Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lori Hutson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lori, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the best advice you ever gave to a client? How did they benefit / what was the result? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

The biggest transformation I’ve seen a client make was concerning her self worth. She was having a hard time judging and shaming herself. First, we needed to dial into noticing her thoughts before she could even realize what was keeping her “stuck” in this (in her words) “funk”. She came to me originally because she knew she couldn’t shake this cycle of feeling good, then feeling low depending on what was going on around her. She wanted to feel full in her life and be happy every day no matter what. She wanted more.
So we went through my 3 step method of Pause. Breathe. Choose. And it was only in this first step of Pause. that she had a big breakthrough. She was beginning to notice how much she shamed and judged herself. It was a common thread in many areas of her life, like work, being a mom, and with her husband.
My biggest piece of advice is to get curious about our thoughts without judging them. Because when she began noticing her thoughts, she didn’t like them. They made her feel bad. And then she wanted to escape by having a few glasses of wine and not go there. AND… she also knew that she didn’t want to stay stuck with how she was living in a dull, unfulfilling life. She wanted joy, peace, and happiness.
So we dug in and practiced not judging her thoughts, just getting curious about where they started. An example: she was participating in the senior night homecoming festivities and had to walk her daughter across the football field. She was crazy uncomfortable in the outfight she chose because she hated the way she looked. She couldn’t lose the weight and felt embarrassed. As she was walking down the field, she noticed she was mad at herself and not really being present to her daughter. In that instant, she was able to Pause. those negative thoughts and get back to being present for her daughter. She immediately lit up and was so incredibly proud to be there. She felt herself beaming with pride. Her daughter was grinning from ear to ear and my client knew this was a special moment they would both remember for a long time.
It was then, in that flash of a moment, she knew she had made a change that would change her life forever. And it was simple, she just had to keep practicing these new ways of thinking and noticing.

Lori, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Well… I began this work to help myself while I was teaching. I was in a funk and couldn’t snap out of it. I knew there was more to life, but I was trucking along and doing the same thing every day – teaching, feeling so stressed out I was exhausted and eating terrible (chocolate and cheeseburgers are my addictions). Because I felt terrible I made it worse by not being social and pushing my loved ones away. I felt like a shell of a person, a drone/robot going through life.

Again, I knew there was more to life. I wanted to be one of those older women who just seem to be lit up from the inside. Vibrant, energetic, sporting a huge smile! I saw them as a little crazy, seem un-phased by anything happening around them, and they are bad asses. I kept thinking that’s what I want when I’m older. Then it hit me – no I want that now. I don’t want to wait to start living. I want a full life now, every day. I don’t want to lose the next 5 years like I lost the last 5 years.

So I made the choice to start learning how to get my spark back. I used to be so much fun and I had a zest for living each day fully. I wanted that again no matter how much “adulting” I have to do.

I read tons of books, listened to speakers, had coaches and mentors over the last 20yrs all while I was a public school teacher. And life was becoming what I had dreamed. I was enjoying life and feeling great. I could finally relish in the small moments, laugh like crazy, and have a big smile of my face. Then one day, I had a flash of insight. All of the lessons combined together into really easy steps that apply across the board. We have to Pause. Breathe. Choose. This came to me like a shining beacon. And I immediately knew I had to teach this to my kiddos at school. And my business, Happy Made Easy, was born.

I started teaching my own students in small lessons, then branching out to teacher friends who had teams, and I got really great feedback. These teenagers wanted to know more. They don’t know how to deal with stress and overwhelm and are struggling so much. Then the adults that were listening to my workshops wanted to know more too. That’s when I realized, not everyone is great at dealing with stress in productive ways and they’re in a funk they can’t break.

I combined my passions of learning how to have a vibrant life and teaching, and I knew I could affect real change if I teach the teachers and parents who then pass on their knowledge to the kiddos. So that’s when I resigned after 22 yrs in the classroom and began teaching this curriculum all over the US.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

This is a great question! I’ve had to unlearn some money stories I tell myself.

Growing up, I often got the messages “money doesn’t grow on trees”, you have to “work really hard just to make ends meet”, “we weren’t born into a rich family, so we have to work hard”. It wasn’t until I used my 3 step method on myself around money that I could see where I was holding myself back.

I had to Pause. my negative thoughts, get curious where I learned that thought, question is it still true today, and what do I want to be true today. Once I did this, my life and work started to flow easily. Work didn’t have to be hard for me to get income. I could enjoy what I was doing and I could receive even more money. My clients could easily flow to me and I could fulfill my passion of teaching even more.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The story that comes to mind first is how I became single again :)

I was in a not great relationship. My self esteem around love was crazy low and I bet some people might be shocked by that revelation. I am really confident in many areas of my life, but wasn’t in this area. I wasn’t happy but stayed because I thought “relationships are work” and “nobody’s perfect”. I chose someone who wasn’t available emotional. And throughout our relationship I would cycle from being mad he wasn’t there for me, to depressed – thinking I was flawed and not good enough, and then to happy and elated because he made a small gesture.

And during this time I was also exhausted and overwhelmed from teaching. So I didn’t have the energy to try and figure this out. I just knew it wasn’t good, I wasn’t happy, and I didn’t know what to do. The cycle continued.

It wasn’t until I started practicing the exercises (that I now teach in Pause. Breathe. Choose.) everyday that I began to see a difference in myself. I did have more energy and I could separate my self worth from the negative self talk. This was life changing on many levels but especially in the area of love. I began to know deep in my heart that this man wasn’t the right man for me. He didn’t have the ability to be who I needed, wanted, and deserved. I had my self confidence back.

I finally left that relationship and couldn’t be happier. And I thank my lucky stars that this all happened right before the pandemic shut everything down. Sure I could’ve been scared or down on myself for being alone. But instead I used gratitude exercises and felt tremendous appreciation for my new lease on life. I get a new start and each and every day has gotten better and better!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.happymadeeasyworkshops.com
• Instagram: @happymadeeasy
• Facebook: @happymadeeasy

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