We’re talking about triggers today. Triggers are pre-conditioned behavior brought on by an external event, experience or person that activates your blindspot and causes you to protect your idealized self.

I'm going to share triggers through the lens of the Enneagram. Now you don't need to know your Enneagram type to see your trigger. Just look for the ones that make you go…ugh, yuck or oh, man, that's me.

Click here to view a more extensive list of triggers.

Type: 1 - Improver

Trigger: Being criticized

Type: 2 - Helper

Trigger: Being taken for granted

Type: 3 - Achiever

Trigger: Being set up for failure

Type: 4 - Creative

Trigger: Being ignored or slighted

Type: 5 - Investigator

Trigger: Being overwhelmed or surprised

Type: 6 - Loyalist

Trigger: Being under external pressure

Type: 7 - Visionary

Trigger: Being confined and restricted

Type: 8 - Controller

Trigger: Being controlled

Type: 9 - Peacemaker

Trigger: Being in conflict

Which triggers resonate with you?

How do we remove the triggers and choose a different response?

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is the power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." - Victor Frankl (author of Man's Search for Meaning)

It's in the space we can change our pre-conditioned response to our trigger into an intentional response that will serve us well.

Here are nine contemplative questions that can help lengthen the pause.

Type 1: How is not feeling perfect enough making me angry at myself?

Type 2: Why is appreciation important to me?

Type 3: What about appearing successful is so important to me?

Type 4: What is the story I create when I feel I could be missing out?

Type 5: Why do I believe I have limited energy to deal with unplanned situations?

Type 6: Why do my fearful projections paralyze me?

Type 7: What discomfort am I trying to avoid by escaping my commitments?

Type 8: What vulnerability do I feel when I don't get my way?

Type 9: Can I see the disruptions I create by avoiding standing up for myself?

You can also ask yourself any question that will help you create a new response.

If you need a guide to help you develop into your best self through the lens of the Enneagram, head to https://www.heatherlbunch.com/lifecoaching and fill out the form for a discovery session with me.

Let's see if we're a great fit to work together so you can discover your path to transformation so you can stop hiding, show up fully yourself and fulfill your God-given purpose.

You got this, and Father's got you!

Thanks a bunch for listening!

Until Next Time, Live Fearlessly Free!

Blindspots are the parts of our personality that we subconsciously choose to ignore. It's areas of avoidance.

We must be willing to work at our deepest fundamental level to create real, sustainable change. If not, change won't be lasting if we don't get to the root.

I'm going to share our blindspots through the lens of the Enneagram. You don't have to know the Enneagram to figure out your blindspots. Just pick the one or two that jump out to you to work on.

Type: 1 - Strict Perfectionist or Improver

Idealized Self-Image: I am good, right and perfect

Blindspot: Feeling like a bad person

Trigger: Being criticized

Type: 2 - Considerate Helper

Idealized Self-Image: I am giving, helpful and generous

Blindspot: Felling worthless and not needed

Trigger: Being taken for granted

Type: 3 - Competitive Achiever

Idealized Self-Image: I am efficient, industrious, successful and competent

Blindspot: Failing or being incapable

Trigger: Being set up for failure

Type: 4 - Intense Creative

Idealized Self-Image: I am authentic, original and create beauty in the world

Blindspot: Being Ordinary

Trigger: Being ignored or slighted

Type: 5 - Quiet Specialist or Investigator

Idealized Self-Image: I am perceptive, I understand, and I am wise

Blindspot: Not having enough resources or being foolish

Trigger: Being overwhelmed or surprised

Type: 6 - Loyal Sceptic

Idealized Self-Image: I am loyal, obedient, and faithful, and I do what I ought to do

Blindspot: Being unprepared for threats or danger

Trigger: Being under external pressure

Type: 7 - Enthusiastic Visionary

Idealized Self-Image: I am okay

Blindspot: Discomfort and limitation

Trigger: Being confined and restricted

Type: 8 - Active Controller

Idealized Self-Image: I can do; I am powerful

Blindspot: Feeling weak or vulnerable

Trigger: Being controlled

Type: 9 - Adaptive Peacemaker

Idealized Self-Image: I am settled, agreeable and peaceful

Blindspot: Being in conflict

Trigger: Being in conflict or feeling invisible

Which one makes you go, "Ugh… that's me?!"

Admitting our blindspots can be hard…after all, we hid them for a reason.

Three steps to remove blindspots:

1. Objectively look at your patterns

When you're triggered, watch yourself in real-time and find the patterns.

2. Ask yourself, "What change to my self-image am I resisting?"

Dig to the root.

3. Practice self-compassion

God gives you grace, so give it to yourself.

Don't think of uncovering and removing your blindspots like right or wrong and good or bad. It's about growing into your best self and releasing the parts of yourself that aren't serving you anymore.

If you need a guide to help you remove the blocks and develop into your best self, head to https://www.heatherlbunch.com/lifecoaching and fill out the form for a discovery session with me.

You got this, and Father's got you!

Thanks a bunch for listening!

Until Next Time, Live Fearlessly Free!

Ever felt lost or hopeless on your road to fulfilling your God-given purpose?

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why do I always make the same mistakes?”

Do you own your mistakes when they happen and fix them?

Today we’re talking about the path to becoming our best selves.

Today is for you:

In this podcast, I read the poem “There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk” by Portia Nelson. Click here to read it.

There are five stages of awareness that will help with our self-development so we can be our best selves.

No Awareness: You fall in the hole, but it’s not your fault. You’re a victim who takes forever to get out of the hole.

Low Awareness: You see the hole but pretend it’s not there. You fall in and struggle to get out because you’re blind spots prevent you from seeing you made your own problems.

Moderate Awareness: You see the hole but fall in out of habit. You see the patterns so you can get out of the hole quickly.

High Awareness: You see the hole, make a different choice, and you go around the hole.

Very High Awareness: You take a different path entirely.

How can we use these stages of awareness to grow and become our best selves?

1. Become aware you have a choice

You’re not a victim. Take your power of choice back.

2. Uncover your blind spots

Blindspots prevent us from seeing how we make our own messes.

Just because we don’t see blindspots doesn’t mean others don’t see them. So if you’re unsure what those are, ask a friend for help.

3. Notice the patterns of your thinking, feeling and behaving

We take responsibility for our habits and then make a different choice to get out of the hole.

4. See the choice before you have to make a choice

When we become highly aware, we’ll see the hole and make a different choice to walk around the hole instead of falling in again.

5. Choose to walk a different path

When we’ve worked on ourselves, we get to the point where we just go down a different road entirely, avoiding the hole in the first place.

This takes the highest level of awareness and responsibility to reach this point.

Taking a journey of awareness, discovering our blindspots, taking responsibility and getting to the point we take a different path entirely, we become our best selves. This helps us stay on the path to living our best life, fulfilling our God-given calling.

If you need a guide to help you develop into your best self, head to https://www.heatherlbunch.com/lifecoaching and fill out the form to have a discovery session with me.

Let’s see if we’re a great fit to work together so you can discover your path to transformation so you can, stop hiding, show up fully yourself and fulfill your God-given purpose.

You got this, and Father’s got you!

Thanks a bunch for listening!

Until Next Time, Live Fearlessly Free!

Ever had a morning that left you anxious and on edge?

Where do you feel your anxiety in your body? Gut? Chest? Shoulders?

What do you do when anxiety feels overwhelming?

Today is for you:

Today was a perfect storm. I woke up to the dog barking at 4:30 am. He needed to go to the restroom, and it wasn’t pretty. Next, I heard my daughter up at 4:45 am coughing. Then I remembered it was voting day, and I hadn’t looked up the ballot and candidates yet…ugh.

My anxiety started in my gut and radiated throughout my body, feeling like hot flashes.

The anxiety was stealing my peace and robbing me of enjoying life.

What do you do at that moment? How do you get past the anxiety?

Here’s the thing; we carry anxiety in our bodies. The body actually gives us an alarm to let us know what’s happening.

Also, our body remembers how we feel when we’re anxious.

Here are six tips to release anxiety faster to experience more peace.

1. Recognize the alarm in the body

Where does anxiety show up in your body?

Recognize it. Where does it show up? What does it feel like?

2. Put your hand on the place of the alarm

Yep, stick your hand on your heart, over your stomach, shoulders, or wherever the alarm happens.

3. Pray or speak a mantra

Sometimes I pray or speak out a mantra depending on the situation.

This morning I prayed for the dog and Grace.

I also reminded myself that I’ve been through this before I’ll get through this again.

When I get anxious about my health, I say, “I’m healed, whole and healthy.”

You can say things like: I’m safe, loved and whole.

Whatever means something to you, speak it out.

4. Breathe through the feeling

This allows your body to release it and let go.

Don’t condemn yourself for feeling this way; it only grips you tighter when you do.

Take deep cleansing breaths and picture your body releasing that anxious feeling.

5. Thank your heavenly Father you’re safe

Father is always there for us. Thank Him for helping you through this moment.

6. Repeat as needed

Repeat this process every time anxiety comes up.

The more you do it, the faster you’ll release it.

If you’re enjoying this podcast, please take a moment and rate and review it if you haven’t already! Thank you to those of you who have reviewed the podcast already!!

Also, if this episode will help a friend, please share it with them!

You got this! And Father’s got you!

Thanks a bunch for listening!!

Until Next Time, Live Fearlessly Free!

Are you afraid to speak up?

Have you been scared to share the message God gave you?

Do you ever get intimidated and shrink back from situations or people?

Today is for you:

We’re talking about fear today, especially as it relates to your calling, you’re God-given purpose.

Fear comes against us, all of us, and it tries to keep us from doing what God’s called us to do and speaking what He’s called us to do.

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (disciple).

Paul told Timothy not to be afraid because of all the persecution but to be bold and do what God called Timothy to do. You see, Paul was in prison writing this and Timothy must have gotten intimidated and started to shrink back from his calling.

Fear here means timidity or reticence.

Reticence is reserved, especially concerning speaking freely.

How many of us have been afraid to speak freely? Yea, me too.

God gave us three things to help us overcome the fear that would cause us to shrink back and be afraid to speak freely, doing what He’s called us to do.

1. Power

Power is dynamis in Greek. It means the ability to perform.

It’s the same word used for Holy Spirit’s power in us.

God’s given us the power to speak the message in our hearts, overcome obstacles, and fulfill our calling using the Holy Spirit’s power.

2. Love

Love here is agape, a divine love; love focused on preference. God prefers us.

The more we understand God’s love, resting and walking in that, the more we can walk in who God’s called us to be. We can walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.

3. Disciple

Disciple in Greek is safe-minded or prudent behavior that correctly fits a situation.

We can speak freely about the message God’s given us, but it’s not an excuse to be a jerk about it.

God’s always called us to walk in love no matter our purpose.

Your behavior and speech should always line up with love. When it does, you’ll speak the right thing at the right time in the right way.

God hasn’t given us a spirit that calls us to shrink back, but He’s given us a spirit of power, the ability to perform our purpose with the Holy Spirit’s power. 

He loves us unconditionally, and that love empowers us to be fully ourselves. 

And we have the wisdom to speak the right thing at the right time and in the right way…always in love.

If you need more help overcoming the fear so you can fully speak freely, pick up my free resource, Three Habits to Live Fearlessly Free, at https://www.heatherlbunch.com/.

This worksheet will help you overcome the fear so you can fulfill your God-given purpose–courageously!

You’ve got this, and Father’s got you!

Thanks a Bunch for listening!

Until Next Time, Live Fearlessly Free!!

Did you ever have an idea and weren’t sure what to do with it?

Or maybe you had an idea and were afraid to put it out there? What would people think?

Have you ever had an idea but were afraid you couldn’t do it?

Today is for you:

Today is episode 100!!! Holy Cow!!! Can you believe it?!

I’m so excited to record this episode because it’s the first time I’ve been this consistent with an idea!

The funny thing is I had the idea to do a podcast years ago, but it was too big…too daunting…too expensive.

But…the idea came back to me! Then I nurtured the idea and created Live Fearlessly Free with Heather Bunch.

You have ideas you’ve had for years that you’ve sat on, were afraid to do it, didn’t think you could do it, or were fearful of what people would think or say.

You, my friend, are called to change the world. Your idea that keeps coming back up that you try and shoo away… is from God. God gave you that idea to do something with it.

You need to care for it, feed it, play with it and nurture it. Then your idea will change from being here to there to being everywhere.

God’s called you to live a fearlessly free life so you can stop hiding, show up fully yourself, and fulfill your God-given purpose, and you’re going to do it through the idea God gave you.

“What do you do with an idea…You change the world!” - What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada.

You’ve got this, and Father’s got you!

Thanks a Bunch for listening! It's an honor serving you with my idea–this podcast!

Until Next Time, Live Fearlessly Free!!

*Book Links:

What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada, illustrated by Mae Besom: https://amzn.to/3T3dyJu

What You Do Matters by Kobi Yamada illustrated by Mae Besom box set: https://amzn.to/3fDprbr

What You Do Matters box set includes:

*These are Amazon affiliate links; I will receive a small commission by purchasing a book through one of these links.

Do you desire to grow closer to God?

Have you ever found yourself overreacting to situations?

Does your mind go a million miles a minute?

We’re concluding our series on practicing the presence of God with meditation.

Today is for you:

“Prayer is talking to God. Meditation is listening to God.” – Jackie Trottmann.

You’re consciously contacting your Heavenly Father when you meditate.

Meditation helps you train your brain to slow down and focus. Your brain is like a muscle, and it gets used to doing whatever we allow it to.

If your brain is used to you, allowing it to think about anything and everything, that’s what it will continue to do.

If you practice corralling your mind with meditation, your mind will learn to focus and quiet itself.

Here are three kinds of meditation you can try.

Music Only

You can play soft music and meditate on God. 

Bible Verse or Phrase

You can pick a verse or phrase that means something to you. Pick something you can say by heart, so you’re not having to keep looking up to read it.

The Power in the Now practice I gave you in episode #97 is a version of this type of meditation where we used

“Be still and know that I am God” as our basis of focus.

Guided Meditation

Guided meditation is where someone guides you on your journey as you’re meditating. This is my favorite kind because I need help practicing corralling my mind and not falling asleep…LOL.

Meditation will help you realize God’s presence and that He’s always with you.

It helps you focus your thoughts and learn to respond instead of reacting.

Now, if your mind starts to wonder–and it will–just lovingly bring it back. Apply grace all over this process, my friend!!

If you want some beautiful Christian guided meditation, check out my friend Jackie Trottmann’s collection:

Here’s a link that will take you right to all her meditations: https://joyandflowstore.com/collections/meditation-digital-downloads

You’ve got this, and Father’s got you!

Thanks a Bunch for listening!

Until Next Time, Live Fearlessly Free!!

Have you ever been praying, and your mind starts wandering? Yea, me too!

Do you want to grow closer to God?

Have you ever forgotten how God came through for you in the past and worried He won’t this time?

We’re continuing our series on practicing the presence of God so you can not just know about God, but you can experience Him on a deep and intimate level.

So today is for you:

Journaling is a fantastic way to connect deeply with God.

King David was a master journaler. Did you know that? Think about the book of Psalms.

I love that David wasn’t afraid to share the good, the bad, and the ugly. But he didn’t stop there. He also celebrated and praised God for his faithfulness and goodness.

God said David was a man after His own heart. I know God didn’t say that because David was perfect. Far from it…hello Bathsheba. But David was always honest and open with God–as we can see in the Psalms.

You can also use journaling to grow your relationship with God.

1. Journal your prayers

Share your heart’s desires through journaling them to God.

Dear God…

2. Journal your moments

Share your beautiful moments with God too. Celebrate together.

3. Journal your hurts to healing

Keep pouring out your hurt onto paper until the healing starts to pour out too.

Tips for journaling:

1. You don’t have to journal every day.

This is a guilt-free zone here.

Journaling only when you need it is just fine if that’s the way you work.

2. Keep journaling past the anger, anxiousness or angst until you start feeling peace.

3. Don’t worry about grammar or spelling.

Journaling is for you and your Heavenly Father alone.

And He’s not judging you, so let it go.

If you want to learn more about journaling, my friend Jackie Trottmann has a fabulous self-study course on journaling for only $47. You can also go through her class live for only $97.

Self-Paced: https://www.jackietrottmann.com/journal-class-self-guided/

Live: https://www.jackietrottmann.com/journal-class/

Bonus–you get her Be Present with God course – Four Spiritual Practices.

Jackie is who I learned Lectio Divina through and grew in my journaling skills.

You got this–And Father’s got you!

Thanks a Bunch for listening!

Until Next Time, Live Fearlessly Free!!

Have you ever spent time praying or reading the Bible yet felt like something was missing?

Do you enjoy your time with God, or does it ever feel like a chore?

Does life leave you feeling unfilled or dissatisfied?

Today we’re continuing our conversation about practicing the presence of God.

Today is for you:

We experience God in the now. He’s always in this moment–in the now.

Everything we need is right here and right now.

Enjoy now because the next moment will have its own taste and enjoyment for us to experience.

When we don’t taste and enjoy the now moments in His presence, we’ll never feel fulfilled or like we never have enough or are enough.

Use Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God,” to practice His presence.

You’ll speak out loud or to yourself each segment of the scripture and sit in that moment with it. Roll it over in your mind. Enjoy and savor Father’s presence with you.

Be still and know that I am God.

Then say to yourself –

Be still and know that I am.

Now, say –

Be still and know.

Then say –

Be still.

Finally say –

Be.

Taste and see that the Lord is good. – Psalms 34:8

Use this anytime to practice being in the now. The more you do it, the more you’ll enjoy God’s presence right now and the more you’ll enjoy where you’re at on the way to where you’re going.

You got this…and Father’s got you!

Thanks a Bunch for listening!

Until Next Time, Live Fearlessly Free!!

Do you desire to feel close to God?

Have you ever thought, “I do all the things I’m suppose to do, but something is missing from my relationship with my Heavenly Father.”

Do you read your Bible and you’re learning but wonder if there’s more to it?

Today we’re talking about how to grow your relationship with God and practice His presence.

Today is for you:

Over the next few episodes, I want to share practices that will help you go deeper with Father and crack the code of hearing His voice.

Our first practice is Lectio Divina.

It means divine reading. It’s a process of meditating on scripture.

Meditation means to chew the cud, like a cow chewing its cud.

Have you ever seen a cow out in the field sitting down, chewing, chewing, chewing?

You see, a cow eats grass which is super tough. It gets it all moistened up and swallows the grass into the first section of its four-part stomach. Now it brings it back up and chews on it some more, breaking the cud down even further. Each time the cow swallows, it brings it back up and chews some more; the more it breaks down the nutrients so it can nourish itself.

With Lectio Divina, we’re going to do the same thing. We’ll think about that scripture over and over, getting all the nutrients out of it, God intended.

The first thing to do is pick a short passage of scripture.

This process works best for single passages or short sections but not whole chapters.

1. Lectio – READ

Read the passage.

When you do, keep an open heart and ear. What words or phrases jump out to you?

Write down what speaks to you.

2. Meditatio – REFLECT

Reread the passage.

Reflect on what God’s speaking to you.

What touches your heart and speaks to you personally?

Write it down.

3. Oratio – RESPOND

Read the passage again. Yep, again.

Ask yourself, “How is Father asking me to respond?”

How is He inviting you to do or be?

How is it inviting you to change?

Again, write down what God's inviting you to do or be.

4. Contemplatio – REST

Read one last time and then rest.

Sit quietly in Father’s presence. Rest in His unconditional loving presence.

Wait, listen, rest.

Write down anything that Father speaks to you in this moment.

He’s always ready and willing to talk, but we need to listen. When we tune into God like we’re tuning into a radio station, we will begin to hear His voice. Lectio Divina is one way to help you tune into Father’s voice.

I learned this practice from my friend, Jackie Trottmann, of joyandflow.com. For more on meditation or spiritual practices, check out Jackie’s website.

You’ve got this! And Father’s got you!

Thanks a Bunch for listening!

Until Next Time, Live Fearlessly Free!