May Cause Miracles- An Experiment in Woo-Woo

​This week is my fifth week pursuing this project. The project has many goals but one of the personal ones is to turn my crippling insecurity/ chronic overthinking into a journey of self-reflection and betterment. I listen to self-improvement podcasts and read books on the subject constantly, but this is really the first time I am putting philosophies into action. In the self-development world there are many, many different opinions and many opposing views. There’s Gary Vee, who advocates for scrapping a personal life and just working hard all of the time, his is a sleep-when-you’re-dead philosophy. There’s Arianna Huffington, whose Thrive philosophy puts an emphasis on self-care and sleep, in addition to hustling and working hard (according to Huffington, Thrive is not a laid-back place to work). Then, there are thinkers like Gabrielle Bernstein, who are a little more new-age, or as I prefer to call it, Woo-Woo. It’s more fun to say. Gabrielle Bernstein is relatable in that she looks and sounds like a friend. She makes very abstract, new-age concepts easily consumable. She’s like the Real Housewives version of Deepak Chopra. I love Real Housewives, and I love Gabby.
 
SO. I am reading (OK Ok I’m listening to it on Audible) her book May Cause Miracles: A 40-Day Guidebook of Subtle Shifts for Radical Change and Unlimited Happiness. A warning here: Gabby Bernstein is very woo-woo. There is a lot of talk of surrendering to the universe, trusting God, surrendering to love, choosing love- so if you are a super skeptic, this book is probably not for you. However, if you grew up with religion and religious ideas around you, you like yoga and meditation and believe in the power of energy and the universe- you will probably get a lot out of a book like this. Even the reminder just to soften your language (I will force myself to do xyz vs I will encourage myself to do xyz) can make a huge difference in mindset. Obviously, every day is a struggle, which is why it is great to work with a 40 -day guide where you check in every day and make positive thinking a habit.
 
I am only on day two. Here are what the first two days of this practice have looked like:

1. Witness your fear. We pick up fear-based thoughts in the past, carry them with us into the present and project them onto the future. On this day, we keep this in mind and explore how we are committed to our fears, and how those fears are triggered, what feelings come up when we are experiencing our fears, and how our fears alter our behaviour.
2. Become willing to let go and connect with your inner guide. Commit to seeing situations that come up on this day differently and choosing to see them with love instead of fear (I know, Woo-Woo, but seriously impactful!)

 
My findings so far are pretty personal and I don’t want to share them on this platform (while they are personal, they’re not unique: Body image! Work! Romantic relationships!) but reach out to me if you’re curious.
 
I’ll check back in with this plan, and feel free to join me- maybe you’ll experience a miracle!
 
Episode 5 of Imposter, interrupted is also up today- I interview Annick Routhier Labadie, an entrepreneur who specializes in Diversity & Inclusion consultancy, developmental coaching, and facilitation. She’s an athlete who won a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford (nbd), worked in STEM and has created a great life for herself working in the service of others. Give it a listen!