Imagine a fire burning and your resistance is like continuing to throw logs on the fire to keep it going.

Feel your fears (and every emotion) without focusing on the mental story your mind/ego is creating.

Experience your emotions as the energy they are and breathe into them, doing NOTHING. Just feel, breathe and notice… body sensations, thoughts swirling…whatever…..let your emotions play out….

Without resistance and actively engaging your efforts to get rid of or stop what you don’t want to feel, the emotions will begin to burn out and fall apart leading to transformation. Peace and Grace will rush in when you stop fighting.

I always make a connection with the Divine; to feel the Presence within me to help me stay strong and present as I walk through my pain which is part of the Grace Release Process I use and teach my clients to master.

In fact, the most powerfull partner to help you change your relationship with fear and have an extraordinary life is God/Higher Power/Jesus/The Divine/Inner Presence….

Final note: In the last five years I have faced a third period of my life falling apart; almost losing my home, financial debt, business decline, breast cancer diagnosis (I am quite well) and many dark moments of pain, I have never felt stronger, more alive or richer. What has helped me is my community, my faith and trust, my inner guidance, most of all, God. Fear no longer dominates my life. Joy, peace, abundance, gratitude, love……does.

Embrace your fears with love instead of judging them and doing battle. Your life will change….

Would you like to know how to turn fear into an ally to live your most vital, abundant, soul fulfilling life with the POWER of Grace to guide you?

Great news!

Join me for a four-week mini journey into Courage and POWER beginning Wednesday, June 11. Learn how to make fear your friend, unleash your inner hero, and partner with the Divine POWER within you to liberate you from the grip of your mind AND start thriving in ways you never have before. Early tuition ends Thursday, June 5, midnight EST.

Click below to learn more

>> Journey into Courage and POWER <<

This is the last time I am hosting this life-changing program that has helped people worldwide to transform their relationship with fear so that they could stop holding life back and thrive in way they never have before!

Love and blessings,

Lorraine

In my 25+ years I have coached and counseling thousands of people all over world, fear continues to be one of the key roadblocks to people’s ability to succeed and thrive.

When fear  takes dominion over your thoughts and emotions, life feels scary, heavy and hard. You become separated from your True Self and God’s love and Grace.

People continually ask me how to get rid of their fear which is NOT the way to live in this new energy and move into higher states of consciousness. Resisting fear or any uncomfortable feeling and thought will keep those feelings and thoughts alive and strong in your life.

What you resist, persists. You cannot “think” yourself out of feeling fear to shift into real sustained courage.  Until you begin to work with fear differently, fear will control your life.

One of the first steps is to be open to see fear as a guide rather than an enemy or something to be gotten rid of.

Here are 9 ways to receive gifts from fear:

1. We scare ourselves all the time. When no apparent danger is evident, our minds conjure up stories that we believe to be true. What ifs, worse case scenarios, anticipated outcomes that rarely ever happen unless we are intent in creating them! Ask yourself, “In this moment, what is the truth?”

2. When feeling fear, our thoughts are focused on the future. When feeling pain, we are recreating the past. We are not living in the present which is the only place that is NOW. Knowing “where” you are living through your attention invites you to come back into the present moment and choose where to place your attention and intention.

3. Emotions such as anger cover up fear. Why? We feel more powerfull in our anger than we do in our fear. Other emotions include depression, hurt, grief, and blame. Having the willingness and courage to go beneath the surface of anger allows you to experience deeper healing and transformation.

4. We sabotage ourselves when we feel frightened. Procrastination, rationalizations, avoidance, tolerating things, making excuses, being controlling, becoming aggressive or submissive… are some examples of how fear misdirects us from our dreams and desires.

When fears emerge through self-sabotage, that can be a signal that your inner child is desperate for some attention and comfort. Take some to go within and be a loving presence to that part of you in need.

5. Fear can be a motivator or a barrier. Fear can ignite action or become a roadblock when facing change.  Imagine instead of withdrawing in fear, you took a deep breath and decided to GO FOR IT! And if the fears are strong, that is a sign that you are on the verge of an important shift!

The strength of the fear and resistance is a vibrational match for the wonderful gift that is waiting for you on the other side of that roadblock. That’s the Law of Polarity. You came into this life with EVERYTHING you need to succeed and thrive.

6. Fears are transformed by love and faith. We can learn to rewrite the tapes we play in our minds so that the messages we tell ourselves feed us rather than deplete us. Love and fear cannot coexist in the same space.

Rather than resisting your fears, imagine loving them instead. Love your fears for the ways they serve you to grow through experience and self-reflection and bring you “home” to who you really are.

7. Fear has a positive value. If we were completely fearless and lacked caution, we might place ourselves in harm’s way, make rash decisions that have dire consequences, or make decisions we deeply regret.

Instead of looking at how you can get “rid” of your fears or condemn them, consider all the ways your fears help you.

8. Fear is a sign that we are separated from our spiritual connection. Unless there is evidence of immediate danger or circumstances that validate a fear response, our fears are activated by our subconscious beliefs and fueled by the mind.

Realizing this separation is an invitation to reconnect with the God of your understand and to deepen that relationship.

9. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is about following your heart in spite of what your mind and feelings are telling you; being willing to take those leaps of faith to follow your Divine urges. Faith is feeling trust before the evidence shows up and having the courage to do whatever it takes “in fear”.

Your soul would never ask you to do anything that would deliberately harm you or put you in the path of danger. Why would it?

Money and fear are the two most powerfull motivators or deflators today.  Living a joyfull and abundant life is within your grasp if you are willing to courageously liberate yourself from fears, doubts, and not “enoughness” to know your value, claim your Divine power and live your purpose NOW!

Would you like to know how to turn fear into an ally to live  your most vital, abundant, soul fulfilling life with the POWER of Grace to guide you?

Great news!

Join me for a four-week mini journey into Courage and POWER beginning Wednesday, June 11. Learn how to make fear your friend, unleash your inner hero, and partner with the Divine POWER within you to liberate you from the grip of your mind AND start thriving in ways you never have before. Early tuition ends Thursday, June 5, midnight EST.

Click below to learn more

>> Journey into Courage and POWER <<

This is the last time I am hosting this life-changing program that has helped people worldwide to transform their relationship with fear so that they could stop holding life back and thrive in way they never have before!

Imagine who you might be…what you might do …if you felt more courageous and confident to take those next steps to follow the yearnings of your heart.

Imagine how your life will change when you stand more firmly in your POWER and start consciously creating the life you want without hesitation and doubt.

How forgiving are you towards yourself?

Do you speak to yourself as you would with someone you love?

Do you treat yourself lovingly or harshly when you do things you don’t like?

Unforgiveness affects every area of life - self-love, money, relationships, health and well-being which is why the next heart healing monthly call will be the first in a series of sessions on Forgiveness beginning with Self-Forgiveness of May 14.

Self-forgiveness is a gift of Love.

Without self- forgiveness you cannot love yourself and allow goodness to flow abundantly into your life and move forward.

Without self-love, you cannot truly forgive and love others.

Without forgiveness there is no closure or inner peace to freely move forward. And as life is all about relationships, with yourself, others, and the Divine, there will be continual experiences to forgive so that you can love again.

Unforgiveness affects every area of life - self-love, money, relationships, health and well-being which is why the next heart healing monthly call will be the first in a series of sessions on Forgiveness beginning with Self-Forgiveness of May 14.

>> Self-Forgiveness Healing Healing TeleCall <<

If you feel an emotional charge thinking about anyone or anything that has happened in the past or is happening now, you probably have some forgiveness healing to do. When I hear people say they are stuck in patterns of self-sabotage, I always find unforgiveness and deep grief.

I continue to see and experience the healing power of Love when we offer the gift of forgiveness to ourselves and others. When you have truly forgiven, all emotional charges are gone. What you feel is peace, acceptance, and love….

Only you know what you are still holding onto….

Is this a call you are meant to attend?

If you heart says YES! Don’t miss this special call tomorrow, Wednesday May 14.

>> Self-Forgiveness Healing Healing TeleCall <<

Experience a special high vibration energy activation to release emotional pain you may be holding against yourself that is ready to be healed.

You’ll receive the call details and link to download the recording.

Expect a very powerfull heart liberating experience of Love.

Love and blessings,

Lorraine

PS: What a wonderfull Mother’s Day gift to give to someone you love, especially YOU!

Be sure to check out the archives if you missed any past sessions. All past recordings are available!

AND…If you missed reading my candid article, “How Forgiveness Helped Me Transform Cancer Twice“, click here

As many of you know, in 2012 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Last year I shared my healing journey. If you missed hearing that special call, click here to sign up and access the recording.

I talked about how my cancer experience was a blessing without fear and worry; a shining Light rich with insights and invitations to do some deeper healing work to liberate me from decades of repressed feelings guilt, anger, grief, helplessness, abandonment…. especially towards myself.

I realized I had forgiveness and self-love heart healing work to do that related to my mother’s life and death from leukemia at age 66.

And, from my research I discovered that symptoms can come and go and that making deliberate lifestyle changes can dramatically fortify the body’s immune system and healing abilities to restore health.

So, I chose to have a lumpectomy and was guided by my body’s intelligence and my education about cancer to decline the recommended traditional aftercare protocols including chemo and radiation.

Using acupuncture, massage, exercise, nutritional changes, combined with deep emotional healing I facilitated and experienced with my team of gifted healers, coaches and health practitioners, support from friends and the Divine, I walked through the experience with Love and Grace in health.

From the many responses I received from folks, I know that my decisions seemed bold and unconventional, even risky. I refused to make choices from fear or to give my power away just because that’s the standard protocol.

Actually cancer treatment has progressed very far and unless you do your due diligence you can miss out on knowing the latest advances and options.

Last year I had my annual mammogram and a teeny amount of cancer cells showed up about an inch from the first lumpectomy incision. It was a surprise because I felt I had released so much pain initially and now another layer was surfacing.

This is why I coach people to let go of, “I thought I was done with this!” and stay open to embrace anything else that emerges on a deeper level.

Because I had refused the traditional cancer regime my surgeon asked me to keep an open mind in considering my next steps.

1. Mastectomy

2. Chemo and radiation

3. A second lumpectomy

4. Do nothing

So, taking a breath and stepping back into gratitude, I was shown that I was still holding onto guilt and anger towards myself.

I was guided to suspend taking any medical actions or further testing for three months while I focused on my inner healing with all of my gifts and resources.

Standing in faith and trust with a medical diagnosis like cancer and not doing what “you are supposed to do.” was very uncomfortable. I vacillated between peace and trust in what I was doing and feeling irresponsible for my health. The idea of getting cut again was upsetting.

So, I requested a follow-up mammogram to see if anything had changed and I was open to go through with a second surgery if needed.

Guess what happened?

The cancer cells they saw three months earlier were gone. A six month follow-up was recommended.

On April 18 2014 one week before my birthday, I received a clean mammogram report.  I recall anxiously sitting in the waiting room for the radiology result and the wave of joy and gratitude when she handed me the report and said,  “See you in a year”. I thanked and praised God all the way home after a quick stop at Trader Joe’s

Had I not followed my heart, I would have had an unnecessary surgery and maybe worse…..

For me it was proof that symptoms can come and go. When you remove stress and pain, the body can heal it itself.

This was NOT a negative experience for me and I don’t see myself as a cancer survivor because I never identified with the diagnosis. I created an experience that provided a blessed opportunity to reveal pain that was ready to be healed and released.

It is time to change the consciousness around cancer and dis-ease.

I celebrate this victory for my body and my heart without having to do battle. I KNOW that the inner healing I did with forgiveness, self-forgiveness and self-love played a pivotal role in my ability to heal.

I also feel that with the energy shifts happening on the planet affecting us body, mind and spirit, we must make thoughtful decisions that will support physical alignment and energetic harmony.

‘Dis-ease is a wake-up call to look at yourself; at changes you are being called to make including ones that you might be resisting, old repressed pain that needs to be seen, felt and released, or something deeply buried that is surfacing for healing.

In any situation, you must make choices that feel right for you and that resonate with your beliefs and Truth even when it goes against the norm. If you believe that you have the ability to heal, then you will. If you believe that you need medical intervention to heal, then that is true for you.

Cancer and it’s recovery process wreaks havoc on the body and emotionally. What courage it takes to go through this regime! My heart goes out to all who choose this route and the toll it takes emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Every experience is uniquely individual and each person must make the choices that are right for them.

I have had rapid healings before and have always included alternative therapies in my life experiences. Miracles are a part of my life and I continue to be delighted by the many forms they take!

I’m gratefull for the doctors and hospital staff who are part of my team to support me at being my best. I believe there is a time and valid need for their professional expertise and healing environments.

As a society we have become dependent on using medication or scheduling surgeries to suppress and repress what we want to get rid of. We react in fear, give our power away to others we think are wiser than we are and often make decisions we regret

Quick fixes are band-aids. Looking for the next technique to get rid of something you don’t want to deal with or only working with symptoms instead of being willing and courageous to look deeper at the cause and message our heart and body is trying to communicate will bring temporary relief rather than a permanent release.

I believe that the inner healing work is a critical key to freedom from pain and suffering. Being fully alive means FEELING.

You are an energy being. Thought, words, and emotions carry energy that creates. If you are not allowing the energy to flow freely from you and through you, and stuffing feelings down in your body, the energy building up over time will create stress of the immune system and compromise health, well-being, and happiness…

What you do not release will create something within you and in your world. Dis-ease…..

Life is a reflection of what is happening within you. Whether facing a health, financial, relationship challenge or one with yourself, you must have the willingness and courage to dig deep and release whatever pain is locked within you that is ready to be healed.

And for goodness sake, do not do this work alone. You will likely get in your own way! Having a community of support can mean the different between struggling and suffering and walking in love and Grace.

Want some personal help? Private sessions are available. Learn more

I believe that heart healing is essential to living an awake, meaningfull, and abundant life with the Divine. My mission this year is creating healing processes and energy activations designed to release pain and raise consciousness through transformation.

My next heart healing monthly teleseminar will focus on Self-Forgiveness. Join me May 14.

>> Self-Forgiveness Healing Healing Call <<

And if you live near the Philly area, or in Maryland, Delaware or New Jersey, Join me for a Day of Forgiveness on May 17. It will be a life-changing heart-liberating event!

>> A Day of Forgiveness with Lorraine Cohen <<

You came into this life with everything you need to succeed and create heaven on earth. Lead with your guidance rather than your mind and ego and you will always be guided to what is right and best for you.

Trust that!

Love and blessings,

Lorraine