Tony Robbins is a straight talker, which I like. Spending fours days at his ‘Unleash the Power Within’ event with 7,000 others – including a hard core of DrivenWoman members – was intense, life-affirming and possibly life-changing. We listened, talked, danced, laughed, cried and walked on fire, and it was fantastic.

It’s the DrivenWoman approach on steroids – personal growth, having a positive impact, being comfortable with the uncomfortable, and taking concrete action.

Here are a few of the gems I took away. *

“I don’t give a shit how I feel. I change how feel.”

Ladies, do you sometimes wish you could just shake off feeling rubbish and rejuvenate yourself? Well, you can. Often we don’t notice our state, but by becoming aware of how we feel, our posture (keep that head up!) and our energy, it becomes clear that your state influences everything.

There are number of simple steps you can take to change your state – blast out some great music and dance like crazy, breathe deeply, or do some quick physical exercise. In the right state we have more energy, we think more clearly, opportunities open up to us and we follow-through on our actions.

“Another word for belief systems is bullshit.”

Possibly my favourite quote of the event! Isn’t it a relief to know that we can be rid of of those negative beliefs we have about ourselves? I learnt that most of our beliefs come from other people and the environment around us, which we adopt without realising. If you don’t question your self-limiting beliefs, they hurt you. When we have goals that we don’t achieve, it is often because our beliefs are pulling us in the opposite direction.

The good news is that past does not equal the future. The exercises we do at DrivenWoman help us identify what is holding us back and do things differently. NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), which Tony draws from, is also a powerful way of busting those self-limiting beliefs. 

“Trade your expectations for appreciation and your whole life will change.”

Our brains are built for survival not happiness, so we must train our minds to be happy. Decide to be in a beautiful state of being. In that state, we solve problems and figure things out. In a state of unhappiness or suffering, we focus on loss and give away our happiness. Catch suffering as it arises by asking what can be learnt and what can be appreciated in that moment.

Find out what your thing is, what really drives you. Personally, I’m still figuring this out, but it’s becoming clearer and a realisation of what isn’t my thing has been empowering. In Tony’s case, it’s a desire to provide food for people inspired by his own childhood experience of a stranger helping his impoverished family.

Show gratitude. Do something kind for a stranger without them knowing. Learn to enjoy life right now!

“The spoils do not go to those who wait, wish and desire.”

Take action!

At DrivenWoman, we all know this but knowing isn’t enough – we must do it! Here’s how. Have laser sharp focus on what you want to achieve. That means completely immersing yourself in an activity on a regular basis. Anything else is simply dabbling. Find and learn from someone who is already getting outstanding results. When times are tough, see things as they are, not worse than they are.

Ask for what you want – intelligently and with authority. Clarity is powerful. Ask someone who has the ability to say ‘yes’, and help them first. Ask with certainty and conviction, and keep asking.  

So did I unleash my power?

Most definitely!

Tony Robbins is amazing and I can’t recommend this event highly enough. I have more energy, more focus and more clarity about what I want from life. My old self-limiting beliefs now feel ridiculous. I had an amazing time, but change also involves discomfort.

I received an important message on day one when talking to the person sitting next to me about what I want from life. I talked about connection and love, and his response was, “you say it like you don’t really mean it.” Ouch! But actually, he was right. He made me realise how much I hold back and helped me to start speaking with my whole heart. I’ve also let go of the need for certainty and significance, and am making space for more growth, contribution and connection in my life.

Only by pushing ourselves, getting out of our comfort zone, increasing our awareness and tapping into our inner self can we move forward.

Sound familiar?

Yes, it’s the DrivenWoman way!

Jenny

 

Jenny Oklikah is a DrivenWoman Group Leader

*Quotes from Tony Robbins, Unleash the Power Within, April 2016, London

Interested? Here’s info & tickets to the UPW London 2017 event.