In this week’s episode, I’m joined by author, public speaker, and Empowered Educator, Jen Rafferty. Together, we dive into merging the worlds of woo and cognitive neuroscience to guide people beyond their limitless potential, how to transition from seeking external validation to finding validation inside of yourself, and how she helps others to access their own inner wisdom through visualization and embracing self-trust.
She also shares the dreams she has for the world and the work she is doing to inspire teachers and school leaders to discover their voices and maintain healthy longevity throughout their careers.
LAUREN & JEN ALSO SHARE...
personal experiences on rewriting old beliefs about themselves and struggling to redefine success
the struggles educators have in implementing social emotional programs in schools to help our youth
how to use the power of visualization in your daily life and how to make choices that align with their passions and desires
About Jen
Educator, author, and international public speaker, Jen Rafferty started as a middle school music teacher for 15 years in Central New York. She is known for bringing her energy, humor and expertise in her presentations while inspiring educators to stay connected to their “why.” Jen is a certified Emotional Intelligence Practitioner and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. She has also been featured in Authority Magazine, Medium, Thrive Global, Voyage MIA, and was on the TEDx stage with her talk, “Generational Change begins with Empowered Teachers”. She is also the host of the podcast, Take Notes with Jen Rafferty, which is rated in the top 3% of podcasts globally. Jen’s insatiable curiosity continues to make the Empowered Educator programs relevant and reflective of the most up-to-date research in mindset, leadership, and cognitive neuroscience. She is committed to inspiring teachers and school leaders to discover their voice and maintain a healthy longevity throughout their careers.
Connect with Jen
Website: https://empowerededucator.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/empowerededucatorfacultyroom/
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Episode hightlights
Introduction [00:00:08] Lauren Best introduces her podcast “Provoking Possibilities” and invites listeners to explore new ways of living.
Jen Rafferty’s background [00:02:06] Lauren Best introduces Jen Rafferty, a certified emotional intelligence practitioner, educator, author, and international public speaker, and talks about her background and achievements.
Jen Rafferty’s personal journey [00:05:10] Jen Rafferty shares her personal journey, including her experience as a music teacher, her divorce, and how it led her to pursue her PhD in educational psychology.
Jen’s journey to self-discovery [00:09:14] Jen shares her experience of shedding old beliefs and discovering who she wants to be.
The pandemic as an invitation to self-discovery [00:09:49] Lauren and Jen discuss how the pandemic has forced people to reevaluate their lives and come back to themselves.
The power of visualization [00:17:25] Jen talks about the power of visualization and how it can help people access their inner wisdom and trust themselves.
Visualization and Internal Validation [00:18:21] Jen shares her experience of using visualization to self-soothe and find internal validation. They discuss the power of visualization and the importance of finding internal validation instead of seeking external validation.
Embodying the Work [00:22:41] Jen talks about the importance of embodying the work of social-emotional learning and emotional intelligence, and how it needs to start with adults before it can be implemented in schools. She also discusses the fear and obstacles that come with making changes.
Identifying and Navigating Fear [00:25:28] Jen talks about the fear that comes with making changes and how it can manifest in different ways. She discusses the importance of identifying and navigating fear to show up as your best self and make an impact in the world.
Practicing Self-Care and Creating a Ripple Effect [00:27:35] Lauren and Jen discuss the importance of self-care and how it can create a ripple effect in the world.
Generational Change and Empowering Educators [00:31:54] Jen talks about her mission to create generational change by empowering educators and transforming the education system.
Private Hypnosis Happy Hour Sessions [00:35:18] Lauren promotes her private hypnosis happy hour sessions and offers a buy one get one offer for $222.
Connecting to your intuition and rewriting beliefs [00:36:20] Lauren Best discusses how to connect to your intuition, work with your nervous system, and rewrite beliefs to visualize success.
Gratitude and support for personal growth [00:37:28] Lauren Best expresses gratitude for listeners and encourages leaving a review. She also offers resources for personal growth and reminds listeners they are not alone on their journey.
*Click on the arrow below to expand the transcript
LB (00:00:08) – Welcome to Provoking Possibilities where we reflect on pivotal life moments, ask thought-provoking questions, and dream up new possibilities for living a life you love that may be a little out of your current reality. I’m Lauren Best, a certified hypnotherapist and provoker of possibility, and I’ve created this podcast for people who are curious about exploring new ways of living, who are looking to connect deeper with their bodies, their intuition, their hearts, and then known, and who are really ready to just embrace their most authentic selves to move into flow and into alignment. There is just so much that is possible for us when we open ourselves up to exploring new possibilities beyond our wildest imagination. So if you’re ready and curious to begin exploring new possibilities, join me every week for a new episode of Provoking Possibilities on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Let’s dive in.
LB (00:01:09) – Hi everyone. Welcome to another week with your host Lauren Best certified hypnotherapist and provoker of possibility where we explore new possibilities for unlocking the potential of your subconscious mind to really design a life that you love. And before we get into it today, I wanna take another moment to just welcome back any listeners who have joined us before. Welcome any new listeners to the show that are joining for the first time. I am so grateful that you’ve chosen to spend your time listening with me, and also giving yourself that space to learn something new, perhaps even learn something new about yourself as well. So I am very thrilled to be joined today by Jen Rafferty, who also has a fabulous show on the Confident You Radio Show Network, which has or is the reason why, rather, that we have connected. Um, but not only that, she also is the host of Take Notes with Jen Rafferty, which is rated in the top three of podcast globally.
LB (00:02:06) – Aside from that, she has also taken the TEDx stage recently to talk about generational change and how that begins with empowered teachers. She is a certified emotional intelligence practitioner and pursuing her PhD in educational psychology. She’s an educator and author, a international public speaker. She started her career as a middle school music teacher for 15 years in central New York. And through her business empowered Educator, she has reached teachers and school leaders all around the world where she has very intentionally designed programs that are just really relevant and reflective of the most up-to-date research in mindset, in leadership, cognitive neuroscience. She is committed to really inspiring teachers and school leaders to discover their voice and maintain a healthy longevity throughout their careers, which is something we really bonded over. And I can keep talking about how energetic and funny she is and how she, you know, has this amazing superpower in being able to translate what people are trying to say into digestible and understandable insights so that other people can walk away, you know, with new tools under their belt. But instead, I’ll let her do the talking and, you know, you’ll see all this energy and funny and, um, you know, all her super, super power shine through. So, welcome Jen, thank you so much for joining me.
JR (00:03:34) – Thank you so much for having me, Lauren. I am really excited that we get a chance to talk to each other again.
LB (00:03:40) – Yeah, yeah. And I mean, it’s safe to say like, you know, just that beautiful list of all these beautiful parts of you and your interests and the things that you’re doing in the world and how you’re showing up and with so many different hats, it’s really safe to say that, you know, you are doing a lot of really incredible things and I know that you and I have chatted a little bit about, you know, making new identity shifts in our lives and how, you know, starting off as a teacher for 15 years in, in schools and now you’re, you know, pivoted and you’ve created this business and you’re speaking on these incredible stages and, you know, life looks a lot different than it did, you know, when you were in the classroom. But I would love to just really hear about, you know, with this, like, it’s almost like an amazing cocktail of different experiences that you have and these methodologies and skills and areas of expertise that you’re like pulled together to really pave your own way in an industry, or not even an industry, I guess, like in a system of education that is really different from, from what you’re creating now.
LB (00:04:51) – So I would love to just kind of hear a bit of your story and have the viewers understand, you know, how, what was it like getting to this place where you are like, you know, that mixologist of bringing all these beautiful things together and creating your own, um, place in, in education in, in the world.
JR (00:05:10) – Yeah. Well, I I love a good cocktail <laugh>.
LB (00:05:13) – Yeah, right.
JR (00:05:15) – Love, love that analogy. Um, you know, I think that for me, I like most people, you know, we grow up with this idea of who we think we wanna be, but it’s really based on a lot of other people’s expectations of who we should be, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And we kind of live our lives according to the stories that are passed down to us. The stories that we’ve inherited, the things that the adults in our lives have have said to us of, you know, what we’re good at or maybe what we should pursue or how to behave in certain situations, how to feel in certain situations. And I have always been a rule follower <laugh>. Yeah. So I played those roles really well. You know, I was, I was a good kid. I got all A’s I, you know, excelled in, in school my entire, you know, high school career and into college, I did all the right things.
JR (00:06:11) – I was responsible. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you know, I mean, just check, check, check, check, check. Right? And in addition to that, I was, I also have a musical theater background. I went to college not just for music education, but also for vocal performance. Yeah. So I was on stage a lot, and, you know, as a classically trained singer, you know, being up on the stage, a lot of what you think of yourself comes from this external validation of whether or not you’re doing a good job. Yeah. That’s just how it is. Right. The audience is applauding then, okay, great. It did great. And if it’s not <laugh>, you know, that’s what’s wrong with me. And so these messages were just very loud my entire life. And this isn’t unique. Everyone has some sort of variety of, of this kind of a story. So I’ve observed and experienced throughout my, my work now.
JR (00:06:56) – And what happened was, you know, I was doing what I thought I was supposed to do. I was in the classroom for 15 years as a public school music teacher, and I really did. I loved it. I absolutely loved it. Um, but there was a big part of me that w was, you know, performing, you know, it was this big performativity of, of who I thought the community wanted me to be, who I thought I I should be, to my family, to, I thought I should be to my friends. And what happened was, was a big shift in everything. There was this big crisis in my life in December of, of 2019. I was doing really well in my career. I was conducting choirs all across New York state. I was presenting nationally at this point. I had just published my book, and my husband and I decided that we were gonna get a divorce.
JR (00:07:40) – This is the day before Christmas of 2019. Wow. And I ended up moving out of the house with my kids who were five and seven at the time, uh, in March, 2020, the same week in the world shut down. And so everything that, you know, I thought that I was the day before I, all of a sudden just wasn’t anymore. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and I, I wasn’t teaching the same way. If you remember, like, singing was very scary. So the, the course right who I was, was, was now life threatening, you know? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So we thought like that was a very real thing back then. And, you know, I was trying to figure out how to teach from home. I was, I couldn’t even get a hug from my mom as I’m going through this divorce. My sister who was planning to come help me move, couldn’t.
JR (00:08:21) – And I was quite literally alone with my feelings. Yeah. And it was a really difficult tumultuous time. But looking back, what it allowed me to do was really consider who I was and who I wanted to be. And I was able to make some really aligned decisions about that, like what that meant for me, not anybody else’s expectations of me. Yeah. And while the divorce and Covid were obviously, you know, horrible, that that shift really allowed me space to ask myself some of those questions. And I’ll tell you that the, the big turning point of that for me was I started my PhD in educational psychology that fall. So it was the fall of 2020. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Um, I stayed home to homeschool my kids for what I thought would be a semester, but I ended up not going back to teaching. We could talk about that later if you want.
JR (00:09:14) – But, um, <laugh>, my, my professor, the very first class said, you know, introduce yourself and everybody was introducing themselves by their relationship to their spouse mm-hmm. <affirmative> their relationship to their job, or their relationship to their kids. And while mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I loved being a mom, I didn’t wanna lead with that. And so I was sitting on my computer crying like, I don’t know who I am. Like who am I? And I had this moment of, again, just saying, okay, well Jen, who do you wanna be? Yeah. And I started from there. That was really ground zero for me.
LB (00:09:49) – Wow. And it’s, you know, that’s the thing about, you know, a lot of what happened, you know, before the pandemic and during the pandemic was like, I don’t know what I believe. And I think you and I have talked about this before, almost like the universe, like forcing us to like, look at what is really not r not just real in our lives, but what, you know, wasn’t maybe meant to be there anymore or, or layers of ourselves that we were, you know, wearing or using as like personas or masks or like, you know, just kind of ripping away these things that we thought we knew about ourselves or we thought we knew about our lives that perhaps, you know, didn’t need to be there anymore, even though we didn’t know why. And just like this release of all these different layers of almost this invitation of coming back to ourselves in like the, like the most stressful ways ever, but really giving those opportunities to us to really look at, you know, what it is we want and who it is we are.
LB (00:10:52) – And I think, you know, you sharing your story and you know, it, it came in many layers and waves for you in, in ways that you probably hadn’t imagined at all. And I know that’s what we really related on, um, but in different ways. But, you know, I’d love for you to also just kind of paint a bit of a picture for us. I know you mentioned this, you know, going into your, your, um, studies and having this like moment of like, how do I introduce myself? Like, who, who is it that I am and that I want to be, but was there a way that, you know, after that you started to kind of piece that together? Or what was that process like of like continuing maybe to shed some of those old stories or those old beliefs you had about yourself to really like, rebuild these beautiful parts of you that perhaps didn’t have that chance to shine or, you know, come out or be these new qualities that you got to embrace and really celebrate about
JR (00:11:52) – Yourself? Yeah. It was a process and it definitely didn’t happen overnight. And it’s a process that I’m still working through, right? It’s, it’s not like one day I wake up and I’m like, got it, I got it. Now we’re good. Right. I’m totally good. You know, this is a, a beautiful journey where I, I truly believe is the journey of our humanity is connecting to ourselves, is coming back to ourselves, understanding that we are spiritual beings, having a human experience. And, you know, in, in understanding that piece of it, that that connectedness is where a lot of these answers come from. Where we are so used to looking three dimensionally at mm-hmm. <affirmative>, what’s in front of us, where’s the evidence, what’s happening right now, you know, what, what quote unquote is real. And what I mean by that is what can we experience through our five senses?
JR (00:12:45) – But that’s, that in of itself is so limiting. And what’s been so interesting is that I’m coming from a place talking about this not just in connection to like this Woo world, which I am totally mm-hmm. <affirmative> in, into <laugh>, but it’s, this is also based in, in neuroscience of, of what’s actually happening inside of our brain. That, to me, understanding both of those spaces was really important to me. So, you know, after I had that moment with my college professor and figuring out, you know, how I was even gonna introduce myself, I went on to really dive into the mindset work of Tracy Lit and the Lit Factor. And she has a program called Mind Magic. She happened to have been a friend of mine, and she was doing this, this program, and she’d been working on her business for years. I was like, I’m finally gonna see what Tracy’s doing, and I’ll like figure out my life.
JR (00:13:31) – I’ll go to her workshop, whatever. And actually, and I did <laugh> because what, what her work was actually able to provide was a way in into looking at your neurobiology and your psyche in a way that’s separate from you, right? Like, you are a person with a brain, you’re not your brain, right? And so once you start understanding how your brain works, then you can start to navigate some of these things and understanding that the, the thoughts that you have are options. They’re not facts you can attach to them or not attach to them. You can actually believe whatever you wanna believe, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, there’s, there’s no lockdown on what, what you’re in your belief system. And so unpacking and uncovering layers and layers and layers of, you know, who I am, who, where did that come from? Is it serving me? Do I wanna keep this thing anymore?
JR (00:14:20) – That really led the way to more abundance, more connectedness, more light, more joy, more calm, more peace. And at the same time doing my studies in educational psychology, I’ve always also been very interested in cognitive neuroscience. Um, one of the other people that I, I study her work quite a bit is Dr. Joe Bolty Taylor. And, and she’s a neuroscientist who her work is, um, whole brain living. So if you haven’t heard of that book, go make sure you get that, that’s your next book after you listen to this episode, go, go get that, that book. Um, but, you know, here’s a neuroscientist saying the same things that I am learning about in this other space. And so, you know, I, I love how you said that I’m a translator. That’s something that actually really resonates with me because in taking bits and pieces of this information from all of these places, um, you know, I, I can synthesize it in a way that makes sense for my audience.
JR (00:15:13) – You know, my, my audience is in academia and, you know, can’t necessarily, um, surface level relate to some of the, the more spiritual things that we talk about, especially in conversations like this with you. Um, but understanding that, no, this is actually, this is actually brain science, um, really was helpful for me in understanding what the, what is the work for me. And so yeah, the journey is understanding Jen and understanding that my potential is indeed limitless. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, and part of my work in this world is empowering people to discover their own limitless potential similar to the work that you’re doing and, you know, and, and how you bring this to the world. And I’m just kind of in a different arena doing the same thing. Yeah. Which is I think one another reason why we connect.
LB (00:16:03) – Yeah, absolutely. And I think that’s what’s really interesting about, you know, having, making these connections like we have ha have made and with other people in our life, um, that we just even in the last few years have been able to connect with who are kind of on those similar journeys of really realizing like, we have so much inside ourselves, but like, how do I unlock it? How do I get there? How do I make the woo also understandable in for my, you know, critical mind or to my analytical mind, you know, for those people who perhaps, and, and even, you know, with your audience, like what are some of the biggest things that perhaps you found yourself translating, not maybe for yourself or maybe to your audience when it comes to, and this might be a really, you know, big question to ask, but I don’t know if there’s something that just pops into your head right away or not. Um, but what is, you know, maybe the biggest thing that people, um, don’t really understand as being like that perfect example of where the woo and the neuroscience and scientifically speaking, these things are so much alike, but they are often talked about in two very different ways.
JR (00:17:25) – Yeah. I think for me, in my experience personally and in the work that I do, it’s the, the power of visualization, actually. You know, the, this power that we have in our mind to access an incredible inner wisdom and the ability to trust ourselves. And you and I have had those conversations before too about self-trust, you know, that is, I, one of the, the gateways to a lot of this, and something that I do is, is really early on with the people that I work with, is visualization meeting your 85 year old self, right? Yeah. And so in going through this visualization understanding that this, this person that you, you meet, you know, in, in your imagination, at the end of your life, everything becomes so crystal clear at the end, right? And when, when we go through this visualization and we ask questions of our 85 year old self of what’s important, like, what do I need to pay attention to right now?
JR (00:18:21) – You know, what, what do I need to know in this moment here? Um, it’s, it’s so powerful and it’s something that we have access to all of the time. And, you know, we do a lot of this work when we’re talking about like, our vision or our intentions. But I’ll be honest with you, you know, I was struggling with some back pain the last three weeks, and it’s just the worst if, I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced back pain, but like mm-hmm. <affirmative>, it, it is, it is debilitating. And, you know, I am a single mom. My kids go to their dad’s house, so I’m, I’m alone a lot. I work from home and, you know, I just needed like that comforting that I would normally get with a partner who I, you know, I, I just don’t live with my partner right now, so mm-hmm. <affirmative>, um, what I did was I went into that visualization and I visualized my 85 year old self. And like I was able to self-sooth that way, where she was actually able to provide that comfort for me and the amount of, of gorgeous connection to myself that it brings. Um, it’s, it’s unmatched by anything. And, and here’s the thing, when we bring it back now, this, this neuroscience space is your brain doesn’t know the difference between what’s real and what’s not real.
LB (00:19:35) – Yeah. Yeah.
JR (00:19:35) – And so what’s so powerful about that is when we leverage this idea of visualization, you can actually create feelings in your body that normalize, that integrate some of the things that you are visualizing in a way that when you wake up outta that visualization, they remain. And, and that’s really the secret sauce to quantum leaping, to, you know, really accessing your limitlessness mm-hmm. <affirmative> to really having the keys to the kingdom to do what you want in this lifetime.
LB (00:20:09) – Yeah. Yeah. I just love that you shared that example because it, like, visualization really, really is that powerful. And I love how you also brought up this point of, you know, giving yourself that internal validation that you would normally, you know, seek from a partner or in your past from the audiences that you sang in front of, and making that shift from. And the world is programmed this way to seek that external validation. Like we’re taught that in the school system, and we’re taught like all of these things in our communities. And to be in a place where you can find that internal validation is, is so powerful. There just really is nothing quite like that. Because once you have that self-trust and that ability to self soothe or, you know, turn inward to really connect your intuition, then we can unlock so much more for ourselves, whether it be, you know, our inner beliefs or just ex being open to exploring new possibilities we hadn’t imagined.
LB (00:21:18) – Like, there’s so, so much that that can come from it. So I just love that, you know, moving from this place of the society in which we live in, of that external validation being such a big driving factor for a lot of the decisions people make, or a lot of the impact that is felt around the world or personally, like it really can come from that. What do you see, you know, in your work now with, with educators and bringing this new lens to their practice, um, as well as, you know, how they show up for themselves? What is the biggest thing that you’re finding, um, whether it be like a barrier for people to really feel like they can implement this, whether it be in the school system or the education system, to really, like, what do you see, what could have changed do you see that would really need to happen to allow people to really embrace this a lot more without that fear of, you know, getting in trouble or of doing things differently? Like being seen is different. I know there can be a lot of shame and judgment, like through making decisions that are different from other people. What have you seen, um, or what do you envision even to be the thing that’s gonna change that?
JR (00:22:41) – So, I’ll be honest with you, I actually don’t see any obstacles. I, I think that the biggest thing that needs to happen here is for more people to embody this work mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And so it just needs to be visible in a way that everyone is going to make their change. Like the obstacle happens internally. Yeah. And the work that I do with Empowered Educator is, is teaching people how to navigate their own obstacles. Right. Which is really, they’re not obs they’re, they’re just perceptions. They’re not obstacles at all. They’re just this perceived obstacles, which is why I actually don’t see any obstacles in this. What I, what I really see is an invitation for everybody to embody this work because mm-hmm. <affirmative>, one of the reasons why a lot of these programs, these like social-emotional learning programs aren’t working is because they’re focus on kids and mm-hmm.
JR (00:23:35) – <affirmative>, and yes, of course we need to take care of our kids’ social emotional wellbeing, but when we leapfrog over the adults, what’s happening is that we are taking the, the, the math teacher mm-hmm. <affirmative>, who is strung out <laugh>, who is stressed, who is like, you know, activated every single day. And we’re asking this person now to teach about empathy mm-hmm. <affirmative> and kindness and cooperation. And it just doesn’t make any sense. You know, we’re gonna ask this person to teach self-regulation where they themselves haven’t understood what that even means for them. Right? Yeah. Um, so there’s a lot of resentment that comes up for teachers who try to implement these new initiatives in school systems. And so what needs to happen first is that everybody individually needs to embody this work within community mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And so what I’m finding is some people who work with me, if there’s one or two of them from a school or from a, from a district, and they’re like, Jen, this is great, but like, I feel like I’m the only one here doming this work.
JR (00:24:34) – And I smile at them and say, yes, and that’s wonderful because you get to be the change. And then there’s this ripple effect that we actually might not always see mm-hmm. <affirmative>, but when we do, it is extremely apparent that when we change our insides internally, everything external starts to change because we are no longer moving through the world from a place of depletion and burnout and exhaustion. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, we are moving from a place of inherent wholeness and abundance and peace and calm. And when that becomes our lens, everything starts to change. And so is there fear? Of course, there’s fear, there’s fear in everything that we do, because again, that’s, that’s our biology, you know, that is your brain keeping you safe. It is, it is a way for your brain to say, Hey, you know, we need to keep Jen alive. Um, your brain doesn’t care if you’re happy or if you’re learning Yeah.
JR (00:25:28) – Or if you’re living your dreams, it actually would rather you didn’t live your dreams because it doesn’t have any evidence of you doing that and surviving. So it’s going to throw fear in your, in your way, in lots of sneaky ways, right? Yeah. Through, um, resistance, through doubt, through insecurity, through distraction, through procrastination, through judgment. There’s all of these ways that fear gets in the way for you to stay the same and stay small. And that is actually part of the training that I give to my, my educators, is how to navi how to identify when there’s fear rear in its head, and how to navigate it so you can actually do the things you say you wanna do and show up the way you say you wanna do. Uh, because otherwise, like, what are we doing <laugh>? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Yeah. You know, we, we can’t have the impact that you wanna make in this world without showing up as your best self. So what’s, you know, so beautiful about this is that while you are the problem here, you are also the solution. Yeah. And so I, I work through that in, in that kind of a way mm-hmm.
LB (00:26:30) – <affirmative>, and that is such a big shift. I think that, you know, going through that myself, realizing like I can, you know, blame and shame other people for impacting my own life and my reality through the decisions that they made, or how their decisions affect me, but making that link to like, wait a minute, this is my life. They’re like, I’m the main character in my own story, and I can choose to react. I can, you know, I mean, there’s also, you know, the reptilian brain that does <laugh>, you know, like is going to make decisions for us in, in some situations, whether it be that fight or flight or, you know, reacting and protecting ourselves. But, you know, there gets to be a reality where I can be in control of, you know, how I allow emotions to either become me or feel like they’re a part of me, or things that are just existing and energy and motion.
LB (00:27:35) – And there gets to be a reality where I can choose myself first. I can practice what I preach. I can not be perfect and, you know, still take time away from what I think is I important, which really is myself and my happiness and how that spills out into the world. And I think I’ve noticed, you know, in my own reality, that shift in how I show up does spill over into other people, like just practicing acts of self-care or using no as a sentence and not needing to explain all these reasons why or seek that external validation or, you know, decide to do something just for fun or just because, not because I, there needs to be a reason why. And sometimes leaving that why, or that how out of the equation can be a really great place to start, I found with myself.
LB (00:28:34) – But really seeing yeah. How things can spill over and create that ripple effect. Um, I think until you, and, and that’s the thing that can be tricky. I think I, I would just caught myself, I was about to say like, until you see it for yourself, but now it’s until you believe it for yourself. And really that’s the work that we’re doing, um, both individually and, you know, collectively hoping for people to really just have that belief that in our belief to, and sometimes they can come back to that, you know, we could say there’s a why to all of this, of, you know, that blame or shame or society or even, you know, our own self worth. But it can really, you know, I just love what you said about like how powerful that ripple effect is because, you know, I’ve started to see it even, you know, after doing a lot of this work quite condensed in the last few years to seeing, just even in the last week how the people around me are starting to react differently or, you know, just by setting that example or setting that tone for, for how it is you wanna show up.
LB (00:29:42) – And that can also create a lot of, you know, respect or just this influence of how people will also begin to treat themselves and treat others. So I love, you know, you bringing that up because it can really start with us, but it can, it can really move outwards, um, to make such great impacts that maybe weren’t there before. And we are perhaps seeing for the first time for that educator who is the only one doing it like it is, you are so worth it. Like it’s not even just worth it for the community that you are in. Like, you are so worth it investing in yourself and your mindset and just going through that journey of going to a place of, you know, this can be my belief. It doesn’t have to be the way it’s always been, and I don’t have to be resentful.
LB (00:30:34) – Like I can take my own power back and my own potential. So yeah. Amazing. Dan, I just think what you’re doing is so incredible and it really goes beyond, you know, that individual, but that collective of how, how, you know, not only the teachers, I think what you really said about that leapfrog leapfrogging over the teacher to the kids, it’s something we see so much, you know, in, in even like in the households, right? Even within, you know, family dynamics. Um, so I think, you know, that is such a good point to bring up. And when it comes to, you know, your wishes for, and, and I, you’ve probably already answered this in a way, but I wanna ask it again in terms of, you know, what is it that you wish for the work that you’re doing, um, whether it be, you know, that that tiny ripple and, you know, we think about how much change has happened in the last few years, you know, this is, you’ve just gotten started in the work that you’re doing. So what is like, you know, the tiny change or the larger ripple effect that you really hope to see not only for these educators and the kids, but also like in the world in general?
JR (00:31:54) – Yeah. Well, I am in the business of generational change. That’s what I do. And while I focus on the adults, it’s really because I, I, I really believe that the linchpin is teachers and because ev, everyone has to go to school, right? Yeah. And if, if we’re able to focus on the educators in these spaces, and when I mean educators, I mean everyone from the bus driver to the school nurses, the cafeteria people to the administrators and superintendent, but even the parents too, really shaping this shift and, and universal transformation in the way we speak about things, the way we believe our, our systems, our ecosystems should work mm-hmm. <affirmative> that it, it all needs to start with us individually. And so that’s the big ripple effect is this, is this generational change where right now I’m planting seeds and I am fortunate enough to see some of the fruits of that right now, but the really big shift in that ripple is going to happen in the next generation when other people really wake up.
JR (00:32:56) – And that’s just what it is. It’s, we need to just wake up. We are just asleep, and we are asleep because it is efficient for our brain to be an autopilot default, but it is not going to get us someplace new and better. And for me, that’s what I want. I want people to wake up and make choices that align with the fire in their belly to get up every day and just do the thing that makes them feel alive so they shine. And we just need a, a world full of shiny people, <laugh>, you know, doing what they love without believing all of these limiting things about what they can’t do. It’s just not true. And so that to me is that ripple effect that starts in schools.
LB (00:33:45) – Yeah. Oh my gosh. Well, I can like feel the fire in your belly, <laugh> the energy that you know, and the passion that you have, you know, in, in changing the world. And, you know, really making that generational change. You are doing that. And I think the world is so grateful to have, you know, a shining star like you, and for all those listening as well. Like, like Jen said, like we can all be shining stars. And it’s just about figuring out what that looks like for you. It might not be talking on a TEDx stage or being, you know, a radio show host or hypnotherapist, whatever it may be for you. Like you are important and you can create the change in the world that you want to make. So just keep believing in yourself and give yourself that space to discover what that looks like, because you’re not gonna, like Jen said, she didn’t wake up one day and just know what it is she was going to do or who she wanted to be. And likewise for myself, I’m still figuring that out. So just know that you can have the space to do that and just give your yourself that space, um, to do so. But Jen, how can people follow you, find you, where can they go to get more of Jen? Sure.
JR (00:34:56) – Well, my website is empowered educator.com, and if you go to the resources page, there are a couple of free resources for you, and there’s also a quiz there too, so you can take a quiz and find out where you are on your Empowered Educator journey. Um, I’m at Jen Rafferty underscore on Instagram and Twitter and TikTok, and join us at the Empowered Educator Faculty Room on Facebook.
LB (00:35:18) – Amazing. Thank you so much, Jen, and I can’t wait to keep following your journey. I appreciate you so, so much. I am so excited to bring this little treat to you because right now I am offering a buy one get one offer for my private hypnosis happy hour sessions, which for two sessions is just $222, which is the price of one session on its own. So right now you can buy one, get one for the price of one, just $222 for two sessions. And within these hypnosis happy hour sessions, we can focus on whatever it is you want to show up with, whether you have a goal in mind or some sort of desire, and you feel like there’s just blocks and limiting beliefs that are stopping you from actually going out there and following your intuition, or whether you’re struggling to manage your time, your energy to set boundaries, or want to just show up in the world a little bit differently than what you are right now.
LB (00:36:20) – We can also figure out how to connect back to your intuition a little more, listen to the whispers of your mind, and do some work with your nervous system and just feeling comfortable and safe in your body. We can focus on letting go of old stories, rewriting your beliefs, reprogramming those beliefs, and just really visualizing what your idea of success could look like in whatever it is you’re going through at the moment. So do know that there will be a limited amount available, but you can book these sessions all the way through to the end of the year. So right now, you can visit my website, lauren best.com, and book those sessions through there, or follow the link below, and you can get access directly to that BOGO offer for private hypnosis happy hour, which will be two sessions for $222. So make sure you don’t miss out, and I cannot wait to support you to really connect to your subconscious mind and see where the session might take you.
LB (00:37:28) – Thank you so much for joining me on this journey of exploring new possibilities and embracing your most authentic self. I appreciate you and your willingness to open your mind and your heart to new ideas and ways of being that are beyond your current reality. So if you found value in this episode, please take a moment to leave a reading and review on Apple Podcast or wherever you listen to this podcast. Your support helps us to spread the message of compassion, self-discovery, and personal growth to more people who may benefit from it. And if you’re looking for additional support on your journey of self-discovery and transformation, I invite you to visit my website@laurenbest.com, where you’ll find resources, courses, and coaching services to help you navigate life’s challenges with more ease and joy and confidence and support. So please check that out. And more than anything, I hope you’ll remember that you’re not alone on this journey. We are all in this together, and by embracing our most authentic selves, we can create more compassion and connection to the world. So please keep dreaming, keep exploring, and keep provoking possibilities with love and intuition. I’ll be back soon with more thought provoking questions, inspiring stories and powerful insights and conversations to support you on your journey. But until then, take care of yourself and others and remember that you are worthy of love and possibility.
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