Are you “stuck” or residing in the past? Does your mindset and life seem full of painful memories rather than joyful expectations? Do you have trouble moving-on after an illness, a bad job, or a shattered relationship?
Expert Healing Panelists Connie Bramer, author of “How Connie Got Her Rack Back” and Kevin Murphy, the author of “The Three Rooms,” can help you answer those questions and will share tips on how you can move on with your life, get your Joy (or Rack) back, shift your mindset, and move out of the room in which you feel locked.
Their Video Podcast on The Kat Kanavos Show is posted at the bottom of the article for your viewing pleasure.
A Crisis can leave you mentally and emotionally stuck in a time warp. It is difficult to move forward and focus on a bright new future when your emotions are still living in the past.
Both Expert Panelist agreed that “In order to know where you want to go in your life you must know where you are, and how long you have been there.”
In 2008, upon her diagnosis with breast cancer and throughout her treatment, Connie was amazed and touched by the kindness of others. People she had never met sent her cards with inspiring words.
Fruit baskets and meals were sent to her home.
Connie’s friends came to the rescue; picking her kids up from school and even assisting them with their homework when Connie was too ill to get out of bed.
“Let’s face it, when a white coat touting doctor and her posse deliver a breast cancer diagnosis, your life has a way of turning upside down and even a little sideways,” Connie says. “Pissed is not anywhere near a word that could accurately describe where my head was at this point in time.”
To help Connie cope with her illness, maintain some semblance of sanity, and move beyond cancer to “Get her Rack Back,” and positive mindset she blogged about her daily cancer adventures.
Maintaining her sense of humor was vital to Connie’s recovery, and is evident in her book.
Kevin Murphy, former Wall Street managing director, high school and collegiate wrestling champion, community activist, speaker, and coach, authored The Three Rooms.
“Our happiness and unhappiness in life is almost always the result of our thoughts – whether observations of the present, memories from the past, or projected fears about the future,” Kevin says concerning the room in which we decide to preside.
Kevin describes our life as three rooms in which our mind resides.
Is your mindset in The Past Room, where regrets, past hurts, painful memories, grudges or other memories are impacting you today? Or perhaps you are hanging-out in The Future Room where worry, anxiety or fear haunts you daily?
Eckhart Tolle and others have extolled the value of living in the present moment.
However, many people have found that philosophy a challenge to implement. The genius of Murphy’s new book is how easy and simple he makes it realize when you are NOT in the Present Room —and how you can shift back into The Present Room.
As a breast cancer survivor who watched other female family members die of the inherited disease, Connie is very aware of how easy it is for us to define ourselves by our illness.
“Life is full of crisis, especially health,” Connie says. And Connie Got-Her-Rack-Back.
Connie realized the importance of embracing where you are emotionally during a crisis in order to move forward. You can either let the crisis define and rule you, or you can take charge of your destiny and move into the future.
Murphy moved from ranting at GOD in a basement to marrying the Love-Of-His-Life.
Murphy shared his spiritual and mystical awakening after a personal reckoning. “As a single Dad, living in a small basement apartment at 33, I loosed his rage at God.” It was the springboard to beginning his quest for answers. In due course, he became a highly respected options executive for Citigroup, married the love of his life, found the peace and joy he sought and began to share his Three Rooms concepts, that had worked so well or him, with others.
“No more sleepwalking,” as Murphy calls it, “focusing exclusively on what you think, feel and hear from others—and what you perceive from your judgmental beliefs.” He goes on to explain that when you are in The Present Room, you can experience truth and clearly perceive the messages Source has just for you. You can live in a state of love and acceptance. Today Kevin is successful and married to the love of his life.
“One of the most important things you can do is to take the time to discover the difference between There and Here. So often we mix our past up with our present,” Kevin says. “Train yourself to be the observer of your thoughts, and recognize which room you are in at this time.”
Connie and Kevin shared Tips on how to move forward in life to get “Unstuck.”
“Keeping a Gratitude Journal was a big help in moving me forward out of the mindset of ‘Patient’ and allowing me to see how far I had come,” Connie shared.
Kevin’s tip for the audience is, “It is important to activate the power of the question, ‘Where am I? Which room am I in?’ If you do not know where you are how you can activate your inner-GPS to get to where you want to go with your
Like Connie and Kevin, once you learn to move out of your painful past, you can actually feel the vibrational frequency of the Divine. Can I get an Amen?
About Kathleen (Kat) O’Keefe-Kanavos: VIDEO Podcaster, Radio Host, three-time Breast Cancer Survivor, and Dream Expert seen on Dr. Oz, DOCTORS, NBC, & CBS. Her Divine Dreams diagnose her illness. Kat and Duke U Dr. Larry Burk co-authored Dreams That Can Save Your Life. She’s a Syndicated Columnist, TV Producer/Radio Host and award-winning Author/Lecturer who promotes patient advocacy and connecting with Divine-guidance through Dreams. “Don’t tell God how big your problems are. Tell your problems how big your God is.” Learn more @ www.KathleenOKeefeKanavos.com
Change is inevitable. We can fight it, or we can embrace it. When we fight it, we are spitting in the wind and will most likely grow wet and weary. When we embrace evolution, we use our memories and knowledge to strengthen our shift in consciousness as we move into the future.
We may think that we are alone in our reluctance to change, but we have company.
As humans, we are creatures of habit. Habit abhors change. We often forget that we are all connected by Interconnectedness of Universal Oneness. On some level what you may feel is what your neighbor feels, too. And, change is as natural as growing out of diapers and donning adult clothing. We cannot hold back change any more than we can hold back our growing feet.
Understanding and accepting change is to understand and accept evolution.
Evolution is not relegated to extinct dinosaurs. It is not a materialistic process seen only from the outside. Yes, our species has evolved from living in caves to living in houses and in some cases mansions. We have evolved from horse and buggies to cars and from bi-planes to jumbo jets, and from passing notes during class to texting. But, there is more to evolution than what is changing around us. It goes deeper to what is changing inside of us.
What is evolving within our psyche? How are we adapting to the change? As a species we are powerful.
As the dominant species on the earth, it is our responsibility to care for the earth. This needs to be one of the big stories of our time. We must focus on the emergent conscious unity across our species but also across the species under our domain. The story of our change needs to be one of love and creativity.
The world is in a collective evolution of collective consciousness.
Our human existence is so precariously balanced on the existence of all that is part of the world that whenever one thing gets out of sync, it has a domino effect that impacts existence on all levels of the planet.
Acid Rain! Is it a reflection of our bodies becoming too acidic which leads to illness?
The impact we have on the planet can be scientifically measured. The temperature and ph balance of the tiniest raindrop can bring on Red Tide that kills everything in our oceans.
It was my pleasure to interview Dr./Professor Bob Atkinson on my Kat Kanavos Video Podcast Show on New Earth TV to discuss and discover a whole new category of understanding evolution and how it impacts everything in our outside world and inner working of self. He described the pivotal moment in our collective evolution grounded in the deep understanding of life’s essential unity and our innate capacity to love.
During the show Professor Atkinson, an award-winning author and member of the Evolutionary Leaders Circle and internationally recognized authority on life story interviewing, personal mythmaking and soul-making, talked about the necessary guidelines in his book The Story of Our Time for the shift in consciousness humanity needs to embrace if we are to survive and transform.
Dr. Atkinson’s VIDEO Podcast is posted at the bottom of the article for your viewing pleasure.
Professor Atkinson said, “We must make the transition from ‘the love of power to the power of love.” The Story of Our Time defines who we are; we are the storytelling species. Dr. Atkinson continues, “Our time is not just the present moment we are in right now, in which we may feel confusion and conflict; it is the eternal moment, in which the past, present, and future become one.” You can learn more about Dr. Professor Bob Atkinson here www.RobertAtkinson.net
Our love of storytelling began long ago around the campfires of ancient caveman and is still evidenced today on the walls of their caves. They were the story of their time, left for us in the future to live through vicariously. Are you ready to make the conscious shift and be part of the Story of Our Time?
Please enjoy WATCHING Dr. Robert Atkinson on the Kat Kanavos show:
About Kathleen (Kat) O’Keefe-Kanavos: VIDEO Podcaster, three-time Breast Cancer Survivor, and Dream Expert seen on Dr. Oz, DOCTORS, NBC, & CBS. Her Divine Dreams diagnose her illness. Kat and Duke U Dr. Larry Burk co-wrote Dreams That Can Save Your Life. She’s a Syndicated Columnist, TV Producer/Host and award-winning Author/Lecturer who promotes patient advocacy and connecting with Divine-guidance through Dreams. “Don’t tell God how big your problems are. Tell your problems how big your God is.” Learn more @ www.KathleenOKeefeKanavos.com
When a loved one dies, it can leave us with such a strong longing to see them again, if only for a second, or just one-more-time. This longing for a visitation from them can be consuming. What if…we could connect with them again and spend some valuable time together? How often have you had a dream that made you sit up in bed and say, “Wow! That dream was awesome. It was just what I needed.”
Well, I had the best dream last night.
I had set my intention to see one of my best friends who died this time last year from a rare form of Leukemia. My intention was to have a dream visitation. We were tennis partners, our husbands played tennis together, and we vacationed in exotic places like the British West Indies Island of Anguilla between my cancer treatments. (Yes, I am a three-time breast cancer survivor whose dream diagnosed her illness missed by the medical community and the tests on which they relied.) She was there for me during all three of my breast cancer treatments and all that they encompassed.
When she died a piece of my heart died. The disbelief and grief that set in once I realized she was truly gone was physically tangible. It covered and suffocated me like a heavy wet blanket.
Months passed, and I realized I needed to see her again if only for a little while, to know where she was, and to see how she was doing.
So I set my dream intention before bed to see her in my dreams. Yeah, I was that desperate.
During a dream, she walked in and said, “Wanna get a drink?” We sat in a beautiful restaurant with a lovely classy bar, and I ordered a martini while we chatted… just like old times. But, when her martini came, it had sliced carrots and celery in the glass but no liquid. I asked her about this. “Oh I don’t drink anymore,” she said, “but I wanted to see you, too.” Dream or reality?
Setting our dream intention is easier than it sounds. You can even write your intention down on a piece of paper and place it under your pillow to “sleep on it.” This is taking the 5th dimension abstract concept of intention and turning it into a concrete reality in the form of words on paper.
Tonight set your dream intention and sweet dreams. How will you know if it was just a dream or reality in a dream? Validation. What was discussed in the dream that rings true to you? What happened or was said that was a piece to a puzzle?
The video podcast below takes you through the steps of creating your dream intention. Enjoy the show.
About Kathleen (Kat) O’Keefe-Kanavos: VIDEO Podcaster, Radio Show Host, three-time Breast Cancer Survivor, and Dream Expert seen on Dr. Oz, DOCTORS, NBC, & CBS. Her Divine Dreams diagnose her illness. Kat and Duke U Dr. Larry Burk co-wrote Dreams That Can Save Your Life. She’s a Syndicated Columnist, TV Producer/Host and award-winning Author/Lecturer who promotes patient advocacy and connecting with Divine-guidance through Dreams. “Don’t tell God how big your problems are. Tell your problems how big your God is.” Learn more @ www.KathleenOKeefeKanavos.com
How often do we take something
like a trip to the beach for granted? After reading this article, you may think twice about
walking-on-by the next time you see someone sitting a bit anxiously on a beach
towel. Perhaps a smile is all it will take to put that person at ease and make
their beach experience a great one, again. You may never know how bumpy their
road in life is but a friendly smile can make their trip easier, even if only
for the day. Healing starts one second, one minute, and one day at a time. And… after reading this story, you may never look
at chicken cutlets the same way again.
It is my pleasure to share an amazing writer with you.
My guest writer today is
Connie Bramer who, like me, is a breast cancer survivor/thriver and an author
who wrote the snarkiest book, How Connie
Got Her Rack Back, (most of the time I tried not to fall out of my chair
laughing) about her experiences concerning everyday-life during cancer treatment
and her ultimate survival to become a Thought Leader. Today Connie helps other
cancer patients and their families during and after treatment.
I believe anyone who laughs at themselves laughs with the world. ~Kat Kanavos
Laughter is a big part
of the healing process. So laugh ‘till it heals while reading this article.
Walking hand-in-hand with her while I read how Connie got her rack back was an
honor. I now share this honor with you, my readers, with the hope that Connie’s
sense of humor lifts your spirts and brings a chuckle to your heart.
Kathleen (Kat) O’Keefe-
Kanavos
A Trip to the Beach
by Connie Bramer
We all have our
insecurities, and perhaps I’m mentioning
the beach bit now – in the middle of winter no less – because I just got back
from a beach vacation. No one wants to run full-on Bo Derek down the sandy edge
of the ocean after eating Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas cookies, and all the penne a la vodka in between. In
this case, we are talking about me. Or are you in this scenario also?
Anyway, here is the drill.
You spend copious
amounts of time and postage buying bathing suits, throwing them on and saying
under-your-breath “WTF was I thinking,” only to toss them back in the bag,
throw on your boots and take a trip to the post office to return. Sound
familiar?
You finally find the most “suitable” no-pun-intended suit for your body,
because there is no designer on earth that nails it perfectly for every varying
body that God and our eating and exercise habits has bestowed upon us. By the
way, men, do you struggle with this at all? Or do you not care? Which is it?
So you squeeze into your suit, throw on
a cover-up and head to the beach.
You sit down on your towel;
strip off the cover-up and think, “Is anyone looking at me?” I noticed this the
other day as I did much the same on my hombre blue towel only to notice that no
one gave two shi** about the girl from NY stripping away her cover-up on the
beach.
But here is one aspect we breast cancer (and many other types of cancer)
survivors don’t voice. Some of us have deformities where once a strong part of
our bodies used to reside. Me, I know my breasts are not perfect now after umpteen
surgeries to rid myself of my cancer and to reconstruct my new “rack,” but
whose breasts are once you pass your mid-forties and have birthed two children?
I think of the women I know and those I don’t
know who chose not to have reconstruction or those who chose to have one
mastectomy and have what we call a “chicken-cutlet” prosthesis on one side. My
mom had that, and I know that it used to
get too hot on her chest so sometimes she would take it out and put it in the
kitchen table! And no, not for chicken dinner as my younger brother once
decided to inquire.
So why am I writing all of this? What is
the point? Here is the epiphany if you will.
We all
come in different shapes and sizes, backgrounds and experiences. We are all imperfect, so why do we
continue to beat ourselves up about it? And moreover, WHO CARES?
We are our own worst enemies.
Take what you will from
this short story of self-reflection. My only ask is that you lighten up on yourself a little because that’s what
I’m going to do. They say that misery loves
company but so does happiness. So, be a little kinder to yourself.
Thank
you, Connie Bramer, for sharing your deep insights on self-reflection with us. Yes,
it is our choice with what and whom we surround ourselves. And since we are
always wherever we go, perhaps we should lighten-up on ourselves to promote our
own happiness. Connie, it is my hope that you will share more of your wisdom
with us in the near future.
Guest Writer Bio: Constance (Connie) Bramer is a Breast
Cancer Survivor and author of How Connie Got Her Rack Back. She
is the Founder/CEO of Get Your Rack Back
Inc. which supports cancer patients and their families. Learn more about Connie
here: https://gyrb.org/
About Kathleen (Kat) O’Keefe-Kanavos: VIDEO Podcaster,
three-time Breast Cancer Survivor, and Dream Expert seen on Dr. Oz,
DOCTORS, NBC, & CBS. Her Divine Dreams diagnose her illness. Kat and Duke U Dr. Larry Burk co-wrote, Dreams That Can Save Your Life. She’s a Syndicated Columnist, TV
Producer/Host and award-winning Author/Lecturer who promotes patient advocacy
and connecting with Divine-guidance through Dreams. “Don’t tell God how big
your problems are. Tell your problems how big your God is.” Learn more @ www.KathleenOKeefeKanavos.com
Photo Credit: httpspixabay.comenshells-sand-beach-vacation-792912Pixabya
Free for Commercial Use no Attribution Required
What is the Key to living a healthy life? What are the next steps can we take to move beyond the limitations we have often allowed to define us? How can Spirituality become a part of this process? The words, “Just get well,” sound so easy yet it is difficult for many of us living with some form of addiction disease which can go beyond substances to include eating, relationships…and yes, even sex!
Is there such a thing as an addictive personality that is more prone to addiction to alcohol, drugs, other substances and even relationships that hold us back from achieving our dreams and life goals?
Yes! Addiction includes yet goes farther than substance. It can include that “crazy kinda’ love.”
The word addiction has been used loosely as a part of our lexicon such as; “I’m so addicted to the Bad-boy lover…I’m so addicted to sweets…She’s addicted to parties…. On the other hand, someone with addictions may be in denial. Or their family and friends may ignore obvious signs as a form of denial.
At this point, you may be thinking of past relationships that did not work out right in your-life-plan, or a certain substance that you may consider an important part of your lifestyle. Or you may be asking yourself what the signs of “real addiction” are.
What is true addiction?
According to Medical News Today:
Addiction is a chronic brain disorder, and not merely a behavioral problem or simply the result of taking the wrong choices, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), which has given addiction a new and long definition. … But the disease is about brains, not drugs.
Different diseases have and display different symptoms. This standard applies to addiction.
What defines disease? According to Merriam Webster:
Disease. 1 : a condition of the living animal or plant body or of one of its parts that impairs normal functioning and is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms: sickness, malady infectious diseases a rare genetic disease heart disease.
If you recognized, have addressed, and are successfully living beyond-your-addictions, you may be asking yourself this important question, “What is my next step?”
Here are four Tips for you that are also Keys to Living Life to the fullest.
They were shared with the audience on the Kat Kanavos VIDEO Podcast aired LIVE and is posted for your viewing pleasure at the bottom of this V-article for your viewing pleasure.
The Expert Healing Panelists and authors are Dr. Jane Galloway, Jim Phillips, Dr. Rev. Denise Alexander Pyle, and Scott Phillips.
4 Tips to Live a Healthy and Fulfilled Life.
Jane Galloway– “Keep moving in life. Don’t get stuck on the bridge [between sickness and health]. Understand that a wellness model of recovery is a sustainable life-long psych-spiritual path and that defining yourself by illness is not a holistic path or wellness model. So, I would say, ‘Get off the bridge!’”
Rev. Dr. Denise Alexander-Pyle-“I would share a quote from Dr. Carl Jung that really reflects healing and love of yourself which says, ‘ Healing comes from that which leads a patient beyond himself and beyond his entanglement with ego.’ Get beyond yourself and connect with your inner-truth.”
Scott Stevens– “This is a quote that has been a part of every book I’ve written, ‘What causes problems is one.’ And, when you’re looking at your life and experiences…that get you in trouble, that should be a sign to you, a ‘nudge from the judge’ or life. You have to take it seriously and look deep in the places we don’t want to look to see what caused the problem and arrive at the conclusion that causes the problem.”
Jim Phillips– “The Tip I would share is something I do every morning as I take my walk because I want to set the tone for the day, and I believe this is all about coming to our own truth. I ask, ‘What is required of me to allow that which I am to be experienced and expressed through me and as me?’ And then I wait for the response during the course of the day.”
Please enjoy the Kat Kanavos Show Expert Healing Panel posted here for your viewing enjoyment.
About the Author: Kathleen (Kat) O’Keefe-Kanavos is a VIDEO Podcaster, a three-time Breast Cancer Survivor, and Dream Expert as seen on Dr. Oz, DOCTORS, NBC, & CBS. Her Divine Dreams diagnose her illness. Kat was an R.H.BLOCH Cancer Hotline Mentor, a Participant for Duke University’s Dr. Larry Burk‘s Breast Cancer Dream Research Program. They co-wrote, Dreams That Can Save Your Life. She is a Syndicated Columnist, TV Producer/Host and award-winning Author/Lecturer who promotes patient advocacy and connecting with Divine Spiritual-guidance through Dreams. “Don’t tell God how big your problems are. Tell your problems how big your God is.” Learn more @ www.KathleenOKeefeKanavos.com
Your Spiritual Next Step Recovery: Dare To Go Deeper!
By
Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos
As Dr. Jane Galloway states on her
website, “We’re all recovering from something.” So,
what is your “something?” How long have you been trying to recover from “it?” Wheather
your drug of choice is a toxic relationship or substance abuse Dr. Jane Galloway
may be able to help you in this VIDEO Podcast Article. Dr. Jane Galloway’s
fifteen minute interview is posted at the bottom of this work for your viewing
and learning pleasure.
If you are reading this article
congratulations! You have accomplished stage-one of your recovery, whatever it
may have been, but, especially if it concerned addiction. And, if you are still
working through the stages, welcome and continue reading.
Recovery of any kind involves
stages. Something as simple as getting over a cold or as complex as overcoming
addiction can take similar stages. The cold virus is always out there, as are
drugs and alcohol. When we have been stress it is easier to succumb to
these illnesses. Then we must be successful at integrating the necessary stages
to embrace wellness.
Now, what is next? Dr. Jane Galloway
is here to share her expertise and answers with you.
As a Visionary leader, recovery
educator, and author, Dr. Jane Galloway has personal experience of traveling
the 12-Step Path as a person in recovery, teacher, counselor, and minister for
over three decades. Her journey and a clear template for supporting Stage
Two Recovery with body, mind, spirit tools are the is the basis of
her book, The Gateways- The Wisdom of 12-Step Spirituality,
published by Sacred Stories Publishing and available on Amazon and other
booksellers worldwide.
Dr. Jane Galloway is also the
Founder of T.R.I.B.E. Transformation/Realization/Inspiration/Belonging/Expression
As a guest on the Kat Kanavos Show
Video Podcast Dr./Rev. Jane Galloway shared some important information about
what she defined as “Next Step Recovery.”
“After Stage One Recovery, and
a dedicated working of The Steps should be a launch into a lifelong process of
integration of body, mind, and spirit beyond “illness” and toward
ever-expanding wholeness.” Dr. Galloway says.
Too often we are defined by our
illness which becomes a crutch that slows us down in life.
As Dr. Jane continues to explain,
“Too many people get stuck on the bridge back to recovery and use AA as a
crutch or substitute for real life. It’s a recovery program! So the goal is to
recover and then learn tools for living that translate into full life.”
For Stage One Recovery, “the rooms”
which are part of Alcoholics Anonymous known as AA are amazing and
transformative. Whether or not a person has the disease of addiction, there
must be respect for all humankind alike if true happiness will ever exist. It
is taught in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous how to begin down this path.
But, once all of the Steps have been
worked, and some stability and restoration to sanity and purpose are
established, it is time to conquer new developmental goals. To continue for
years to define oneself by illness or by one’s past is the antithesis of real
recovery. Strength-based recovery pulls forward the strengths of a person
and develops those. To courageously delve into causative issues is so very
important. Addiction is a symptom of deeper traumas, and core wounds are
persistent if not treated. The Gateways offers comprehensive support for Next
Stage Recovery.
As a person in long time recovery,
Dr. Jane Galloway has developed a real appreciation for the spiritual depth of
the 12- Steps as the spine for a lifelong path of psycho-spiritual growth. She
makes a real distinction between recovery and spiritual paths of the 12-Step
path, and culture of AA building upon the expansive spirituality of the AA
founders.
“The Gateways- The Wisdom of
12-Step Spirituality incorporates psycho-spiritual teachings from depth
psychology, world religious traditions, body-mind healing modalities, and
indigenous wisdom- along with concrete practices and humor to support a full
life.” In other words, dare to go deeper in your next step recovery, because
that is the answer to the question, “What is next?”
Please enjoy the Video Podcast
Interview with Dr. Jane Galloway.
About Kathleen (Kat) O’Keefe-Kanavos:
VIDEO Podcaster, three-time Breast Cancer Survivor, and Dream Expert seen
on Dr. Oz, DOCTORS, NBC, & CBS. Her Divine Dreams diagnose her illness. Kat
and Duke U Dr. Larry Burk co-wrote, Dreams That Can Save Your Life. She’s
a Syndicated Columnist, TV Producer/Host and award-winning Author/Lecturer who
promotes patient advocacy and connecting with Divine-guidance through Dreams.
“Don’t tell God how big your problems are. Tell your problems how big your God
is.” Learn more @ www.KathleenOKeefeKanavos.com
