Sharon Eden: [00:00:00] It's about working with your personality at a very base level, because we've all been conditioned. I think of us as having a wild soul, which carries our original designs, who we were intended to be.

Amanda Parker: Welcome to Don't Step on the Bluebells, the podcast where personal healing and transformation takes center stage. I'm your host, Amanda Parker, and I'm a fellow seeker on the journey of personal growth. Join me as I delve into the stories of gifted healers, guides, and everyday people who have experienced remarkable transformations.

Listen in as they share their practical wisdom to enrich your everyday life. And don't forget to hit subscribe and never miss a new episode. Welcome to today's episode of Don't Step on the Bluebells. We're delving into the fascinating [00:01:00] world of spiritual synthesis with our guest Sharon Eden, also known as the Wild Elder.

Sharon is a spiritual psychotherapist coach with over four decades of experience. Blending ancient wisdom with modern psychotherapy. She's here to share insights on aligning with your wild soul and original design. In this episode, we'll explore how to connect with your inner wisdom and true self, the art of distracting your personality to let your authentic self bloom and the role of intuition and psychic abilities and personal growth.

Get ready for a transformative conversation that might just change how you view yourself and your path to fulfillment. Let's dive in. I am super excited to have this conversation and so glad that you said yes to come on the podcast, Sharon. Thank you. I, I am too. We first talked about recording together.

It's already, I guess, a couple of months back. Yeah. Um, but I always believe [00:02:00] the timing is perfect that we come together exactly when we're meant to. And I know that you also have a tremendous amount of experience in the worlds of like psychotherapy and coaching, but also a lot of spiritual work that you've done.

So while our topic is spiritual synthesis, I know we're going to be touching on these different elements of what you bring into the world as well. Before we even talk about any of this, what I'm really curious to know from you is this naming the wild elder. The first time I heard it, I just, you know, instantly loved it.

Like my heart was like, yes, this is amazing. How did

Sharon Eden: that name come to be? It came in the aftermath of my mother's passing. I, obviously, I was grieving, but I was also in a lot of pain. personal turmoil about, well exactly as I talk about in [00:03:00] my book, I was unsettled, I was a bit lost, um, and so I just trusted my own inner wisdom.

And bit by bit I had downloads, the bits of clues of where I should work, and in that came the name, just out of nowhere, out of the blue. And I, I just went. That's it.

And, and also because of my age, because at the moment I'm 76. So, you know, this was quite a few years ago and it was like, perfect. Thank you. And that was it.

Amanda Parker: Oh, I love that. And just to ask a clarifying question, because this is a term I think that's used quite often, but a lot of people don't really know what it means to have a download of something.

What does that mean to you?

Sharon Eden: Okay, so what it means to [00:04:00] me, is an experience and unless you've had one it's really hard to get the full, uh, impact of it, to really know, but it's something like you're there sitting on the toilet maybe and suddenly you get a whole piece of maybe something you're working on or an idea.

Dear for something, uh, it just comes and it doesn't necessarily come when you're thinking, thinking, thinking. It kind of pushes beyond stuff out of the way, a lot of thinking, but it'll come in the most bizarre ways. And it is just like when you on your laptop or your tablet, when you go for a download and you click and it goes whoosh.

It's exactly the same.

Amanda Parker: Oh, I love that description. Okay, so it is those moments, the sort of [00:05:00] insight or epiphany where you just get this insight and it's all of a sudden right there in front of you without kind of the hardship of trying to figure it out. Absolutely. I like that also because, I mean, this is something that I play with a lot because I get caught in this trap of doing, doing, doing, doing, and then trying to think my way through everything.

And it's, it's really only in those moments where I actually tune out or take a vacation or like, read a fantasy fiction book that I'm lost. That's suddenly clarity or wisdom can actually come in.

Sharon Eden: Absolutely. It's like we have to distract our personality and our logical mind, of course, is part of that personality.

We have to distract it. Distract our

Amanda Parker: personality. I like that too, because it's a lot about. you know, identity, like distract who we think we are or who we're supposed to be. Yes. [00:06:00] So that who we really are can actually come up to the surface and make itself known. Yes. Beautifully encapsulated. Well, there's a bit of inspiration there because I know that you have just finished writing A book and this book talks quite a bit about this topic.

No, maybe you can share a little bit with us about that.

Sharon Eden: Well, I'm going to show you just a little taste because this is the proof that I'm working through now, but here is the book. It's rediscovered and the book is, uh, written for you. discontented midlife women or women who think, uh, or who feel lost. Um, I've actually gone wordless because there's so much I want to say about the book.

It's so fighting to come

Amanda Parker: through. Well, I think what you told me in the [00:07:00] beginning before we, before we hit record, so you said that a lot of the book, and I know this is a part of the tagline that you have, but it's like actually reconnecting to who you really are and getting more clarity on what it is that in a way you're meant to be doing in this life.

And I find this also an interesting concept because I talk about this a lot too that, you know, actually I've started saying now that I help people come out of the closet, like to really step into who they are, you know, so it's like a term that I also see so often that People are not really living a life that's true or authentic to themselves.

It's almost like society has come in and told them they're supposed to do this or this and then you have to do the work to find out who you actually are.

Sharon Eden: You have to do the work or sometimes you are [00:08:00] smashed up against who you really are. And that really happened to me that something happened to me and I thought Oh my god, yes, I am more than I think I am, so that can happen too.

Yeah, the book is all, it's joyous actually, it's bloody glorious. I, I, uh, I write it as I speak, there's no psycho babble in it, there's no jargonese, nothing. It's just a journey. To help you revitalize who you really are, where you're going, and what you came here to do. As one reviewer said, I absolutely bloody love it.

Powerful, raw, honest, warm people. and funny and I bust some myths about what spirituality is and you know all that stuff [00:09:00] about what you should do or you shouldn't do in your personal development journey and I also talk about if you get nothing in an exercise or meditation. That's great too because nothing of itself is something and has a message

Amanda Parker: to give you.

Well, it's very timely to share this kind of messaging because I think there's a lot of, I've been calling it pop spirituality out there. And I think it's evolved into a lot of shaming. So if you're not doing this, if you're not eating this way, if you're not meditating every day in this way and doing, I don't know, sound baths and breath work and this and this, then you're doing it all wrong.

And actually I've tried. To do all of the things that I'm supposed to do and ended up feeling like I don't want to do any of this, like, and I'm getting it all wrong and I guess I just can't figure it out, you know, and so it took a lot to just [00:10:00] finally unsubscribe, unfollow, whatever it is to all of that stuff.

shaming. It's really, it really feels like an undertone of shame.

Sharon Eden: I think that's because there's a financial element to all of that. Often people pay a lot of money to do spiritual courses or programs and it's not necessarily the right way for them. I always say that just everyday things, like cooking, can be your way into spirituality, or knitting, or, I don't know, playing bowls, you know, for each of us, we're unique.

So to follow what somebody else says, the one that really kills me, and I think it's in Buddhism, is you have to breathe out one nostril, and you have to, and it's like, what? What? When [00:11:00] spirituality is there, it's here with you now. It's just us being open to connect with it.

Amanda Parker: So you mentioned that one of the ways people can start to connect with who they are was a bit of your story that you were sort of smashed up against who you are.

Would you be able to share a bit more about that experience? Okay,

Sharon Eden: so it was once upon a time, many decades ago, um, I was unhappily married and, um, I experienced depression quite a bit during that time and didn't realise why. I wasn't listening to myself of course. And one night I woke up during the night and I went to get a glass of water and I came back and I laid down in bed and suddenly I could hear, [00:12:00] you know when, when somebody's asleep and you hear them breathing, you know, if you have your partner beside you, you know they're asleep.

Well, I suddenly heard that breathing and it wasn't anybody else. It was me. I was, my consciousness was awake, but my body was sleeping. And it actually wasn't an out of body experience. I didn't find myself, you know, which can happen, looking down on myself. It was just in my head. The sensory experience, and you know, you could have been afraid, but I wasn't afraid.

It was just, oh wow, I must be more than I think I am. And for me it was pure consciousness, who I really am, was observing me sleeping. Didn't last for very long, and then I just went off to sleep, but it was one of those seminal [00:13:00] moments. that went, hmm, okay, I'm not who I thought I was.

Amanda Parker: So once you woke up in the morning and had had this recognition, what, what happened after that?

Sharon Eden: Nothing much, just got on with my life, just holding the knowing. Didn't know what to do with it really because at that time I wasn't into exploring myself. But nevertheless, It, um, sorry, when I stop talking like this and my eyes get fixed, Amanda, it usually means something's coming in. So I'm just I welcome it.

Yes. Allow it. I'm just gonna sit for a minute. Okay. So, so what I'm getting was, that was the first hint of my bloody, glorious, amazing That was it. And of course I never forgot it. So when [00:14:00] I did start exploring myself, uh, that, it was already given. I knew I was more than just my body, feelings, mind, and personality.

So

Amanda Parker: I've had some moments like that, um, like when I first did my Reiki training, which was I think really the door opener to spirituality for me, at least in a very concrete way. Um, and it was, I was in Asia. I had left a job behind that was with a super toxic boss and a really challenging situation. And I had made the choice, all right, I'm becoming a coach now I'm going all in.

And I went to Asia to do my training. It was all very inspired. Honestly, it was like, In absolute, like there was no not doing that. There was absolutely no way I wasn't going to just get on that plane and go. That is a wonderful point you

Sharon Eden: make because when that happens, [00:15:00] there is no choice. It's almost as if you're not choosing.

It's an imperative. It's

Amanda Parker: interesting. Cause actually to get to that point was really like the amount of. Human things and bureaucracy and whatever to take care of was extraordinary. I mean, my mother came to Berlin. She helped me pack up my apartment. Another friend came to help pack up my apartment. I had to get the permission to sublet, find someone to take over the apartment for like half a year or a year.

I moved my cats from Berlin to New York. Like it was, And it was still without even a sliver of a doubt. So as you say, it was like, there was no other choice and it was all difficult things, but there was, yeah, I didn't question it. There wasn't a moment in time where I thought, should I do this? I was like, no, I need to be in Asia by May, whatever date, [00:16:00] like, let's get this done.

That's great. And that was, that was the beginning, getting just there to do the coaching. But then I was flying, I remember, to Thailand, like in that same trip. And on the plane, it was just this clarity, like, I am a healer. And I didn't know, like, I knew what it meant inside. I was just like, yes, that's true.

But I hadn't been exposed to that at all. So that was a bit of what you describe as that download, but also just that pure, you Insight and knowing, and there was no turning back from that.

Sharon Eden: It's so hard to describe what a knowing is. Because everybody knows stuff and thinks it's cerebral, but it's not.

It's, it's a visceral experience, knowing. It's in your body.

Amanda Parker: And I also appreciate in the story that you shared, like from your own [00:17:00] knowing, that it wasn't that you knew and then everything changed immediately. It was that you knew, and almost like you allowed for things to continue to see, what that next path was going to be or what that would mean for you moving forward.

Sharon Eden: Yes, absolutely. It reminds me of that old Zen saying, let's see if I can get it right, but it's something like, carry water, no, chop wood, carry water, enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. So you still continue on.

Amanda Parker: Absolutely. And see what unfolds. Now I'd love to ask, what does spiritual synthesis mean? What is that?

Um,

Sharon Eden: uh, it's a biggie actually, but it really is. You know, that, that the ultimate aim for some will be Nirvana, you know, total self [00:18:00] realization and creating heaven on earth, which I think we can do in our own small ways. We can certainly create our own heaven rather than our own hell on earth. But it's about working with your personality at a very base level.

Because we've all been conditioned. I think of us as having a wild soul which carries our original design. That's who we were intended to be. But of course we get born and that process is traumatic enough to do something to us, I've no doubt. But we get conditioned to survive in the family, tribe. Country, culture, whatever that we're born into.

And very often, parts of our original design aren't approved of. I was working with a [00:19:00] client the other day and it's so classic. She's, uh, an accountant, but she wanted to go to art school. And she was told, oh, you'll never make any money at that. And guided towards that. Becoming an accountant, but of course it broke her because her wild soul is just urging her to do what gives her joy.

So when you work with your personality, um, hopefully you'll discover that you have a, a spark of your wild soul at the level of your personality and this spark. can observe non judgmentally and it always, it also has the capacity to take action. It has will. And so gradually, if you can imagine that as you do the work and you clean up your act, [00:20:00] You are aligning yourself more with your wild soul and your original design.

And for me, this is my belief. I know not everybody believes that. But for me, there is a divine, there is a benevolent energy in the universe, uh, that wants to see us flourish. And so the connection from your spark to your wild soul to the divine is the guiding line. Do you know, um, I trained in something called psychosynthesis.

That was my first training. I trained for seven years in the end, to be a psychotherapist. And, The beautiful thing, uh, about that was it didn't matter what religion you were, what philosophical beliefs, it welcomed everybody into it. And, and that's where I [00:21:00] learned this stuff. And whatever else I've learned, it's been the framework for it's the bedrock and the framework of anything I do when I'm working.

And so ultimately the idea is that as you more and more clean up your act, then you get nearer and nearer, your spark moves higher and higher to your wild soul. And eventually wouldn't it be wonderful if we all operated from our, um, Well, our truths, our integrity. In fact, the person who devised psychosynthesis, an Italian psychiatrist called Roberta Asigeli, he said, if everybody was in touch with their integrity, we would need no laws.

Which is wonderful.

Amanda Parker: So hearing spiritual [00:22:00] synthesis, if I don't actually think of the words, I'm like, huh, what is that? But actually hearing your description, it really is almost like synthesizing who we are, like who we are at our core. And. what we're doing here in the world. The closer that we get to actually who we are, like the closer that that gap is closed, the closer that we become, like the more in flow and happy and aligned, et cetera, that we are in our lives.

Yes. So this I can understand now as a concept, but how do you work with that? So how do you actually support people in that process? Because that must be a whole other ballgame. Yes,

Sharon Eden: it is. I work with somebody, um, I'm not the expert. They are. And their wild soul gives us clues [00:23:00] as to where So, for example, my, uh, initial assessment session is very agendered, lots of questions.

After that, uh, when we meet up for our sessions, I will say, what do you want to focus on today? That's it. And I never know where we're going to go. But they've already set an outcome in the first session. And I trust their wild soul to give us the clues we need for what they need to do. And one of the ways I work is that I work personality to personality to resolve whatever issue they bring.

And I also work soul to soul. Um, helping whatever the next evolution is to emerge, helping to give birth to that potential. And, and one of the things I loved about our [00:24:00] training, and there were many, many things way back then, Um, was that we were actually taught to hear the impactful word, Or phrase, that was the clue for where we needed to work.

And also, we regard whatever your problem, it's actually a clue to your next piece of evolution. Now a client doesn't come to me ever saying I want to evolve. Doesn't happen. Occasionally a client will come because they're very clear they want to develop themselves but mostly people come with a pain, a problem, a challenge, some issue that's causing them distress.

So, um, with some Clients, of course, that's as far as they want to go. And I'm [00:25:00] happy to do that. But with most of the people I work with, in fact, I can't remember one who didn't want to do it. And they just get attracted to me. Um, with, we just, it, Automatically flows. Working with the issue, I teach them how to connect with that spark, for example, so they begin to develop the skills of being to observe them non judgmentally.

of themselves non judgmentally. So already they begin to connect in the spark of the wild soul and and for most of them they find a deeper meaning in themselves as well as in their life.

Amanda Parker: So I understand that you're working together with people like We know already from how I introduced you in the beginning, so you're a [00:26:00] psychotherapist and you're a coach and you work at a spiritual level as well as with like the person sitting in front of you.

So would you say that a lot of the technique that you're Bye. using is really in the realm of psychotherapy and coaching or is there also like energy, healing or what else comes into that mix?

Sharon Eden: Well, there is the psychotherapy and the coaching. There is definitely energy work.

Amanda Parker: Can you say more about it?

I'm curious. Be open here. Our audience is willing to hear.

Sharon Eden: So there are some things about me. So for example, I am also psychic and that developed during my work way back when I was a psychotherapist. I became very aware I was getting information I could not possibly know. And uh, you know, dear old Jung, Carl Jung, said there's a space between the therapist and the [00:27:00] therapy where the two souls meet.

And I acknowledge that, but what I was getting was way beyond that. I mean, Ludicrous. And the other thing is a few years ago I trained for a couple of years, um, to be a medium and I had no intention of working as a medium, although it amused me that I might. Uh, it was for me and also it's so powerful to connect with other energies.

positive energies because I don't believe all that stuff around. Oh, be careful. You get a bad energy. No, I won't because I have

Amanda Parker: boundaries and it won't happen. Absolutely.

Sharon Eden: Um, And, and of course, it's so valuable in my work, and earlier on, when my eyes, I [00:28:00] know that I'm getting something, when my eyes kind of fix like that, as they did earlier on in the session, and I, I just quieten and wait, and I get help.

in the work. I feel really blessed. So for me, that's the energy work. And of course, we're energetic beings. I've got a field, energetic field around me. And I, uh, suspect that is part of the healing too.

Amanda Parker: Yeah, definitely. And I find it Um, very amusing because in these conversations, like on the podcast, I get to speak to really just incredible people like yourself who have these, I mean, sometimes, like in your case, you have decades of experience doing this work.

So it's really. like a privilege to get to hear how you do that, uh, and I have goosebumps everywhere now. [00:29:00] Um, so it's really just fascinating because even though every episode focuses on, you know, one topic, because that helps just, you know, To contextualize, every healer, every guide that I meet has like, I don't even know if it's like, okay, the word that comes up is like a witch's bag or like, you know, the shamans also have that bag, you know?

Yes. So it's really like this whole, oh, medicine bag, I guess, for the shamans, you know, it's like this whole medicine bag, psychic toolkit of all these things that have come in over time. Yeah. And I guess my interpretation is the nature of this, like, healing work. And when you're really committed and you love it and you get your energy from it, you know, You just welcome in everything that comes in that you can learn, that you enjoy, that speaks to you, integrates and becomes a part of how you support people and yourself.

Sharon Eden: Yes, totally. Totally. Um, I, I can't say that, [00:30:00] uh, I've welcomed them in at first. when I was getting psychic stuff. It was like, Oh, no, I'm not getting, it's such, such an aid. And also I, I went to a workshop on mediumship because somebody had said, you know, that's where she, you should be focusing. And I was adamant, no way.

No, I'm not. I'm not going anywhere near there. And I went to this workshop and ended up crying my eyes out because clearly I was being called. So, um, not always open.

Amanda Parker: I was going to say, instead of introducing you as the wild elder, it's now the reluctant elder. Well, thank God that you did listen to that nudge and let it in.

Um, I'm sure there are many [00:31:00] very valid and good reasons why you wouldn't have wanted to. Um, especially historically, we, we know what's happened throughout history over centuries to people who had these gifts and really. Use them. So, you know, and I'm really happy to hear that you stepped into that because I mean, I, I've trained in mediumship, but I would not call myself a medium.

Maybe it's coming later, but it's not my specific strength. Um, but definitely like psychic information comes in. And without it, I know that my work would not be as powerful. I know that sometimes you just can't name exactly what's happening, but you just know, and you know how you need to support someone.

And imagine doing your work without those gifts, like, it's impossible.

Sharon Eden: And it's the same with intuition, you know, people often talk [00:32:00] about using their intuition when, when they describe it to me, I think they're connecting with their wild soul. Because there's a difference. Intuition is like you get the gut feeling, so it's quite visceral.

But when you're working with your spirituality, It's a knowing. It's a whole body experience. It's not just in your gut. And, and in a way it's not even physical really. It's so hard to describe, isn't it? When you get a knowing, it's just so deep and profound. Uh, uh, such a deep experience that it's like, ah.

I was just a bit like the, The, uh, Kung Fu teacher then. I just wanted to go, ah, so.

Amanda Parker: So to me, the topic of intuition is very relevant because I've started training people in [00:33:00] intuition. I say started, but I've been with my clients. I'm training them all the time to tune in. That's like, and I, it feels almost like the gateway drug to me because it's like we, intuition is also maybe a more socially acceptable word for that deep knowing and people have heard it.

They know what instinct is or gut feeling. So they're more comfortable or willing to engage with intentionally. listening to their own intuition. But to me, it's, it's almost like another framing for inner knowing. But I like that you also sort of slice those up into different things. But I see it still as like a stage.

It's like your gateway is that physical knowing and then there's actually that like, Yeah. Good. deeper insight and being able to really listen to act on it later. Yeah. I, yeah, I

Sharon Eden: can, I'll take that for sure. Um, I, what I do is train people to [00:34:00] focus on their inner wisdom. I call it inner wisdom. But it's all the same.

We're doing the same work. We, you know, we all have different ways of doing it.

Amanda Parker: Yeah. And I think, um, I guess for me, part of it, even just on the podcast, you know, it's about making it accessible. And how can I help people to access their own, whatever they need for themselves in a way that they're willing to do it.

To engage. Absolutely.

Sharon Eden: Always meeting the client where they are, using their language, um, always being guided by them.

Amanda Parker: So are you, usually when you're working with someone, are you working together over, like a longer relationship? Is it like a year, a couple months? Is it one off sessions? How does that relationship evolve in what you do?

Sharon Eden: I was trained as an ongoing therapist. But after a couple [00:35:00] of years, I realized people, most people didn't need ongoing therapy. And so I started doing six session work. Oh, yeah. Okay. Yeah. And people would go off into their lives. Some of them will come back, maybe, for some more, but whatever. However, in the recent past, it seems the Divine has said, uh, you're going back to your roots, my dear.

Uh, so, at the sixth session, there's always a review. And what has happened is that I'm now working, the majority of people I see, we're working in an ongoing way. However, I don't believe in ongoing sit in your chair and we're going to be together for years. I just don't believe in that. So periodically we do have a review and just [00:36:00] see where they are.

And I usually say, do you feel cooked yet?

But I also do succession work as well, which is just perfect for some people.

Amanda Parker: Yeah, I was just curious because now knowing some of your secret behind the scenes gifts, you know, sometimes people work together for one session. Yeah. Sometimes it is a much longer enduring relationship. But if you were to just go see a medium for, I mean, just go see a medium, like that, but you might have one session and it opens up so many doors that that might be all that you need for that time.

Yeah. And then maybe months later or even years later, you think, you know, I really want that connection again.

Sharon Eden: Yeah, it can do. I don't see one P people for just one session. Because, why don't I see people for just one session? That's interesting actually. [00:37:00] I suppose it's because of my psychotherapy training.

Because the initial session is where, asking all the questions. You're getting this back. Big picture of your client. It gives, you know, that I think that's part of why the work, it can be very quick because in that session, you kind of get it all. You've raised a really interesting thought for me. Thank you.

I

Amanda Parker: see the business model evolving.

Sharon Eden: Well, I, I just, I've just gone, well, why don't I work for one session?

Amanda Parker: Could you share, is there any story? Or maybe. Client, of course, observing confidentiality. Um, but maybe there's a client or story that you could share just of what's possible with, with spiritual synthesis.

So what is actually. a possible transformation or something that's happened before.

Sharon Eden: A long time ago, I had a [00:38:00] client who felt something was missing, her relationship wasn't working, you know, the kind of problems, and she came, um, to me, and What she, her outcome for the work really, uh, was to, uh, plan a six month trip with her partner to go traveling.

And they just weren't doing it and that was part of the issue and all of that was going on. So by the time she finished working with me, it wasn't about planning a six month trip. journey ahead. It was actually together living that kind of traveling every day. That's the difference. Being able to connect with your original design and seeing the faster picture.

It's not just a bigger picture. Um, of What your life [00:39:00] can be like, and, and that was it, and, and because she contacts me now and again, I, I know that that's continuing.

Amanda Parker: Wow, so really helping someone see the essence of what it is they really desire and need, versus maybe that story that gets us in the door to get help in the first place.

Sharon Eden: Absolutely. Well, also when you have a smaller perspective, you, of course you conceive of planning a journey of six months traveling together. Um, but when that, when you access your wild soul and your inner wisdom, the vista just opens up. And, and I think that's the difference. Anything and everything is possible, especially creating your bit of heaven here on earth.

Amanda Parker: And I love that you're referencing this, the wild soul. This is really the essential [00:40:00] self. Is that how you would describe that?

Sharon Eden: Yes, that's how some people would describe it. And I, I, I call it, um, your wild soul because it's undomesticated. You know, it's free. Conditioning does not touch it. It's essence

Amanda Parker: and it's glorious.

I've also, cause I mentioned to you before we hit record that there's this young fox who keeps jumping about and playing in the back garden. He's, as you're talking about the wild soul, I just see this creature who's like, I'm not following your rules, . I'm gonna do whatever I want. That's right.

Mischievous .

Sharon Eden: Wonderful. Absolutely. Absolutely. It's such a joy when we begin living a life that was meant for us. And of course, along with that comes, you know, knowing what [00:41:00] you came here to do. And again, I get. Like you got annoyed earlier about all this, uh, rubbish about find your purpose in six sessions and pay me lots of money to do that.

Because there is a guarantee that even if you don't know what your purpose is, somewhere in your life, If you will be expressing it and it'll be the thing you're passionate about or enjoy doing the most and it's a clue, it's an absolute clue, uh, so you can come and work with me and I won't charge you big bucks for finding your

Amanda Parker: mission on earth.

It also reminds me of, um, there's a book by Sonia Chokette, who's quite a well known teacher of intuition and spirit guides and different [00:42:00] things. And she has this book, I think it's, um, I think it might just be called, Spirit guides. I've got it on the shelf somewhere over there. Um, and she talks about in the very, I think it's the first chapter, which is so aligned with what you've just shared about connecting to your true, like soul, spirit, joy.

And she talks about like, what are those things that just light you up? Like, are you suffocating your spirit or are you actually dancing or playing or painting or like rolling in the grass or whatever that thing is that just fills you so much with joy and your nudge that you're probably already doing this in some area of your life so it is like really a nudge for listeners to Start paying attention.

What are those things that just light you up beyond explanation, beyond reason? Absolutely.

Sharon Eden: And you know what? It might not be as hot as [00:43:00] lighting you up. Okay. It might just be at the, you get pleasure.

Amanda Parker: You

Sharon Eden: know, uh, and pleasure is just a watered down version of joy. So, you know, um, you know, this stuff is not precious.

That's why I call what I do down and dirty spirituality. You know, it, it, for me, it's simple. It's here. It's earthly and that's what spirituality is all about. You're not meant to fly up and live on some floaty plane. You're supposed to bring the stuff down and create bliss, creating

Amanda Parker: bliss on earth. So if I were to ask you for your own definition of healing, what would that be?

Sharon Eden: Ooh, that's a biggie. So the [00:44:00] word that immediately comes for me is service, and in a strange way, I want to giggle because it's a bit ambiguous because it could be about servicing your personality and your body and all the rest of it. Um, yeah, the two words have just bounded into my head, but it's actually when you talk about a healer, it's being of service to another human being and bringing grace to them for their healing and growth.

And for example, in psychotherapy, research has shown it doesn't matter what you're doing, What discipline you're from, what school, what techniques you use. The biggest factor in the successful therapy is the relationship between the therapist and the client and, and [00:45:00] that's healing. Mind can't grasp that.

You can't define it. You just can't define it.

Amanda Parker: So if someone is listening to this episode and they Are maybe just starting on their journey, so just getting started with figuring out what this path might be, or maybe they're facing these roadblocks that we talked about. Is there any advice that you would give to them from where you stand today?

You ask

Sharon Eden: such brilliant questions, Amanda Parker. Um, my advice, okay, well, my advice if they're seeking help is to speak to a lot of healers and To make sure there's a fit and they will know if there's a fit because it's like a penny Gets dropped [00:46:00] into the old coin box. I want to tell you a story. Have you got time for a story?

All right Many decades ago. I was in a relationship Which was absolutely crazy And the co dependence was going on and I was looking for therapeutic help. Because of course, I have my blind spots and crap and all the rest of it. And so I didn't want to travel far, so I choose, I looked in the directory and chose five therapists in my area.

For some I had to leave a message on their voicemail and I had a script so it was standardized. And to each of them I said, I'm a hot shit psychotherapist looking for a psychotherapist to help me da da da da da. So, um, two of them never responded, alright. One came back [00:47:00] and, uh, she suggested that I came to see her.

And I said, I haven't the time for that. Um, you know, I'll be able to tell on the telephone. Oh no, she said, you have to come and see me to know. And I said, thank you very much, but you're not the right person. psychotherapist for me. Uh, I can't remember what the fourth one did, but it was a similar kind of conversation.

Anyway, I was despondent by then. I thought, my God, I'm a psychotherapist and if I can't find somebody, what, what does the public go through? And then this delicious woman, I rang her and left a message on her voicemail. She came back to me and, um, And she, uh, said exactly what you want, so I repeated my spiel and she said, Oh, I don't think I'm up to you.

And I said, [00:48:00] Can I make an appointment?

She was the only one who was herself and real. So my advice would be, if you're working with somebody, pick somebody who's real. You're the expert, not them, even though you don't know it. And be gentle with yourself. It takes enormous courage, whether you're working with somebody or doing it yourself, it takes enormous courage to start on this journey.

Because once you start on it, there's no choice. You ain't going back away . You just have to keep going. So really, really, um, you know, just acknowledge what great stuff you are and be gentle with yourself.

Amanda Parker: That is wonderful advice. [00:49:00] And I think paints a beautiful picture of, yeah, not everyone's gonna be right for you, but just trust.

As you say, and you'll find the support you need when you're really open to receiving it. So Sharon, if people would like to get in touch with you, they want to learn more, they want to work with you or maybe read from you, how can they find you?

Sharon Eden: Well, the, the easiest way is going to my website, which is very easy to remember because it's The Wild Elder.

Doc. Simple. I'm on LinkedIn as Sharon Eden Wild Elder and I'm also on Facebook as Sharon Eden. Yes, you'll find me that way. And ta da! By now I believe that this will be published, [00:50:00] rediscovered. So if you'd like to find out. It's more about me read it because it's me to a t mm-Hmm. And you can get to the website for the book at, um, re Discovered Life, and you'll find it on Amazon and hopefully whatever bookstore you use.

Amanda Parker: That is fantastic. So I'm going to link to all of those things in the show notes. So if you're listening or driving and you can't write it down, just go ahead into the show notes and you're going to have all those links there to get in touch with Sharon to read her beautiful book that is coming out in October.

So very excited to get my hands on that as well. And, um, I'm so happy that we could have this conversation. I really loved being able to share this space with you, Sharon. Thank you so much for your wisdom and generosity in [00:51:00] sharing yourself and also your own journey here. Aw,

Sharon Eden: thank you, man.

Amanda Parker: So for everyone listening, thanks for tuning in to this episode of Don't Step on the Bluebells.

And I will see you next time. Thanks for tuning into today's episode of Don't Step on the Bluebells. If you enjoyed this conversation, please give the podcast a five star rating wherever you listen. And don't forget to hit, subscribe and follow along so you never miss a new episode.