A Special Treat: Author Judith Orloff and Emotional Freedom

2 Higher Ground is proud to be a stop on Author Judith Orloff's Blog Tour for her book, Emotional Freedom. Please take a moment to read over some information about her wonderful book. We hope this will be a useful resource for our readers! Thanks to Judith for stopping by!




“Emotional Freedom is a must-read for anyone who's tired
of feeling frustrated, lonely, or stopped by fear."
-Deepak Chopra


I'd like to tell you about my friend and colleague Judith Orloff MD - a UCLA psychiatrist and a pioneer who bridges mainstream medicine with intuition, energy medicine, and spirituality. She invites you on a remarkable journey where you can embrace more happiness and mastery over negativity than you may have ever known. Our world is in the midst of a meltdown. She describes how to stay intuitively and spiritually centered in our times.

Dr. Orloff celebrates the exciting paperback launch of her New York Times bestseller Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself from Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life. She is treating you to an incredible one-time book-launch offer with special gifts from herself and friends such as Dr. Daniel Amen, Dr. Joan Borysenko, Dr. Michael Beckwith, and more!

To purchase the book and receive your "Celebrate Joy" special gift collection go to:
http://www.drjudithorloff.com/emotional-freedom-paperback/

In Emotional Freedom Dr. Orloff states:
“I’m presenting the unique process I use with patients and in my own life to view emotions as a path to spiritual and intuitive awakening (not EFT). I synthesize traditional medicine with energy medicine to offer you new tools to master emotions and become heroes in your own life. Inner peace leads to outer peace in the world.”

Publisher's Weekly’s review of Emotional Freedom says:“Superbly written..Dr. Orloff regards emotions as a training ground for the soul, and views ‘every victory over fear, anxiety, and resentment as a way to develop your spiritual muscles.’”






Check out these great videos:


Overcoming Negativity – Part 1 of 3 – Dr Orloff Interview - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSRUmR1tBNo







How to Stop Absorbing Other’s Energy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oyap0KBouP0








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Wonderful Women...where are you?

Once again, I am putting together this year's calendar for our Wonderful Woman spotlights! If you write, sing, paint, or otherwise create, please consider becoming a Wonderful Woman spotlight! If you own a business, coach people, or are an advocate of any kind and want people to know more about your cause, please let me know. If you have something that you would like to give away such as a book or cd, that is also wonderful!

The spotlight is just a few paragraphs about you and all that you do along with a giveaway of some kind. Starting in March, we'll have some great things lined up here at 2 Higher Ground. Get on board with us! E-mail me for more information on becoming one of our Wonderful Women!

Thanks,
Rebecca

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Good Morning, Ladies and Gentlemen!

2 Higher Ground is ready to serve this morning! God has spoken to us and He has put it on our hearts here at 2HG to start asking the women around us what they need to get them to the next level. What is holding you back today? For this holiday season, we want your donations of the following items so that we can help women start the new year off right. From now through January 31st, we will be looking for your donations to help us empower women so that they can empower their children! We need:

$20 sponsors to help us build job search packages that will include: 1 book of stamps, stationary, writing utensils, and a thesaurus.

or

$50 sponsors to help us purchase printer cartridge refills and printer paper.

We are also asking for your old computers and/or laptops and printers! If they work, but they aren't necessarily useful to you anymore, please consider sending them our way! We are hoping to hook some of our women up with a way to write resumes, practice their typing skills, and get ready to make some positive changes in their lives. If you have the ability to help, please consider doing so this holiday season as we get 2 Higher Ground up and running so that we can start helping our ladies reach their maximum potential!

To make a donation, please contact us at 937-327-0881 or by e-mail. Or you can donate through Paypal right here on the site!

Thanks for your support!

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Greeting the New Year

As we leave 2009 behind, I am doing a lot of soul searching. This has been a year of ups and downs and many, many changes for me and for my family. 2010 is probably going to hold many more surprises for us. I hope that they are all good ones. Of the things I have learned this year, perhaps the most important thing I have learned is that we all have a purpose and if you let Him, God will help you to discover yours.

2 Higher Ground started as a blog meant to empower women to help one another succeed. Over the next several months, I'm going to be making some changes to this blog to include more on empowering both women and children to overcome the obstacles in their lives. We all make mistakes and we all encounter hardships. The important thing is that we learn from these and move on.

We will still be doing our Wonderful Woman spotlight in 2010 and I encourage you to send me your information if you are interested in being one of them. All you have to do is send me your bio, a summary of what it is that you do that helps you to empower other women and/or children, and send something that we can give away as a prize in our monthly drawing. For more information, please e-mail me.

I'm collecting links and suggestions for blogs that might be helpful to women and children. If you can think of anything else that we might want to include here, please e-mail me.

Lastly, I'd love to hear more about what has empowered you most during 2009. Was there a book, song or movie that meant alot to you this year? Or did a special person make a difference in your life? If you have a story that you would like to share here on the blog, please send your submission to me here by December 30th so that I can get them posted by January 1st. I'll be picking five stories to share on the blog and sending a special gift to the women whose stories I post here.

I look forward to a great year here at 2 Higher Ground and hope that you will join me! Happy New Year!

Take care,
Rebecca


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You must check this out...

During one of my evening walks, I noticed a bright orange notecard sticking out of one of the information posts at the park. It said something like, "You are beautiful just the way you are." It wasn't signed, but it did include a web address, www.operationbeautiful.com. I checked it out and as it happens, this website is all about leaving random messages that boost women's self-esteem posted in public places. The objective is to put an end to "fat talk" and to help women see the beauty that all of us possess regardless of our size. If you have a moment, please check out this website. It's a great idea and a wonderful effort that is in keeping with our philosophy here at 2 Higher Ground.

The Operation Beautiful initiative gave me a great idea. Send me your pictures of the Wonderful Women in your life along with a couple of sentences about why this woman is special to you. Send them to me here at 2 Higher Ground and I will post them on the blog! I look forward to your e-mails!

Have a Wonderful day!


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Women of Wisdom: Special Blog Tour Stop

It's an honor for 2 Higher Ground to be a stop on the Women of Wisdom book tour:
Women of Wisdom is a journey through sixteen years of one of the largest women’s spirituality conferences in the world, a very unique conference that has impacted thousands of women’s lives. Authors Jean Houston and Margot Anand both exclaimed separately to me – “Kris there is nothing like this in the world” – and they have traveled around the world. The book will continue to impact women, as they experience the wisdom and gifts of the sixty contributors in the book.

The Women of Wisdom book gives women access to powerful, inspiring women leaders and their message for women to step into their power, own their feminine gifts, and learn to speak their truths. WOW provides role models who will inspire women to discover their dreams and their purpose.

Additionally the book shares stories from women whose lives have been changed by experiencing these women’s messages. Evocative art, poetry and experiential exercises enhance the book’s message, providing diverse ways to experience the spirit of the feminine.

Included in the book is my own story of how I started Women of Wisdom, which has been an empowering story for women to hear. My story began with reading The Feminine Face of God, by Patricia Hopkins and Sherry Anderson. Shortly afterwards I had a vision of bringing these spiritual women leaders to Seattle. And I immediately set that in motion at Seattle Unity Church, where I was a board member.

I realized this was something more than just a conference when I welcomed people at the first night of the conference, February 11, 1993, and I stated “Welcome to the First Annual Women of Wisdom Conference.” It has become a movement for women to come together in community and explore their potential, and to honor and support one another. This conference has continued to grow and be strong for seventeen years now and that is a testimony to the power of the vision, and the importance of women realizing the value of their unique gifts to share with the world.

In 1998 I realized I had a wealth of material in the tapes of the talks from these nationally known best selling authors and that they would make a great book. I had a dream to share this with other women. I would get phone calls and emails from women asking me if there was an organization like WOW in their city. Not everyone has the luxury to travel to conferences and experience life changing conferences and this book will provide that opportunity to many women.

In addition, the powerful women who participated at the conference in different ways – artists, musicians, writers, local presenters and WOW leaders – would contribute to make this book a holistic experience of exploring the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of being a woman, giving the reader the full conference experience.

The women’s movement has led women to evolve to such heights as running for the presidency of
the United States. However in workshops I have given women have shared how isolated they feel. They don’t feel honored in society for their feminine gifts and how they don’t feel comfortable or safe speaking what they feel, what’s inside their hearts, whether it be in the workplace, home or other. In sharing women’s stories in the book, women will relate to their experiences and gain strength and support through the validation of the feminine that is expressed in the book.

Many of the authors in the book share how there is a lack of balance of the feminine in our world, and how we’re at a critical time where women need to become equal partners towards creating the solutions to the many crisis facing our globe. Jean Houston shares her experience of Women of Wisdom in the foreword of the book:

“Women of Wisdom is in the forefront of the biggest change in human history – the only change that will assure our continuity as a species. Those who organize and participate in the Women of Wisdom experience, know that for a new world to be born we have to bring a new mind to bear. Critical to this is the rich mind style of women that has been gestating in the womb of preparatory time, lo, these many millennia. In their ebullient and evocative conferences WOW demonstrates a tremendous change in who we are and how we do things.”

”Playing their part to usher in feminine mind, WOW emphasizes process rather than just product, and making things cohere, relate, and grow. Cultures in which the feminine archetype is powerful are almost always non-heroic, they tend to make things work together, each piece has its part to play.”

“Men and women will be released from the old polarities of gender that force them into limited and limiting roles, and qualities of intelligence will be added to the human mind-pool that will render most previous problem solving obsolete. Linear, sequential solutions will yield to the knowing that comes from seeing things in whole gestalts, in constellations, rather than in discrete fact…. And it will ring an ecological ethic, along with a new partnership between men and women, in which the human acts in concert and in partnership with Nature to bring about more symbiotic ecological relationships.”


Women of Wisdom book offers solutions and ways to manage these problems

The WOW book addresses these problems and gives women hope for the future as they learn it is important to:

• Speak their minds
• Become leaders
• Share their stories
• Follow their dreams
• Find a balance of work, families and friends, and take care of themselves.
• Honor their feminine gifts

We all know the story of putting on your air mask in an airplane first so that you are able to help your child. It is important for women to support other women in their growth, in their choices of careers, and that it’s time to stop feeling the need to compete with each other. But first women must develop an awareness of their own personal issues and fears and what stops them from becoming the leader of their own lives.

We are conditioned to look outside of ourselves for the answers to these problems that we face in our lives. This book will draw the reader inside, to discover the answers to their issues, their problems that seem overwhelming. The book takes them on a journey in search of the person and dreams they left behind; dreams they may have had as a teenager or college student.

The audience that is drawn to this book desires a safe avenue to explore and take that inward journey and they want support. WOW offers support as a conference and will continue to do so as a book, reaching thousands more people. The book gives suggestions on how to find and open the door into that journey. By reading the stories of other women, they will gain the insight as to how they might change their life. They will be inspired to begin the changes they seek towards a fulfilling life. Women desire to connect with other women, but may not know how. This book will open them to look at the possibilities and their potential, by finding women to connect with, whether it’s women they read about on the pages, or women in their neighborhoods, at work or in their life. This book will be the catalyst to begin that soulful journey.

***********************************************************************************

We invite you to go to this page - www.wisewomanpublishing.com/womenofwisdom.html - to access the order page and then go back to this page and enter your order confirmation code and your email address. That will take you to the sign up page for the Women of Wisdom enewsletter, once you join the WOW book group you will be sent an email with a link to the bonus gifts that are available to people who buy the book today. You can later opt out of being on the Women of Wisdom newsletter list if you choose.




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Acknowledgement

Just the other day, my sister and I were taking a walk and we saw these two ladies practicing a belly dancing routine right out in the middle of the park. They were doing a great job and my sister said to me, "I think I need to say something to them. I should let them know that it's great to see women out doing things like this." I asked her what she meant by this and she said that you just don't see women being so free and self-confident out in public. I thought about this for a bit and decided that most women probably don't feel comfortable enough with themselves to let themselves be happy. This got me to thinking about how important it is to let the women in our lives know when they have made a positive impact on us and that their presence and involvement in our lives is very much welcomed and appreciated.

It then occurred to me that this just doesn't happen enough. When we are asked who our role models are, we often cite famous people in history. As I think about my life, however; I cannot credit famous people with truly motivating me to be a better person or helping me understand that I deserve to be happy. Yes, there are famous people who definitely inspired me, but they weren't able to have the kind of impact on me that friends and family have had, yet I've not always been as quick to publicly acknowledge the women I know in real life. For me, the list includes a number of teachers and a few other ladies who played a big part in my life at crucial moments. My list is below:

Susan Samuels
Linda Stephens
Joan Butz
Barbara Czestochowa
Anne Dunn
Cheryl Eresman

These are just a few of the women who have made a lasting impact on me and I would like to take this opportunity to say a public, "Thanks," to them.

As you think about your own list of role models today, who would you include? Would it be your neighbor from down the street? How about that nice lady at your church or even your third grade teacher? Take a moment and let them know this today. It will mean so much.

As for the two ladies in the park, my sister did take the time to talk with them and let them know how nice it was to see them out practicing their routine. They told her that they were getting ready for a show that they had to do and that they were very nervous about it. She told them that they were great and they seemed very relieved that we genuinely wanted to compliment their efforts. Lift each other up as much as possible. If we don't do this, who will?

Take care!



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Monica Marie Jones-Commitment to Self (The Second Installment of the Commitment Series)

I'm reposting this from one of my friends at Facebook. It's a great piece on taking care of yourself. Enjoy!

Recent events in my life and an interesting quote prompted me to contemplate commitment. Today I find myself at yet another Monday promising myself that I will recommit to taking better care of myself. I’d fooled myself into believing that I was doing so because I work out at least five days a week….but then why is it that I continue to gain weight, experience hair breakage, and lack the spark and motivation that I once had?

I came to the conclusion that my fitness is for others and not myself. Let me explain…

I teach kickboxing four days a week and I meet with personal training clients on the days that I do not teach. Working out has become and obligation and a service that I do for the benefit of others, so the focus is on all of the people that I am helping and not on me. I sit back and watch as all of my students and clients lose weight and get healthier while my weight stays the same or increases. The bottom line is that I am no longer intentional about fitness for myself. My body has become immune to the workouts that I do for others because I can control it to the point where it is not as challenging for me as it is for them. I don’t take out specific intentional and planned time to focus on my own fitness goals.

To what extent does our commitment to others affect or take away from our commitment to ourselves. You may find that you go out of your way to make sure that your significant other, children and friends are happy, but at what expense? Something has to give and quite often the price is our own health and happiness. We place our wants, needs and goals on the back burner so that someone else can realize their dreams. This may also be the case with your job, career or business.

Ask yourself these questions…

When was the last time you did something just for you?

When was the last time you bought yourself a new outfit?

How often do you treat yourself to a new haircut, pedicure, manicure or massage?

When was the last time you took a long, hot, relaxing bath or read a good book?

Do you feel guilty doing things for yourself?


If it’s been more than a month, you can’t remember, or you answered yes to the last question, then you too suffer from fear of commitment…to yourself.


How do we find that healthy balance between loving and helping others without sacrificing ourselves?
This brings to mind a quote that was told to me by a high school friend that had wisdom beyond her years. She said,


“Don’t be selfish with yourself.”



Now let me point out a few things that happen as a result of us being selfish with ourselves and putting others first.

We continue to do that thing that we know deep down we really don’t want to do. As a result, resentment begins to slowly grow. When resentment sets in, we are no longer doing that thing with a joyful heart. From there we begin to have contempt for that person or thing and we get to a boiling point that they did not even see coming. Now we want to quit or leave. Consequently, we end up causing this person or situation more harm than good. We have now become a hindrance instead of a help. When we make ourselves the martyr in such situations we are exhibiting false humility because we know we really don’t want to suffer like this.

I challenge you to make a commitment to yourself that parallels a romantic relationship. Start slowly with the courtship phase. Get to know yourself better, do nice things for yourself, and become your own best friend. The next step is engagement. Take the first step toward lifelong changes by committing to taking good care of yourself forever. Buy yourself a ring if you have to. Engage in activities that add value to your life. Join a church, surround yourself with positive people, join a gym or come up with a fitness plan that works for you, take a class on a subject or for a skill that you truly love. Start putting things in place that will lead to a lifetime of fulfillment.

Next is marriage. Align yourself with things, people, environments and circumstances that nurture your soul. Make sure that you are equally yoked with what and whom you allow into your life. You don’t want the “Until death do us part” to be an untimely death because the undue stress has caused you to suffer from a heart attack. More and more people are suffering from stress induced heart attacks at younger ages because of the people and circumstances that they place themselves in. Think about it.

Today, take a moment to reflect on the dynamics of your life. What percentage of your daily activities are devoted to caring for and bettering yourself? Are you receiving your fair share of the love you are giving out? If not, adjust accordingly.



You can read more by this author by visiting her website:

http://www.monicamjones.com

Have a great day!


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Reflecting on Women's History Month

As March comes to a close, we need to take a moment to think about the women in our lives. Our mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts, grandmothers, friends, etc. are all people who influence us in ways that we may not even realize.

The mother whom you watched as you were growing up. The way she spoke to you, her messages to you helped you determine your worth and for better or worse, she helped shape you into the woman you are today. Even if we try all of our lives not to be like our mothers, chances are that we will often catch ourselves doing something just like our mothers would have done. It's human nature. As women, we reflect what we see in the important women in our lives.

What about the sister you watched grow up or the sister who took care of you as you grew up. Where do we learn our interactions with our friends or our boyfriends? Did you have a sister who always picked the wrong guy? The wrong job? Or even the wrong outfit? How is she doing today?

Your daughter, if you have one, will be looking to you in the same way you looked to your mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, etc. for guidance. What would you have her do? How would you direct her through these troubled times? What example would you want to set for her?

It is important that we never forget that other women need our help. Other women, even if they look like they have it all together, need each other to make it all make sense. Sometimes, in all of the struggle to be a good wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, etc. we get lost. This is the time to help the women in your life find themselves. If they are lost, help them get back on track. What will you do to empower a woman today?

Have a wonderful day!

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Greetings!

Hello, I haven't forgotten about you all. I've just been taking some time off to recover from a few medical issues. I wanted to check in, however, to let you know that I am working diligently to put together the book, Reaching Higher Ground! I've collected a number of stories from women around the country and am finally ready to start putting everything together. I'm hoping to be finished with it by the end of the summer.

Additionally, I've made some changes to the blog! Updates were long overdue!

As always, if you have suggestions for interviews or other content you would like to see here, please e-mail me! I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time...

An Interview with Author Tanya White!

I'm happy to have had the opportunity to interview Tanya White, author of How to Deal with a Difficult Woman. Tanya is the Communications Director for the Women’s Evangelical Network (W.E.N.) W.E.N. is a non-profit international organization that equips women to grow in their ministry by providing guidance through spiritual and intellectual development in their walk with Christ. Tanya also participates in other professional business organizations throughout her community. She is also a licensed minister.

Having many great influences and mentors such as her late parents, Joe and Erma White, Tanya attributes her birth as an author/writer to her life coach Valorie Burton who taught her to embrace vulnerability and to work on healing hurts of the past.

Tanya has a diverse educational background. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management-Human Resource concentration, Master of Arts Teaching-Learning and Behavior Disorders, Master of Science in Human Resource Training & Development. Some of Tanya’s life changing keynotes and interactive workshops address such relationship issues as Breaking The Happily Unhappy Cycle, Reject Rejection, Calmly Confronting Conflict and The Art Of Asking For What You Really Want. For full listing of keynotes and interactive workshops, please visit www.tanyawhite.com.

Bio information taken from www.tanyawhite.com.

And now, the interview:

1.What do you think are the most important skills for a woman to acquire? Self love, dedication and collaboration.

2. In what ways can women help one another overcome adversity? Be patient, compassionate, mentally put yourself in their predicament so that you can be more sensitive, tolerant, truthful and understanding.

3. In what ways do you see women impeding the progress of other women? Being jealous of one another. Jealousy provokes a domino affect other negative behaviors such as backbiting, sabotaging endeavors, malicious criticism, belittling, challenging your authority and professional knowledge, creating strife and chaos.

4. What has been your most important achievement as a woman? I have 3 important achievements-Discovering who I truly am despite others expectations or standards, loving the woman I am and am evolving into and pursing my purpose with passion.

5. Other than the obvious, what do you see as the biggest difference between men and women? Generally men are extremely focused on the end result of things. They have tunnel vision for executing a plan and usually the significance of the little things. Women are the complete opposite. We enjoy focusing in on the small details and are slower about getting to the end result. But men and women can find that happy medium of creating a “win-win” situation when both parties are willing to be patient with one another and adapt to the different personalities.

6. Who are your role models and why? Joe and Erma White, my late parents. My dad empowered his children before I even understood what empowerment was. My dad would always, “Listen to what I teach you because you have to learn to function when I am not here.” My siblings and I never wanted to hear him say that because we thought that he would be with us forever. But when he died in 1996, I understood exactly what he meant and appreciated his wisdom. My mother taught me and my sister what it truly meant to be a lady and carry ourselves with grace and genuine love for all people. Although growing up I thought they were strict and rebelled sometimes, there is nothing more that I cherish more than their wisdom and commitment to family. The strong foundation that I received from my parents during their short time on earth has had an everlasting affect on the way I live today.

7. What advice would you give to every young woman? First, I would encourage every young woman to invest the time to discover and love who they truly are. The more you know and love yourself the higher your self confidence and self esteem becomes. People will value you when you value yourself. Secondly, find out what your purpose is and pursue it daily with passion. Lastly, cherish the gift of goodbye. Do not hold on to dead situations or relationships because you are afraid of the unknown. When you do all these things you will live your life to the very fullest without shame or apology.

Be sure to visit Tanya's websites for more information about her book, How to Deal with a Difficult Woman!

www.tanyawhite.com
www.myspace.com/tanyawhiteky