Resentments rot the container they’re in. Taking responsibility for my resentments is the most liberating gift I can offer myself. In this episode, I give a thorough introduction to the resentment work I do. I explain what resentments actually are, and give examples of how I work through them. I talk about the victim mentality, and why blaming others always absolves us from taking responsibility for ourselves, keeping us stuck and unhappy. If you can’t seem to manifest the relationships or things you truly desire, I highly suggest you listen to this episode.

Episode breakdown:

• I begin by explaining the difference between anger and resentment.
• It can be hard to detect and admit our resentments to ourselves. It’s much easier to blame someone else than take responsibility for working through our resentments/upset.
• When we see ourselves as a victim, we absolve ourselves of all responsibility, marinate in self pity and seek attention from others.
• The victim mentality is extremely disempowering, causing us to remain stuck and believe the world is treating us unfairly. 
• I explain why harbouring any form of resentment will block us from manifesting our desires, and will instead attract more of what we don’t want.
• If I am judging someone, I surely have resentments towards them.
• Resentments and judgements cut us off from other people. They create a wall of separation that can give us a false sense of safety.
• When we hold onto resentment towards someone, we are energetically chaining ourselves to them. In resolving our hurt, no matter what it was, we set ourselves free. This process is a major part of all 12 Step Recovery programs.
• I share what (real) forgiveness means to me.
• The majority of the resentments we might carry around for decades, are petty in nature.
• I explain why I try not to judge anyone’s behaviour as wrong.
• When I work through my resentments effectively, taking responsibility for myself and my expectations of other people, I become free to fully love the people in my life, without strings attached. 
• I explain why most resentments have an underlying fear.
• There is nothing more liberating than taking responsibility for my resentments! When we do this work, we shift into an energy of love and gratitude and begin to attract all the things we deeply desire, including more intimate relationships with our loved ones.

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If you resonate with this episode, want to know more about my 12 Step Recovery program, or have any other comments or questions, I’d love to hear from you! Please send me an email at [email protected]

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Lots of love, 

Josephine

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manifestation is a very popular concept that draws a lot of attention from spiritual seekers. In this episode I aim to give you a realistic understanding of how manifestation actually works. I’ll share the wonderful things I have manifested and how, and I will spend time exposing “manifestation coaches” who haven’t actually manifested their wealth, but have made money off very vulnerable individuals… beware of the scam!

Episode breakdown:

• I first encountered the term “manifestation” on Instagram, a few years into my spiritual journey. After a brief period of interest, I realised that “manifestation” and spiritual coaches on Instagram were not useful to my spiritual journey and a distraction from the steps I needed to take.
• I explain why getting what you want is unlikely to bring you long term happiness, if what you want is not in alignment with your soul’s true purpose.
• My true desires were gradually revealed as I progressed in my spiritual journey and uncovered my authentic self. No “manifestation coach” will tell you this because it would ruin their business model.
• People in emotional pain are often drawn to “quick fixes”. The manifestation business attracts and takes advantage of very vulnerable people by offering them a “quick fix” and taking their money. There is no such thing as a “quick fix”, period. 
• BEWARE of Kathrin Zenkina aka “Manifestation Babe”. She is a business and marketing expert. There is no proof that she can manifest anything.
• An important question when deciding whom to learn from is “Does the tree bear fruit?” You can not answer this question about someone based on their social media presence! Social media is ALWAYS curated. You can always choose what to show or hide from your audience.
• I share many of the amazing things I have manifested so far, including my boyfriend, my friends, jobs, and my home in Berlin.
• For me, manifesting works by getting into alignment with God/my Higher Power’s will for me. In this way I am able to live true to my soul’s path and as a result I naturally receive all the things I need to progress on my spiritual journey. Happiness results from getting what I need, not what I want.
• I share the tools I use to get into spiritual alignment, and break down the essential requirements in order to manifest lasting, long-term happiness and freedom. 
• You will manifest what you TRULY believe. If you don’t truly believe something to be true, you can not manifest it. You will continue to manifest what you truly believe, like it or not.
• The 12 Steps are deeply mystical in nature. Through the process of recovery I naturally shifted from a state of lack to abundance.

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Recommended reading (as referenced):

• The Sermon on the Mount, Emmet Fox
• Books by Neville Goddard
• Reality Transurfing Steps 1-5, Vadim Zeland

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If you have any questions about manifestation, my story, 12 Step recovery, or anything else I mentioned in this episode, I’d love to hear from you and answer all of your questions. Please send me an email at [email protected]

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Lots & lots of love, 

Josephine

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 months ago my friend Andrew joined a 12 Step program for food addiction and has since lost 50kgs (and counting). In this episode he vulnerably shares his decades long experience with food addiction, how his food addiction impacted his life, what caused him to finally seek recovery, and most importantly: how it’s going so far! We share our experiences with food obsession and dieting, and how we ultimately needed different approaches to experience food freedom.

Episode breakdown:

• Andrew’s first memories revolve around food. His parents used food as a way to give love. As a result, he understood that “food = love” and developed a kind of “intimate” relationship with food, eating and bingeing in his bedroom.
• Andrew needed food to get through the day. He describes feeling such intense overwhelm and dread, that he needed food to self-medicate and survive. 
• He talks about the shame he felt around his food addiction. He ate in secret and would go out of his way to discreetly dispose of food wrappers and packaging.
• We talk about willpower and why despite being able to quit chain-smoking, drinking and drugging, Andrew was not able to control his food intake.
• Andrew shares how his food addiction and associated morbid obesity impacted his health, his life, his bank account and his interpersonal relationships.
• He sees no difference between himself and a drug addict, only that food addiction is more socially acceptable. 
• Andrew tried everything to lose weight. We talk about our experiences with dieting, calorie counting and intuitive eating. 
• Andrew shares what happened during his final attempt at calorie counting. After losing 20 kgs in 2 months, he realised he was just as sad, lonely and disgusted with himself as he had been before, and even more angry and irritable. He regained all the weight he lost and was finally able to see the insanity of his food addiction.
• Now in recovery for food addiction, Andrew’s life no longer revolves around food. He follows an “abstinent” meal plan and paradoxically experiences total food freedom.
• Once his obsession with food was removed, Andrew began to feel all the grief he had suppressed with food over the years. He shares how the program supports him to work through overwhelm, fears and everything else that comes up.
• Andrew shares how his quality of life has changed drastically in the last 7 months. I share the changes I have witnessed in Andrew.
• We discuss the lack of awareness around food addiction in our society, and why the commonly taken approaches such as diets, injections and surgeries won’t help suffering addicts. 

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If you resonate with this episode, want to know more about Andrew’s story or the recovery program he is in, or have any other comments or questions, we’d love to hear from you! Please send me an email at [email protected]

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Lots of love, 

Josephine

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It’s not about how much or how often we consume, but how much space it takes up in our minds”, Theresa.

I am very passionate about sharing the perspective on alcoholism and addiction I received in 12 Step recovery, but since I haven’t struggled with addiction, I am not the right person to share this information. Instead, my friend Theresa vulnerably shares her experience with alcoholism and recovery with us. 

This jam-packed episode provides an insider view on alcoholism/addiction, much of which I don’t believe is understood by our society. Theresa explains why alcoholism is a disease of the mind & body and not a lack of willpower. She shares how drinking was not only a way to manage and manipulate her emotions, but also a solution to help her live in a neurotypical world. I’ll do my best to summarise some key points in the breakdown below, but honestly, if you’re interested or want to know more about alcoholism, I highly suggest you dive in head-first with us!

Episode breakdown:

• Theresa begins by sharing what she’s going through at the moment with regards to her mum’s approaching death. She shares why she’s so grateful to have found recovery prior to this, and how her recovery is supporting her to be fully present during this experience.
• Theresa shares her journey with addiction, beginning with her addiction to not-eating (anorexia) at 14 years old. Around the same time she had her first experiences with alcohol and cannabis, realising that these substances had the power to change how she felt… and she liked that.
• After recovering from anorexia at 22, Theresa’s addiction transferred to alcohol as she began to rebel from her previous controlling habits.
• We laugh about how drinking alcohol affects us differently (she wants more and I don’t!). Theresa explains how alcoholism manifests as an allergy of the body and an obsession of the mind.
• Theresa shares how her alcoholism progressed to the point of her not being able to stop drinking. She had failed to regain control over her drinking (a tell-tale sign of alcoholism), and when she tried to quit, she’d always find herself drinking soon after. She began to feel a lot of shame and guilt around her addictive behaviour.
• Theresa explains why alcoholism/addiction is a disease and not a lack of willpower. In contrast, she says that alcoholics are incredibly driven people.
• She explains why addiction isn’t about the amounts consumed, but how much space it takes up in our minds and souls. We expand on this together.
• Theresa shares her early experiences coming out of isolation and into AA where she met people from all walks of life that shared a common problem.
• In sobriety, Theresa learnt that she has Autism & ADHD. In the past, alcohol helped her to mask her true self and cope in a neurotypical society. Today Theresa takes responsibility for her wellbeing by setting boundaries where required, whilst enjoying the journey of self-discovery that continues in recovery.
• Theresa shares a message or hope to anyone who might identify with parts of her story. You are not alone! There is help available, and you don’t have to do it alone.

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Theresa’s podcast Omniversum can be found at the usual places.

Thank you for listening! If you resonate with this episode, want to know more about Theresa's story, or have any other comments or questions, I’d love to hear from you! Please send me an email at [email protected]

Lots of love, 

Josephine

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I welcome my friend Lily (they/them) to the podcast! We have a lot in common and share our passion for 12 Step recovery. Lily entered the rooms of our fellowship at the ripe age of 12, following an incident with their dad that brought up a lot of repressed memories and pain. Lily shares how the program supported them to move through deep pain and grief in the relationship with their alcoholic father, and how over time in recovery they were able to shift out of self-pity and change their perspective. Today Lily is incredibly grateful to be able to have a loving and fulfilling relationship with their dad. We also talk a lot about our personal Higher Powers/God. Lily shares how their relationship with God continues to expand and support them in all their creative endeavours.

Episode breakdown:

• In their early teenage years, Lily became aware of all of their pain that had accumulated over the years. They turned to 12 Step recovery as a way to make sense of and process the pain that had begun to negatively affect their quality of life.
• In 12 Step meetings, Lily was attracted to the honesty and vulnerability present in people’s shares. Like me, Lily had been searching for intimacy in the wrong places.
• In meetings Lily felt seen and accepted for who they were. They felt held and supported in their pain, which caused them to keep coming back.
• Lily used to hate and resent their dad due to his inappropriate behaviour in their relationship. They share how they took responsibility for themselves, were able to move through their self-pity and deep pain, eventually becoming willing to reconnect with their dad.
• I share my experience reconnecting with my dad a few years ago, and why I believe that deep down we just want to love our family members.
• Lily first resisted the concept of alcoholism being a disease. They explain how viewing alcoholism as a disease supported their healing and their relationship with their dad.
• Lily shares how they were able to surrender to their pain, finding the beauty in grief and discovering the powerful lessons their Higher Power had waiting for them.
• We talk about the freedom we experience as a result of moving through our pain.
• Lily shares an experience they had which expanded their understanding of their Higher Powers.
• We talk about our program and why everyone is free to choose their own concept of a Higher Power/God. 

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Book reference: Dear Senthuran by Akwaeke Emezi

Thank you for listening! If you resonate with this episode, want to know more about Lily's story, would like to know more about the 12 Step recovery program we are in, or have any other comments or questions, I’d love to hear from you! Please send me an email at [email protected]

Lots of love, 

Josephine

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s episode deals with themes of grief and loss, as well as wonder and awe. My dear friend and sponsee, Pamina, lost her mum to alcoholism earlier this year. At the time, Pamina was beginning her 12 Step recovery journey and building a relationship with her Higher Power. Her mum’s death came unexpectedly, and resulted in Pamina being thrown in the deep end… 

In this episode, Pamina vulnerably shares her story with us: her experience in early recovery as an atheist, what changed, and how the program supported her before, during and after her mum’s death. Despite knowing the details of her story already, this incredibly intimate conversation had me in almost constant goosebumps. Pamina’s experiences are deeply humbling and inspiring. She shares what her last words to her mum were and why she is immensely grateful to be in 12 Step recovery, how she is moving through layers of grief, how her relationship with her mum has not only healed but deepened, even in death, and how her Higher Power continues to show up for her again, and again, and again.

This episode is deeply moving. I will not do it the disservice to break it down into bullet points. 

If you are suffering from the effects of someone’s alcoholism/addiction, or if you want to get a feel for the genuine miracles that occur in 12 Step recovery, I highly suggest you listen to this episode - but don’t forget the tissues!

If you resonate with this episode, want to know more about Pamina’s story, would like to know more about the 12 Step recovery program we are in, or have any other comments or questions, I’d love to hear from you! Please send me an email at [email protected]

Lots and lots of love, 

Josephine

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I am introducing you to my boyfriend Dejan! In this episode Dejan opens up about the journey he has been on to take full responsibility for his mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. He shares vulnerably about the ways in which he used to distance himself from and deny his problems, how he was finally able to face reality, and which steps he took to take full accountability for his life and show up in our relationship as an equal partner.

Episode breakdown:

• Dejan shares how our relationship created a catalyst for change. Questions I asked him caused him to consider things he hadn’t before, and he was increasingly confronted to face areas of his life that he’d been trying to avoid.
• We discuss how Dejan was often emotionally distanced at the beginning of our relationship, trying to stay busy and not creating the space we needed to develop a deep, intimate connection.
• Eventually my breaking point came. I communicated my boundaries and told Dejan I was no longer willing to do the emotional work for us both. If he wanted to be in a relationship with me, he would need to take responsibility for himself and his personal growth.
• In the days that followed, Dejan sought support in a 12 Step program and his recovery journey began. He slowly learnt to feel into his emotions and face the pain he had suppressed for many years. 
• Having kept the truth about his financial situation a secret, Dejan finally told me about his 24,000€ debt. In order to repay all his debts, he had to move back to his parent’s flat and completely change his relationship with money.
• Dejan shares how he developed daily routines which enable him to identify and process his true feelings, and to support him to continually move forward in all areas of life. 
• I share how Dejan’s commitment to our relationship and his personal growth has allowed me to deeply trust him. 
• Dejan shares how becoming honest with himself and taking responsibility for all areas of his life has enabled him to experience deep love, true joy, and more freedom than ever. 

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Thank you for listening! If you resonate with this episode, want to know more about Dejan’s story, would like to know more about the 12 Step recovery program we are in, or have any other comments or questions, I’d love to hear from you! Please send me an email at [email protected]

Lots of love, 

Josephine

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yesterday’s episode about friendship had me reflecting on all the beautiful people who have supported and inspired me throughout my life so far. Over the years I have lost or ended contact with many former friends, however my love and appreciation for each individual remains. Each person helped me to discover a part of my deepest, most authentic self, and for that I will remain forever grateful.

Thank you, and I wish you nothing but the best.

Lots of love,

Josephine

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not all friendships are meant to last a lifetime. As we grow, I believe it’s normal and necessary to let go of friendships that are no longer compatible. This can be a scary and painful experience, but by doing so, we create space for new people to come into and enrich our lives. In this episode I share my experiences moving through many friendships, what I’ve learnt in the process, and why it’s entirely worth the heartache.

Episode breakdown:

• In order to experience the deeply intimate and authentic relationships I do today, I’ve had to grieve the loss of many friendships and move through the accompanying fears of loneliness, trusting time and time again, that the Universe would bring me the people I needed.
• I explain why I never leave relationships because I am hurt or resentful.
• The biggest lesson I have learnt is to not remain in a relationship in which I do not feel supported. I break down some of my most valuable learning experiences, giving examples where I wasn’t supported, and practical suggestions on how you can figure out if you feel supported in all of your relationships.
• Open and empathetic people don’t usually have trouble making new friends, however it is crucial that we learn to consciously choose those whom we want to spend our time with. 
• For me it’s important to feel inspired by my friends. I explain what that means and give examples of ways in which I might lose inspiration/interest in a friendship.
• It can be incredibly difficult to see someone we love suffering, especially when addiction is involved. After repeated attempts to help people, I’ve learnt that I cannot save anyone and must take responsibility for my own wellbeing.
• As a deeply intuitive person, I am often able to sense a person’s underlying issues before they do. If someone is stuck in a cycle of repeating the same problems, I will find myself becoming exhausted in their presence. In this case I will create some distance from them, but I will usually end up leaving the friendship because it’s too draining for me.
• I encourage you to ask your heart if there are any friendships that are no longer supportive. If we can have the courage to let go, the Universe will fill those spaces with the people who are more and more aligned with our authentic selves. 

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If you resonate with this episode, would like support reflecting on your relationships, or have any other comments or questions, I’d love to hear from you! Please send me an email at [email protected]

Lots of love, 

Josephine

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BPD is who I am, and an inherent part of my daily existence, so naturally I forgot to mention it on the podcast! Last week I had a pretty uncomfortable BPD episode which brought this whole topic back into the spotlight. In this episode I share what happened with you, how I experience Borderline Personality Disorder, and most importantly: why I am so GRATEFUL to have BPD, since it truly comes with its own set of incredible superpowers.

Episode breakdown:

• After sharing how I was unofficially diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, I read the official diagnostic criteria and share how I experienced some imposter syndrome due to knowing that other people experience more intense suffering than I do.
• As a person with BPD, I experience intense, unstable emotions: high highs, and low lows. People have described me as “dramatic” and living life on a rollercoaster. It can be incredibly difficult navigating life with these symptoms.
• The emotional suffering I experienced in my early 20s caused me to seek and find help. The tools of the 12 Step recovery program I joined supported me to better manage my sensitive, intense & unstable emotional nature.
• Fear of abandonment (real or imagined) is a major trigger for people with BPD, including myself. I share what happens when I get triggered, and why I’m not able to think or respond rationally to a situation whilst I am experiencing a BPD episode.
• I describe in detail the BPD episode I experienced last week, the rollercoaster ride it put me on, the abusive way I treated my partner, all the while believing I was acting sanely!
• I usually operate with a high degree of self awareness. When I suddenly react very irrationally to a situation, it can be very confusing for the people around me. I share how my loved ones can best support me when I am in intense emotional distress.
• Today I relate far more to the positive aspects of BPD than the negatives ones! Some of the superpowers BPD has granted me are: a heightened ability to be authentic, vulnerable and open. An acute awareness of my emotions at any given time. Intense passion, joy, and happiness. An ability to sense people’s true emotions, even those they may not be aware of. I am highly empathetic and can experience deep intimacy with other people. An ability to see the true beauty in the world.
• I have done much work to improve my mental health, and I highly recommend 12 Step recovery programs to anyone who is suffering from BPD. I am truly grateful to have this mental illness because it caused me to walk my own unique path and has blessed me with a life full of beauty and depth.

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If you resonate with this episode, want to know more about my story, the 12 Step recovery program I’m in, or have any other comments or questions, I’d love to hear from you! Please send me an email at [email protected]

Lots of love, 

Josephine

References:

• National Institute of Health - Borderline Personality Disorder
• Psych Central - The Gift of Borderline Personality Disorder
• Imi Lo, Eggshell Therapy - Advantages of Borderline Personality Disorder – 7 BPD gifts that may surprise you

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.