Meet Laurie Freedle of Spiritual Audacity in Southeast Denver

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurie Freedle.

Laurie, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I had a 20-year career with the State of Colorado, where I peaked in my position as Chief Financial Officer of a billion-dollar per year state agency. In a stress-crazed life, I developed four autoimmune diseases and began to realize I needed to get out. This career ended abruptly when, at age 49, I had a stroke that disrupted my visual and cognitive processes.

During my recovery, I discovered I had prepared myself physically, spiritually and financially for the challenges that ensued. There were so many “coincidences” that I had to admit the stroke was something I manifested into my life. Realizing this gave me the ability to stay calm, step back, and look at my new life with a sense of wonder. A couple of years later, I felt compelled to write a book. When I sat down at my computer, I found that instead of ME writing the book, the book wrote ME. It simply flowed from my fingers like water from a fountain. I learned that I had become a different person; that I had learned to take what life handed me and use it to find bliss—in a life which appeared to have less reason for happiness than I’d had before. I saw magic and wisdom woven into my story.

“My Lucky Stroke: One Woman’s Journey to Manifesting an Ideal Life,” is a book about how we ask the Universe for what we want, but the Universe gives us what we need. If we can find gratitude in that, we can live a grace-filled life. And that is just what I set about doing, While I wrote the book, I learned these lessons, and got quite good at asking for what I wanted, then getting out of the way and allowing it to happen in whatever way I needed to receive it. I spent a couple of quite inspiring years until it was time for me to learn another lesson.

One morning, I awoke with my left knee swollen to several times its normal size. I had slightly injured myself in yoga a few days before, so I thought I just needed to take it easy. I sat on the couch and iced my knee, using crutches whenever I had to get up, for three days with no change. On the fourth day, I awoke to my right knee being equally swollen. After several different doctor visits, I received a diagnosis of reactive arthritis, which is a kind of Rheumatoid Arthritis, and autoimmune disease. I was stunned. How could I have a new autoimmune disease? I was no longer working and was happy, enjoying whatever the Universe brought my way. I had no apparent aspects of stress in my life.

I started examining every detail of my life for anything that could be construed as stressful. Upon this closer examination, I realized I DID have stress, and it was self-administered! As I learned to listen to my self-talk, I’d hear myself say, “You only went to Yoga two times this week! You are not getting your money’s worth from your membership unless you go three times,” or, “You didn’t run today, and today is supposed to be running day! I can’t believe how lazy you’ve become.” I started working on this aspect of myself. A brief bout of anti-inflammatory medication, and concentration on curbing the negative self-talk, and the knees went back to normal.

But I did not go back to normal. This experience scared me and made me hyper-vigilant about stress. I was determined to eliminate every little bit of stress from my life (except exercise). Whenever I’d feel my heart rate increase, I’d take note of what I was doing, and I’d eliminate that activity. The news makes you a bit angry, and your heart flutters? Don’t watch the news anymore. Feeling a bit nervous about climbing that ladder to reach something? Wait until Steve (my husband) gets home and have him get it for you. The anticipation of how a hand will turn out in hearts makes your tummy flip and your heart rate kick up a tad? Don’t play cards anymore. Sure, I was avoiding stress at all costs, but it was starting to have an impact on my quality of life.

In my quest for ever-reducing my stress, I stumbled upon Neurosculpting®, and I made a wondrous discovery! Stress in and of itself is NOT bad! It was how I reacted to stress that was hurting me. I was hooked after one class and eventually decided to become a Certified Neurosculpting® Facilitator.

Teaching the classes reignited in me the love of public speaking I had when I was in my earlier career. So that launched into the Universe providing me several opportunities to do some public speaking about how our self-limiting beliefs create stress, which impacts our choices and decisions–and thus our lives.

So from stress-out, sick CFO, I have moved to author, Neurosculptor, and speaker. How cool is that?

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Oh, heavens, no! There have been so many bumps along the road. The effects of my stroke are that I have a visual and cognitive impairment. I am not able to drive, read easily, or deal with very complex ideas. But I “look” completely able, and I feel completely capable, so I and others expect more of me than I can sometimes deliver. For instance, just last month, I made an error in my bookkeeping, and I had to borrow a little money and cancel some plans I’d looked forward to. It was not a big deal, but can you imagine that I used to be in charge of billions of dollars, and now I can’t track my simple budget well?

I have learned to try to set proper expectations, for others and myself. But when things go awry, I fall back on my ability to calm myself with my tools, and the philosophy I’ve learned that whatever happens is what I needed to happen, and a lesson I need to learn from. And everything turns out as it should!

Tell us more about the business.
I have three branches of my business:
1. Promoting and selling “My Lucky Stroke: One Woman’s Journey to Manifesting an Ideal Life”
2. Teaching and providing private work sessions in Neurosculpting® (available online and in-person). This is a process to help clients discover self-limiting beliefs, usually lodged deeply in associations and fear-based thinking that has developed over a lifetime, Together, we use the tools of this practice to help the client retrain their brain, and re-script or move away from those beliefs that no longer serve them.
3. In my public speaking, I address the fearful/stress-related aspects of issues such as structural reorganization, career navigation, and other difficult times. Using stories from my life–both as a stroke survivor (thriver) and as executive management of a huge organization–a little neuroscience (accessible to all), and a few simple tools, I teach attendees to use their neurology to obliterate stress, thrive during changing times, and re-script harmful thought patterns.

I think what sets me apart and makes me uniquely qualified for this work, is the eclectic nature of my background. From small business owner and cocktail waitress on the side to CFO, massage therapist (you didn’t see that one coming!), dedicated yogi, to neuroscience student and author, I have seen and done so much. And I can take lessons from each part of my life, put them all together, and create one epiphany after another.

I am most proud that each branch of my business helps me make a difference in how people live and experience their lives. Every. Single. Day!

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
This second (post-stroke) chapter of my life is based on a literal stroke of luck. Some may call it bad luck–I lost a lot of abilities, my career, even the person I was. But I’ve learned to call it good luck because I used the opportunity to rebuild my life in a way that makes it feel safe, healthy, happy and philanthropic!

Pricing:

• https://spiritualaudacityschedule.as.me/

Contact Info:

• Address: 3111 S Magnolia St
  Denver, CO 80224
• Website: https://lauriefreedle.com
• Phone: 720-231-1063
• Email: laurie@lauriefreedle.com

Image Credit:
Charlie Mitchell Photography

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