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    • Finding My FLAUNT!

      
An excerpt from FLAUNT! Drop Your Cover and Reveal Your Smart, Sexy & Spiritual Self 
by Lora Cheadle

      Using the principles of burlesque, author Lora Cheadle’s FLAUNT! helps women strip away everything nonessential that’s covering their raw, beautiful souls in order to reveal the sparkling goddess lurking inside. All too often, women have been taught to hide their true selves with costumes, characters, and masks, creating a persona to show the world that pleases others and acts as the “good girl,” doing what is expected. These layers may originally seem imperative, but all too often they begin to chafe and restrict, suppressing the true beautiful and unique spirit that every women has.

      We hope you enjoy this excerpt from the book.

      Let me share with you the labels, roles, and scripts of my past. The accompanying costumes, accessories, and dance steps that were all a part of the choreography created for me by others. Why? Because oftentimes we see aspects of ourselves in the stories of others, bringing us levels of insight that we didn’t have before. What I want for you is to be able to recognize and release the choreography that no longer serves you so you can dance your dance, your own way. To see how my past informed my present, how it almost dictated my future, and how I used FLAUNT! to set myself free from constantly seeking external validation and find joy and satisfaction beyond what I thought possible.

      What I wanted, deep in my soul, was to be wickedly smart, without being labeled an aggressive bitch. To be powerfully spiritual, using and developing my own intuition on my own terms, without being called a New Age, woo-woo freak. To be sexy as hell, my own way, and enjoy how my body looked and felt, without being called a slut. I wanted to flaunt and to be all that I was without apology and most certainly without cover. Without checking pieces of me at the door when I went into a professional environment, and without altering or limiting myself to suit others. I wanted to flaunt myself, not to be obnoxious but to allow myself the opportunity to live the full breadth of all that I was. Part Amazon warrior, part gangly pink flamingo, part regal countess, part traditional June Cleaver, part ethereal goddess. I wanted to set all of me free, to show myself and the world everything I was capable of. Without worrying what people might think.

      Finding My FLAUNT!
      With an explosion of color, FLAUNT! woke me up to the fact that I had spent my life dancing choreography that was not my own. I had let others choose the music, the costumes, and even the stage on which I was supposed to perform. I had willingly cloaked myself with costumes, labels, roles, and scripts that were not mine. In my quest for “perfect womanhood” I had inadvertently hidden my true self and dulled my own sparkle. FLAUNT! made me realize that in order to be happy and healthy and to joyfully dance my own life, I didn’t need to do more or try harder.

      What I needed was to strip out of all that I had layered on in an attempt to be what I was “supposed to be” and expose myself exactly as I was. FLAUNT! showed me that I was a smart, capable, and dedicated mom, wife, and career woman, who also happened to be smart, sexy, and spiritual. And that was okay! Revealing my truth, my core essence, the divine goddess I was inside, and bringing in all versions of everything I had ever been, empowered me to re-choreograph a new life that was more spectacular, more satisfying, and more fully my own than I had ever dreamed possible.

      Through the five steps of FLAUNT! — Find Your Fetish, Laugh Out Loud, Accept Unconditionally, Navigate the Negative, and Trust Your Truth — and using burlesque as the vehicle, you can recognize and release the inhibitions and judgments that are covering you; reveal all facets of your authentic, core self (ahem, your inner burlesque star); and re-choreograph a brilliant, connected, and deeply satisfying life that reveals your beauty, brains, and beliefs so you can find the authentic joy, fulfillment, and self-acceptance that you crave. Are you ready to find your Naked Self-Worth and to sparkle? Then let’s FLAUNT!
      The Costumes and Steps Required for the Dance of Perfect Womanhood
      Most of us have been wearing the costumes of the roles we play for so long that we’re not even aware that we are wearing them. We play a million different roles and have a million different responsibilities, and knowing our roles so well, we are adept at quick costume changes, of switching seamlessly between our various identities. Yet while we are often clear on how to live up to these roles, we are rarely clear on how to live up to being ourselves.

      Growing up, I asked myself what I wanted to do with my life, not who I wanted to be. I never asked myself, Who are you, Lora, deep inside, exclusive of your labels, roles, and scripts, and what kind of a woman would you like to be? or What do you need to do in order to create and sustain internal satisfaction, despite external circumstances? No, I was more focused on answering questions like, Where should I go to college? What should I major in to ensure that I get a job? and What are the next steps to take in order to achieve my career goals? Nor did I ever sit down and plan out how I was going to do what I aspired to do while still being who I authentically was. You may have been the same way, more focused on doing than being. And it’s my hunch that you never asked yourself deep, provocative questions about who you were inside and how you were going to integrate your honest expression of self with all that you wanted to do, either.

      In my case, I modeled the behavior of those I loved, adopted the actions of those I admired, emulated beliefs of those I respected, and fumbled my way into adulthood, for right or for wrong. I’m guessing that I’m not alone, and like mine, many of your identities were created inadvertently over time, with little or no conscious awareness on your part of how they showcased or masked the woman you were inside.

      Lora Cheadle is the author of FLAUNT! After ten years of practicing corporate law in California and Colorado, she chose to change paths to become the radio host and Life Choreographer® she is today. She is a certified hypnotist, personal trainer, burlesque performer, and yoga instructor, as well as a popular writer for People magazine and Elephant Journal. She offers “Find Your Sparkle” coaching programs, workshops, and destination retreats and teaches all over the world. Her home base is in Colorado. Find out more about her work at LoraCheadle.com.

      Excerpted from the book FLAUNT!. Copyright ©2019 by Lora Cheadle. Printed with permission from New World Library.

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    • Double Vision: Intense Dream of Departed Mother
      dream

      My mother passed away eight years ago. Two years ago I had a dream I was with my husband and friends. We left and I ended up floating alone in flooded waters near the home where I grew up. When I passed my former neighbors, they were dressed in wedding clothes, getting into limousines. From there I floated to my old home and my sister was standing in the kitchen. I commented about my mother not being invited to the wedding, and then all of a sudden I found myself sitting on a floor with my arms wrapped around my knees. I was in a dark room and there was water pouring over me like it was raining. I had my head down when I heard a voice say to me, Joanne, Jesus told me that he took my mother because he loved her. When I looked up, I saw my mother standing there with no clothes on, covered in blood – the water was washing the blood off her body. I tried to wipe the blood from my mother and said, Mom, you’re still bleeding, when she bent down to hug me. I started crying and said, Mom, please don’t leave me, I miss you. When I woke up, I was crying. I often think about this dream and wonder what my mother was trying to tell me. Currently I’m keeping a diary of the dreams that I remember.

       – Joanne

      Astrea:

      Dreaming of lots of blood can be scary, but it doesn’t necessarily symbolize actual blood. If you happened to be pregnant when you dreamed about blood covering your mother, it would be pretty common.

      Blood covering a parent in any dream can mean that you are dreaming about your essence, for the blood of your mom flows through your veins and then down through your children. Many pregnant women dream of being covered in blood or blood covering one or both of their parents. Here the blood represents new life – the life of your child or children.

      Since Jesus was mentioned in your dream, it could mean that your mom has been covered in the blood of the lamb of God. In some Christian beliefs, this is what will happen when we die: Jesus’ blood will cover us and wash away our sins.

      Perhaps this was your mother letting you know that she is just fine with that. When people strongly believe in something, that’s what happens when they cross over.

      I’m a firm believer that we have lots of surprises waiting for us in the afterlife, but also that things will be very familiar, for what we believe when we’re alive will be true for us on the other side too.

      Of course, the most common dream interpretation of water, blood, or any other liquid is the flowing of emotions. As the water washed down upon you, you were crying. (Tears are water). This and all that blood may represent a big emotional healing or release.

      If there is anything you feel guilty about that is related to your mom, this dream was helping you to release it. She came to you to let you know that she is perfectly all right now, that her spirit has been healing and cleansing from all the wounds she experienced this last lifetime.

      That’s a big concept. Think about it a bit at a time, because it won’t go into your harmony right away.

      The reason this dream stays on your mind is because it’s pretty strange and intense. The vivid red of the blood, the feel of the water, the mention of Christ – all of those things would make a lasting impression on anyone.

      I think this was your mom’s way of letting you know that she was perfectly all right. As for why she was naked, who needs clothes in heaven?

      Her love is with you wherever you go. Her blood is your blood, and you are her immortality. Just try to live up to her wonderful view of you. She’s very proud of you, and as odd as it was, she sent this dream to you so that you would know that.

      It’s apparent from what she said to you that she loves you. Treasure your memories of her and this intense, amazing dream encounter.

      *****

      Susyn:

      This dream is very powerful. It contains many messages and marks an important transition in your grieving process for your mother. I often encourage my clients to keep a dream journal, as the more you do, the more you’ll learn to recognize and decipher the messages and other blessings dreams carry.

      A main theme of your dream is water. This is a very powerful icon of cleansing, healing and spiritual transformation. At the beginning of the dream, when you are floating in flooded waters, you are re-experiencing the depth, loneliness and uncontrollable emotions that passed through you when your mother died.

      To watch the neighbors going about their lives as usual, like nothing had happened, represents a common feeling we all have when our lives come crashing down around us and the rest of the world seems to go on as if nothing has happened. How could the neighbors just ignore her and not invite her to the wedding?

      Your sudden transition into a dark room with nothing but water pouring over your head suggests that upon speaking the truth about her passing in your dream, you were taken to an even deeper level of grieving so you could process this immense loss.

      Seeing your mother covered in blood and trying to help her is a direct message from your mother to you. As she leans over to hug you, she is saying she knows you did all you could to help her or to keep her alive, and that everything is all right.

      Her death wasn’t something you had control over, and her words and actions during this segment of the dream are a direct acknowledgment of your devotion to her during her time on earth.

      Keep in mind that it was as difficult for her to leave as it was for you to lose her. She wants you to know that even though neither of you had a choice in the matter, the deep love and spiritual connection between you now is actually stronger than ever before.

      Though you first had this dream two years ago, it will continue to cross your mind because it still holds many messages for you to decipher. Hopefully this information will bring more clarity and understanding and encourage more dreams to appear.

      If you can let go of the pain and move with it as a woman might when giving birth, you’ll begin to receive more dreams and messages from your mom. She’s eager to connect with you in a new way, so you’ll come to see that she never really left you, but watches over you now from beyond.

      You’ll also come to see what a wonderful blessing that is. It’s a powerful reminder that our parents never stop teaching us, whether it’s about life in the physical or life in the hereafter.

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