Stephen Whiteley is the master of your inner world. He can truly shift people’s inner energy, all the way up to the emotional freedom of enlightenment.
He connects individuals and organizations to their life’s purpose, and leads them to thrive through transforming fear into love. Imagine being free of those old hurts of the past. This inner energy of loving ourselves is the greatest power we have.
With this feeling, you can awaken refreshed and energetic in the morning, be purposeful and connected during the day, and enjoy the energy left in the evening to gratefully reflect on the accomplishments of the day, while planning for tomorrow. In short, by clearing out your inner troubles and blockages, you can live in boundless energy, vibrant health, and heightened productivity.
While it seems attractive, what is freedom in your opinion?
In my estimation, freedom is poorly understood in our society. Most people think it is having sufficient time and money to do what we want to. There are many stories of people in our society that have money and time, who don’t feel free. Therefore, I believe that real freedom is a feeling.
And therefore, it is an inside job, that has little to do with the outer world. It is really about leting go of the troubles of the past, learning the lessons they offer, forgiving others and ourselves. It is much easier to love ourselves and, in my experience, this is the pathway to true freedom.
If this is the pathway to true freedom, it seems like a very big job. Are there some quicker ways to increase our sense of freedom?
The answer to this question is both yes and no. Freedom is a lofty goal, and it takes time to get there. There are a couple of ways to look at this. The first is that many of my coaching clients have achieved this to a large degree in just six months.
So, this is a possible “yes” answer. On the flip side, working on it on our own − even with my advanced skills, it took me seven years to get there. It is only in hindsight that I was able to discern the steps and then refine them with clients to come up with the “12 Steps to Freedom” model that my clients are now using to gain freedom in six months.
In your experience, why do so many people feel trapped, and lack freedom?
Positive psychology researchers have discovered that the biggest impediment to loving ourselves is materialism. There is a huge focus on comfort and pleasure in our society, and these lead to health and money issues.
Loving ourselves comes more from what we do and how we help others. Few people do the work to release their hurts of the past. Many think of themselves as a body and a mind. The truth is that we are more soul than anything else.
How does a person’s freedom affect their wealth and overall success?
Pursuing pleasure and comfort detracts from wealth. While it is possible to build wealth through negativity, it’s not satisfying. Satisfaction is another big source of freedom. Lastly, really loving ourselves is a source of energy that boosts creativity and productivity.
You talk about the need for people to love themselves. Why do you think so many people struggle with that?
There are many seductive sources of seemingly feeling good that actually make us feel badly about ourselves. Many people fall for these and then die in regret. What we really want is to die in fulfillment.
How did your experience in the military influence your current path?
Great question. The military is about fighting. What I have come to realize is that fighting is the most wasteful activity on the planet. Fighting is also a seductive way of winning, but there are seldom real winners in a fight. Feeling great is actually about love, peace, and harmony. Fighting is about fear, conflict, and destruction. So, in the end, good living is about moving from fear to love.
Maureen Simpson | Staff Writer