I Can Be Issue 2

I CAN BE

ISSUE 02 | MAY2021

THE RETREAT EDITION

Women’s Retreat Discover our womens only retreats being held at the Redcastle Oceanfront Hotel Spa

NEW AND EXCLUSIVE Greg Fletcher Guest Contributor

The Exclusive Reader Discounts Inside

ISSUE:2

STNETNOC

Ladies Retreat Page 3

Exclusive Donna Kennedy Interview Pages 4-5

Meet our newest E-Mag contributor; Greg Fletcher

Exclusive Discounts Availabe Inside

Stepping Into A New You Ladies Retreat Weekends Our Stepping Into A New You ladies retreat dates have launched with huge success. We were delighted to have sold out on our first two dates within an hour of posting them online. We feel so honoured and are really looking forward to sharing more dates with you all really soon.

These luxurious retreats filled with fine dining, meditation and yoga seminars and of course the delivery of the Stepping Into A New You programme with Mary Keogh, are just what we need right now.

Keep a watch on our social media for further dates.

I N T E R V I E W

Exclusive DONNA KENNEDY

Can you detail your career which lead you to this point?

When

I

was

difficult

I

challenges

challenges people

younger,

led

me

overcome

experienced and

on

a

theirs.

several

overcoming

path In

a

to

those

helping

formal

very

other

academic

sense, I began training in psychology at 19 and by the age of 24, with first class honours,

I had a

thriving psychology practice, working 6 days a week with a minimum month waiting list. My client base started

with

momentum

one

person

through

and

referral.

quickly

Many

gained

people

who

trained with me found it hard to get clients and asked what I was doing to get mine.

My answer was always the same - I am doing what it takes to get people the result, and often that meant looking beyond my formal training and into the

strategies

Sometimes being

I

that

used

to

meant

prepared

to

succeed

taking

push,

a

in

life

myself.

calculated

being

braver

risk, than

expected, saying it as it is etc. when others may recoil, but the way I look at it is that I have a moral obligation kindness,

to

get

common

results. sense,

I

and

always

work

authenticity,

with but

I

take the unnecessary fluff out of life and simplify everything, so the client has a clear way forward for an amazing life. This is my passion and now I also work with groups.

What would be a dream come true for you in terms of career?

If you were to give one valuable piece of advice to someone considering this

I am living my dream come true, but I

career path what would that be?

am always open to new opportunities.

Remember that your obligation to your

I

I

client is more important than your ego.

believe there is always something new

This industry is not always pretty, but

to

A

you are not here to impress anyone,

the

you are here to impress upon people

like

to

grow

and

experience

documentary cards

but

expand,

and

and

that

learn

movie

is

an

and

from.

are

on

extension

and

that

they

are

worthwhile

individuals

expansion of doing what I do now. I

who have a right to an amazing life. It

guess

is your role to do what it takes to get

scaling

up

my

passion

is

the

living dream.

them that.

What can our audience look forward

How do you find the balance between work and personal life?

to seeing from Donna Kennedy in the near future?

I approach life as a work-life-blend as

I

opposed to two completely separate

course,

entities. My career is part of me and

about two months. I am super excited

my personality, it’s not a role I do and

about it as I know the impact it will

then don’t do. However, family is very

have!

important to me, and I make sure our goals

are

built

together

for

each

other. To ensure we live our lives as a happy loving family, I cherish life-time and

have

clear

boundaries

with

clients and people in general. There is respect

within

that,

and

everyone

knows where they stand. I believe in balance

and

importance

I

teach

of

it.

my

clients

That

important I live what I teach.

said,

the it’s

have

a

new

which

online

will

be

confidence available

in

‘Serotonin

Solutions’

approach

to

help

is

you

negative

behaviours,

may

experiencing.

be

effective

talking

developments

a

overcome

beliefs It

and

adaptive

any

the

techniques,

scientific

limiting

emotions

combines

therapy

in

modern

you most

modern

research

and

neuroscience to empower you to access your own inherit

abilities

to

bring

about

the

positive

changes you are seeking in your life.

Within

my

‘Serotonin

Solutions’

practice,

I

specialise in Solutions Focused Hypnotherapy. This type of therapy offers a relatively shorter period effectively

treating

exasperated

by

behavioural

stress,

anxiety

and

issues

depression.

Clients attend my practice on average between 8-12 sessions. I also provide effective treatment to clients experiencing fears and phobias during a course

of

required

four for

sessions

smoking

with

only

cessation,

one

session

which

takes

approximately 2 hours.

Solutions Focused Hypnotherapy is not an analysis on the events of our past; it instead looks at your present situation and your future. During therapy, I

TaraNicholas

will use talking therapy techniques proven over time

to

be

highly

effective

in

their

ability

to

achieve positive and sustained change.

In

addition

to

this,

I

have

the

tremendous

advantage of using hypnosis, which is a natural state of trance and is truly powerful in accessing the

solutions

that

lie

within

you

to

bring

about

positive change in your life.

Clients experiencing Solutions Focused Hypnotherapy treatments learn to create new patterns of behaviours that allow a more positive and solutions focused outlook. Due to increased flows of Serotonin resulting from treatments, clients can expect to notice some or all of the benefits below:

• Improved sleep patterns – increased energy, drive and motivation • Positive thought patterns reducing limiting self-beliefs • Solution focused and increased awareness in availing of new opportunities • Improved confidence, self-esteem and resilience • Accessing increased creativity • Feeling more calm and in control of behaviours and emotions • Stress reduction • Improved digestion and regulation of appetite • An overall sense of contentment and happiness.

Overall,

my

motivated

sessions

and

will

inspired

enable

to

gain

you

to

access

to

feel the

solutions that you need in order to return to your true authentic self. You will also have the opportunity to relax

and

have

a

dedicated

hour

where

you

are

focusing on what is important for you to be free from the problem or issue you currently face.

Appointments can be arranged within the comfort of your home via online therapy sessions or meeting with me on a 1-1 basis by contacting me to arrange an appointment.

Please see below for the areas that I can assist you with during the 1-1 sessions: • Anxiety (including panic attacks) • Depression • Stress Management • Confidence and Self-Esteem • Sleep Problems • Pain Management • Grief • Weight Management • Eating Disorders Contact Details: • Irritable Bowl Syndromw (IBS) Website : www.serotoninsolutions.co • Calm Pregnancy and Hypnobirthing Email: Tara@Serotoninsolutions.co • Sports Performance Tel: 079 0734 6072 • Fears and Phobias • Smoking Cessation Facebook: SerotoninSolutionsNI Instagram: SerotoninSolutionsNI If you would like further information, or wish to book an appointment please do get in touch by email or phone

or

resources

visit to

my

help

website

you

begin

to the

becoming your true authentic self.

access journey

helpful towards

YouTube : Serotonin Solutions

t s i n m u l o C

Pat Slattery

The Ready State

Reflect for a moment on what it might be like if your personal management situation was totally under control – at all levels and at all times.

What if you could dedicate fully 100% of your attention to whatever was at hand, at your own choosing with no distraction.

It is possible.

There is a way to get a grip on it all, stay relaxed and get meaningful things done with minimal effort across the whole spectrum of your life and work.

You can experience being in the zone.

In fact, you have probably been in this space from time to time.

It is a condition of working, doing and being in which, the mind is clear and constructive things are happening.

It is a state that is accessible by everyone, and one that increasingly needed to deal effectively with the complexity of life in current times.

More and more it will be a required condition high performance professional who wish to maintain balance and a consistent positive output in their work.

Perfect Readiness In karate there is an image that is used to define the position of perfect readiness, ‘mind like water’.

Imagine throwing a pebble into a still pond. How does the pond respond? The answer is totally appropriate to the force and mass of the input, then it returns to calm.

It does not overreact or underreact.

Anything that causes you to overreact or underreact can control you, and often does.

Responding to circumstances, people, emails, your children, your boss, your staff, or the thoughts about the things you need to do will lead to less productive and effective results than you will like.

Most people give either more or less

Remind yourself of your productive

attention

state.

to

things

they

deserve,

simply because they do not operate

Put

with a ‘mind like water’.

state.

“If your mind is empty, it is always

Create the ripples that you wish to

ready

have in your life.

for

anything,

it

is

open

to

everything”. - Shunryu Suzuki.

Get

into

your

productive

about

into

your

productive

Act on the things that you need to

state

–

when required.

Think

yourself

get done immediately.

“There is one thing we can do, and

felt

the happiest people are those who

highly productive. You probably had

can do it to the limit of their ability.

a

you

We can be completely present. We

sense

were

the

of

not

last

being

in

stressed

highly

focused

doing

at

that

on

time

you

control,

out,

you

were

can all be here. We can…. Give all

what

you

were

our

time.

You

probably

attention

to

the

opportunity

before us”. – Mark Van Doren

felt like you were making noticeable progress

toward

a

meaningful

outcome.

You will want to have more of these experiences.

Imagine the above moments often, feel what it feels like when you are experiencing them.

If you seriously get out of state and start to feel out of control, stressed, bored, unfocused, and stuck.

Remember

you

can

get

yourself

back on track.

First practice a mind like water. Let the ripples come to calm.

Have an Outstanding Day 😊 (I Know I Will) Pat Slattery

t s i n m u l o C

Katrina Crilly

I

have

been

twenty about

in

years,

education

and

educating

I

am

the

for

over

passionate

whole

child.

I

started out as a science teacher with responsibility for children with special educational

needs,

which

was

a

I am passionate about addressing this

gap

in

our

curriculum,

taking

privilege and a significant part of my

time to teach our children about the

career. I moved from this position to

power

Vice

within,

Principal

andnow

to

Principal,

of

their

how

mind, to

the

potential

manage

and throughout these roles the most

overcome

important thing to me is ensuring that

up and to always aim high in life.

every child is given the opportunities

Too often our children are crippled

to achieve their full inner potential.

by poor self-image, low self-esteem

I believe that there are many facets of

and a lack of belief in themselves.

a

This coupled with a lack of aspiration

child’s

ability

potential

and

achieve

I

full

and

strongly

intellectual

feel

academic

that

potential

to is

much more than studying for an exam.

We

need

to

understand

first

and

foremost that full academic potential will only be achieved when the child truly believes in themselves. That is the biggest

challenge

empowering

children

we to

face,

believe

in

their own capabilities, to believe they are worth everything they desire, and that they can achieve whatever they truly want in life.

and

challenge,

focus,

resigns

to

our

never

and give

children

to

settling for less than they are worth.

I liken it to building a house on a weak foundation, you may well get the house built but sooner or later the cracks will show. Our children deserve a strong foundation to be laid

so

they

can

build

the

most

spectacular life they truly want, to face

adversity

strength Only

to

and

have

overcome

then

will

academically, emotionally,

the

challenge.

they

thrive

socially

and

and

there

is

no

hierarchy here, none of these any more

important

Academic, education

social go

that and

hand

supporting the other.

in

the

other.

emotional hand

one

To achieve this requires a holistic curriculum and an education based on academic success coupled with a

positive

self-image

and

inner

belief. This is easier said than done, because many of our children are programmed for negative thinking, placing limits on their capabilities and allowing their environment to dictate low aspirations, which only scratch

the

potential.

surface

Everything

of

their

they

true

need

is

already withing within and I feel an obligation and

to

deliver

educational

empowers

them

a

curriculum

experience to

uncover

that who

they really are, so that they can the live the life they really want.

"Mighty Pete Lonton" What if we are only 1% awake?

Are

you

capable

or

more?

Are

you

curious to know what you could do?

While

you

read

and

listen

to

these

words your body is undertaking more complex

and

than

could

we

amazing probably

transactions compute

in

1000 lifetimes. Your physical body is the most advanced chemical factory in the world. Your brain is incredibly

Have

you

wonder

ever

how

taken

your

the

body

time

and

to

mind

works? How it operates and functions.

Day to day we get out of bed, eat, walk, talk, drive, breath and sleep yet we barely remember doing most of it or

being

aware.

Isn’t

it

amazing

howthe mind and the body is able to do

this

about

without

it?

average

It

is

person

you

even

believed has

thinking that

around

the

60,000

thoughts every day yet on average you are only consciously aware of around

complex.

You

processing,

are

continually

sensing,

checking,

growing, repairing and adjusting every single second of the day. Just think of it, as you read these words, a near miracle is happening. Your eyes are able to focus and look at the ink on the

page,

check

for

a

pattern,

recognise and translate the symbols, groups the letter and words to turn it into a coherent sentence that is then narrated to you as a little voice inside your own head.

6,000 thoughts.

When is the last time you wondered, If

you

were

to

take

some

of

the

smartest people in history, like Albert Einstein,

Isaac

Newton,

Stephen

Hawkins etc and compare then to the power

of

your

brain

that

keeps

you

alive and functioning every single day, then

your

brain

would

massive

outsmart everyone, yes by a long way!

how a cut healed? Or checked your body's temperature? When is the last time you consciously blinked your eyes because

they

were

too

dry

or

they

required protection from an oncoming object? generally

We too

simply busy

don’t!

We

thinking

other things and living our lives.

are

about

Maybe it’s time to give yourself a break?

How

about

takingtime

to

simply

appreciate and marvel at the amazing and miraculous capacity of the brain and body, let alone all the other spectacular things going on around you.

There's no such thing as being normal! We have a lot of similarities to each other, but our thoughts and actions make us all completely

unique.

The

next

time

someone says they are doing nothing, or not very smart or capable, I think you may agree that this is simply not true! Yes, you may not yet have learned a particular skill or

talent,

but

that

does

not

mean

you

couldn't with the right time and effort if the desire and passion was there.

What if you could simply inspire your brain to become aware, try more, learn more, see more, do more.

Be hungry for the opportunity to live more. What an exciting thought! What if today was actually an opportunity

for

you

to

do

something

extra,

something

new,

something

varied?

A

great

question

presented by Sadhguru "is the life that you are living, finding its full expression". Are you capable of more?

How about simply aiming to be the mightiest version of yourself? Your future self will be very

grateful!

NEW COLUMNIST

GREG FLETCHER Looking For Joy In

order

to

our

We often feel that our lives

to

could or should be different

understand who we are, the

and so try to make changes,

power

but

desires,

achieve

we

first

we

have

hold

and

the

we

use

the

we

struggle to try and create a

in

our

lives.

We are creative beings and

roadmap

there

different,

is

no

limit

to

the

joy

causes

same

program

experience

that

very

control we have over all that

to to

us

to

somewhere

find

available to us when we are

However

operating

authentic

roadmap, it can only take us

us

have

to a place that it is aware of,

external

a place that is marked as a

selves.

from

Many

of

accepted

as

ourselves.

programming (consciously or

consciously

unconsciously) which has led

Because

us

believe

away

are

from

and

who

we

find

struggling

to

What

have

we

get

programmed consciously

we

“home”.

not

to

truly

ourselves

been

do

decide

we discover that the location

to

of our authentic self does not

what

we

appear on the roadmap we are

ourselves

accept

using;

becoming

internalise

this

even

feeling

becomes

must

be

the

operate that

that

program

we

from,

is

which the

create

we

program

and

which

often

within

everything - and subsequently

internalising

the

mentally

is

unconsciously

It

are

have

to

“forgotten” who we really are,

so

it.

come

we

and

any

location.

have

that

will and will not accept, and we

known

we

program,

with

finding

a

spiral,

frustrated

and

depressed.

reminded

that

We we

are not the map and will not find but

ourselves rather

on we

the are

map, the

ultimately leads us away from

observer of the map - we are

our authentic selves.

already

“home”

and

already

have complete control of all The

program

then

becomes

the reason why we struggle because we come to believe that we are the program.

that we are experiencing in our lives.

To open the door to our authentic selves, all we need to do is take the time and spend our energy on giving our authentic selves as much attention as we give to the external world, the world which we have allowed to program us through acceptance of all that it offers. When we do this, we will begin to realise that we already have the power to consciously program ourselves, to produce a new and improved roadmap and thus be, do and feel authentic in all our worldly interactions.

We will understand that we have always controlled what we accept into our program, and that it is up to us to be vigilant in that regard.

For the alternate is, by default, accepting an external program that may not assist us in experiencing what we desire. It is through this process of giving our authentic selves the attention we deserve that we begin to feel and interact with the infinite joy available to us - the Joy we seek is already ours.

Indulge Your Best Life

Addressing Addiction “There is always a story behind the addiction, one that leaves us numb and not able to love ourselves. The more the pain is left unhealed, the more we turn to our addiction to kill the pain but it only makes it worse because the quick fix becomes the constant enemy and now that is part of the unhealed, unloved you“

Mary Keogh xxxxx

Within the academy, we have truly identified a connection with victims and family members who are also victims with regards to addiction.

We realiise that there is prevalent struggle and a huge epidemic surrounding addiction, as an academy we aim to deliver as much help as possible for those suffering and affected with both seminars, and our one to one and family coaching.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with the team to discuss.

www.marykeoghacademy@gmail.com

Food For Thought...

Join us on our next seminar which will be announced soon on our social media platforms.

Mental Health Awareness Week The work we do here within the academy to assist in mental health awareness is invaluable and on awareness week just like every other week, we encourage you all to join in and help to raise much needed highlighting and hope for all that they are not alone in their Mental Health struggle and indeed there is help out there.

Stay tuned Into our social media platforms for up and coming seminars and discussions on both Mental Health and Addiction.

ARC Fitness as a not-for-profit social enterprise that supports individuals with substance use disorders to achieve healthy and sustainable recovery through the application of physical activity, education and positive lifestyle choices.

ARC’s

founder

struggled

Gary

with

Rutherford

drug

and

had

alcohol

addiction for many years and this had a destructive impact on everything in his

life

-

relationships Having

from to

his

numerous

centres

and

his

personal

own

spells

self-worth.

in

subsequent

treatment periods

of

relapsing, Gary finally became sober and is now in his 10th year of recovery from addictions. As well as returning to

college

health and

and

nurse,

physical

becoming

Gary

a

credits

activity

as

mental exercise

playing

a

massive part in his recovery. Wishing to help others and inspired by his own experience, Gary created ARC.

ARC Fitness provides access to various forms of physical activity as well as access to a sober active community of people

in

recovery

from

alcohol

dependence.

healthy

dialogue

issues

associated

drug

and

Promoting

surrounding with

a the

substances

is

very high on our list on our priorities, we want to address the stigma and shame that prevents people from Seeking help.

ARC

Fitness

Recovery

also

provides

Coaching

and

Addiction signposts

people to local addiction and mental health support services. Its mission is to

fundamentally

help

people

to

“thrive and succeed in their lives after addiction”.

www.arcfitness.co.uk