My Spiritual Awakening Story

My Spiritual Awakening Story

Personal Story
I was sitting cross-legged in my childhood bedroom with my eyes closed. Sarah Small’s voice guided me into a meditative state from her IG live.  As she instructed us to allow our breath to release in a loud sigh, I heard a strange whisper emanate from my own mouth. “Aaaay a watana, eh oowawata na.”Strange, I tried to bring my focus back to my breath, but on the next exhale, the sound was even louder, “oohay anaash sheeee quamala seta ana." My eyes popped open, completely leaving the meditative state to look around me. But no one was there. My heart was racing. I had no idea this was the start of my spiritual awakening story. I closed my eyes again and the voice began coming from my mouth in an…
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Why I Deleted Facebook and Instagram

Why I Deleted Facebook and Instagram

Lifestyle
Even though I used to feel like my business depended on them Originally Posted on Medium Kayla Douglas Oct 18 · 3 min read Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash “What happened?” Was the most asked question I got as I revealed to people time after time that I would be removing myself from Facebook and Instagram. But nothing happened. Nobody was stalking me or threatening me, and I am not trying to make a political statement by boycotting, I’m sure no one misses me enough for that. So are you wondering the real reason why I deleted Facebook and Instagram? It’s Not What you Think Everyone wants to hear the tale of the last straw, the one that pushed me over the edge and honestly there is no tale to tell. Facebook and Instagram used…
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How to Accept a Chronic Diagnosis

How to Accept a Chronic Diagnosis

Mindset
I see it over and over again. We fight to get a diagnosis from a doctor and then we have no idea how to accept the diagnosis. We wanted validation that what we were experiencing was real. But we didn't know how much baggage was going to come with it. (more…)
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Shifting Perspectives to be Happier Now

Shifting Perspectives to be Happier Now

Mindset
Sometimes I can only see from one perspective. I have a belief and I think my way is the truth. But when I become open to shifting perspectives, I can be happier with where I'm at, without changing my outside circumstances. ⁠For example, I thought the town I grew up close to was an ugly town. I don't like the college associated with it, maybe because I went to its rival school or maybe I was just wearing the wrong color lenses growing up and made these judgements about it. ⁠Either way, it was a place I dreaded visiting and never hesitated to complain about. How I Saw "Home"⁠ When I tell people where I'm from, they have never heard of it unless I mention the nearby university, and then…
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On Being Unf***withable

On Being Unf***withable

Mindset
I am consistently hearing people talk about being fuckwithable. Sure, they don't use that word, but they say things like, "You make me so mad! " or "This makes me feel sad. or "I know he is just a guy from Tinder, but I still obsess over why he hasn't texted me in 3 hours!" In many cases, people are handing over control of their emotions to other human beings. When you say, "you make me feel.." you are giving power to someone else, whether you realize it or not. That means you have the option to take back the control. In the case of someone not calling us back, we know rationally that the reaction is silly. But maybe we don't feel in control of changing it. There are…
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Are you authentic?

Are you authentic?

Mindset
And what does it mean? “Who are you?” I was asked that question in an interview on Monday. I fumbled a lot because I have this definition of WHO I am, but I didn’t feel like it was the answer my interviewer was looking for. What did I say? I answered that I was a life coach, an American living in Myanmar, a former ESL teacher, and a person with narcolepsy and chronic migraine. Why? The interview was for a volunteer position with the Migraine World Summit, so that’s what seemed relevant. We’ve been trained to show the sides of us that make us most qualified for a position in life, to get the job. Even though I know better, my training kicked in, and I said what I had…
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What Can You Expect from my Life Coach Packages?

What Can You Expect from my Life Coach Packages?

Life Coaching
Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexel The 8-week program: Some of you may be overestimating what you can do with my 8-week life coach package, and others might be underestimating it. It all depends on your perspective and your experience. Of course, we will tailor the life coach package to your needs, and we can focus it down if you want a shorter life coach package like the 4-week option. So let me break down the components of my life coach package. Make a decision to change. The first thing I need is your commitment. Without that, there is no reason to continue forward with the coaching relationship. Tony Robbins says, "Change happens when the pain of staying the same is GREATER than the pain of change." If you are there, let's talk about…
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What’s a Life Coach?

What’s a Life Coach?

Life Coaching
And will they make my dreams come true? Life coaches are not fairies that can grant wishes. Sorry, if that’s all you wanted to know you can stop reading here. We have all heard about people who win the lottery and end up broke and depressed. If a life coach could hand you your dream, you may end up like those winners. Would you like to know why? For most of us, success is determined by having a role or responsibility in reaching our goal. There is no joy without progress. If the results are handed to you, you are at the top, and you played no part in getting there. Then the only way to go is down! You can’t replicate the process that got you to the top.…
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What is a life coach?

What is a life coach?

Lifestyle, Mindset
First I will tell you what a life coach is not; it is not a therapist.  Most do not have a degree in counseling or psychology.  If they do, they have left the profession to be a life coach for a reason. Life coaches should have some kind of training.  I am a Certified Life Coach.  In addition, I am a practitioner of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).     Life Coaches Help you Shift Your Perspective A life coach will challenge you to look at things from different perspectives. They will question your actions, and the goals you claim to have. They will help you narrow down what is helping you move forward in life and what is holding you back. The goal is to…
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Choosing Life

Choosing Life

Personal Story
Choosing life didn't even feel like an option when I was depressed...  One morning I heard my alarm ringing. I buried my head under the pillow, like covering my head in cotton would make the day dissipate. My roommate threw a book at my legs to get my attention. I regretted that the sound was also disturbing her rest, so I sat up and turned it off.  As I hunkered there below the ceiling taking shallow breaths, exasperated before even leaving my lofted bed, I vowed to myself this wouldn’t go on much longer. I was 18 years old, and for the previous months, I had been applying to colleges. But I didn’t see myself [caption id="attachment_976" align="alignright" width="225"] This was me in April 2010[/caption] there. I didn’t see myself…
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Narcolepsy Coaching

Narcolepsy Coaching

Mindset
Narcolepsy Coaching is a new concept.  Interested in finding out what it's all about? Are you tired of feeling tired?  Do you dream of waking up and feeling like you slept? Is your goal to get out of bed with purpose and not snooze your alarm? Do you wonder how much of your fatigue is normal, and how much is because you are living with narcolepsy? If any of these apply to you, then you are in the right place. [caption id="attachment_317" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Me in awe of a beach in Tanzania, 2017[/caption] What do I want to offer? I want to help you get from just coping with your symptoms, to living your best life.  Sure, I recognize there is no narcolepsy cure (although I try to keep up…
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Breaking up with Keto – Stopping the Ketogenic Diet

Breaking up with Keto – Stopping the Ketogenic Diet

Mindset, Personal Story
So, I've got a theory about stopping the ketogenic diet.  It is a theory that I am ready to test out; my mind is more powerful than my body.  You see, my whole life I've worked to try to fix my body, trying to do things to it to make it better, to change it.  For as long as I can remember, I have fought with my body. Today I've decided to surrender. Narcolepsy My parents and I searched for something to explain my insurmountable sleepiness and lack of energy. When I was about 13 years old, I was diagnosed with narcolepsy.   Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that disturbs the sleep-wake cycle.  But little did I know, its more than just feeling sleepy.  I took that diagnosis and wrapped it…
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Give Yourself Permission to Rest

Give Yourself Permission to Rest

Mindset
How many of us feel guilty when we can't do all that we think we should do? Why put yourself second? I don’t think you have to have an illness to have this experience. Whether it’s commitments at work, with your friends, or with yourself, sometimes you just aren’t up for what you have planned.  Most of us tend to cut out what we planned to do for ourselves to not let others down. Self-Care Benefits Everyone But if we don't take care of ourselves, we won't be at our best to do our jobs or to be a good friend.  PWNs (People with Narcolepsy) may be able to relate to this scenario: You go out with your friends when you are too tired. Later you have almost no recollection…
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