Vrinda Pendred

If you follow my weekly radio show on Blog Talk Radio, you know I open every episode by saying it explores “personal empowerment, life purpose, balance of mind, body and spirit, and how to tap into the inner hero that lies within every human being.” While I believe all of my guests are “heroes” in their own right, never have I been more filled with emotion to introduce the hero of the show I hosted this past Wednesday, April 28.

Why? Because the guest was my own daughter, Vrinda Pendred, author and founding Director/Editor of Conditional Publications, a new independent publisher dedicated solely to publishing the works of authors with neurological conditions. Their first book ‘Check Mates’ comes out on May 11, 2010, and it is nothing short of groundbreaking. What makes Check Mates so special is that it is a collection of short fiction and poetry either about or inspired by the struggle with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, all written by people with OCD. Whether solidly real, allegorical, or completely fictionalised, all the compelling work contained in this collection portrays the true story of this greatly misunderstood condition.

It is also the first ever book of fiction written entirely by OCD authors—including Vrinda herself.

This interview is stop number 6 on Vrinda’s 14-day Virtual Blog Tour to promote the launch of Check Mates. Yesterday Vrinda stopped by the blog of Yvonne Perry from Writers in the Sky. If you happened to miss that stop, just click here.

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Listen to the interview:

OR if you cannot view the player, CLICK HERE to download the MP3:

In our interview together on April 28, Vrinda started out by describing the struggles she faced as a child growing up with neurological disorders.

She was first diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at age 7, but doctors did little to educate her, her parents or her teachers about the disorder. She describes the frustration of not being able to explain what compelled her to think and do the things she did, and how this impacted her childhood experiences and emotions. For years, she pretty much kept the reality of having Tourette’s hidden from her friends, but she finally had a breakthrough when the topic of Tourette’s came up in a discussion in a science class at school when she was 13 years old. She described how learning more about her condition was a “stunning” revelation, and how it released her from the feeling she needed to hide her condition from the world.

Wanting to understand her condition, Vrinda requested to go back to the doctor to find out more. It was then that a new neurologist finally diagnosed Vrinda with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Vrinda, now 27 years old and extremely knowledgeable about both Tourette’s and OCD, said she finds it “shocking” she was not diagnosed with OCD by the paediatric neurologist when she was 7 years old, as “half the stuff you brought me to the doctor for [at age 7] was actually OCD, and not Tourette’s at all.”

Vrinda explained that OCD, Tourette’s, autism, bipolar disorder and other neurological conditions are genetic in nature, but the way they manifest in a person are “completely founded in your own emotional experiences in life.” Vrinda and I discussed how her diagnosis opened up my own understanding about my own frustrations as a child because my father (Vrinda’s grandfather) had OCD, although it was never diagnosed when he was alive. Vrinda gave some pretty humorous examples of her grandfather’s OCD behaviour in a way that only a fellow OCD person could recognise.

I asked Vrinda about the freedom she has found from learning about her diagnosis. She described how most of her life she had suffered from the terrors of intrusive thoughts, and when she found a name for what she was experiencing, and realised that other people experienced the same thing, she stopped feeling “crazy” and alone. She said, “Once it had a name, it seemed so much smaller. As soon as I could box it and put a name on it I said, ‘Ok, this is the OCD—and I am more than it.”

Vrinda discussed how Cognitive Behavioural Therapy has successfully helped her with many of her obsessions, by enabled her to learn how to allow her anxieties to pass without acting upon them. She said, however, that “intrusive thoughts” were frequently much more difficult to overcome and she is still challenged by many of them.

Vrinda discussed how important it was for parents to “educate” teachers about how OCD impacts the child’s behaviour and performance at school. She gave an example of how helpful it was when one compassionate teacher allowed her to take an exam in his private office so she would not be challenged by her OCD by being in a distracting environment.

Vrinda went on to talk about her book Check Mates. She explained that the title “Check Mates” refers to the tendency for people with OCD to “check” things, and also because it is a collection of stories by people who have now become good friends (“mates”). The 20 authors of this book all met each other on a social network called “OCD Tribe” (http://ocdtribe.com). Vrinda said it was “indescribable” and “life-changing” to find a “tribe” of people who all shared the same condition.

She explained that what makes Check Mates unique amongst other books is that it is not a “self-help” book, but rather a book of fiction by OCD authors. She said she felt fiction was “more powerful” than an autobiography in this case, as readers who do not have OCD would be able to see something of themselves within the stories as well.

She explained how the stories in the book shed light on the wide range of the types of obsessions people with OCD have, such as fear of death, post-partum OCD, pre-occupation with religion, compulsive cleaning, self-harming, hoarding, counting rituals, checking, etc. “We wanted to show that OCD is a very complex thing. When you see it on television, they only ever focus on one or two problems that seem really extreme. They certainly don’t ever talk about the thoughts, or ‘pure obsessional OCD’ (obsessive ruminations), which in my view is the most debilitating problem.”

If you or a family member has OCD, or any neurological condition, you definitely will want to check out Check Mates when it comes out on Tuesday May 11.

You can do this by heading over to: http://conditionalpublications.com/pages/check-mates-launch.html

When you are there, be sure to sign up for a “launch reminder” so you can receive over 30 free personal development gifts when you buy the book on the day of its launch. Amongst the gifts are a free short story on Tourette Syndrome from Vrinda, and a free mini-course from me called “Making Friends with the Monsters Under Your Bed.” Just click HERE to read more about the book and the 30 free gifts (if you are reading this article after that date, you may buy the book directly from that page).

I should also mention that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of every single book goes to OCD charities, so when you buy it, YOU are also making a difference.

Being Vrinda’s mom makes me understand what they mean by the term “pride and joy.”

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Be sure to follow Vrinda to her next Virtual Blog Tour stop on Sunday May 2nd, hosted by Geoff Laughton at http://geofflaughton.com/gltc/blog/.

AND… don’t forget to sign up for the book launch reminder so you can buy ‘Check Mates’ and over 30 free personal development gifts on May 11, 2010. Just go to http://conditionalpublications.com/pages/check-mates-launch.html

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Apart from being the one day of the year where parents surrender all attempts to keep their children on a healthy diet, Halloween is also the day where we, both children and adults, get to dress up and make believe we are someone or something else for a day. What we choose could be our alter ego, our wildest fantasy or our scariest nightmare. I believe we can often learn a lot about ourselves by looking back at what we wanted to be on Halloween when we were children.

What do our Halloween costumes reveal?

I remember the very first Halloween outfit that I selected for myself when I was about 4 years old. My mother took me to the shop to look at costumes. She suggested a very pretty “Fairy Princess” costume, which was a long pastel pink and white dress with lace and ruffles, accessorised with a sparkly crown. While I liked the sparkly crown, the frilliness and the colour of the dress didn’t appeal to me. Instead, I opted for the “Gypsy Princess” costume. The colours were vivid—strips of emerald green, rich magenta, bright gold and deep purple fabric layered atop a flowing black taffeta skirt. The top was a white peasant blouse and instead of a crown, it had a brightly printed headscarf and big dangly “jewellery”. It was not at all “frilly”, and seemed exotic to me. I loved to dance and spin around and around in it, watching the skirt fly in billowy circles around me.

So, fifty years on, what can I understand about myself when I look back at this? I can see that even from a very early age I was showing my natural inclination towards the arty and bohemian side of life. And years later, I indeed would become a musician and a writer, with a tendency to move from place to place every few years (my father always called me a gypsy). While I do consider myself to be extremely feminine, I was never what you would call a “girlie girl”, and to this day I simply cannot wear pastels!

What were some of the Halloween (or other fancy dress) costumes you chose for yourself when you were a child? Don’t worry if they were scary ghosts or monsters. Maybe these characters were helping you express your natural sense of humour and fun, or maybe they were expressions of your inner courage in the face of fear. Maybe your costume expressed a hidden side of you that was not able to express itself any other way. Or maybe, your mom or dad picked out your costume for you and it didn’t express you at all! Even if that was the case, it can tell us a lot about the history of our self-expression.

What can our childhood make-believe tells us about ourselves?

Halloween is not the only time we make believe as children, of course. How many of us had favourite characters we pretended to be when we played either alone or with others? In my book The Garden of the Soul, I share one of my make-believe characters—a talking parrot named Polly who was the navigator of a space ship, taking human beings on journeys through the Milky Way. In other games, we would sometimes play “school” and I would be the teacher. Other times, we played “church” and I would be the priest. So what else can I learn about my natural personality from my childhood make-believe? Looking back, I can see that I was expressing my natural eccentricity (I was a parrot and not a human being!) and my love for exploration. I could see I was becoming the navigator—the one who would lead others to new things. I was revealing my inclination towards being an explorer, a traveller, a teacher and even a spiritual guide. There is so much we can learn about ourselves when we look back at how we played as children.

Take a moment to think back to your own childhood. What “make-believe” characters and personalities did you naturally step into? To what degree were they expressions of who you really were inside, or who you wished (or knew) you would become? What did these characters say about you at your core? What values or qualities did these characters reveal about you? Were you a super hero fighting for justice? A spy who loved risk and intrigue? A time traveller fascinated by the past or the future? A space traveller curious about what makes the Universe tick? A pirate seeking adventure or treasure? A mommy or daddy expressing family values and love?

The roles we play as adults

As children, making believe is an important tool to help us discover, explore and express who we are. But unfortunately, when many of us grow up, we continue to take on “costumes” and “masks” in our in our family, social group or work environment that, rather than express who we are, limit our authentic expression and natural personality. We take on “roles” where we “play” a certain part in our daily dramas. Examples of roles might be “the good girl”, “the wounded one”, “the sensible one” or “the peace maker”. And there are so many more besides these. Just like putting on a Halloween costume or making believe, when we step into these roles, we “become” them, and often find ourselves restricted and frustrated as a result. For instance, if you have taken on the role of the “peace maker” in your family or your workplace, you might find yourself without a voice, as you are continually trying to balance the imbalances of others around you. The irony is that you yourself might never feel peaceful, and your efforts might actually create more unrest and lack of connection in your environment. If you take on the role of “the wounded one”, you might find it difficult to become independent because you might come to believe that you need the continual support of other people or things in order to feel safe. The irony of course is that this neediness can in fact end up pushing away the very support you believe you need, only reinforcing your feelings of being “wounded”.

When we put on a Halloween costume or making believe, we know we are “playing”. But unfortunately, many of us are unaware of the roles we play as adults. We intuitively sense that something is not quite right but we cannot put our finger on it. Our roles can be difficult to recognise if we have been stuck in them since childhood and we don’t know any differently. One of the first things I help clients see when they come to me for coaching are these unconscious roles or scripts they might be playing our in their heads, that are making their lives unfulfilling in one way or another. Somewhat playfully, I call these roles and scripts “monsters”, and I teach clients how to recognise and shift the monsters both in one-to-one coaching and in my course “Making Friends with the Monsters Under Your Bed”. The good news is that over time, it is possible to become conscious of the unconscious roles we play; and as we bring them into our awareness, we can move away from feeling trapped by them, and towards being able to choose whether or not we wish to continue wearing these “costumes” if we feel they are not serving our greater good.

Taking off the masks

People sometimes ask what I mean by the term “personal transformation”. Basically it simply means bringing what was once in the darkness (unconscious and unaware) into the light (conscious and aware). When we bring our shadow into the light of awareness, we step into the person we really are, and cease playing roles that do not reflect the light of our inner Self.

While personal transformation is essential for our Self actualisation and ultimate happiness, it does come with a caveat. It is important to understand that if our role is something we tend to “default” to in our family, social or work situations, chances are many other members in that scenario are also playing their own roles, without awareness of the fact they are doing so. And if you suddenly become aware and step out of your “assigned” role, it can really rock the boat! Imagine that everyone in your life is on stage in a play. You have a part to play and you have played it for years. Then suddenly, you start reading the lines of the hero, when you are “supposed” to be playing the villain, or the servant or the milkman. Of course, the whole cast would become confused wondering who they are supposed to “play” now. All hell would break loose on stage!

When you decide to take off your mask in life, a similar scenario might take place if the people around you are not at a similar level of conscious evolution as you are. In other words, your shifting away from your previously unconscious, disempowering roles can frequently confuse and even anger your family, friends and work colleagues. With time, most will adjust, but occasionally people cannot or will not adjust to the new “you” (which is actually the “true you”) and you might actually “lose” people along the way, or at the very least be the recipient of their judgments and criticism. While this is a necessary risk we must take in the name of finding fulfilment, the thought of the ramifications of that risk can sometimes be really scary. For many of us, lack of awareness coupled by the fear of losing money, job, friends or family are the primary reasons why we stay stuck playing the roles we privately hate the most.

Transformation takes self-awareness, courage and self-honesty. But even more, it takes self-love and commitment to your own wellbeing. In order to step out of the costumes that do not reflect who you really are, you must be willing to remain steadfast in your commitment to your own happiness during the process of transition, even if it means risking a period of unsettledness in your relationships or lifestyle. This risk is essential before you can step into your true “costume”—where you are the hero of your own life.

Stepping into your superhero costume

Those of you who follow my work know that it is my firm belief that every human being is born the “hero” of his/her own life. And it is my belief that when you finally step into your Authentic Self, whatever that might be, you become a genuine superhero, and that this “costume” is the only one that is meant for you.

How do you know you have finally stepped into your superhero costume? It has nothing to do with saving the world or leaping over tall buildings. When you feel inwardly empowered, natural and free, you are the superhero. When you genuinely feel seen and heard, you are the superhero. When you feel connected to Self, other and the Universe, you are the superhero. When you are smiling and having FUN, you are the superhero.

In short, when you know you are being YOU, you are the superhero. And as you know, a real superhero is capable of great things.

Every day, I express my gratitude for being able to live a life that is in alignment with the person I know I was born to be. I have finally thrown away the countless costumes of the past that did not serve me, and I now wear one costume—the ME costume! And you know what? The “ME” costume still contains elements of that bold, colourful, dancing Gypsy Princess and the Polly the Space Navigator Parrot. In all I do, I express that same freedom and creativity that I knew was my Authentic Self when I was a child. But of course the “ME costume is so much greater than that. And make no mistake—your “YOU” costume is truly a coat of unlimited colours.

So this Halloween, as you don your holiday costume, or next week when you return to work, and step into your default role at your job, ask yourself how well these costumes express your innermost being. And if the answer is “Not very well”, perhaps it is time to explore a different fancy dress shop, and try on some new costumes for a change. But if the answer is “Yes, completely!” you just might be living the life of a superhero.

May you step into your YOU costume, and your every day be Halloween, filled with treats.

Lynn Serafinn
31 Oct 2009

P.S.: The title of this article is taken from one of my FAVOURITE songs by Ministry, which really reflects the whole idea of what we see/show of ourselves to others. Hear the track on my Blip.FM page at: http://blip.fm/~fo6cr Have fun!

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Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC is a transformation coach, speaker, radio host and author of the bestselling book The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self.

Lynn coaches clients from all over the world via telephone. If you would like to discover and unleash your inner hero, call Lynn for a FR*EE  no obligation coaching consultation at 0845 880 28 25 during normal business hours, or fill in a consultation request form at http://www.create-a-life.co.uk/free_consultation_request.html

But all too often, “some day” and the “big break” don’t come. This isn’t because we are unlucky or have “bad karma.” It’s because we are looking in the wrong direction to find the solutions to our lack of fulfilment. After going through my own transformations in life, teaching thousands of students over the years, working with hundreds of coaching clients and interviewing dozens of fascinating people on my radio show, I have learned one thing: the circumstances of our lives cannot be blamed (or at least not 100%) for our unhappiness. What are some of the worst circumstances you can imagine? Try to imagine being a 6-year-old boy and being exiled with no possessions and left to starve to death in the Siberian wasteland. Or how about being a teenage girl whose father murders her own mother in cold blood, marries her mother’s sister, and is then acquitted by the court? Can you imagine living with such things? Can you imagine surviving them to such a point where you felt so full of joy that you have made it your life’s work to spread joy to others? But it’s true. I have met these people,* and so many others, in my work. And happiness, I have found, is 100% a matter of allowing it to happen. But if we are blocking the pipeline to our own happiness, it will never flow.

There are many ways we block this pipeline to happiness. One is the unconscious way we talk about ourselves. Most of us pay little attention to the subtle ways we verbally undermine ourselves, whether in our heads or aloud, on an almost continual basis. Another way we get in our own way are all the “old stories” we tell about ourselves, such as “That’s just the way I am” or “I’m really bad with x, y, z.” A third way we block our own happiness is the almost autonomic way we tend to slip into “roles” in different circumstances. We might unthinkingly adopt a powerless, voiceless or even aggressive role in certain family, social or professional scenarios, for example. Both we and others begin to mistake these roles for ourselves, and we end up feeling drained and misunderstood. The end result of all these “monsters” is that we become disconnected to both our real emotions and from our bodily awareness. We can even become weakened or ill on a physical level and we certainly become desensitized to the “hero’s call” that is always around us. When we reach this level of disconnection, we can become resigned to our “lot” life, and lose faith that we can ever truly be happy.

But as I said, I passionately believe that every human being is a hero, and all of these things are part of the hero’s journey—even the struggle to come back to the Self. Every hero is a hero because he or she has faced the “monster” no one else had the courage to face. All the old stories, all the roles, all the self-talk, all the feelings of fear, anger, blame and loss—these are the monsters. And when we face them and come out the other side with the wisdom that only a true hero knows, we find the elixir that makes our lives, and the lives of those around us, truly magical.

This month at the Bedford and West Herts Wellness Circle I will be doing a mini-workshop about the hero’s journey, so you can get a tiny glimpse into where you are on the path. And if you’d like to step fully into that journey, be sure to sign up for the “Transformation Trilogy” that is starting THIS Saturday and Sunday (17/18 Oct) in Bedford. The Trilogy is a set of three weekend workshops spread over three months. You do NOT have to attend all three weekends, as they are completely separate courses, but you see the progression from course to course if you do. This weekend, we’ll be “Making Friends with the Monsters Under Your Bed” where we will be looking at all the things I have spoken about in this article, so that you will be REALLY ready to step into your inner hero in Workshop 2, “Becoming the Hero of Your Own Life”, in November.

NOTE:  We urgently need 5 more people to sign up for this weekend’s “Monsters” to give the course “buzz”. PLEASE book with me via telephone no later than 8pm Wednesday 14 May. Click HERE to read all information AND to book your place.

* The 6-year-old boy is author Andrew Bienkowski, and the teenage girl is actress Brenda Adelman, both extraordinary people I interviewed on my radio show. Click links above to listen to those great past shows.

Hi everyone,
Lynn Serafinn from Create-a-Life here. There is no denying that we live at a time in history where much of the world around us is changing. The changing economy is proving to be challenging for many. Climate change and the need to move away from fossil fuel dependency are becoming more and more apparent. At the same time, we are also seeing more and more people moving away from old ways of thinking, and shifting towards a more holistic and spiritual approach to life, embracing the values of personal growth and self-awareness.

Yes, we can see that society and the world at large is truly “in transition”. Transition brings change, and change brings regeneration– a chance for new beginnings. And while the prospect of change can be exciting, going through the process of change can also be daunting.

But what if the change were a beautiful journey? And what if at the other end of that journey, you found you were not only able to face your fears and stand powerfully amidst the changes, but you were also able to discover your life’s calling, see your personal impact in the world, and claim a lasting legacy that says “I was here”?

This is the journey of Transformation.
And I would like to invite you to join me on it.

ANNOUNCING…
THE TRANSFORMATION TRILOGY
WEEKEND WORKSHOPS

Bedford, Bedfordshire (Oct, Nov, Dec 2009)
Totnes, Devon (Nov, Dec 2009, Jan 2010)

What is the Transformation Trilogy?
The Transformation Trilogy is a set of 3 non-residential weekend courses that help enable you to be the change you want to see in the world, and find out how your own transformation can create a new, exciting and more harmonious way of living for yourself, and for those around you.

Using the metaphor of “the Garden” to represent the Self (as depicted in my book The Garden of the Soul), each weekend covers in depth the 3 stages of transformation:

• “Weeding”: Making Friends with the Monsters Under Your Bed. Understanding self-sabotage; recognising your own limiting beliefs; strategies to relign your old patterns; reconnecting to your authentic self; integrating your awareness into your personal and professional relationships.
• “Seeding”: Becoming the Hero of Your Own Life (co-led with Vicki Goodyear). Hearing the call; facing your own resistance; understanding the hero’s journey; claiming your life purpose; seeing your impact; visioning your legacy; telling your hero’s story; stepping into your Authentic Hero in your personal and professional relationships.
• “Feeding”: The Garden of the Soul. Four Principles to help you restore balance and sustain connection to your Authentic Self. The Principle of Giving (passion, self-expression, etc); the Principle of Receiving (sense awareness, refilling your energy, etc); the Principle of Becoming (letting go of old emotions, rebirth, lessons from childhood, etc); the Principle of Being (peeling the onion; meeting who you are); integrating these principles in your personal and professional relationships.

Who is the Transformation Trilogy for?

• Anyone who finds it challenging or uncomfortable to express themselves clearly and openly in their work, family or personal relationships
• Anyone who wishes to find their Life Purpose, connect to their Higher Self, and express themselves more authentically in their lives, career and relationships
• Groups, teams and communities who wish to improve their interpersonal communication and relationships, both with each other and with external organisations or groups
• Managers and HR who want to be able to inspire and motivate staff rather than dictate and dominate
• Teachers, healers, counsellors, community workers and anyone who serves the public, who would like to be able to empower both themselves and others to become more self-reliant, balanced and confident
• Special invitation to Transition Town teams and other social reform groups, who want to gain valuable skills in knowing why people stay “stuck” or resistant to change, and how to facilitate the “inner transition” in their communities with ease and compassion. We will explore how to maintain and replenish your own energetic and creative resources when working with group energies, how to see what is needed in a challenging situation, and how to retain and return to your “centre” so you don’t “lose yourself” when faced with the process of change.

When and where are the Transformation Trilogy Workshops taking place?

Series 1: Bedford, Bedfordshire:
17/18 Oct; 14/15 Nov; 12/13 Dec

• Venue: Function Room, George & Dragon, 39 Mill Street, Bedford, MK40 3EU
• Travel: 15 min walk from Bedford train station; 5 min walk from Bedford bus station; car park within short walking distance
• Time: 9.30am – 5pm (Registration/coffee starts from 8.45 on Saturday)
• Food: Tea and coffee will be provided throughout the day. Lunch can be purchased separately either at the George and Dragon, or at any of the numerous cafes within easy walking distance.

Series 2: Totnes, Devon:
7/8 Nov; 5/6 Dec; 9/10Jan

• Venue: Rudolf Steiner School South Devon, Dartington, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 6AB
• Travel: About 3 miles outside Totnes Town centre. More details to follow.
• Time: 9.30am – 5pm (Registration/coffee starts from 8.45 on Saturday)
• Food: Tea and coffee will be provided throughout the day. You will have ample time to go into town for lunch, or you may join us in a group lunch where  everyone brings something to share.

About the workshop leaders…

Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC is an award-winning transformation coach/teacher, best-selling author, public speaker, personal development trainer, radio host, Founder of the Global Wellness Circle and Chair of Transition Bedford. Originally from the US, but living in Bedford, Bedfordshire, Lynn is co-active leadership graduate and brings with her years of experience in both the educational field and the music industry. She is highly creative and creates a sense of fun and permission to play full-out in all around her.

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Vicki Goodyear is a co-active coach, NLP practitioner, co-active leadership graduate and active workshop leader living in Totnes, Devon.  She brings with her years of experience as a dancer, nurse and holistic body therapist. She is also a licensed leader of the “Mastery of Self-Expression”, an acting-based workshop which uses performance to help others learn how to express their authentic selves. In all she does, Vicki uses her keen intuition and sense of play to help others learn how to surrender, let go of inner resistance, get centred, and connect with both self and others.

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What do the workshops cost?
We are extremely sensitive to the current economic climate, and we would love to see you every single one of you (and your friends!) on these courses. To ensure that everyone who wants to attend is able to manage it financially, Vicki and I have decided to try an experiment we are calling the “Gratitude System”.

Normally these workshops would be £197-£247 per weekend, depending on the cost of the venue, but with the Gratitude System, we are asking that you pay a nominal non-refundable deposit of only £45 to cover some basic expenses. Then on Sunday after the course is over, you will be asked to give a cash gift of any amount to show your gratitude. This gift will be completely anonymous, and should be proportionate to YOUR financial ability, and to what you feel you gained from the course. This way, even those who are on low income should be able to attend.

We trust the integrity of our attendees. Any and all gifts, no matter how humble, will be accepted with love and gratitude.

BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW

Select your workshop(s)

Bedford – Monsters workshop £45.00 Bedford – Hero workshop £45.00 Bedford – Garden workshop £45.00 Bedford – Complete Trilogy £120.00 Totnes – Monsters workshop £45.00 Totnes – Hero workshop £45.00 Totnes – Garden workshop £45.00 Totnes – Complete Trilogy £120.00

What have people said about the Transformation Trilogy workshops?

“Awesome and exquisite. A life-changing experience!”
-Tebogo Machethe, entrepreneur
Johannesburg, South Africa

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“I highly recommend this course! I loved the format, the structure, the clarity, the focus. The workbooks, with their concrete steps and spaces to be filled in, work very well … the program was very informative and very experimental …. I really liked how you inspired people … to integrate it into their lives. Lynn, I acknowledge you for your presence, your devotion, your powerful questioning and your love for the truth! I admire you as a woman, a coach, a teacher, a leader, for being courageous, and for encouraging others to claim the voice to express in their unique powerful way so we all make a difference on this planet.”
-Sabrina Werkmeister – Co-Active Coach
Maui, Hawaii

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‘… Lynn had so much energy, passion and enthusiasm … It exceeded my expectations … I will highly recommend it to others … I got lots of great tips and tools to use with my students … and can apply many aspects to my work by incorporating things I learned today with the young people at the college.”
-Annie Manning – College Lecturer
Carshalton College, UK

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‘… I have now learned to quieten the negative voices and listen to the strong positive voice inside. I have learned that knowing that you can and acting like you can help in the belief that anything is possible. And the most poignant thing I learned is that I am worthy, capable, versatile, gorgeous and great at anything I put my mind to.’
-Angela Mitchell – Vocalist, Music Producer, Teacher
South London, UK

* * * * *

What people have said about Lynn…

“Lynn is a brilliant and creative out-of-the-box thinker. Her impact is powerful…”
-Patrick Ryan, CPCC
Co-Active Coach, Author of The Eagle’s Call
Founder, Awakened Wisdom Experience
Vancouver, Canada

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“Lynn has a gift for getting straight to the heart of your problem and is then tenacious enough to make you stick with it, while letting you work out the answers for yourself. She is direct, kind and one of the most spiritual people I have met.”
-Catherine Rose – Coaching Client
Author of The Bone Cradle
Bedfordshire

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FAQs
Do I need to take all 3 workshops?
No. There is certainly a progression to the trilogy, and I encourage you to take all three if you can, as you will gain the most if you do. However, each workshop can be taken on its own and you will still gain quite a lot.

What if I end up not being able to attend after registering?
As the deposit is being used to cover expeneses, it is non-refundable. However, if you do have to cancel due to illness or other emergency (especially with all this flu going around!), you can either offer it to a friend, or apply it to another workshop or workshop series we will run in 2010. Venues to be announced in late 2009.

I’m not sure if I can make it. Will you be running them again soon?
We will be running the Trilogy in various locations in the UK in 2010, but it is unlikely we will return to either Bedfordshire or Devon before 8-10 months. As our numbers are limited on each course, if you are pretty certain you would like to attend, we recommend booking now and coming to a later series if you are unable to make it.

Won’t You Join Us for This Journey of Transformation?

SPACES ARE LIMITED.
PLEASE BOOK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Select your workshop(s)

Bedford – Monsters workshop £45.00 Bedford – Hero workshop £45.00 Bedford – Garden workshop £45.00 Bedford – Complete Trilogy £120.00 Totnes – Monsters workshop £45.00 Totnes – Hero workshop £45.00 Totnes – Garden workshop £45.00 Totnes – Complete Trilogy £120.00

For more information, please
contact Lynn Serafinn at:

Email: lynn [at] lynnserafinn [dot] com

Telephone: 0845 880 25 28

Website: http://www.lynnserafinn.com

Warm wishes,
Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC
Author, Personal Transformation Coach, Trainer and Speaker
“Turning up the volume of the music in your heart!”

Lynn Serafinn’s Cosmic Universe (main site/blog)
www.lynnserafinn.com

Create-a-Life Coaching and Training
www.create-a-life.co.uk

Tel: 44+ (0)845 880 25 28

Title: The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self
Author: Lynn Serafinn
Publisher: Bright Pen Books
Publish date: 20 March 2009
ISBN13: 9780755211265
ISBN10 (ASIN): 075521126X

 AMAZON BESTSELLER in:
Spirituality, mind-body-spirit, New Age, self-help.

  Synopsis: 
The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self is a book about becoming whole…

Called ‘as spiritual as Deepak Chopra and as magical as Paulo Coelho,’ The Garden of the Soul is a journey on the ‘path of least resistance to the Self’ through the imagery of four flowers that represent four spiritual principles: ‘Give’ (the Rose), ‘Receive’ (the Iris), ‘Become’ (the Daffodil) and ‘Be’ (the Lily). Taking the reader on a daring and magical journey through the author’s life and imagination—from stage fright and burnout in a classical music conservatory, to life inside an Indian temple, to a hidden life of domestic violence, to finding inner peace atop an old English footbridge—The Garden of the Soul explores birth, death, love, art, spirituality and transformation in an eloquent, poetic and ultimately unforgettable way. It is an open invitation to readers to re-examine their own life stories, even the painful ones, and see the beauty, significance and meaning within them, so they can see that they are already the hero of their own story. Appreciative readers report that reading this book has helped them to heal from trauma or abuse, explore and embrace their own creativity, and to feel encouraged to be more courageous in expressing their authentic voice. Within the first few days of its release, the book attained Amazon bestseller status in both the UK and US in the New Age, Mind-Body-Spirit, Spirituality and Self-Help categories, reaching as high as number 18.

Click HERE to Buy “The Garden of the Soul”
and other recommended titles 
at the ”Garden of the Soul Gift Shop”

Our Garden of the Soul Gift Shop has books and music from author Lynn Serafinn and guests from her radio show
“Lynn Serafinn’s Garden of the Soul”
What kinds of books and music will you find?
Mind-body-spirit, memoirs, afterlife, spirituality, inspirational, meditational, personal growth… well… check it out and find out.

ABOVE: Very cool video with author Lynn Serafinn reading from the book, nature photography by Sheila Finkelstein and uplifting music from London band Bleep Test.

Here’s what one viewer had to say about the video:
“I finally had time to go listen to the Song of the Rose – It’s exquisite – I love the words, Lynn’s voice, Sheila’s images, Lynn’s sequencing of them – the whole thing is a gem! I feel very inspired.” –Tomar Levine, Picture to Ponder subscriber

What are the Four Principles: Give, Receive, Become, Be?
Find out by subscribing to our Blog!

Receive articles, excerpts from the book, events announcements, media broadcast announcements and more.

UPCOMING TITLE: The Path of Least Resistance to the Self
Genre: philosophy, mind-body-spirit, self-help
Release date (proposed): Summer 2009
Enquiries: info@give-receive-become-be.com

Synopsis: Fulfilment is any easy process of simply allowing your true self to blossom…

That is the primary message of this upcoming release, The Path of Least Resistance to the Self. An alternative approach to the “law of attraction”, The Path of Least Resistance to the Self outlines 10 simple principles that demonstrate that true fulfilment is as easy as stepping into the authentic Self, and allowing one’s Self to blossom. It is the ultimate challenge to those who believe that happiness comes as a result of struggle, and it shows the easy way to manifest joy and to live your life purpose.

For a limited time, you can enjoy the first SIX chapters of this book right now for FREE in both AUDIO AND PRINTABLE format. Altogether, that’s a £14.95 value, absolutely free by clicking HERE. Why be satisfied with a daily dose of world news, marketing programmes and business reports? Treat yourself and feed your soul once a week. Enter your name and email to receive your first chapter “What is the ‘Law of Attraction’ REALLY About?” right away.

• Chapter 1: “What is the Law of Attraction REALLY About?
• Chapter 2: “The Wonderful Uniqueness that is YOU”
• Chapter 3: “The Voice within the Golden Silence”
• Chapter 4: “Meeting the Hero of Your Own Story”
• Chapter 5: “Ways We Resist the Wealth of Our Essence”
• Chapter 6: “Swimming Upstream–the Salmon or the Swan?”

Enjoy this collection of inspirational readings and audio carefully created to bring some positive energy to your day! Every 7 days, you will receive a new chapter in both pdf AND mp3 format taking you through the path. The audio is a great way to spend your tea break or lunch hour over the next few weeks. Just click HERE to request your free chapters.

Give, Receive, Become, Be…

Lynn Serafinn

 –> BOOK ENQUIRIES and author booking including media appearances, contact us at info@give-receive-become-be.com

–>COACHING ENQUIRIES, contact infor@create-a-life.co.uk

–> TUNE IN to my weekly radio show “Lynn Serafinn’s Garden of the Soul”, exploring life purpose, personal empowerment, balance of mind, body and spirit, and how to tap into the inner hero that lies within every human being:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Lynn-Serafinn

–> RECEIVE my book blog updates for latest news about my book events, radio show, videos and future publications:
http://www.give-receive-become-be.com

–> RECEIVE my “Creative Living” newsletter for monthly inspiration and self-coaching tips:
http://www.create-a-life.co.uk

–> JOIN my social network “Lynn Serafinn’s Garden of the Soul”, a vibrant place for cultural and spiritual
creatives: http://gardenofthesoul.ning.com

–> FIND OUT about the Global Wellness Circle, a thriving holistic community project in the UK:
http://www.global-wellness-circle.com

–> FOLLOW me on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/LynnSerafinn

–> FIND ME on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/LynnSerafinn

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http://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnserafinn