Personal sharing of Jessica (24 years old) on her experience during a certification program conducted by Billy Kueek International
“Life is like a camera,
Focus on what’s important,
Capture the good times,
Develop from the negatives
And if things don’t work out,
Take another shot.”
This quote perfectly sums up my LBD (Live By Design) journey organized by Billy Kueek International (BKI). LBD is short for Live By Design and not by default, a program which has benefitted me tremendously as it shows me how to live my life according to my own principles and own values, and not according to other people’s expectations. In our society or culture, there are no shortages of cases where people, friends and family members “recommend” how we should live our life, what work or job we should pursue, what course we should study, what to eat… and the list goes on. I am pretty sure all of us to do it – whether consciously or unconsciously – and I have had my fair share of being on the receiving end of these incidences as well while growing up.
In a nutshell, I became obsessed with how other people viewed me, or what they thought of me, and hence I became pessimistic. I was frequently angry, irritated and had lots of negative thoughts in my head. I became withdrawn, fearful of talking to people or strangers – fearful of them judging me and my appearance. I even dreaded going to parties and social gatherings because I would panic thinking about: “What if someone starts talking to me, and then compares me with my sibling (twin sister)?”
Going back to the LBD program, it is an 8-day certification program that incorporates Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), Time Line Therapy™ (TLT), Hypnotherapy and NLP Coaching. It equips you with the knowledge and skills to resolve personal blockages, remove limiting beliefs and negative baggage and be able to Live life By Design.
At first, I was sceptical about joining the program, as I did not fully believe it could help me with my personal issues. Since NLP is the study of human behaviour, about modelling excellence and changing your mindset to be more positive, I thought to myself: “Hey, in that case I can do it myself as it’s my mind”. Having graduated with a degree in Psychology, I thought I was more than equipped to change my own thinking, if and when I wanted to. It turns out, I was totally wrong about that!
In fact, I know for sure that my mindset has totally changed now because of the program. I realized that I needed that extra push, that extra motivation and that extra encouragement to help me to solve my insecurities, my issues and my self-esteem. I could sense myself changing and becoming a totally different person during the course of the program. I started coming out from my shell and am now a much friendlier, happier and contented person. I talked and worked with people during the program that I had just met – which for me, was a huge step and I felt so good about myself!
More than that, the program taught me to be more positive and to see things not just from only one perspective, but from others’ point of view as well. I learned skills on how to reframe my thinking whenever I heard or saw things I disliked, and also how to instantly access my positive feelings whenever I felt any negativity start within me.
This course, unlike any other programs I know, included many practical exercises where we actually put knowledge into practice right away. The resulting effects of the exercises not only helped us to solidify our learnings, it also helped me to better understand my pressing issues. And the sense of accomplishment I felt when I managed to help others to get their breakthroughs and solve their issues… that is a feeling money cannot buy – priceless.
One of the most unforgettable experiences from this program was when all the participants engaged in a one-to-one coaching session. I was paired up with one of the participants and we both took turns to be the client and the coach for each other, and shared what issues we would like to work on. My ‘client’ had feelings of guilt in him because of decisions he made in his past relationships which resulted in breakups or tragic endings. For the past ten years, he had been holding onto this feeling, and slowly became more withdrawn and fearful of making a commitment in all of his relationships. I managed to help him to release his guilt and alleviate the negativity and he finally broke through his own mental blockages and felt so relieved. I felt really happy and thrilled that I was able to be someone’s ‘comforter’ and problem solver.
Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you respond to it. I have learned to keep my focus on staying positive. The program has really changed me for the better, transforming me into a more positive, assertive and confident person.
They say we are what we are, but we don’t have to be.
Activate your resources now and Live By Design, Not By Default.