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This post is a Sponsored Post written on behalf of The Stimulati Experience: 9 Skills for Getting Past Pain, Setbacks, and Trauma to Ignite Health and Happiness by Jim Curtis. Opinions are my own.

Connection + worthiness leads to contribution. Contribution leads to Purpose. Purpose leads to Significance. Significance leads to Healing." - Jim Curtis

Ever since I made the decision last Fall to begin the process of becoming a Living Kidney Donor, I have been on a transformative journey. While being a wife, mother and girl boss have always been fulfilling, I just hit a season of "more."

More in every way your mind can dream it - a positive impact on the lives around me, both known and unknown; learning new skills that will make me an asset as a freelancer and in my bath and body business; making the time to elevate my mind by reading and/or listening to more books; becoming more mindful and self-aware; making wellness a priority, discovering ways to make the transition to a healthier lifestyle and so on.

There have been so many things that have been holding me back for so long though. The main culprit? Myself.

I seemed to have created this story of who I am, was and who I will be. I put limitations on what I can do, am capable of and what I'd achieve in life all without even realizing it.

In other words, I settled on basic without realizing that life is limitless. It's all in your mindset - but training your brain to reframe everything takes skill. The Stimulati Experience: 9 Skills for Getting Past Pain, Setbacks, and Trauma to Ignite Health and Happiness by Jim Curtis is a must read if you are ready to heighten your awareness, become more mindful of your negative thoughts that are setting you back and transform them into positive ones and just begin leading a healthier lifestyle.

By healthy, I mean of both mind and body. First, a little about the author, Jim Curtis.  For over 20 years he has battled a mysterious chronic illness. He grew accustomed to living in pain, denial, and despair. But when traditional medical therapies didn’t help, he sought answers elsewhere.

He traveled the world and met a group of extraordinary people he calls The Stimulati―and what he learned from them ultimately changed his life. While his illness didn't just up and disappear due to this new enlightenment, nor did it prevent set-backs, it's how he's reframed everything about his life that has helped him to live pain-free and go on to be incredibly successful in all aspects of his life.

The 9 skills and how to conduct them aren't overnight miracles, but they are great tools to set you, and keep you, on a better path to living your life in happy abundance. Happiess, living abundantly, pushing through pain, trauma and set-backs - isn't that something we all desire? I know I do.

After reading this powerful book, I realized that Jim and I have much in common. In fact, I’ve used many of the same skills he teaches to overcome my own challenges. These skills have helped me find my passion, which resulted in building a digital platform that has positively impacted the health of millions. Follow THE STIMULATI EXPERIENCE and you will be sparked!" - Chris Downie, founder and CEO SparkPeople.com, and author of the New York Times bestseller, THE SPARK

I identified with Chris' review about this book because I, too, have been implementing some of the skills Jim lays out prior to reading the book without even realizing that I was on the right track to improving my life.

To be honest, I was just winging it as I went along hoping I was creating a habit of transformative change in my life. I was honestly so happy when I read Jim's stories about how these skills changed his life for the better (and I learned a few new ones along the way.)

The 9 skills are covered in 9 chapters complete with strategies on how to implement them: Discovering the story you have on repeat
Realizing the truth
Reprogramming your shame, anger and resentment
Getting from lovesick to love
Surrounding yourself with awesome stories that heal and inspire
Manifesting your purpose with a new story and some bold goals
Finding the formula for healing and health
Living a meaningful life
Pushing fear aside and boldly taking action

(My favorite spot to think about what I am grateful for and what I will let go of.)

The book ends with a 21 day strategy to implementing his teachings so that they become habit. Each day includes being more mindful of what you are grateful for, telling yourself what you will let go of, daily affirmations (my favorite is "I can manifest anything"), setting your intention daily (this really helps set the focus for the day), writing out a 90 day Road Map for your mental and physical health, your relationships and contribution of giving back.

There's a lot more, but it's not overwhelming and really helps with presence of mind. I will say this, I feel grateful for having been given the opportunity to read this book prior to its release.

Jim Curtis is a master story teller and explains the pains and triumphs in his life in a way that you can see it in yours. And his enthusiasm for the experiences from which he has learned from those he's deemed Stimulati and his passion to share it with others struggling for "more" is contagious.

For me, The Stimulati Experience is a book I will surely be encouraging others to read. The Stimulati Experience is available on Amazon on August 8th, but you can pre-order today (and I hope you will, you won't regret it.)