Despite Me

Break free of the layers of wounds, pain, and anger that are keeping you from living a life of passion and purpose. At age seven, every child's unconscious mind is programmed with self-limiting decisions, beliefs, and world-views. By thirteen, these programs are locked into the unconscious and operate in the background for the rest of his or her life. John Edwards takes you on a journey, exploring childhood trauma and how your trauma is alive and active in your daily interactions with others. His visceral account of being bullied, sexually molested, and abused is a story of hope-if he can overcome his self-limiting beliefs and skewed world-views to create a life of success, joy, and love, everyone has a chance. In Despite Me, you will discover the keys to living from passion and purpose. Dare to tear away the curtain to expose your wounds and reignite your ability to dream big, imagine what is possible, and learn how to stop settling for bones. . Stop questioning your confidence, courage, and self-worth and create your dreams and goals . Expose and heal your wounds from betrayal, abandonment, abuse, molestation, and scarcity . Harness your negative emotional experiences and put the brakes on unintended responses Discover the proven pathway to passion and purpose today!

John Edwards is committed to creating transformational leaders using his writing, seminars coaching, and being an example of successful, intentional character development. He believes that by helping adults overcome their limiting beliefs and decisions and shift their world-views, that they will return to their families and begin to create generational change. John and his wife, Linda, are fulfilling their purpose to restore the authentic hearts of men and women.

PRAISE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iii DEDICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi NOTE TO THE READER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xvii PART I - DEAD MAN WALKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Chapter 1: HOW DID HE GET HERE? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Chapter 2: WORLDVIEWS DETERMINE OUR RESULTS . . . . .18 Chapter 3: AS A MAN THINKETH IN HIS HEART . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Chapter 4: LIFE SHOULDN'T BE THIS WAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 PART II - REVELATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Chapter 5: RISK TRUST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Chapter 6: A GREAT AWAKENING-TAKE A STAND . . . . . . . . .84 Chapter 7: AWARENESS SUCKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Chapter 8: OUR HEART'S DESIRES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139 PART III - BREAKTHROUGH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Chapter 9: REFRAMING OUR NARRATIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153 Chapter 10: OBJECTS OR OBSTACLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Chapter 11: OPPORTUNITIES & POSSIBILITIES . . . . . . . . . ..185 Chapter 12: THE ILLUSION OF SEPARATENESS . . . . . . . . . .205 ABOUT THE AUTHOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223 Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225