Stop Going Around the Same Mountain

We talk with Dr. Laurette Willis about why we keep repeating the same habits and how real freedom starts when our thinking changes. We share a practical exercise that helps cut cravings fast and show how renewing the mind with Scripture and retraining the brain can break long-running cycles. 
• Cassandra’s purpose for the podcast as freedom from old stories and limiting beliefs 
• Dr. Willis’ backstory of addiction, grief, New Age spirituality, and the turning point of surrender 
• Why “trying harder” fails when the brain is trained on autopilot 
• Renewing the mind with Scripture alongside neuroscience and cognitive behavioral therapy tools 
• Observing thoughts and replacing destructive self-talk to change actions and results 
• The Make The Shift bilateral stimulation exercise paired with 1 Corinthians 6:12 
• Applying the same tool to toxic relationships, anger, and other compulsive patterns 
• Free resources and where to find Dr. Willis online, plus upcoming community events 
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Transcript

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Welcome And The Freedom Focus

Cassandra 0:25

Good day out there to all of my listeners, and I'd like to welcome you to Is Your Way in Your Way. For those new listeners out there, I'd like to introduce myself. I am your host. My name is Cassandra Crawley Mayo. And yes, I name the title of this podcast and as the same name as my debut book. And you know what? I wrote that debut book, Is Your Way in Your Way, because I needed it, because I have been in my way. So therefore, this podcast, initially, I thought it was all about ultimately about self-improvement, but it isn't primarily about purpose, it is about freedom. It's about freedom from those stories that you believe. It's about freedom from your childhood. It's about freedom that lies that you believe that people have said to you. You know, it's about this freedom to become who you were created to be. And so today on my podcast, I have a special guest. And I always say special because I think everybody on my show is special. I gained so much wisdom and knowledge, and I pray that you do the same thing. And let me tell you what we're going to talk about. And this really resonated me with me because it's about breaking free from going around the same mountains. Man, I went around those mountains so, so many times with relationships and and oh my gosh, and and just self-doubt and limiting beliefs and and just all of those things. I kept like, why am I why am I going? Why, what, why? So now we have somebody by the name of Dr. Lorette. Loretta, Lorette Willis, and let me welcome her to the stage. Good day, Dr. Lorette. How are you?

Dr. Willis 2:29

I am well, thank you, Cassandra. Thanks so much for having me today.

Cassandra 2:33

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. You know, I love how you approach transformation in regards to renewing the mind and retraining the brain. And that's pretty, that's that's pretty difficult, particularly when we've grown up and how our backstory has so much to do with our adulthood. But we're gonna unpack some of this and you're gonna help people understand and recognize the destructive patterns that isn't enough. We must simultaneously replace it. And that's why we wanted to name this breaking free from going around the same mountains. Now,

Meet Dr. Laurette Willis

Cassandra 3:10

I what I'd like to do is read a little bit of your bio because I have listeners that will say, What qualifies her to tell me about this? So, you know, so once they hear your story, Dr. Loretta, they're gonna be like, Oh my gosh, I thought I had it bad. But look, listen to this. So, Dr. Willis joins me to explore what happens when we stop simply trying harder and begin renewing our minds, retraining our brains, and breaking the patterns that keep us stuck. So, in other words, before your life can change, your thinking has to change. She is a Christian cognitive behavioral therapist, mentor and founder of the International Praise Moves, Fitness Ministry, and W3 Sisterhood. W3 is weight loss without willpower. Drawing from her own journey through her emotional eating, yo-yo dieting, and spiritual transformation, she helps people of faith become healthy, fit, and free. So by combining biblical truth and neuroscience-based techniques, she's gonna teach people how to renew their minds, retrain their brains, break those patterns, and her work has reached people across six, six continents through teaching, television, books, fitness, ministry, mentorship. And she's from New York. However, she is now in Oklahoma. Again, Dr. Willis, welcome.

Dr. Willis 4:42

Thank you. Thank you. You know, hearing all that, it just kind of amazes me. And, you know, I I've said to the Lord many times, if you can use a donkey, you can use me because I feel like that talking donkey many times. You know, I just also I want to say this to and encourage you who are listening today, that the only thing that qualifies me for all the amazing things that I get to do by the grace of God is everything I've done wrong. And I want to really underscore that, everything I've done wrong. And I want to encourage you because you might think, oh, you know, I've I've messed up so many times. I'm just so off the path from what the Lord's probably called me to do. I've just messed up too old, it's too late. No, no, I want you to know that no matter what, when you turn things over to the Lord, he redeems them. And redeem what it means is to buy back, you know, to buy back, to get something out of the darkness and put it on a high place, to do something with it. There's scripture that says that our God is a consuming fire. Well, what happens when you throw something into a fire? It becomes ashes, it burns up. There's a scripture that says in Isaiah that He gives us beauty for ashes. For me, my new age background being 22 years in New Age spirituality from the ages of seven till I was 29. And then also my decades of overeating, compulsive overeating, emotional healing from the age of six, the Lord's used both of them to form platforms of help and healing for others. Praise moves fitness ministry. We have hundreds of fitness ministers, uh, women and men, ages 18 to 80s, all over the world. I'm the least likely to have something like that. And then weight loss without willpower. Yeah, it just amazes me. But I want you to know that if you have something that's a negative in your life and you think that's holding you back, I want you to know that makes you relatable to people. People will say, Oh my goodness, she's not a talking head, he's not a talking head. They've been there. Maybe they have an answer for me too.

Childhood Trauma And New Age Years

Cassandra 6:54

Wow. So this is a great segue to kind of get we're gonna get raw. Okay. We gotta we I want you to tell the story at the heart of your transformation, your backstory. Let's let's let the listeners hear what you have experienced prior to your transformation, to your accepting the Lord as your savior.

Dr. Willis 7:17

Yes. Well, everything on the outside growing up, Cassandra, seemed idyllic. I mean, it just seemed so lovely. I went from Long Island originally and also lived in New York City for many years. But when I was a little girl, it was Long Island or Long Island, as we call it, if you're from New York, you know you talk like that. But now I live in Oklahoma, so I talked like that, or something in between. But anyway, everything seemed lovely on the outside. And uh my parents were both attorneys. My mother was the first woman assistant district attorney on Long Island. My father was the judge, he also had his own law practice. I was their only child. Everything seemed really wonderful. But on the inside, there was a lot of turmoil. And sadly, my mother was a high-functioning alcoholic. She was also diagnosed schizophrenic, had three nervous breakdowns when I was growing up. She was immensa, one of those brilliant people. She loved the Lord, didn't know how to live the victorious Christian life. There was a longing and an emptiness on the inside of her, very emotional, an amazing actress, also. I mean, she was just so fun to be with. But when she would drink, oh dear, it was horrible. And then my father, he could fly off into a rage, you know, some sometimes, you know, emotionally. And he was also an emotional eater, compulsive overeater.

Cassandra 8:46

Okay.

Dr. Willis 8:47

So when I was six years old, before then, from the ages of like three and a half till six, I would hear the Lord's voice. I saw visions, I was very close to the Lord. I used to tell him jokes because I thought, your job is so hard, you need a good laugh. And so that's what I used to do. And I should warn you, I was known as the woman of 101 voices. I was a professional actor, including off Broadway. I did the Betty Boop show. I certainly did. Boop boop boop doop. And I portrayed the other characters. Yeah, it was just it was wild and wacky. My DC didn't uh I was also a high-functioning alcoholic, uh as well. So a lot of these things that were going on to cope, you know. Yes. And when I was about six years old, the wall came up. There was a separation between the Lord and myself. And at seven, my mother and I found yoga, thinking it was just exercise, and it was through a television show. But there is a very strong spiritual component in yoga that a lot of people don't realize, and it had a very strong pull on us. And it led me into new age spirituality for 22 years. Like I said, from the ages of seven till I was 29. I was a psychic, I was a channel, I was into you know, auras and crystals and tarot cards, and I lived in a new age community. I mean, I levitated, I mean, the whole nine. It's amazing I'm still alive because I also had alcoholic blackouts at the same time. You know, it was running through the streets of New York City, you know, in a blackout, if you can imagine. Now, what did you call it? Alcoholic what? Blackouts. Blackouts, okay. Oh, wow. Okay. And it's it's just amazing. You see, one opens oneself up to demonic activity that way, and a lot of things can happen, especially if one doesn't believe there's such a thing as a devil, or you know, or that which was a lot of what we were taught in the new age. You know, there's oh, there's no such thing as sin. It's an acronym for self-inflicted nonsense. Well, then why did Jesus come? Oh, he was just a good teacher. I mean, I knew the whole line.

Cassandra 10:57

I had all of the you knew the scriptures, and you you your your your parents or your mom knew the Lord. It's real interesting, though, you know, you can somewhat have a relationship, and and when you go through hard times, we tend some people tend to question whether there really is a God, you know, because well, if you if you if you love me, why am I going through this? Why am I, you know, why am I having all these problems and everything? And so when your mom committed suicide, at what age were you then?

Dr. Willis 11:33

I was 24.

Cassandra 11:35

Okay.

Dr. Willis 11:36

I was living in New York City. I was a struggling actor, was you know, working part-time and also going to auditions, did a lot of improv comedy off Broadway. That's when I did the Betty Boop show off Broadway as well. And my parents were divorced. Two years later, my father died of heart disease and diabetes. They were both in their 50s. I mean, they were both young. And I just said, okay, I'm I'm out of here. I just I just saw this as a way to get out of New York. I'm just leaving. I felt like a prisoner in New York City. I always felt led to live in the country, but I wanted to travel first. I wanted to go all the so-called sacred sites. So I went to 20 countries and six and a half months in through Europe, backpacking around. And then I also went to Machu Picchu in Peru, looking for God in all the wrong places. I'd been to Asia before that in the USO and went to, you know, to temples and things like that. But empty, empty, empty, Cassandra. I was looking for peace. And you know, everyone has that missing peace, the P E I, the P-I-E-C-E on the inside, which is the P E A C E of God. And it wasn't until I came to the end of myself and surrendered, you know, to the Lord. I was lonely. I wanted someone to love me for myself. I was 29, yeah, and I was living in a new age community, northeastern Oklahoma, on top of a mountain. And the

Rock Bottom Surrender And New Life

Dr. Willis 13:06

day before April Fool's Day, I heard what I believe was the audible voice of the Lord. I turned off. You were in New York then, right? Are you still in New York? Actually, I was in Oklahoma, northeastern Oklahoma. I'd left New York City. Okay. And I bought a house in a new age community, thinking, you know, the geographical cure. You know, I'll leave New York and then I'll be different. But wherever you go, there you are. That's just how it works. And so a year later, I was still miserable. I was still my crummy self. I thought I left her back in New York, but no, she falled back, and I was still me. That's right. And I like I said, I was lonely. I wanted someone to love me for myself. I'd never been married. And uh the Lord uses whatever it takes to bring you to your knees. He may not necessarily cause those things, but he can use those things. And the day before April Fool's Day, I was going back home to my little house on top of the mountain in northeastern Oklahoma in the New Age community. I turned onto the dirt road and I heard what I believe was the audible voice of the Lord, because it's the same voice that I heard when I was little bitty. Right. And he asked me a very compelling question. I turned off to the side of the road and I just stopped. You know, almost he's right there. It's audible voice, but I dasn't turn around, you know, because it's a voice of a thousand waters. It's the most amazing thing, shakes you to your core. And he asked me, What if everything you thought about God was completely wrong? Would you be willing? Would you be willing to give it up to know the truth?

Cassandra 14:38

Okay.

Dr. Willis 14:39

What if everything I thought about God was completely wrong? Would I be willing to give it up to know the truth? Yes. Yes. I'm thinking maybe the truth was a new philosophy, a new book, a new conference to go to, a new. I was always like that donkey that had a carrot dangled in front of them, going for the next fix. Yeah. Not realizing the truth is a person. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me. So the next day I felt this battle going on on the inside of me, Cassandra. I felt the enemy just pushing me, just saying, Go to that next conference, get your tarot cards, uh, get your pendulum, get get some crystals, get you'll feel better. And I felt the Lord just saying, Come, surrender, surrender all to me. Give it all to me. And I just said, I surrender, I give up, you win. If you want, you know, and then I I if you can do something with this life, you can have it.

Cassandra 15:33

Right.

Dr. Willis 15:33

So you were at your wits in. I was yeah, uh-huh. So you were open to give anything for help. That's it. And I said, if you want me to be alone, then give me peace. If you want me to be with someone, send them soon, because I can't live like this anymore. And Cassandra, I fell on my face and I felt a physical weight lift off about 30 pounds, it felt like, which I learned later was the weight of sin. And like I said, I didn't believe in sin. And peace came upon me for the first time in my life. Well, it wasn't until a year later that I realized at that moment the Lord delivered me from alcoholism. I never had another drink, never even asked for that to happen. It was totally wiped from my brain. I didn't even think about it. And four days later, I met my husband Paul, who had three years clean and sober, and we've been very glory to God. What do you all do? And he changed my life tremendously.

Cassandra 16:24

Yeah, and that's something you desired. You wanted somebody in your life, and that never happened. But once you surrender, wow, he took that that that taste of alcohol from you, in addition to you finding or he finding, him finding a good thing, which was you. Amen.

Dr. Willis 16:46

Thank you. Yeah, the the the Lord, he he I just feel that in his his infinite mercy that he realized she's not going to be able to pray her way out of this, faith her way out of this. But you know what happened? I was also a smoker at that time, and the Lord worked with me a bit to finally let go of that, you know, and that took a little bit different. But you know what then? The original drug of choice, the overeating, or I should say the underfeeling, yeah. Using food, going to the comfort food, the comfort food instead of the comforter, right? Instead of the comforter instead of the Lord, that came back with a real vengeance. So that was very difficult. Went through five years, uh, Overeaters Anonymous, but still did not really receive the victory in it until I would say about 2017 when I started. And this is what we're talking about here: learning how to not go around those same mountains again and again.

Renewing The Mind Retraining The Brain

Dr. Willis 17:44

I started, I had uh interviewed uh Dr. Caroline Leaf. I've done a lot of interviews and television shows and radio things like podcasts. And uh Dr. Caroline Leaf is a Christian neuroscientist, fascinating, fascinating woman. One of my favorite books of hers is called Switch on Your Brain. It is so good. And I thought that's what I want to, I want to become a cognitive behavioral therapist. So, what I show people to do, Cassandra, and I can even, we can even do a little exercise here so people can experience it for themselves, but renewing the mind on the word of God from Scripture, which really is a Holy Ghost brainwashing. I call it washing of the water of the word, getting rid of all the joke that was in my head. You renew the mind, and then you retrain the brain using neuroscience principles and techniques based on scripture. It is amazing. That's what keeps you from going around the same mountains again and again.

Cassandra 18:40

So, Dr. Lebret, let me ask you. So, growing up, you were you you had dreams, like most of us do, you know, and you were like in the in the arts, creative theater, and you did all that, right? Now, and and then you had a time, I think you said you were 29, you were at your wits' end, and and something changed something changed you. It was like overnight. Was it the wall that came up? But because that once the wall came up, it still took you a while to to to transform yourself to be who you believe God would have for you to do. So, in other words, you knew what you were currently doing wasn't what you wanted to do, that was not part of you who you were. But did you know? You know, it's kind of like in your way, you seem like you got out of your way and started doing what? What was it that you really wanted to do after you had that pivotal moment? What was your calling?

Dr. Willis 19:49

You felt I would say for the next several years, it was really, I felt like square peg round hole because I knew something had happened to me, but I didn't have a frame of reference. Okay. I did not really know that you could have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I'd heard it for the first time when I was 19, but my only frame of reference was the Episcopal Church that we went to, and my parents were both brought up Irish Roman Catholic, didn't know about I mean, our whole family was the idea of having a relationship with God through Jesus was wack-a-doodle. That was crazy talk, you know. We revered the Bible, didn't read it, you know, it was all about religion, getting things right, not about relationship, which is what getting to know the Lord truly is. So I didn't have a frame of reference. When I first heard the message of salvation, my first thought was, wait a second, I'm I was just 19 at the time, and uh I said, I'm not ready to become a nun. You know, that's what I was thinking. That's what I was. I thought, if anything, I want to be a monk. They seem to have a lot more fun, they get to sing, they make wine, you know. That was my thoughts. When I surrendered to the Lord, the only frame of reference I had was my 22 years in yoga and new age, which is you know, had had parts of Buddhism, pantheism, Hinduism, everything from A to Z, astrology to Zoroastrianism, everything I've studied it all. Believe me, I have a big nose for New Age. Okay, so I I just didn't, I would say not until I was discipled at a church and had the second baptism of the Holy Spirit, you know, and I really noticed a change. I mean, then developed a voracious appetite for scripture, for the word of God. It was like, this is alive, it came alive to me. It was like this is what I've been looking for my whole life. And then the Lord started developing things in me, gave me the idea for praise moves, the Christian alternative to yoga. I'm very careful to let people know it's not Christian yoga, that's an oxymoron, like a Christian Buddhist, there's no such thing, but it's a Christ-centered alternative. And we have stretching and strengthening postures and other certifications as well that center on the word of God and movement. We like to say, transform your workouts into worship with praise moves. Okay. So, you know, that's part of the fitness ministry. So, to answer your question, what I wanted to do was after I learned, because I always had a tremendous desire to serve Cassandra. Okay. I was, I was, like I said, looking for God and all the Wrong places. I was like, I'd have these tremendous spiritual experiences, and then they'd go flat. It was like living on cotton candy. Man, it tasted sweet. Man, it melted in my mouth, but it'd kill you if you try to live on it.

Cassandra 22:38

Sure, sure. So, okay, and let me go

Why We Repeat Patterns

Cassandra 23:02

back to our title, Breaking Free from Going Around the Same the Same Mountains. Why do it now sounds like to me the the brain piece that you are working on, the neuroscience-based techniques, based on that? Do you know have thoughts about why people or we go around the same mountains and how can we break that cycle?

Dr. Willis 23:29

It really takes that double whammy of renewing the mind on the word of God and retraining the brain using neuroscience techniques based on scripture. If I don't see a correlation in scripture, I don't use it. And neuroscience is great, cognitive behavioral therapy is great. There's something about moving your body at the same time. You could say it's mirroring, and we'll experience this in a moment because I have a bilateral brain stimulation technique to share with you that can cut cravings in 10 to 15 seconds. It's powerful. There's something about moving at the same time that you're programming something in your brain, and you start catching yourself. When I'm working with clients, Cassandra, the very first, one of the very first things that I have them do is to start being an observer of your thoughts, observing them almost like they're birds going overhead. They can thoughts will come, you know, just let them go by. You don't have to let them make a nest in your hair. You don't have to, you know, just allow that thing there. Just say, wait a second, is that in line with scripture? Is that in line with God's best for me? Is that, you know, and and when you know that, when you realize that when you have that wisdom and how to apply it, you start changing the way you think. Look at it this way there's a five-step process. If you want to change your results, and this has to do with self-talk, and this is from a totally secular view, but imagine uh doing this with renewing your mind at the same time. When you change what you say to yourself and say about yourself, you change your behavior. When you change your behavior, you change your attitude. When you change your attitude, you change your feelings. When you change your feelings, now this is where it goes from the inside to the outside. When you change your feelings, you change your actions. And when you change your actions, you change your results. So if you want to change your results, you got to go all the way back to what is it that I'm saying to myself? Because that determines your feelings and your results. So that's what we work on. We observe the thoughts, decide, okay, that's a bunch of garbage. I'm not doing that. What is the positive thing to say instead? And we start catching ourselves and we start going in a better direction. Turn northward, scripture said, instead of going around that same mountain again.

Cassandra 26:16

But you know what? A lot of our patterns come from our past. I mean, things that we've experienced, things we've done. And so saying that is not easy, you know, and you know that for a fact. It takes it takes a lot to change. And I don't know, you know, whether, you know, just like the title of this podcast is Is Your Way in Your Way? There are times that I'm still in my way, you know, but then I recognize it as you indicate, observed it and said, hmm, I am in my way. So what am I gonna do about it? I'm gonna have to get because like I said, I wrote the book really for me, because I was in my way. And I was hopeful that it would bless a lot of other people because a lot of us are still in our way. We're a work in progress. So I I and I can't wait till you do this exercise because you know, we all, I don't know how many people I used to hear this all the time. It's not what's going on on the outside, it's what's going on the inside. And that used to bother me. I'm like, okay, well, how am I gonna do that? You know, how am I okay? How am I gonna change that? And I know that you have uh what what I call a breakthrough moment for individuals that you know that you are going to provide for us and exercise that I'm so excited about. But before, and I'm I'm thinking this is something else that can help us stop going around that same mountain, stop my listeners to get, you know, help them to get free, help them to no longer, you know, from stories that don't serve them. And I'm believing the exercise you have is an exercise that's going to start them on this journey, right? Yes, yeah. So, what I like us to do, I would love for you to do the exercise. But one of the things that I'd like my listeners to do, if they're driving, they can't really do it, you know, but they can definitely listen to to this podcast over and over again. But I want them to quietly think about what barriers are holding them back, you know, what is it like like listeners? What is it that you you know, you you're looking great on the outside, but on the inside, you're just not something is wrong. You know, it's kind of like you said, Dr. Lord, you know, something something's not right. And I just want before you go through this exercise, I want my my listeners to think about barriers that quietly keep them stuck, like fear, doubt, what somebody said to me, I'm not good enough. And you know, think about those things before you take us through the exercise so they can hone in on that particular thing. So they just won't be out in la la land. So that's why I wanted it to take a moment, and you may, based on your exercise, can share with them what you believe they should do before

Naming The Barrier That Keeps You Stuck

Cassandra 29:19

you take them through this exercise.

Dr. Willis 29:22

Yes. Now, this is that's that that's a great point because if you, you know, you're getting in your own way, right? And you see, what is it that's getting in my way? And you know, Jesus said that he is the way, the truth, and the life. Uh so if we look at let me get out of doing my way, because it's getting in my way, let's say, what's the right way to go? What is a way that can change the way that I think and change the way that I go so that it's prosperous, which means breakthrough to success in every area of your life. Who doesn't want to prosper? Breakthrough to success in every area of your life. Yeah. Now, this bilateral brain stimulation technique is called make the shift exercise. And I use this in weight loss without willpower. I use this with my clients also. And it's a this this one

Make The Shift Exercise Live

Dr. Willis 30:19

exercise and the scripture that is tagged on to it is so powerful. I attribute this with helping me to have lost 25 pounds. So if that speaks to anybody and it can work for other habits as well, I would say when you're thinking about boy, you know that mountain, I keep going around, it may not be overeating like it had been for me for decades and decades. It may be something else. Maybe it's something like blowing up in anger, it could be alcohol, it could be certain relationships, it could be gossiping, it could be what is it for you? What is it that you find? I keep going back to that habit. Oh Lord, forgive me. I keep calling, I keep doing that same thing again. Whatever it is, kind of imagine how you might be able to use this exercise. And in fact, I have a uh free resource that you'll be able to access this exercise and several others as well. We'll share that at the at the end. But think about how you could use that. Now, for this exercise, you'll need a pen or a or a key or a stone or some small object you can hold in your hand. And again, as Cassandra said, if you're driving, please don't do this exercise. But wait until you're you're home, yeah, or pull over and and do it. But I want you to think we're going to do this right now for a craving, for a food craving, because that's what it's it's it's going to be pretty easy because you're going to feel the difference, I promise you. So I want you to think of that one food that you usually go to and you're not hungry, but it's a craving food. And maybe you want to be distracted, maybe you're happy, maybe you're sad, maybe you're angry, maybe you're bored and just want to eat something. For me, it's usually I'm about to start a project, and it's like, let me get a snack. It's like, wait a second, I'm not even hungry. That's it. It's not it. We want to get back in touch with our natural hunger signals that God put in our bodies, right? But let's say for the moment you want to go for that snack. Maybe it's you know at evening time, you're not even hungry, you've already had dinner, but we're sitting down to watch television, and we get the bowl of something, or the dish of something, or the bag of something. You know what it is, you know where it is. Okay. So I want you to see yourself using your sanctified imagination. And don't worry, we're going to cut the craving in a moment, I promise you. But I want you to see where that food is. See if it's in the cupboard, the pantry, the freezer, the refrigerator. You know where it is. You're starting to go for that food. Maybe you're even reaching for that food. You may even be salivating right at this moment because it's the anticipation of that food that has the dopamine release in the brain. That's why they're so addictive, because we are addicted to the anticipation, not the food itself. But many of these foods also have certain excitotoxin chemicals in them that make us crave them more. But you can't eat just one. You've heard that one before. So you're about to reach for this food, right? You're reaching for it. Now I want you to take that pen in your hand or whatever it is in your hand. Have mine. Okay. And do you have that food in in mind, Cassandra?

Cassandra 33:39

Yeah, I actually had something else in mind, but I sure can have those Oreo cookies in mind. Okay, all right.

Dr. Willis 33:45

Can you see that? Or if you want to try something else, whatever it is that you want to do, and you could report on what would be which would you prefer? Right. The Oreos are good. The Oreos are good? Okay. So see yourself reaching for that. You're about to reach for them, that craving. Now take that pen and go from one hand to the other, one hand to the other, one hand to the other, one hand to the other, and stop. And now repeat after me. All things are lawful for me. All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. But not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me. All things are lawful for me. But I will not be brought under the power of any. But I will not be brought under the power of any. First Corinthians 6 12.

Cassandra 34:37

1 Corinthians 6 12.

Dr. Willis 34:39

Where's the craving, Cassandra?

Cassandra 34:43

Where is the craving? I don't really, I don't my craving is just something sweet now. But I'm not going there because I'm gonna eat something healthy.

Dr. Willis 35:00

Yeah, usually people say it's gone. It's like I I don't know what happened. And see, this is a cognitive behavioral therapy technique, the CBT, it's a bilateral brain stimulation technique. But what makes it stick and stay, I believe, is adding that scripture at the end. First Corinthians 6 12 in the New King James Version. Okay. I have been where I've been reaching for a snack, and all of a sudden I just get this, you know, prompting from the Holy Spirit on the inside. Go ahead and say it. You have to say it, you can't just think it. Say it. And so I started saying it was like, all right. All things are I'm reaching for it, right? I'm reaching for the snack. All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful, all things are lawful for me, and then it kicks in. Okay, I will not be brought under the power of any glory to God. That's what I was looking for. That was the fullness that I was craving, not that food, the fullness that I truly wanted is something that is beyond the physical. It's amazing.

Cassandra 35:59

Okay, well, I I think I cheated, and I say that because I was hungry, and and and I love Oreos, and to cut the hunger, I'm like, I think I want an Oreo cookie until I'm ready to eat something. So perhaps, you know, I could have thought of and my listeners also, so that wasn't fair. I could think of a toxic relationship, you know. I know individuals that are in toxic relationships, so they can do the same thing. I'm about to call them on the phone. That's right.

Dr. Willis 36:31

That's it. I'm about to pick up the phone and call him. Let me do this. All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. I'm not going to be brought under the power of that craving, of that abuse, of that toxicity. Right.

Cassandra 36:48

Okay. Okay. Okay. But they have to do it several times for it to work.

Dr. Willis 36:55

I would say it works. I I found anyway, it works when you work it. You know, it works the first time, and I would say you do it again because it's like, you know, you're reprogramming a computer, you know, when you look at it that way. You want to delete something, and it goes, Are you sure? Are you sure you want to delete this? It's been part of the program a long time. It's your default mechanism. And you're like, Yes, delete, delete. I will not be brought under the power of any first time in 612, new 10 change. Help me. I get going.

Cassandra 37:26

I tell you what, you get me going. All right. Okay. Okay. So the listeners know what it is that they can't let go of. So that's what they need to focus on. You know, like you talked about your individuals based on your W3 sisterhood program, which is weight loss without willpower. So my listeners have other things going on that they keep them stuck that they want to be free from. So they can use that methodology that you just did to help them through that process. Okay, so based on that, Dr. Willis, you have a free gift for listeners. Tell us about that.

Dr. Willis 38:10

Yes,

Applying The Tool Plus Free Resources

Dr. Willis 38:10

I have several free gifts and an event that's coming up right around the corner. Now, the free gifts are if if the weight loss part spoke to you. Christianweightlosskit.com is a free gift. ChristianWeightlosskit.com. It's a faith-fueled weight loss blueprint. It has in it that exercise and some other things as well. Totally free. Christianweightloskit.com. Then if you're like, well, weight loss, not a big deal, but how do you meditate? How do you meditate on the word of God? You is it like emptying your mind? No, it's filling your mind. So it's a free gift. This will be the renewing of the mind, Christian Meditation Kit.com. Christian Meditation Kit.com. And then I have a very special free event that I want to invite you to. And it's the five-day wisdom challenge. It's going to be September 14th through 18th. And you go to the number five day wisdomchallenge.com. Oh and uh there's some wonderful gifts that come with that as well. But it will be five nights of getting in touch with whatever that mountain is for you. And we're going to help you break free from mountains that have been holding you back for years, maybe even decades. I'm really excited about this, and you'll be able to experience it for yourselves.

Cassandra 39:36

Wow, that's great. That's great. Now, now you this podcast is actually gonna be evergreen. So there will be a time when individuals listen to it when that challenge is over with. Well, we'll have others.

Dr. Willis 39:51

Yes, because I'm gonna be holding it again. I already, I already know it's gonna, it's gonna be a thing. So you'll be able to get on the wait list, but just fivedaywisdom challenge.com.

Cassandra 40:02

Okay, I love that. We can definitely put that in the show notes. Wonderful. So, Dr. Willis, how can my listeners, you gave us a few things, but how can they locate you? How can they find you?

Dr. Willis 40:13

Yes, absolutely. I would say our our main our main hub in a lot of ways would be praisemoves, praisemoves.com, praisemoves.com. And there you can also see free workouts. We have a a lot on praisemoves.com. And then also if you want to learn more about weight loss without willpower and some of the other work that we do, that would be drorette.net. So that's drorette, l-a-u-r-e-t-t-e.net, even rhymes, drorette.net.

Cassandra 40:49

Okay, okay, all right, because you have two websites. You have appraisemoves.com and drorette.net, right? Yes. Okay, okay, wow. Well you get to live large online. I'm telling you, my goodness, Dr. Dr. Lorette, Dr. Willis, Dr. Lorette Willis. I want to thank you for being on my podcast today. I know that my listeners are gonna make that shift, they're gonna listen to this podcast and they're gonna share it. They're actually gonna share this podcast with some of their friends, many of their friends in their community, where this would be a blessing. I think this is great. The exercise, the praise moves, your W3 sisterhood waste loss without willpower, I think is also impactful for the many of my listeners that are listening. Um, before we close, is there anything else you'd like to share with our listeners before we close this podcast?

Dr. Willis 41:53

Well, it just kept coming up in my heart about weight loss, because that was something that had held me back

Success Stories Retreat And Closing CTA

Dr. Willis 42:01

for so many decades. And, you know, there's scripture that says it's not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts, Zechariah 4.6. And that's weight loss without willpower. We've had ladies drop, like, well, like Jessica Minter in Oklahoma City dropped 70 pounds, and it's been off for over three years now, without dieting. Jen Schumar, a grandma in Pennsylvania, who is co-owner of a pizza shop. She dropped 65 pounds and it's been off for over two and a half years now. And we have so many other success stories, and it's getting back in touch with the way the Lord designed our bodies, getting in touch with those hunger and satiety signals. We have simple little things that we follow, uh, five dailies, we call them pray and plan, water, move, journal, sleep. When you do those five things to the best of your ability, maybe you don't do all of them, but you're learning, you're growing, you're getting back in touch with the way God designed our body. It's amazing what you can do. And then we renew the mind and retrain the brain, and that's what makes the difference. It's not about diet, we don't diet, we live it. Okay, okay. It's like a lifestyle, absolutely. Wow makes the difference. Yeah, there's a fellowship there that's so great. And uh in fact, we have our annual retreat that's coming up. We have you know women in praise moves and also in W3. It's in Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, the fullness retreat. So you can look at the fullnessretreat.com, the fullnessretreat.com, and we have that every year in October, October 23rd through 25th. It's a great time to get together. And maybe you know nothing about praise moves or W3, doesn't matter. You know, if you just want to get together with some really fun, wonderful women and have a great time, check it out, thefullnessretreat.com. Well, have a blessed blast.

Cassandra 44:00

Yeah, yes. Thank you again, Dr. Willis and my listeners. Please hit subscribe and like. And as I indicated before, make sure that you share this with your community. And also don't forget that the five-day challenge, the wisdom challenge that's coming up from the 14th of September to the 18th. However, if you miss the challenge for 2026, Dr. Lorette's gonna have more. So please, please stay tuned to her to her platforms or social media so you can stay connected. Again, Dr. Lorette, thank you very much. Listeners, God bless you, and I'll say bye for now.