My Journey through Personal Best & Ongoing.......

Hi my name is Laurie Laursen.  Last year was my PB year.  I took Level One in January 2007, Level Two in April, and Level 3 throughout the summer, starting in June & ending in August.  In September I started Living Fitt which went through until mid December.
It was my year of transformation for sure.  I begun a quest for something better about 7 years ago when I became ill, yet my progress, as I call it, did not really move until after I took PB 1. 
Early last January in the wee hours of the night I woke up feeling empty inside, like I did not want to live anymore.  I know this concept surprised me because I was happily married (and still am) to a wonderful man; I had 3 great kids, a home I was happy with and a community that I love.  Yet the feelings of being sad, lost and empty were real and on top of that I was also having a lot of health issues.
Soon I was to gain clarity on what I was missing, yet I did not know what it was at the time.  It was definitely my soul calling me, and I was beginning to hear it.  The neat thing is how when I ask for something, the Universe aligns to bring me what I need, without me knowing what that is, I just need to trust.  Of course this is all much clearer to me now that I have experienced 2007. I can laugh now because had I truly known what I was going to be in for I may have asked to get off the train!! My whole world was going to be shaken up!
At the end of January I took the level one.  It was facilitated by Rae-Ann in Edmonton.  I was so excited about taking this course.   I had no idea what it was about, how it worked, I had not known anyone who had taken it before or anything.  I had heard about PB about 2 years before through a coach I had met at a Body Mind Fair and in Nov 2006 she mentioned the free level one and if I was interested in taking it.  Who knew that my life would be changing forever? 
I was totally surrendering to the process, okay so I didn’t always surrender during the exercises, sometimes it was a real challenge, what I did trust was the rightness of me being there.
I loved level 1, it was a great experience, I had no idea what to expect and it was amazing!  I met great people, and was fascinated by the whole process that was offered to me to experience.  I remember feeling so high for a while after.  The newness of the concepts were rolling around in my head.  Accountability, unconscious beliefs, and the most exciting concept of all was a new connection to me!  I knew for me it was only the beginning and I was taking Level 2 & 3 for sure.  Really I could add so much more, but truly how does one sum up a PB course?? 

In April I took PB 2, I again had Rae-Ann as a facilitator.  Wow, she is good.  Holding us all to be accountable, calling us all on our stuff, yet at the same time supporting us to the clarity we needed.  Level 2 was intense for me; I again met some great people.  I loved seeing tidbits of myself show up, the good, the bad & sometimes downright ugly.  This course gave me an experience of showing up all sides of me and having them be seen, heard and accepted.  All the while hearing, there is no right or wrong, and how is it working for you?  Level 2 poked me to the point where by the 5 day I was not enjoying myself, and I LOVE this sort of work.  I journalled, phoned my buddy, phoned my team support, and finally figured out what was coming up.  I realized that I had a belief that no one could truly love & support me at all.  Wow, I have been carrying that around for years, and how was that serving me!!  Let me tell you, I was ready for a new belief, immediately I could see evidence where I had been wrong.  It was so important to me with the PB courses to have an experience of myself that I knew I needed to share that with the group.  I felt so vulnerable, I was sure that someone was going to say you are full of shit Laurie, go away and stop bothering us.  We really don’t care about you. Hearing myself share with the group was really healing for me. It was really important to me to experience this and see a few other things, that I had been wrong about Love and Support.  I had been receiving it throughout the courses and in my life.  That I had an amazing amount of courage to get up a share what was really truly very scary for me, to be so vulnerable.  I really had courage!  And then I began to see and discover that it is really for me to love & support myself, and ‘be’ the best example of how I want others to treat me. 
I am a Beautiful, Powerful, Courageous Woman!

Level 3 began in June I am so grateful for this course.  It may not have come anywhere near close to the intensity of PB 1 & 2, yet it offered the ongoing support and opportunity to stretch and risk.  My risks may not have been huge to the outside world, they were happening largely on the inside of me.  Just knowing I had the support each week, even if I never talked to anyone about something I was going through, just knowing they were there, kept me moving forward and accountable.  The exercises each week provided me insights into myself, some bigger than others. 
I learnt about myself: 

1. That I had pushed myself too hard before in life, too much to the point of harm, when I thought I was just challenging myself and becoming tougher.
2. I learnt to ask for Wahoo’s! And that I do not need to explain all of the details of my life for others to understand what a Wahoo to me is!
3. I learnt to ask for support and to give support
4. I really learnt what it is like to not be healthy enough to be able to physically support others and how awful that felt and that I now want a different experience.
5. I learnt to give and receive feedback honestly, although uncomfortably at times.  The gift of honesty and the clarity it offers, and the energy it frees is invaluable.
6. Accountability!  Oh my what more can I say!  Does this ever end?  Nope.
7. That I can truly trust my own guidance.
8. I am valuable.

I do not know exactly how to put this next thing into words, yet I will do my best, hoping the words will do it justice.  During PB 3 was when I felt the click within me, where all of a sudden I got it.  I was able to shift myself from being a victim to choosing accountability.  Previous to this shift when we were asked for a two word check in, I would use words like anxious, nervous, tired, and unsure.  Now I was actually feeling wonderful words like; happy, inspired, courageous, excited.  I could feel the simmers of hope & happiness within me.  I was beginning to really feel what I had only heard others talk about, yet never experienced myself.    Best of all I could now understand where the neediness that I used to feel so often in life came from, when I finished the course in August I was accessing my own inner guidance and truly beginning to trust it and give it a chance.  Whereas only a few months before I felt I needed to consult, lean on, depend on others to get the answers I needed.  To you Toni-Lee, for facilitating this course, Thank you.  It came to me while I was writing this that in witnessing you grow and preparing to birth your baby, I was paralleling you in growing and birthing myself.

The last course I took this year was Living Fitt, which was facilitated by Linda Crawford. For the last day, Linda asked us to bring a letter summarizing the value we created in Living Fitt.
So rather than write something new today, I will just share the letter I wrote for that evening.
The Value I have created by Living Fitt:

Oh where do I begin!  My body is stronger.  I went from 1 to 6 to 20 push ups in 12 weeks!! That is amazing and incredible.  I am able to get up off of chairs and the toilet without holding on to anything now!! LOL yep that is true!  Also as of today I walked up the stairs 2 times unsupported.
I lost 9 pounds, they melted off so easy, and it was incredibly natural and beautiful.  I weigh less than before I was married and had kids!  My clothes fit better and I bought a pair of size 28 jeans (oh yah, and I even was able to were a size 27 in a different style!).  I sleep better, no more waking up in the middle of the night.  Over all I feel better and I am having less naps and shorter ones.
On an awareness level I have realized that perfection of each day is different.  Success is measured by each day and each moment, yet I know that showing up and putting in my best effort, of what I can do that day is better than not showing up at all.  My mind can be the most limiting factor in my effort. 
I realize that moving my body creates wealth in my life, wealth in movement, fun, and in supporting others.
I recognize I have gained momentum in my health, and I desire to continue to support myself and become aware of anything that limits my success in this area.
I have realized that caring for my body is caring for my soul, it is a form of self love, and it is a necessary part of this journey to embrace.  To choose this is something I desire to do, not a should or have to.
In the past few years I have had a strong desire to improve my health.  I have mainly focused up until now, the mental, emotional and spiritual parts of my life.  What I have had the opportunity to discover through the Living Fitt process is that moving my physical body has moved my body to a whole new level of healing.  I discovered recently that part of my becoming ill was an unconscious reaction to not wanting to feel any pain or discomfort I experienced in life, and by moving my body this pain came up.  So by not moving, not really breathing and by stuffing my body with food, I was able to suppress the unwanted emotions.  What I am so happy and proud of today is that I now know that I have the tools to support myself, along with great people, friends and family that can support and guide me through any possible difficult times that may come up in my life.
I am sure there are more reasons too add, for now this is what I can think of knowing that this is an ongoing journey of self love & awareness.

Where am I now?  I am healthier on all levels; in the beginning I was worried that I would not be able to attend all of the exercises, due to health issues.  When I look back now I can see that with each course there was improvement.  After Living Fitt, I had a woman come up to me and say that I was an inspiration, and it gave her a reason to live.  I remember my response being, Thank you, and you know at times if felt like nothing was happening at all.  It has been that way where some days it felt like nothing was happening, yet a year later, my health is better, my relationships are better and I am so happy inside some days I could burst!
So here I am at the end of my story, yet no where near the end of my journey.  I am truly grateful for my experience of Personal Best Seminars in Edmonton, and my courage to embrace and apply as much as I could, to Be, Do and Have all that I can be in this life. 
I would like to end by thanking all of those who were a part of my experience from the facilitators, the team members, the volunteers, the coaches and the staff.  To each of you a huge hug for supporting me in my journey and providing that place that I could experience and discover the diamond within myself.  To my buddy’s Tamara, Susan & Agnes for supporting & loving me in so many ways!  To everyone else who took the courses with me, for having the courage to be there, supporting me and allowing me to witness in their growth.  I feel truly honoured & blessed.  Thank you!

Oh yah and “Could I please get a WAHOO!!!?”    

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Have you ever thought….”If I was rich and famous, I would….”?  I have.  And until recently, I thought that I would have to win a bunch of money before I could ever… Thankfully, a 2 year journey has brought me to a place where I now know that I can live the life of my dreams and I can do it NOW!

When I was a little girl, I believed that I could save the world.  I dreamt, hoped and prayed and then dreamt some more.

Along the way, people would “kindly” let me know that that was impossible, I couldn’t do that….and ask “exactly how are you going to do that?”  How did I know…I was only 5!  So, the logical voice, the voice of ‘reason’, fear, doubt slowly began to take over and a heart of hope and determination shriveled to a heart of fear, doubt, disbelief and of a secret longing left unacknowledged.

September 2004, I took Personal Best Level One: Truth Revealed where I first spoke the words aloud… ”I want to go to Africa!”  The words later scared me and I tried to forget the feelings that it had been stirred deep within my heart.

Luckily, I took Personal Best Level Two: Pure Potential in October 2004.  It was here that I found the support to meet myself again and it was then that I decided that I was going to Africa.  From there, I dared to begin to dream again and chose to be brave in the face of fear and chose to ignore the “concern” of the nay-sayers and began to believe. 

I went to Africa in January of 2005. I went to Kabwe, Zambia on a short term missions trip where I witnessed such extreme poverty, that the word poverty no longer seemed to fit. I witnessed the depths of illness, despair, death, hunger and injustice. I also witnessed the amazing spirit of the people, the joy they carry with themselves and the way in which they truly celebrate life and the moment they have before them. What the TV ads failed to show me was the spirit, generosity, love, hope, wisdom, abilities and capacity of the African people.  It was then that I realized the amazing potential that lies within the African continent and the impossibility of the challenge to “save the world” began to shrink and melt into something so much more imaginable.  It was sitting amongst the red dirt of Africa looking into the face of a dying child who was laughing and smiling, that I felt perfectly created and completely at peace for the first time in my life; my heart had been unmasked.

When I returned from Africa, the reintegration back into our society was extremely difficult for me. I had come back to a life that no longer made sense. I had finally experienced what my heart had been longing for, what it had been created for, and I came back to a life of hiding, protecting, lying to myself and allowing the beauty of life to stay a fallacy and something only for fairy tales.  I had become acutely aware that I had been sleeping for years.  Now came the interesting piece for me…the process of waking up.

I took Personal Best Level Three: Infinite Possibilities as soon as I got back from Africa. I was shut down, closed off and full of rage, which I wasn’t about to admit to.  As the weeks of the course unfolded I became less and less satisfied with my life, but was too busy beating myself up to actually make any changes.

I wasn’t happy.  I knew I couldn’t stop. I took the Jump Start Coaching Certification course in the fall of 2005 and also began one on one coaching with Jay Fiset. This experience was the most profound for me. I began to actually understand and “kinda sorta” “once in a while” live my life being accountable and a lot kinder to myself. The walls were coming down and coming down fast.  Halleluiah! I had searched my heart and was developing a better understanding of what I need to be happy in life. But, to create something different, meant I would have to do something different and I was too afraid that I would make the wrong decision, so I did what I always did, I didn’t make one at all!

After a 4 month LOA from work, more coaching, lots of journaling, daily affirmations and examining the law of attraction and how it was playing out in my life, I finally had the courage to make a change.  I decided that I needed to live with my heart engaged and I knew that my heart was with Africa and it was the only place that I have ever truly felt alive. So I decided to go. I gave notice at my job, told my family, started to make plans, and was committed to volunteering in Africa for 12 months. I didn’t know what was in store for me, but it was the only thing I could think of to truly jumpstart my heart again. Then the most amazing thing happened…I started living, truly living. I was facing fears and “keepin’the faith”.  And then, an opportunity came along for me to do exactly what I would do “if I were rich and famous” without needing to be.

If I was rich and famous, I would travel the world and volunteer my time helping the world save Africa.  I would use all my power and influence to do what Oprah, Angelina and Bono have done to raise awareness and money for Africa.  If I were rich and famous….I would live my hearts desire.

It’s difficult to explain, but everything that I am passionate about is encompassed within this amazing opportunity.  I will be helping a brand new charitable organization called Christmas Future establish itself and prepare for its launch date of Christmas 2007.  This organization’s mission is to inspire and empower North Americans to redirect some of the $1 Trillion spent during the Christmas season towards helping eradicate extreme poverty throughout the developing world.  They are partnering with Millennium Promise to fund various strategic and sustainable initiatives that have been designed based on the Earth Institute’s research on sustainable international development. This organization holds the potential for creating lasting change in the developing world.

I have never believed in anything more than this, I have never felt more alive than I do, I have never felt more grateful and blessed and I have never been more sure of what I am doing.  That feeling of being perfectly created and completely at peace… I found it, I found it right here. 

I believe that I needed to simply start moving in a direction for the universe to be able to respond for me. I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but my choice to take action to engage my heart brought my hearts desire to my door step.

As Christmas Future is just starting up, they don’t even have their start up capital yet.  So, I will be volunteering for them full-time for the next 6-12 months and will most likely be traveling to Africa a couple of times to research potential projects.

So, to support me in my fascinating journey, while I volunteer for Christmas Future, I am inviting you to visit my website to check out all the upcoming fundraising efforts.

http://www.kimberlydonn.com/index.htm

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“Prior to taking Personal Best Seminars, I held the belief that I was not deserving - not deserving of love, fun, money, and success,” says Bonnie Malach, a graduate of the Personal Freedom Program. 

“This belief held me back in many ways - I was in a job with two abusive and manipulative bosses, I tended to be a hermit, I wouldn't allow myself to even dream of life being different, and I was living pay cheque to pay cheque and sometimes not even that.”

After Truth Revealed, Bonnie’s self esteem began to increase. “I started to dream again. For years I hadn’t allowed myself to dream of anything bigger or better. After level one, I started to believe it possible to reach those dreams.”

Not only did her self-image improve, but others around her began to open up to her. “People responded to me in a more open way. I think they could sense an energy shift and began to mirror how I was feeling about myself. Since I was more open, they could be more open.”
 
As Bonnie was completing Level II, Pure Potential, her contract at work was coming to an end and she began to panic. “I didn't know where I would go next or how I would make ends meet. In the back of my mind I knew what my dream position was, but it didn't exist. I thought "who am I to create this position?" and "I don't have the skills to work in this position.”

After completing Level II, something shifted in Bonnie.  “I started to believe in myself. Level II had presented me with tools that I chose to use. I proposed my ideas to the appropriate people and lo' and behold, they thought it was a fabulous idea and that I was the perfect person to fill the position! So, we set the wheels in motion, but the wheels turned slowly.”

"A week before my contract came to an end I still didn't have another job. I decided to trust in myself and the perfect contract position presented itself. I jumped at it and loved every minute of it!"
 
During Level III, Infinite Possibility, Bonnie was again presented with challenges in her career.  “I was laid off from my contract position due to funding cuts. I could have chosen to see this as a set back and a reflection of who I was in the world. Instead, I had learned more tools to help me see this as an opportunity rather than a set-back and I continued to believe in myself. I was immediately offered another contract position that allowed me the flexibility to continue to work on creating my dream job.
 
Three months after graduating from level 3, Bonnie, had achieved her dream.  “I created my dream position, wrote my own job description, obtained funding for the position and was making more than enough money to survive and to play!”
 
"Since I started and completed Personal Best Level I, II, and III, I have created an abundance of happiness, health, financial resources, fun, love, support, success and freedom in my life because I came to believe that I deserve greatness in my life."

"Personal Best presented me with tools that I could choose to utilize in my life or not - I CHOSE to utilize them and create abundance in my life."

Bonnie Malach, Personal Freedom Program Grad, 2005

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My greatest personal insight came to me during Personal Best Level 3: Infinite Possibilities. I was keenly aware that my father and grandfather were perfectionists. I observed the emotional pain they experienced by seeing that no matter what they did it was "not quite good enough". If dad built a gate and it was not perfect, in his mind, it was a poorly done project. To most other people it was a great gate. He was and still is extremely hard on himself and the world he experiences.

With affirmations and other tools that I learned in the Personal Freedom Program, I have been able to slowly shift my thought process from no matter what I did it was "not quite good enough" to the thought process of, I did just fine. I made the best decision I could with the information I had at the time. I do not and never have consciously made poor decisions. I now learn from previous choices rather than beat myself up over them. Currently, I seek excellence, which is attainable, rather than perfectionism, which is not attainable or even reality.

This change in thought process has made a dramatic change in the quality of my life. I am much, MUCH easier on myself. I live with less stress, worry less, sleep better, and deal with less depression. Is my life perfect?  No way. It never will be, perfectionism is not reality.

It is clear that I picked up this type of thinking from my father and he in turn picked it up from his father. Through awareness and tools gained through the Personal Freedom Program, I was able to identify this unhealthy thought process in myself and break this chain of unhealthy thinking in our family so that this type of thinking is not carried through by our children. This awareness has changed my thought process and that of my kids. It was a multigenerational change!

The learning and application of these principles has been a blessing to myself, my family and the people we affect in our lives.

Thank You Personal Best from the bottom of my heart!

Barry Robinson, Ph.D. Personal Freedom Program Grad, 2000

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When I was a young girl, I hated to get dirty. My favorite color was pink and I loved Barbie. I even thought that one day, I’d grow up to look like her. I did have blond hair after all. Actually, I thought all girls grew up to look like Barbie. It didn’t occur to me that my mother looked nothing like Barbie with her short black hair and child-bearing hips. I simply took it for granted that I would become like my idol and then, just like the porcelain-skinned princess, I’d have several fabulous careers, a great house and car, and of course, the man of my dreams. Then, shortly before I turned 11, it clicked. Suddenly, the reality of impending perfection that I had taken for granted melted away, and I was left with the harsh reality of pimples, body fat, a series of bad perms and a gap-toothed grin. 

As my former perception of reality faded, my expectations of perfection did not.  As I became a teenager, I grew to hate my body and in turn, myself. I rejected my femininity and most relationships with women, because I felt they were all judging me. But it was I who was doing all the judging.

Though I read many books on self-esteem, I struggled with a distorted body image and self-loathing. I appeared to my peers to be a confident, empowered, outgoing young woman, full of potential and ability. Inside, I had a lot of self-doubt, shyness and fear of who I was. I suppose most teenagers could be described this way, but at the time, I felt absolutely alone and terrified at my own thought process. I was depressed and felt so out of place. 

As high school ended and I began my foray into adult life, I continued a journey of self-discovery through self-help books and motivational audios. As I learned more and more, I applied less and less. I became overweight and developed a destructive addiction to shopping. I even hired a life-coach from a very prestigious company to help me overcome my barriers. I paid her $300 an hour to coach me over the phone for one hour, twice a month. She had me doing visualizations and setting goals. It was helpful, but it still didn’t feel like I was getting to the core of what was causing me to continue to self-destruct.

When I ran out of money to pay my life coach, I had to re-evaluate my strategy.  I hired a personal trainer and set about losing the 40 lbs I had gained since high school that I couldn’t seem to lose no matter what.  My trainer, Joel, didn’t make a lot of progress with me, though I did everything I was supposed to. We couldn’t figure it out. He knew that I had been working with a life coach, and that I had read a lot of books on self-help, nutrition and fitness. We had long talks about life and how the mind, body and spirit plays into the game of life. Then one day, Joel called me up and told me that he had a client who was a Client Care Specialist with Personal Best Seminars, and she had offered him a spot in Level One: Truth Revealed, which he could not attend because he had to go out of town. He said he thought of me instantly as someone who would be open to this sort of thing. He was right. This serendipitous event changed my life.

Level one showed me how I had been holding myself back by playing small. I understood where a lot of my fears and insecurities came from, and I was given tools to move past them. I healed relationships with my family and friends, and I also gained several more lifelong friends with whom I speak daily and love dearly.

In Level Two: Pure Potential, I dealt with and forgave my past, and moved closer to true accountability, a place with no blame. I realized that I have nothing to be ashamed of.  Here, I made even more friendships with people that truly know, accept and love the real me. I feel very lucky to have peers who understand me and hold me to a higher standard. 

In level Three: Infinite Possibilities, I learned to integrate the tools I gained in Levels One and Two into my everyday life. I learned to surrender, to accept what is and to move on. That was huge for me. I tried to control everything in the past, and now I am able to let go and let others take control.  I trust others to support me and to take care of themselves as well as me. I was able to really integrate my true self into my life.  All of me. The positive and the negative, the masculine and the feminine, the saint and the bitch. And they all serve and support me in some way. 

A truly wonderful experience that my friends from PB3 and I created, was a fundraiser for the Mustard Seed and Community Kitchens.  We held the event at a local sports bar, and raised over $15,000! I’ve never been a part of something so impactful before. I wasn’t one of the “main” organizers, but I contributed in many ways.  In the past, I felt I had to be “The Leader” of a group if anything was going to be done right. I let some others take care of it instead this time and found that I could contribute in quieter ways, and still be successful.  I feel very proud of our accomplishments and feel empowered to continue making a positive impact on the world in the future.

Today, I continue to work on myself and learn and grow, and though I am not “perfect”, I am content with my life and who I am, and the journey I am on.  Perfection is a perception cultivated in the eye of the beholder, and I realize now that life is entirely too short to spend focusing on unattainable standards of beauty and ridiculous expectations of what success should look like. After all, Barbie is just a piece of plastic. 

Thanks to the  wonderful experiences I created at Personal Best, I am a confident, strong, beautiful woman, aware that I am worthy and deserving of all the love and abundance that life has to offer.

Carlene Ashby, Personal Freedom Program Grad, 2006

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Prior to taking the Personal Freedom Program, I was unhappy and nothing was working in my life. I had read self help books for years- I knew the concepts, I used affirmations and other positive things, but found that I was unable to shift.

In 1990, I began Personal Best Level One: Truth Revealed and began to face all of the internal demons that I had collected through my life.  Through Levels 1, 2 and 3 of the Persona Freedom Program, I learned how much I ‘used’ confusion in my life, so that I did not have to make a choice. I allowed myself to be a ‘victim’ and thought I had no other choices. I was not responsible or accountable for myself or my life. Life just happened to me, and I reacted to it.

Through experiential exercises in the courses, I learned more and more about myself, fears, limiting beliefs and behaviors I used the tools that were taught and the resources that were presented. I continue to use many of them today.

I have faced many challenges through my life and since taking Personal Best. I had felt like a victim for years. Slowly, I began to grow, release, stretch and discover who I am and who I am not.

Because of Personal Best, I have made wonderful changes in my life. I am truly happy and content with myself, who I am and what I do. I have my own successful business doing work that I love.

Jan Mitchell, Personal Freedom Program Graduate

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Before I took the Personal Freedom Program, my life was not where I wanted it to be and I felt scattered, disappointed and stressed. I was judgmental of others and felt that people would gossip about me whenever I excelled at anything in life, so I chose to stay mediocre.

I enrolled in the Personal Freedom Program not knowing much about the courses other than it worked for the person that told me about it. I signed up for all three levels in February 2005 and started the program in May 2005.

Personal Best helped me to define what was important to me and my relationship with myself and helped me move from being average to being myself and the best I can be.

I am creating my life now, not allowing it to just be created by circumstance or situations. I create change by making choices. Personal Best gave me practical life lessons and tools to work with, and since I still am in contact with the people and attend other functions with Personal Best Grads, I can actually let the information resonate and be put to use on a regular basis.

Of all the personal development I have done, the Personal Freedom Program was definitely the shining star of it all!

Thanks Personal Best!

Jennifer Lee Personal Freedom Program Grad, 2005

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When I signed up for Personal Freedom Program, I was anxious and ready!  I knew I was stalled in my world and needed to deal with some of life's events/stories that were buried. It was really hard to let go of the past things/events/people that I had let influence me which had kept me from enjoying all life has to offer. 

When I was participating in the classes, I began to 'peel away the layers' and began to trust myself again! I began to laugh - from my belly - and I began to cry - from my heart. I felt ALIVE…I feel ALIVE!

The Personal Freedom Program courses have opened my eyes to my own world and made me recognize my own accountability for the way my life was, is and will be. Since the course, life has continued (some good, some bad, some neutral). What has changed dramatically for me is my own sense of responsibility for ME. I accept me, I don't criticize me, I take time to nourish me and I surround myself with people who support me and challenge me to be authentic.

I have recommended the Personal Best courses to many, many people and am grateful that the Personal Best team is there, and that I had the courage and wisdom to step up!

Thanks for the opportunity to say thanks again. 

Luanne Whitmarsh, Personal Freedom Program Grad, 2005

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Marie Belanger grew up in home that operated from fear.

 “It was a stability and safety based home where - you never get something for nothing, you work hard your entire life at a J.O.B and retire when you're 65, you keep everything and never get rid of anything because you never know when you'll need it and if you don't need it, maybe the neighbour will.”

That upbringing carved Marie into a dutiful mother and wife, afraid to take risks and live up to her full potential.

When Marie walked through the doors of Personal Best, she was no stranger to Personal Development.  She had read books, even taken some courses on personal growth.  Yet the businesswoman and mother to four small children was not happy. 

“I was completely involved in the small stuff and I NEVER took time for myself.  I would go for haircuts once or twice a year.  I couldn't bother to take the time and they cost way too much,” Marie said.

“I would have to say that the negative core belief I held about myself was that my role as a mother was nothing.  In my mind I understand the importance of motherhood - that I'm on a quest to raise amazing, intelligent, happy children that can make the world a better place and understand and live their amazing potential, but in my eyes I was 'just a mom'.  As if it was nothing really.”

This limiting belief had a disastrous effect on Marie’s life.

“I was unhappy in my marriage, consumed with the little things; like how long the laundry sat on my couch and how big Mount Polyester (the laundry pile) was.  I rarely, if ever, took care of myself.  I was terribly overweight and extremely unhappy with my body image.  I had tried and failed for the past three years to do something about the weight (or so I'd told myself) but it just refused to release itself from my body.”

Through her journey in the Personal Freedom courses, Marie transformed before everyone’s eyes.

“Level One, Truth Revealed, was a real eye opener to the fact that in order to take care of everyone else, I have to take care of myself first.”  This meant that Marie began taking time for herself.  “I fill the bathtub to the top when I take a 'time out for me' bath!  I use bubbles, candles, music and a good book!”    

Level Two, Pure Potential, allowed Marie to see that she was just watching her life pass her by.

“I realized that in order for me to fully participate in my own life, I actually have to be fully present in my life.  I have to be willing to stretch, and I realized I could expand my context and still meet my own moral standards. I also realized that I am not as co-dependent on my family as I used to be.  I am an independent woman with interdependent relationships.”

“In Level Three, Infinite Possibilities, although at times it was frustrating, I had to trust the process.  So it is in life - although at times it is frustrating and things aren't moving like I think they should be, there is no need to micro manage and control every situation.”

Since completing the Personal Freedom curriculum, Marie has released 45 lbs from her body, her husband and kids are happy, and she is about to embark on her greatest stretch to date—moving to Panama! 

“Selling our home, liquidating our assets, giving up everything I've worked for, and moving to Panama goes against every belief that has been pounded into me since birth.  I know that we have made this decision guided by the universe (spirit) and know from the bottom of my being that this is what we're supposed to do. I know that God will not have me sell everything, go against all my childhood beliefs, and move my family to another country without providing something for us.  I know that He would not have us sacrifice everything and leave us to our own means - He will provide and we will survive and we will come out on top.”

Marie, though deeply religious, says she never would have been able to trust the Universe to take her to Panama and follow her dreams when she began the process in September of 2005, however, things have changed.

”Now, my marriage is great - my husband had a difficult time with the Personal Best process and me having to take time away from the family, but now, things are great - he realizes that in order for me to even consider Panama as a possibility, I needed to complete PB and grow and understand that life is bigger than my front door.”

“I now value myself as a woman and a person.  I know that I am loved and loving.  I know that I am worthy of love and worthy of everything the world has to offer.  I know that I am a great friend - that I am there if anyone needs me and that I have friends that are there for me.  I am so clear about my path in life and know where I'm going - may not necessarily know how I'm going to get there but know that the path will be there if I just ask for it. I use the processing questions all the time and look at what is serving me and not serving me in my life.  My relationship with my husband is great - we communicate and I love the fact that I speak to be understood and listen to understand.  And if I don't - I clarify.”

Now I realize that I am first, a daughter of God.  Second, a woman that has qualities and gifts to offer that are appreciated and needed by the world.  Third, a wife that lifts and supports and will do whatever needs be to keep the relationship together and make it work, willing to risk all that I have in order to allow him to take a risk and grow himself.”

Not bad for woman who considered herself, “just a mom,” nine short months ago.

Marie Belanger, Personal Freedom Program Graduate

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Before attending the Personal Freedom Program Courses I was angry and frustrated at the world and my perception of what had been done to me caused me to play the victim role.  I was playing the martyr and poor me, life sucks.  I was allowing the things in my life to have negative results because I wasn’t good enough.

Once I attended Personal Best Level One Truth Revealed, it increased my awareness and confirmed that I was on the right track of wanting and deserving more from my life.  I became 100% committed to my life, realizing I am the cause of my results in life.  I made the shift from playing the victim to being accountable; poor me to I create it; sitting back to taking action.  People who knew me before Personal Best and saw me after said that I had done a complete 180.  I have become a positive, energetic, joyful, optimistic, courageous, enthusiastic, inspirational, forward thinking person with increased awareness.   

The day I completed Personal Best Level 3: Infinite Possibilities, I set the goal that I would be traveling in Australia in one year on a working holiday visa.  I took action and I quit my job, moved back home to Saskatchewan to spend time with my family, I got the job there that I wanted in order to save money for my trip, and I improved and strengthened my relationships with my family. 

Exactly one year to the day of finishing the Personal Freedom Program, I landed in Sydney, Australia to travel on my own.  I traveled for 10 months while working and traveling in Australia and traveling in New Zealand and Malaysia.  I lived each day one at a time and I shared the real me with others. While traveling I chose to be all that I knew I could be with no regrets!  During the trip, I conquered a lot of fears because I felt the fear and did it anyway!  I was able to recognize the right path for me to take and go in that direction.  I was able to check things off my list that I want to do in my lifetime!  I created a goal poster in Personal Best Level 3 and all things on it came to fruition in the following year of my life, it was amazing!

In the last several years since my return from overseas, I have been working on being honest in relationships and asking for what I want and need from myself and others.  And I continue to make a conscious effort to live it!  In career, I worked hard at my Mary Kay business with intention, determination, and perseverance to earn my first Mary Kay car in 2004.  Since then, the tools I have learned in Personal Best have assisted me in taking the steps to quit a job that was toxic to my health and in a field I was not passionate about.  Those tools assisted me in having the courage to launch my own health and wellness business in Calgary (Hershmiller Wellness “Mind, Body, Spirit”).  I have returned to my love of fitness, health, wellness and I am assisting people to be all that they were created to be.  It is because of my Personal Best tools, affirmations, and meaningful words in music that I was able to walk toward a path that was meant to be for me even though it included challenges. 

Of course, I have some ups and downs as the years go by in my life.  Because of Personal Best I have more tools to keep me grounded and to get me back to center when I’m on the roller coaster of life.  My highs are higher and last longer and my lows are not as low and don’t last as long.  I know that I am good enough and I am deserving of all the good things that were created for my life.  It has given me the strength and courage to follow my heart and make the tough decisions at times when it would be easy to turn and go the other way or not move at all.

I appreciate and I am grateful for each day I have on earth.  I am willing to share myself with others and keep my heart open to new opportunities and unexpected challenges that allow me to learn new lessons and knowing that everything happens for a reason.  Through the Personal Best tools, principles and my faith, I have been able to discover my purpose in life!  I understand that my purpose is very dynamic and it occurs daily in my work and other subtle ways in my daily life!  My purpose in life is to assist myself and others in being the best human being that we were created to be.  I will do this through serving myself and others with humility, love, passion, joy, peace, compassion, optimism, enthusiasm, athleticism, courage, honesty, sincerity, positive energy, cheerfulness, friendliness, and inspiration!

Marla Hershmiller, Personal Freedom Program Grad, 2001

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I was introduced to Personal Best Seminars as a result of an information session. I signed up for the Personal Freedom Program out of general interest, not quite knowing what to expect, and with no pre-conceived notions about what value I'd receive from it.

Shortly after enrolling, I experienced a personal calamity, the likes of which I had never experienced. It was at that time that I realized that everything happens for a purpose, and I was able to work things through.

I listened intently throughout the course, completing all three levels of the Personal Freedom Program in the period of one year. I credit Personal Best for being able to open my eyes to the endless opportunities which were mine, just for the taking. I embarked on a real estate career, and have consistently out-performed most of Realtors in the city. I constantly reminded myself through-out this phase, of the lessons I had learned, and opened up my own real estate brokerage within three years.  I am now acting as Associate Broker and Assistant Manager at Calgary's largest real estate firm!

There is no doubt in my mind that Personal Best provided me with the motivation and insight to be able to tackle every challenge enthusiastically in order to overcome even the most overwhelming obstacles. The course has taught me to accept what is, and move forward. I highly recommend the course to everyone.  The benefits will reveal themselves proportionately to your participation level, and has truly a life altering long-term results.

Mike Leibel Personal Freedom Program Grad, 2001

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Two months after losing her young mother to cancer and moving to Calgary from Nova Scotia by herself, Nanda Macneil was a lost soul, yearning for connection and answers. She asked the universe for a sign, some guidance as to what she should do. 

One day, while on her way to the health food store, she came across a large brick building with a sign out front that read “Personal Best Seminars.”
“I definitely believe the law of attraction helped me find Personal Best. The sign spoke to me, so I called and set up an appointment to speak with a coach.” That step was a catapult to a new journey for Nanda.

Before taking Personal best, Nanda was no stranger to personal development. As a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Nanda teaches a mind, body and spirit approach to wellness. This incorporates affirmations, self-esteem and in general, personal growth. Though Nanda was teaching self-love, acceptance and self-care, she was unable to apply her knowledge to herself.

" 'We teach what we need to learn' is a profound quote by Gloria Steinem that hit my heart deeply,” says Nanda. “I was struggling with my own self worth for so very long, striving for perfection and never reaching it and  that gave me permission to continue to self loathe. To see beauty in all the other women in my life and fail to recognize my own beauty and power was very sad.”

Nanda believes that identifying her limiting beliefs truly set her free.

”I was unable to get to the root of my limiting beliefs. Personal Best took me deep into myself to fully understand and accept who and where I was and that was beautiful,” said Nanda.

Since taking Personal best, Nanda has been able to truly practice what she preaches.

“I am more accountable, compassionate to myself and forgiving of my mistakes that were burdening my heart for so long. I am working very hard to own my power and beauty...WITHOUT CONDITIONS. To see myself as perfectly flawed and to embrace all the gifts I have been given. I believe this has made me more powerful and credible in my career and fueled my passion and purpose to be of service to help other women recognize their own beauty.”
Not only has Nanda’s career flourished, but her personal life has undergone a complete makeover as well.

“During my journey through Personal Best I gave myself permission to express myself fully, with a range of emotions and allowed myself to go through the grieving process over my mother. I have made friends that I will cherish for the rest of my life and soul connections that cannot be explained with mere words.”

“I feel my mother was guiding me here to meet the people I have met in Personal Best and to learn the tools which helped me to enrich my life, heal my hurts and to laugh again.”

Nanda’s healing process extended to her eight-year relationship with the love of her life, Kris. Though she left him behind when she moved to Calgary, she realized that he had never left her heart.

“Through the process, I began to understand my broken relationship with a man I dearly loved, but that I felt couldn't be mended. Now we have reunited, and with a better understanding of myself and my role, I can communicate and love fully. We are working hard to love deeper, understand better and to surrender to the love that never faded. We are planning a wedding for May of 2007, and I am more excited now than ever to make our love official.”

Nanda’s husband-to-be has been very impressed by the growth he sees in his future bride. “He has seen such wonderful changes in me that he as well plans to take Personal Best...and there isn't a better gift you can give to yourself or to someone you love

Nanda Macneil, Personal Freedom Program Grad

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Before I completed the Personal Freedom Program I was working in a job I “believed” I loved. I believed I deserved it and I believed I was doing a good job at it. I now know that my unworthiness belief was in operation – big time!  When we did the video at the beginning of Personal Best Level 3: Infinite Possibilities I stated that I loved my job. When we saw the video at the end of the course I didn’t even look like the same person, never mind believing that I loved my job.  I realized somewhere in the middle of Level 3 that I really didn’t like my job, the people I worked with, or even the place that I worked. I shifted my thinking to blessing my job, the people I worked with and even the building I was in and believing that I could and would have a better job that I was passionate about and that wasn’t really a “job”. I even asked that this particular organization be included in our fundraising efforts.

During the shift I knew that I needed to move on and the opportunity to apply for a new position came up within a month of completing the Personal Freedom Program, I applied and within a week was hired.

I now work as a Mothers-to-be Mentor for women who are at high risk of having babies affected by alcohol. I love, love, love what I do and believe that I am in the right place doing the right thing, finally.  Before Personal Best I never dreamed of doing anything even remotely like this  - now I can do anything!!

Tracey Knowlton, Personal Freedom Program Grad, 2004

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