Personal Mastery

Living by Magic

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

My primary influences as a child were Samantha Stevens and Morticia Addams. To my young girl self, they provided a reflection of my truest nature. I saw in them the power of independence and inner authority along with the magic that I knew was in me, despite what the world would say otherwise.
I’ve always known I was magic and that like Samantha, I had the power to bring forth what I needed seemingly by magic. It is only cultural conditioning that has caused me to doubt my magic, or to act in ways compliant with the rules of a world separated from its truest nature.


We are all magic. Magic is a function of our true nature. We are magic because our true nature is Divine. We are the living, breathing, physical manifestations of Source – that which some call God. It is only in our conditioned state of separation that we would believe otherwise.


I’m here to prove this conditioning wrong.


Magic is another word for Love. Divine Love. The Love that is the Source of all. The Love that is the intelligent force of the universe bringing forth infinite expressions of that Love. The Love that lives, and dwells within us and seeks to be known by us and lived in the world through us. The purpose of the human experience is to remember that Love and to experience the inherent magic that comes forth from us when we are aligned with Love.


The even greater truth is that Magic comes forth from us even when we are not aligned with Love. Love operates on a dimension beyond division. As such, even our fears, doubts, unhealed wounds, and past traumas cannot infringe on that which is intended by Love for our life’s unfolding. We are Love experiencing Love’s Self in the world through the unique expression of Love that we are. The greater Love has a vision, a knowledge, a plan as to how this unique expression of self shall be in the world. As such, everything that occurs in our lives is a function and plan of that Love. It is only our conditioned separation that causes us to see it elsewise.


When we are aligned with this Love we are able to see how everything is a part of Love’s unfolding through us.

It is here that we can be witness to Magic. Witnessing our lives through the lens of Magic helps us to see how every disappointment, challenge, loss, heartbreak, betrayal has served a higher purpose. We can see how the suffering in our lives has created opportunities to gather strength and to gain acceptance of our humanness. Suffering also provides us with important lessons in humility and helps us to grow in empathy and compassion for the suffering of others. Viewing our life through the lens of Magic also helps us to see the miracle and wonder in those gifts that seem to come out of thin air. Synchronistic meetings and encounters. Doorways that open to new experiences for learning and growth. Work and creative opportunities that land in our laps. When the right teacher arrives at exactly the right time. When our whole life turns on a dime because of a single conversation, engagement, or introduction. When our poverty suddenly turns to abundance and when our suffering instantaneously turns to joy.


Magic is the true nature of the Universe and I’m grateful for Samantha Stevens and Morticia Addams for showing me that magic and for other teachers who have collectively shown me the way to living by that magic.


“Amen, amen, I say to you,
the one who believes as I do
will also do the works that I do,
and indeed will do even greater ones than these.”
-Jesus

Acceptance is an Aspect of Forgiveness

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

Forgive, but never forget!  And….let go of any idea that what you’re trying to “forgive” will ever completely go away.

Sometimes, we can’t just “let it go.” We can move through the pain and heal it….bit by bit by bit.  With some wounds (betrayals, deceptions, etc.) we can heal from most of the pain. With others, especially those of the deepest and most indelible nature, some of the wound may always remain.

It was once suggested to me by a trusted advisor, that with one wound in particular (that related to me being essentially excommunicated by the Catholic Church) I should just let it go. I’ve given a lot of prayerful consideration to her suggestion. It’s not that I disagree with her. Instead, I recognize that I, alone, do not have the power to be completely free of this wound. How can one be free of a wound where there has never been and will likely never be an apology or closure? I’m not closed to the fact that Grace might step in and I will suddenly find myself free of the hurt, the anger, the disappointment, the betrayal, and the heartache. Grace, however, is not something I can do for myself. I have learned that true Grace only comes from God (our own understanding of that which some might call “God.”)

Instead of placing pressure on myself or entertaining the finger of shame for not being able to “let it go,” I have chosen acceptance.  I accept the invitation to continue the work of healing. I accept responsibility for my part in the healing. I accept the possibility of some miraculous intervention that might fully free me of the wound. I accept the very real possibility that I may never be fully free of this wound and that there will likely be situations, experiences, conversations, TV shows, news articles, social media posts, etc. that might trigger that wound, inviting me into another layer of healing.

Acceptance, I believe, is its own kind of forgiveness. It allows us to hold ourselves in compassion and loving care as we continue to allow the healing, without heaping pressure on ourselves to have to be perfectly healed. Acceptance means tending to the parts over which I have some measure of control, surrendering to that over which I have no control, and being at peace with my current state of being – whatever that may be.

It’s ok to be human and hurting. It is often through our own vulnerability and pain that we are able to be a source of compassionate care toward ourselves and then toward others.

The above is an entry from Lauri’s upcoming book, Unseen – the Memoir of an Invisible Woman. Find Lauri’s other books on Amazon.com HERE.

Being Made Empty

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

Sacred living is a commitment to many things, but at the heart of it is the calling to be made empty of all that hinders our ability to know, become filled with, and live as Divine Love (capital “L” Love).  In this process we are allowing ourselves to let go of and be emptied of all those things within us that are not reflective of Love and which hinder our ability to know Love fully and live Love freely.

Jesus accomplished this and provided a model for us to follow:

Christ, though he was in the form of God,
    did not regard equality with God
    as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
    taking the form of a slave,
    being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
    he humbled himself
    and became obedient to the point of death—
    even death on a cross.

2 Phil 6-8

Thankfully, few of us will be asked to die on a cross, but Jesus provides an example of the ongoing and complete nature of the emptying.  Emptying ourselves of that which is not of Love so we can embody increasingly more Love is the process of a lifetime, one that is not complete until we leave this body behind. As Jesus showed us, the final emptying happens at the moment of death when none of our human self remains, and all that we are now is Love. 

Perhaps ad nauseum, I have expounded upon all the ways we are invited to be made empty.  Emptied of our fears, false perceptions, ego attachments, compulsive behaviors, unhealed wounds, past traumas, and non-loving (guilt-driven) societal conditioning.  When we begin this journey of emptying, we often begin on the surface – those behavior traits, compulsions, defense mechanisms, etc. that are obvious in our lives which hinder our ability to live freely and at peace. As we continue the emptying, however, the journey becomes more subtle and obtuse.  Things we might not have thought of as obstacles to Love – such as guilt, shame, addictions to negative emotional patterns or thoughts, etc.  We may, in fact, have thought these things as helpful in our path to Love – at least that’s what we’ve been told. 

When we are actively and doing the work of emptying with purpose and through our own self-direction, there is a sense of empowerment that comes in “fighting our demons.” As we move deeper into this work, however, the going gets tougher and we find that we are no longer driving the “demon slaying bus.”  Instead, it seems as if we are being dragged kicking and screaming.  (I know you know of what I speak.)   It is at this time that we must harness our courage, turning toward “the beast” while walking right into it. 

Let me provide an example:  Recently, I have been invited into another layer of deep emptying.  I didn’t immediately recognize it, however, and instead found myself kicking and flailing my way through a party being thrown by all my deepest compulsions.  When the party became a beating (metaphorically), and I felt my soul crumble, and after taking a few days to wallow in my broken pride, I woke up.  “Oh, I’m being invited into another layer of being made empty and I had been trying to fill up/run away from that emptying.  DUH!”  Armed with a lifetime of experience in facing down demons, I turned toward the darkness and walked into it.  As I write this post, I am sitting in that darkness, allowing the emptying to continue knowing that I will find another layer of freedom on the other side.  I won’t lie and say I don’t have an enormous amount of anxiety sitting in this darkness – I do.  What I also know is that there is always fear in the darkness and terror in the face of the unknown.  I also know that it is only in sitting in and with that terror, that it will find its release.

Being made empty is no easy task, which is likely why few are willing and able to do it.  Being made empty is also the only way we can be made free of what hinders our journey to Love.  For the sake of Love, I believe the emptying is totally worth it.

What is Self-Actualization?

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

Self-actualization is the purpose of the human experience.  It is for the purpose of becoming self-actualized that we are here.  Self-actualization is the origin of and the fulfillment of our every longing and desire. We are here for no other purpose than to fulfill this longing.

The drive to become self-actualized moves beyond our survival instincts, yet it is no less critical.  It is the longing to find the answer to three basic questions:

  • Who am I?
  • Whose am I?
  • What are my gifts and how am I called to use them?

Who am I?

Self-knowledge is the foundational search in the drive and journey toward self-actualization.  We long to know who we are – who we really are.  Who are we beyond the societal conditioning, tribal rules, the girl code and the man code that have attempted to define us?  What are our interests, our personal needs and desires?  How do we wish to move about this world?  The Who Am I question encompasses every aspect of who we are – our personality, temperament, what gives us joy, pleasure, fulfillment? What triggers fear in me or insecurity?  What are my wounds?  What are the things about which I am ashamed?  What in me is in need of healing?  The process of finding out who we are includes naming and claiming every hurt, betrayal, condemnation, criticism, etc. that has covered up our real and true self and healing them so that our true self can emerge. 

Whose am I?

This question encompasses a broad range of meanings.  For some, this is the “God” question.  What do we believe in?  Are we aware of a source (seemingly) outside of us that is there as a guide, companion, counselor, healing, teacher, helper, source of comfort and support?  What do we believe about this Source (more importantly, what resonates as truth for us relevant to this Source)?  For many, the “God” they come to believe in through the process of self-actualization is far different from the God they were taught to believe in.  This is a good thing.  Self-Actualization leads us out and away from our conditioning to our own set of beliefs. 

“Whose am I” is also a question about belonging.  As human beings, we thrive in community and it is important to have a circle of people who love and support us in our journey of inner growth and development.  Who is your tribe?  In the process of self-actualization the tribe you began with will likely differ greatly from the one you eventually claim as your own.  Again, this is a good thing.  As we move toward self-actualization, we release the relationships that are no longer life giving and replace them with deeply intimate and meaningful partnerships with those we know will always have our back.

What are my gifts and how am I called to use them?

Each and every one of us are uniquely gifted to find meaning and purpose in our life and are driven to share these gifts for the sake of our own fulfillment and in service to the betterment of the world.  EVERY ONE OF US!  No one is exempt from this.  Our journey toward self-actualization sets us on the course to discovering, cultivating, nurturing and eventually sharing our gifts.  Whether we are gifted as a teacher, artist, counselor, salesperson, craftsperson, healer, comforter, helper, administrator, strategist, trouble shooter, advocate, peacemaker, entertainer, performer, listener, observer, reformer, prophet, mercy giver, servant of the poor, or one who has been gifted with the need to be the recipient of these gifts, we all have something to offer.  Sometimes our greatest gifts are wrapped up in our brokenness.  It is often through what we consider as our greatest weaknesses that we are best able to serve.  The journey toward self-actualization takes us through the path of discerning our gifts and supports us in finding ways to share them.

Why do we care?

While the drive to become self-actualized is universal, very few ever attain the fulfillment of this drive.  In order to become self-actualized, we have to awaken to the voice of our truest self while silencing the cacophony of voices that come to us from every direction except from the direction of our truth. We have to let go of familiar ways of being so that we might embrace the new life that self-actualization brings.  We have to take lots of risks, including the risk of rejection.  BUT…….if we do not heed the longing of our soul to become self-actualized, we will never find satisfaction in this life.  We will forever be stranded in our current state of suffering, always longing and hungering for something more, seeking temporary satisfaction in things outside of us – like other people’s approval, possessions, fame, power and control, and yet never finding the fulfillment that we are actually seeking which can only come from within. 

Full Year Program Supporting Self-Actualization

What is Spiritual Counseling?

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

  • Who am I? 
  • How do I connect with and comprehend the presence and action of the Divine in my life? 
  • What are my gifts and how am I being called to engage in them for the sake of my own fulfillment and share them for the sake of the betterment of our world? 

These are the questions that find their answers through the sacred ministry of Spiritual Counseling/Spiritual Direction – perhaps the most ancient form of life coaching.  Since the advent of human consciousness, we have sought the answers to our life questions, often through the elders and “holy people” of our respective spiritual traditions.  The Guru’s of India, the Rabbi’s of Judaism, the monks of Buddhism, the Shaman of indigenous tribes, and the men and women religious of Christianity represent merely the tip of the iceberg of those that have served as companion and guide on our spiritual journeys.  These “wisdom teachers” have served as witness to the truths that we already know, holding up the mirror for us to see what we are perhaps unable or unwilling to see for ourselves.   This style of Spiritual Counseling often required years upon years of training and required the seeker to travel great distances to obtain the answers to the questions of their heart.

Another form of Spiritual Counseling is that which comes through what the Irish would call “Anam Cara” – soul friend.  A soul friend is an intimate and trusted friend who is able to journey with us from a place of truth, acceptance and courageous honesty.  These are the intimate friendships that provide a vessel in which we can be our truest selves and, in the process, discover our deeper truths.  In the Anam Cara relationship, we are able to help each other name our respective “demons” and work together to find the tools to give them release.  Sometimes, the role of Anam Cara is to simply be with each other in our grief, sorrow, struggles and fears.  The role of Anam Cara requires no training or previous experience.  It simply asks us to be present and to hold each other in love.

The third form of Spiritual Counseling/Spiritual Direction, and the form that I practice professionally, lands somewhere between Anam Cara and Wisdom Teacher.  In this form of Spiritual Counseling, my role is to journey with my clients as they seek the answers to the deepest questions of their heart.  Clients are empowered to discover their truth and to find the tools through which they are able to openly give their truth its expression.  As such, Spiritual Counseling becomes a journey of discovery and a vehicle for healing; for it is often our inner wounds that prevent us from hearing and giving voice to the truths that are locked deep inside of us. 

That which is brought to Spiritual Counseling encompasses the vast and varied territories of our everyday existence – relationships, jobs, passions and hobbies, parenting, life transitions, losses and grieving, our physical wellness (or lack thereof), our emotional wellbeing, and last but not least, our spiritual journeys. 

Spiritual Counseling can look a lot like traditional talk-therapy, and there are two primary differences.  In talk therapy, the goal is often behavior modification.  Spiritual Counseling goes beyond behavior modification to discover the deeper spiritual wound that created the unhealthy behavior in the first place.  Once this wound is uncovered, Spiritual Counseling offers effective tools through which this wound can now be healed.  The tools through which these wounds are healed are intimately connected with our relationship to our Divine Source.  This connection with the God of our understanding is the other factor that sets Spiritual Counseling apart.  This relationship with God becomes the ground upon which authentic healing work can now be accomplished.  As such, it is often in discovering and cultivating this relationship where the work of Spiritual Counseling begins.  

Having participated in both sides of the Spiritual Counseling relationship, I can attest to the power of this form of life coaching.  Thanks to my own Spiritual Counselor, I have gained access to the deepest truths of my being, while finding release from the fears that have prevented me from sharing these truths in the world.  In my own role of Spiritual Counselor, I have witnessed healing, transformation and emerging truth for the clients with whom I have had the privilege to companion.  Those who have been honest and diligent in the process have found the answers to the questions of their heart and have been empowered to freely and openly live their truth in the world. 

In the end, the goal of Spiritual Counseling may be summarized by this quote from one of my favorite wisdom teachers: “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free!” (John 8: 32)

Book an Appointment Now!

Spiritual Counseling with Lauri Ann Lumby includes:

  • Personality, Temperament, and Gifts Assessments.
  • Exploration of the Soul’s calling.
  • Uncovering and transforming the obstacles to living out that calling through a variety of mindfulness, creativity, and shamanic practices including Lauri’s trademarked Authentic Freedom™ protocol.
  • Depth work – identifying ungrieved losses, unhealed wounds, past traumas, ancestral trauma, and learning shamanic practices for transforming and releasing them.
  • Shadow work – uncovering the unintegrated and often rejected parts of self and bringing them into wholeness.
  • Ongoing support.

Unleashing Your Light

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

We will never truly be free until we confront our shadow.  The shadow is all of the parts of ourselves that have not been fully integrated: 

  • Everything we have denied.
  • Everything we suppress.
  • Everything we repress.
  • All the parts of ourselves we judge as negative so we hide them away from the world.
  • Our unacknowledged fears.
  • Our unhealed wounds.
  • The parts of our nature, personality or temperament that we reject.
  • The parts of ourselves we hide as they are judged as unworthy by our society.

The challenge with the shadow is that (as the Buddhists say), “What we resist will persist.”  Hiding, ignoring, denying, imprisoning, bargaining away these parts of ourselves actually does the opposite.  Instead of staying hidden, these parts of ourselves come out sideways – often in non-loving behaviors toward ourselves or others. 

If we do not confront our shadow and do the difficult work of bringing it to the light so that it can be healed, transformed and re-integrated, then we will never be free.  Without doing our shadow work, we will be forever condemned to “a life of quiet desperation” and our lives will amount to nothing because until we are free we will never know peace.

But herein lays the challenge.  Few are willing to stand toe to toe with their own inner demons and even fewer have the courage to keep standing there until all their wounds are healed and they are truly free.  Instead, they would rather avoid the shadow work while chasing after shiny objects – the illusion of achievement, success, money, power, and fame.  In the meantime, their shadow is coming out sideways, hurting themselves and all the people around them.  In the end, what they resist will be their demise.

Courses for Unleashing Your Light

Stop Hiding Your Magic!

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

Each and every one of us is uniquely gifted to be a vessel through which the Divine is revealed in our world.  Some are gifted with the magic of teaching, others with healing, others with prophecy, support, guidance, compassion, mercy, humility, discernment, service, etc.  (In the Catholic Church is which I was raised, these gifts are known as charisms – gifts of the Holy Spirit.)  As part of our birthright, each and every one of us was imbued with some special magic. 

When engaged with this magic, in service to the betterment of the world, and in service to the Divine who seeks to live through us and be known through us, miracles happen.  Miracles happen because it is not we who are doing the magic; it is the Divine working through us.  It is through these unique gifts that the Divine plan of Love is made real on this plane and through which we have the opportunity to co-create heaven on earth. 

The problem is that early on, most of us learned that the world in which we were living was not a safe place for us to acknowledge, recognize, or share our magic.  We learn this when somewhere along the line, we dared to share a glimpse of our magic, and someone condemned us for it, made fun of us for it, we are told we were crazy because of it, or that our magic is the “work of the devil.”  As a result, our magic got hidden away. 

We hide our magic because the world is afraid of our gifts.  Our magic can’t be contained, defined, or even explained.  It doesn’t fit into the tiny little box humanity has crafted for itself.  It is for the sake of trying to fit into this too-small world that we hide our magic away. 

Without our magic, however, we are condemned to live a life of quiet desperation, forever longing for that which cannot be named. We look outside of ourselves for the satisfaction to this longing (shopping, food, drugs, alcohol, sex, TV, gambling, etc. etc. etc.), and find nothing but fleeting moments of “satisfaction” that ultimately leave us longing for more.  We suffer depression, anxiety, panic attacks, chronic pain, and unexplainable illnesses. This is the price of hiding our magic.  We might fit into the too- small world, but we find no joy in doing so. 

Even when we hide our magic, we still don’t fit in, because our magic can never be fully hidden.  Our magic leaks out of the corners of our being and no matter how hard we try, others know we are different.  We are thought of as strange, weird, or simply unconventional.  People grow uncomfortable in our presence and for no fault of our own they try to stay clear of us.  Our magic, even when we are hiding it, wakes people up….and some people do not want to be awakened.  Our magic, even when we think we have it contained, triggers other people’s unhealed wounds and unacknowledged fears.  They are then sure we are to blame and they project their wounds upon us.  This is the price of our magic – whether we hide it or not; but this is why we were given our magic in the first place.

We were given our magic for the sake of turning the world from fear into love.  We were gifted with our magic to serve the betterment of the world and the conscious evolution of the human race.  We were given our magic so that we might be healed and so that others might find healing through our presence and support.  We were gifted with our magic so that we might know love and all the world with us.

Don’t you think it’s time to stop hiding our Magic?????

Courses to help identify and then unleash your magic!

Beware the Toxic Feminine

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I might suggest that women have more to fear from other women then they do from men. Specifically, the threat about which I am referring is that which arises out of the toxic and/or patriarchally complicit woman.

The toxic patriarchal man is indeed a threat, but we know what we’re getting. The toxic masculine is easy to spot. They wear their violence like a badge of honor. Flexing their muscles. Waving their automatic weapons around. Proud of their objectification of women. Maintaining the adage, “spare the rod and spoil the child,” they treat everyone as inferior to them and worthy of their abuse.

The toxic feminine, in contrast, is sneaky and insidious. Talking sweet to your face. Hiding their true intentions. Making promises they never plan to keep. Fawning over and manipulating those who serve their cause. Feigning friendship and pretending trust when all they really want is to get you into their trap. Pretending confidence and strength when in truth they are jealous and insecure. These are the women who can’t stand to see other women succeed and who see all other women as competition.  These women pretend to be a source of support while undermining other women behind their back.

The toxic feminine is that which benefits from toxic masculinity and patriarchal culture. They thrive on what they “get” from being a woman of privilege and are happy to sell their souls for patriarchal attention. If another woman gets in their way, they will do everything in their power to destroy them. Politically, the toxic feminine are those who enthusiastically endorse the patriarchal, hierarchical, predominantly white status quo and who will viscously attack anything that challenges their position of perceived power. These are the women who willfully voted against the Equal Rights Amendment and who vote “Pro-Life” while eager to deny food, clothing, medical care, and shelter to those forced to give birth.

While the latter presents the extreme version of the toxic feminine, they are all a danger to the evolution of our society, and to women specifically. Beware of the Toxic Feminine

Healing the Patriarchal Wound

begins by reclaiming the Holy Feminine within us. Click on the images below to learn more and enroll in these Divine Feminine online master classes:

How the Ancestors Support Our Journey

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I want to thank you dear friend and former classmate, Diya Dannu for inviting me as a guest in her podcast, Mother’s Womb, Mother’s Milk. This is the first of a four-part series.

In this episode, we explore the following questions:

  • What do you understand self-actualization to be?
  • What was your process of self-actualization and how did your ancestral mothers contribute to this process?
  • Do you remember your dreams? Have they contributed to this journey?
  • What parts of your ancestry (geographical locations and cultural connections in addition to biology) have contributed?
  • Do any prehistoric figures (mythological) show up to be a guiding force?
  • Bring forth anything else you feel is relevant!

Learn more about Diya’s work:

Alaya A Dannu, MA (aka Diya Dannu) is completing her doctoral degree in Education Leadership for Change at Fielding University. Her topic of inquiry explores the transmission of ancestral memory across generations experienced through dreams, focusing on a re-emergent Mother Goddess tradition of her foremothers. She has written several essays on the subject matter, contributing to ezines and specialized platforms such as the blog for Feminism and Religion, Magoism, and DreamTime Magazine. Her three-year, three-month, and three-week ancestral pilgrimage which was crafted and revealed to her by her ancestors in her dreams, has served to reinforce the importance of knowing and honoring one’s origins, true identity, and purpose in life. She is a spiritual guide, creative artist, and sacred dancer. Her engagement with the creative arts is directly related to the images and teachings experienced in her dreams. She is also a member of the Diversity Advisory Committee of the International Association for the Study of Dreams, advocating for more awareness and inclusivity of BIPOC dreams and dreaming traditions within dream research and studies.

There Are No Shortcuts!

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On the journey toward self-realization, self-actualization, wholeness (whatever word you use for this), there are no shortcuts. And yet, I am continually confronted by those who refuse to do the work. 

  • They become bored and disinterested.
  • The work turns out to be “too hard.”
  • They are unwilling to let go of the things blocking their journey.
  • They bail out the first time their ego attachments are challenged.
  • They cling to their victimhood.
  • They give up the work in favor of shiny objects and false promises.
  • They think they can just think the right thoughts and become self-actualized.
  • They believe a gratitude practice alone will make them whole.
  • They believe they are already enlightened.
  • They think the journey ends with ascension.
  • They find every way to escape the real work by focusing on surface practices only.
  • When the journey doesn’t make them rich, bring them fame or glory, or bring the man/woman of their dreams, they become disinterested and walk away.

The journey of self-actualization has absolutely nothing to do with anything outside of us. It has everything to do with what is within. And it takes work.  HARD WORK. There are no shortcuts!

We cannot “Lala” our way to self-actualization. In fact, spiritual bypass guarantees the journey will fail. As the Buddhists say, “What we resist will persist.”  The more we resist the inherent drive to evolve and become whole, the more we will suffer because of it. The more we ignore the deep healing work that is required to become whole, the more we will suffer.  The more we ignore the inner obstacles to our freedom, the greater our suffering will be. This suffering, I have found, is more difficult than simply doing the work. We can suffer a life of quiet desperation, or uncover the inner peace, contentment, fulfillment, and joy that is inherent within us through the journey of self-realization.

The obstacles to self-actualization are many:

  • Unhealed wounds
  • Past conditioning
  • Ego-attachments
  • Trauma
  • Attachment to the status quo
  • Attachment to material/external results.
  • Anything we have suppressed or repressed.

The seven cardinal compulsions are all manifestations of these obstacles: pride, sloth, greed, envy, wrath, lust (for power), and gluttony.

The journey toward self-actualization invites us to remove these obstacles through deep processes of inner transformation and healing. With every obstacle that is removed, another aspect of our true nature becomes liberated, and we take another step toward the freedom of our original natures.

Jesus spoke of the difficulty of the journey toward self-actualization when he spoke of the narrow gate and the eye of the needle:

“Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and those who find it are few in number.” Matthew 7: 13-14

 “Amen, I say to you, it will be difficult for one attached to material things to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for someone who is attached to material things to enter the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 19: 23-24

There are no shortcuts! If we truly seek wholeness and the inner fulfillment that comes through the journey of self-actualization we must do the work! 

Supporting Your Journey of Self-Actualization:

Authentic Freedom is a protocol and practice developed by Lauri Ann Lumby which supports you in identifying and then healing the fears that have kept you imprisoned by your past wounding and cultural conditioning.

Through recorded lessons, reading, discussion, mindfulness and creativity practices, you will be given the tools to identify, heal and transform the fears that:

There is not enough.
You are insignificant and have nothing of value to offer the world.
You cannot live as our most authentic selves.
You are not loved (or that love has to be earned or can be taken away).
You are not free to express our truth.
You do not know the truth.
You are alone.

At the end of this course, you will have the tools to support you in the continued liberation from your fears and the conditioning that has placed them there.

Learn more HERE