“The challenging periods of life

are trying to teach us

to listen and trust ourselves

and rise up to reclaim our freedom

to experience peace, joy and love.”

- Glenn S. Cohen

On March 7, 2025, I posted this quote: “If you want something you never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.”

When I read those words, they didn’t just speak to me, they vibrated through my entire body. It was like my soul sat up and said, “Listen closely.” Have you ever read something that hit you so deep it felt like truth was echoing inside your chest?

That moment marked a powerful milestone on my healing journey, a journey that feels more spiritual, more soulful, and more real than anything I’ve done before. For the first time in a long time, I truly heard and more importantly, I listened to the whispers of my higher self. It was time to make the changes I had long resisted, the ones I knew deep down were necessary.

To give this some context: I haven’t felt a consistent connection between my mind and body since I was a child. Somewhere early on, I unconsciously and of course metaphorically, severed the ties between my head, heart, and soul. Like many of us, my unconscious mind tried to protect me the only way it knew how, by shutting off the pain. I buried my hurt, silenced my voice, and disconnected from my inner truth.

By age 14, I began building additional protective layers. In Neurological Intelligence Volumes 1 and 2, I describe how we all have multiple personalities, which is a natural aspect of the human experience. Some of these personalities are empowering, serving us with purpose and passion, while others are disempowering, causing us pain and suffering.

Each layer of our protective patterns can have its own personality. Many people I’ve coached over the last 20-plus years developed an “addict” personality layer in adolescents or adulthood, as I did when I was 14. The strategy of our “addict” protective pattern is to do whatever we must to hid, run, numb, and protect ourselves from our unresolved inner pain and neurological discomfort For me, that meant smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, and experimenting with drugs - thankfully, I left the drugs behind by the end of my college years.

I have been on a mission to find true inner peace within myself. I wanted to genuinely feel love for myself and others - and have that feeling last. These are all things I never had. Over the decades, I made so many promises to myself that I broke, which only fed superfood to my “addict” pattern. This kept me validating my protective patterns and getting what I did not want, and from not getting, what my heart and soul desired.

But on March 6, 2025, the day before I posted that quote, something shifted. I realized I had to do something I had never really done before. I made a new promise. A real one. I chose to let go of what was, surrender to what is, and finally release the addictive patterns that had protected but also imprisoned me. I made the sacred commitment to honor who I am today.

For the last 20 plus years, I’ve shown up, through pain, shame, uncertainty and finally heartbreak, with patience, perseverance, courage, and a fierce determination to heal and grow. And for that, I’m deeply grateful and appreciative for all that has happened for me to have the honor and privilege of sharing with you lessons I have learned in life and love.

So, in order for me to get something I never had - self-love, I had to do something I’ve never done: truly honor and love myself by keeping the promises I make to myself.

So, what’s one promise you’ve made to yourself that you’re finally ready to keep?

If this resonates, feel free to DM me. I’d love to hear from you. You can also visit my website at www.centerforni.com and subscribe to my Substack blog (scroll to the bottom of the homepage to sign up).

Thanks for letting me share a little piece of my story with you.

With heart and humility,

Glenn 🙏

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