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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Tell Yourself a Better Lie summary
Marisa Peer
Use the Power of Rapid Transformational Therapy to Edit Your Story and Rewrite Your Life.
21 mins
Brief summary
Tell Yourself a Better Lie guides readers through the transformative power of self-talk. Marisa Peer provides strategies for reshaping negative narratives, fostering profound personal change, and building a more empowered, fulfilling life.
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Tell Yourself a Better Lie
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Overcoming OCD by healing emotional wounds
Life can feel overwhelming when you’re trapped in a cycle of obsessive thoughts and behaviors. For Carrie, her OCD – a condition marked by repetitive actions and intrusive thoughts – was more than just a habit; it had become a way to cope with deep-seated pain.
Carrie’s struggles began in childhood, where instability and neglect defined her formative years. Her mother’s indifference and favoritism toward her brother left Carrie feeling unloved and unimportant. These feelings were compounded by severe trauma, including sexual abuse by her older brother and bullying from neighborhood children. This profound lack of safety during her early years taught her subconscious that control was the only way to feel secure.
Her OCD behaviors reflected this need for control. She developed rigid hygiene routines, such as brushing her teeth multiple times a day and requiring long showers. These rituals were her way of creating order in a world where she felt powerless and exposed. But the control she sought externally never addressed the emotional turmoil within, and the behaviors became exhausting and disruptive.
Through Rapid Transformational Therapy, Carrie uncovered the emotional roots of her OCD using the RFPI technique – which stands for Role, Function, Purpose, and Intention. This method involved giving her OCD a “voice” to articulate its purpose – it existed to keep her safe and compensate for the love and security she lacked as a child. Guided questions like, “What happens if I don’t keep Carrie safe?” helped her understand that her OCD was a protective mechanism formed during trauma. By reframing OCD as a misguided protector rather than an enemy, Carrie could release its hold and address her underlying emotional needs.
Understanding this allowed Carrie to realize she no longer needed OCD to feel safe. RTT guided her to reconnect with her inner child – the younger version of herself that had endured so much – and provide the love and security she had lacked. By becoming her own source of unconditional support, she could release the behaviors that no longer served her.
Healing involves addressing unmet emotional needs, not just managing symptoms. By recognizing and fulfilling those needs, you can rewrite your story, transform your patterns, and create a life grounded in self-acceptance and inner peace.
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What is Tell Yourself a Better Lie about?
Tell Yourself a Better Lie (2021) explores how the stories we tell ourselves shape our reality, and offers strategies to reframe negative beliefs into empowering ones. Through practical tools and case studies, you’ll learn to identify and transform self-limiting thoughts – and take steps toward personal growth and emotional well-being.
Who should read Tell Yourself a Better Lie?
- Self-improvement enthusiasts seeking to overcome self-limiting beliefs
- Ambitious professionals looking to boost confidence and resilience
- Anyone struggling with persistent negative self-talk or doubt
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