who are you beyond the shame you experience?


I was silent discoing on the boardwalk yesterday afternoon, reveling in how totally alive I feel when I partake of this relatively-new-to-me activity when a thought barged in: "It's about time you figured this out...too bad it took you until your 60s."

Insert sad trombone sound here.

I nearly stopped in my tracks and said to myself, "Seriously? That's what you're going to offer me?" But I didn't want to have a full-blown argument with myself, so I simply reminded myself:

"How human of me...of course that's where my brain wants to go sometimes."

Because here's the thing: I have two identities that sit alongside each other – shame-based Pathetic Loser Eeyore who mopes through life with her head down and intentional Silent Disco Queen who expresses whatever joy wants to flow through her.

I mean, I contain multitudes, but for much of my life Eeyore was the default, while Queen was nowhere to be found until I sought her out on purpose.

Being able to say to ourselves, in a self-shaming moment, "How human of me..." is an act of re-mothering.

Seeking out our favorite selves on purpose is an act of re-mothering.

Creating safety so our favorite selves can express themselves is an act of re-mothering.

These are skills I share in the next Cycle Breaker Summit (complete with a downloadable worksheet to help you take this practice deeper).

By cycle breakers for cycle breakers, the mission of the next Cycle Breaker Summit is to help you re-parent yourself. Over four days (December 9 - 12), 20+ compassionate presenters will share honest approaches to help you remember, embrace, and be your favorite self.

The best part? It's free to attend.

Click here to get your free ticket.

As well, I’ll be doing a Facebook Live answering questions with some of the other participants on Monday, December 9th at 12 noon Pacific/3 p.m. Eastern. Would love to "meet" you there.

Much, much love,

Karen

P.S. If you're on the waitlist for Shame School, stay tuned for a special Black Friday offer (on November 29) for the next round, which starts in February.

Karen C.L. Anderson

Author of You Are Not Your Mother: Releasing Generational Trauma & Shame and Difficult Mothers, Adult Daughters: A Guide for Separation, Liberation & Inspiration

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So get this. I scheduled two "open house" Zoom calls for people who wanted to learn more about the Shame School Community. One was scheduled for 1 p.m. yesterday and the next one is scheduled for February 24, at 4 p.m. Eastern (click here to add it to your calendar). I didn't get any notifications informing me that anyone had registered so I assumed no one was interested (and yes, underlying that thought were other, not-so-benign thoughts). I almost didn't even sign in for the call. But...

*her disappointment is hers, not yours. Much, much love, Karen Join the Shame School Community

In the movie The Sixth Sense, a young boy named Cole Sear can see and talk to the dead. "I see dead people," he says to the psychologist he sees. Cole says the dead walk around like regular people, but they don't see each other and they don't know they're dead. His gift was distressing to him and he often felt isolated because of it. Cole eventually overcomes his fear of the ghosts that visit him and is able to help them find closure. I see shamed people. I can see and talk to them...they...