401. "You can dream bigger" | Manifestation and Personal Growth with Kathleen Cameron

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Kathleen Cameron:
The life that you live today doesn't have to be your final destination, that any and all things are possible. And if you're willing to really go within and ask yourself those questions about, Who am I? How do I see myself? What kind of difference can I make in the world?", when you really, really do that, you'll be able to experience whatever it is that you want outside of you. And so, please dream bigger.

Dr. Richard Shuster:
Hello and welcome to the Daily Helping with Dr. Richard Shuster. Food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, tools to win at life. I'm your host, Dr. Richard. Whoever you are, wherever you're from, and whatever you do, this is the show that is going to help you become the best version of yourself. Each episode, you will hear from some of the most amazing, talented, and successful people on the planet who followed their passions and strive to help others. Join our movement to get a million people each day to commit acts of kindness for others. Together, we're going to make the world a better place. Are you ready? Because it's time for your Daily Helping.

Thanks for tuning into this episode of the Daily Helping Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Richard. And our guest today is dynamic and amazing. Her name is Kathleen Cameron. She's one of the world's top manifestation mentors. Her company, Diamond Academy, has skyrocketed to international acclaim, generating over $30 million in under four years. I guess you would say she manifested that. She has helped thousands of people transform their lives. With her innovative approach to the art of expansion using her techniques for raising self-awareness, expanding consciousness, and embodying faith, over 100,000 people have manifested more love, health, money, success, and undeniable impact. 

She is the author of two international best-selling books, Becoming the One and The Best of Yourself. She's host of the Manifested podcast and featured guest contributor to pretty much every major place you've seen in the media - Business Insider, Bustle, People Magazine and more. Kathleen Cameron, welcome to The Daily Helping. It is awesome to have you with us today. 

Kathleen Cameron:
I am so happy to be here. Thanks for having me, Dr. Richard. 

Dr. Richard Shuster:
It is my pleasure. I'm excited because this is stuff that I know people need today, probably more than ever. But what I wanna do first is jump into Kathleen Cameron Time Machine. And I want you to take us back. I'm so fascinated with people's journeys. So, talk to us about the experience or the things that led you to what you're doing today.

Kathleen Cameron:
Oh, so beautiful. Thanks for asking that, actually. It's just evidence of this work, actually, because the woman that I was as little as five years ago was very, very different. I lived in Canada full-time. I worked as a registered nurse. I was a registered nurse for 12 years. And I got several degrees and certifications and worked my way up that healthcare administration ladder and had a beautiful big job, but life was kind of the same as it had always been, and I was always striving for more. I always felt like there was this extraordinary life somewhere available to me, but I felt like I could never have it. And so, I kept living that same life, I call it kind of like Groundhog Day, where everything was the same all the time. 

And then, when I started to really study it, I would have called it mindset back then, when I started to really study mindset, and I stopped doing as much professional development, and I went into personal growth and development, that's where my life started to really, really take off. And so, embodying the practices that I now call manifestation led me to this kind of extraordinary life now, full-time entrepreneur, living all around the world and experiencing what some would say are miracles in my life or magic. People think I have some sort of a magic wand or something now, but it's just led me to experiencing what I once thought was a dream is now my real life, and it's because I'm embodying what I teach now.

Dr. Richard Shuster:
So was there a point, I mean a nurse is a most respectable job, you're helping people, there's fulfillment in that. So, at what point, in kind of the nursing thing, you said five years ago, you were really different. Did something happen in particular five years ago? Was there an event? Like, did you get hit by a bus and die and come back to your body? Like, what are we talking about? Like, what was really the shift there?

Kathleen Cameron:
Yeah. You know, I was somebody who was always seeking more and I was seeking more by doing more. And so, I had two little girls at home. I was working full-time as a registered nurse, I went and did a master's degree, it took me five years. Then, I started a side business. I just kept piling things onto my life to try to have more by being more. 

And in 2018, the tailend of 2018, I started fainting three to five times a week. Oh, I was also trying to lose a lot of weight in very unhealthy ways. I've lost 100 pounds in like 11 months. I had starved myself completely. So, I started fainting three to five days a week. I went on short-term disability. 

And by early 2019, it was like, something's got to give. Like they wanted me to go back. I didn't feel ready to go back. And so, by June of 2019, I made the decision, that's it. Like I'm not going back. And instead of going on long-term disability, I quit my job as a registered nurse and I walked away. 

And what I realized, the biggest thing looking back at that is like, being a nurse was so beautiful and it was so rewarding and I got to be there for people in some of the darkest moments of their lives. And some of the happiest, you know, I was a labor and delivery nurse for a while too. But I got to do those things and I got to really, really care for people. And yes, it was fulfilling, but did it bring me joy? No, it didn't bring me joy. And I think that's one of the things that was really, really missing. 

And so, when I quit that job, and I went into mindset and manifestation work, and I started to think about my life, I started to think about, "Well, how can I serve other people? How can I care for others? Because I'm a caring person, I chose a caring profession, but how can I do it in a way that also brings me joy?" And that's where I am today is, in that place.

Dr. Richard Shuster:
You know, you said something interesting. Being a nurse brought you fulfillment, which for most people is a really good thing. For all of us, it's a really good thing. But you said it didn't bring you joy. And I think many people might not make that distinction, right? But for you, there's a clear line there. So, talk about, in the world of Kathleen Cameron, kind of where those two delineate, because I think this is interesting and important.

Kathleen Cameron:
Yeah. To say I was fulfilled and it is, that it filled me up. It gave me meaning. It gave me purpose. It made me feel like I was making a difference. It allowed me to settle into, "This is the way in which I'm gonna serve the world and I'm gonna feel really, really good about that." And when I got into personal growth and development, I started to realize that so much of my outside world was actually defined by my inner world. And so, while I was happy to help others, I wasn't happy within. 

And so, what I've now learned is that the more that I tap into greater levels of happiness, joy, love, peace within me, I'm now able to help people experience those things. So, it's not just helping for the sake of helping, so I can feel good. I actually now focus on, how can I feel good so I can be my absolute best, and then turn around and help other people?

And so, now, the level of impact that I've made in the last five years is very, very different. And I would venture to say it's on a bigger scale. Once I allowed myself to actually be joyful, and be happy, and love myself, I didn't have any of that before while being fulfilled in my role. 

Dr. Richard Shuster:
That resonates strongly with me. As a clinician, for me, it was, how many patients could I see in a given year or do what I'm doing now and help thousands and thousands of people all over the world? It's just you're playing at a different level and you're impacting it at a different scale. So, I love that. 

So, I know you said when you kind of made that shift into more personal development is when this stuff started happening but I'm curious. You created this approach, which you call the Art of Expansion, which, of course, we want to learn about, but I'd love to hear how you discovered the building blocks that put that all together.

Kathleen Cameron:
Yeah. Well, what was really beautiful is like, when I started studying mindset in 2019, it became very, very clear that the way in which I had been experiencing this world that we're in right now is that I was experiencing it believing that I was a human in a physical 3D body, and that the world was happening around me, and I was just reacting to it and hopefully making the best of it. 

But when I got into mindset, I realized that there's actually a whole other level. There's like an intellectual plane. I was operating on the physical 3D plane. There's an intellectual plane. And I was starting to understand, okay, how my thoughts actually impact the physical world that I live in, and that my thoughts actually do matter, and they're important, and they make a difference. I didn't believe that before. I thought they were useless. They didn't mean anything. 

So, once I started to learn about mindset, and change my thinking and the feeling that I was in every day, and who I was, everything outside of me started to change, and I was like, "Wow! Well, this is really interesting." Then, I tapped into spirituality. So, then, I started to believe in something greater than just my physical 3D body. I realized that I'm not my body, I'm in my body. And so, that changed everything for me. I started getting highly, highly spiritual, believing in, whatever language anybody wants to use, but for me, it started off believing in the universe, and that the universe was supporting me. And then, it became source energy or infinite intelligence. Now, I'm okay using the God language. 

So, for me, it was when I tapped into all three of those planes - the spiritual plane, the intellectual plane, and the physical 3D - that everything started to change for me because I understood how to use all that software and incorporate it into one new idea that allowed me to function within this world in a way that makes me happier, more joyful, make more money, healthier body, all those things.

Dr. Richard Shuster:
And it's funny because even there's different words that we use for this, like Carl Jung, who is one of the seminal fathers of modern psychology, referred to this as cosmic consciousness, which you're alluding to. And so, other people call it God or these different things. And I think back to the movie - well, really the book - but the way they did The Secret,  what was so clever … and I'm really talking about from a marketing perspective more than anything else, is they were able to - and I'm sure this was intentional - pull people in. 

Like they had a religious guy in Michael Beckwith, we had on the show a while ago, and he was talking about it from a kind of classic religious standpoint. He's got his own church, so he's tapping into the biblical thing. And then, you had other teachers who were talking about this, using language like the universe, different things. And so, what was really brilliant in execution about The Secret is they were able to take these concepts, and you could apply them, irrespective of your religious ideology, you were able to take them and apply these lessons. 

And so, part of what I was hearing from you, I was nodding on, is rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy, that your thoughts influence your actions, and it's a very simplified version of Judith Beck and Aaron Beck's theory, but that's right on. And so, you figured out kind of how to crack the nut on these three levels and put them all together, essentially. And once you did it, then your whole life radically changed. So-

Kathleen Cameron:
Yeah, radically. Like completely different. 

Dr. Richard Shuster:
So, talk to us then because if you're listening to this, you're probably, "Well,  I want  to do the Art of Expansion." So, talk to us about how this all works. 

Kathleen Cameron:
What's so beautiful about the Art of Expansion is understanding that as spiritual beings having a human experience, we're meant to expand on our capacity to have better and greater experiences. Anytime that I've ever met anyone, and especially even myself, the times when I'm at my lowest or saddest moments in my life are the moments that I feel like I'm not growing, because we are meant to be expanding and growing. 

And so, the Art of Expansion then is to live life in a way where growth is the primary driver. So, like my manifestation philosophy, I say spirituality meets personal growth and development. So, spirituality is, in essence, living in the present moment and realizing that the present moment is the only moment that matters. So, we're not going to live from the future. We're going to live in today, right now. But also understanding, then, in order for me to change the now that I'm observing, I've got to use my imagination to do so. I have to be something that I perhaps don't believe I am in this moment.  So, the Art of Expansion is not asking how can I change my outside world to be better, but how can I change my inner world to be better, knowing that what I observe in the present moment will change based on the inner workings. 

So, my conversations, for example, are very different. I don't complain, I don't gossip, I don't vent. Those three things create a reality I don't want. I keep perpetuating the displeasure. So, now, for me, I have conscious conversations where everything we talk about is about growth. Instead of complaining about something, I say, "Okay. Well, what would I love instead?" And allow myself to call in that experience. So, I just wanna become a better version of myself. I call it the best of yourself. And when I become the best of myself, the rest of the world gives me the best right back. That's what I find.

Dr. Richard Shuster:
I absolutely love that reframe. Rather than focusing on the negative thing, it's like what else would you want to welcome into your world? And it shifts. I was just walking my mind through that. It's really neat because it shifts that whole experience away from negative. Okay. So, we're laying the foundation for this. So, no gossiping. Gossiping's bad.

Kathleen Cameron:
I don't do that.

Dr. Richard Shuster:
The no venting, and my initial reaction to the no venting was that doesn't sound like a good idea because you're keeping things built in, but the way that you shifted it, you allowed yourself to experience it, but you let it go, and then bring something else in more positive to replace it. So, I'm digging that. So, it was no gossip, no venting. What was the third one? 

Kathleen Cameron:
No complaining. 

Dr. Richard Shuster:
No complaining. Okay, no complaining. So, there's a fine line between venting and complaining. But nonetheless, all right, so we've got these three things. Now, what are the next steps? What else is involved in the Art of Expansion here? 

Kathleen Cameron:
Yeah. The Art of Expansion is also understanding that my 3D world, my experience that I live in today, begins in one place. It begins in the imagination. So, I was a woman who was living so much according to what the world said about me and what the world thought of me. And so, every time somebody would say, "I was this or that way," I would say, "Yes, okay. I would believe it," and it would become a truth in my mind about me. 

So, the woman that I believed I was five years ago, which I just thought was my personality, like that's just how I am and it can never be changed, but when I realized that I could actually access in my imagination a version of myself that, for whatever capacity, could already be here, who knows, I just didn't believe in her. So, I ask myself then, is this belief true? Is this belief real? And if it is, according to who? And then, I just started reprogramming them all. 

So, like the biggest one that people resonate with the most is my belief system around my body. I grew up putting on weight when I was like seven years old. So, I always had a curvier body, a plus-sized body. I was always called fat my whole life. And so, I had this belief that I realized when I was almost 40, that in order to achieve success like I really wanted to, that I had to get skinny. And so, my whole life, I was on a journey to get skinny. And I did it in ways that made me literally sick. 

So, at 37 to 39 is when I finally said, "Wait a minute. Is this really true? Is carrying extra weight on my body really a bad thing? And if it is, according to who?" And I saw it as this big flaw. So, I just decided I'm not gonna do it anymore. I'm not gonna try to lose weight. I'm not gonna try to go to the gym at four in the morning. I'm just gonna love myself today in a plus-size body at over 300 pounds. 

So, that's what I did. And the whole energy shifted. And next thing you know, massive success started coming to me because I was no longer in this energy of shame. And I wasn't ashamed of myself and I wasn't ashamed of my body anymore and I loved it. And so, that's when I built. Like, I built a $3.3 million business, a first year business from an energy of like, "You know what? I love myself the way I am and I'm not ashamed of it, unapologetic." And I reprogrammed that belief that I had to change in some way to be successful. And I just said no I'm successful today right now. 

So, I had to find that belief though up in my imagination and decide that I was going to believe that here. And I didn't need the proof from the world around me to prove it. I just decided I was going to believe it. Changed everything. 

Dr. Richard Shuster:
Yes, we've done a lot of research about stuff like this. And so, there are people that hear this and immediately think, "Well, this is woo-woo nonsense." There's a study that I always enjoyed where they took two high school basketball teams. And these were not…  like one team had like young LeBron James and the other team had no real athletes. Like these were just average high school kids. 

And one group, they had them use their imagination and visualize that they were just making free throws, like they just effortlessly, no matter how they threw up the ball, the ball always went in the hoop right. And the other team, they didn't do anything. And when they played out of season using that, these two teams had pretty significantly different free throw numbers. And the team that was visualizing and using their imagination to see the ball going in the hoop, they shot a far higher percentage. Like it was statistically significant. 

And it wasn't like, 'Oh, well, these just could have been kids that inherently shot good free throws." Like many of these kids were on the team the year before, and they were terrible free throw shooters. And with nothing else, they didn't bring in Larry Bird to teach them how to shoot free throws, they just had them see the ball, go in the hoop with their mind, and were able to completely transform that element of their game. 

And there's tons of experiments and research papers out on things just like this. So, what you're talking about has scientific basis in it. So, I think that's very interesting and cool that you just simply made the decision, like, "I don't care what other people think. I'm not gonna get my self-worth from how the world thinks I should look. I'm going to get it from myself." So, I love this.

Kathleen Cameron:
Yeah. So beautiful. And the other thing with the imagination too is like, I've experienced so many magical things happening by visualizing it. And what I actually find through visualization, how it serves me too, is like if I want more confidence, for example, I'll just visualize myself experiencing and feeling more confidence, and it instills that into me. It actually changes me to believe I'm more confident. 

So, using my imagination, it actually convinces me of things. And the more convinced I am, we know the body just follows the mind, so my body is like, "Oh, we're confident today. Okay." And it goes out and it takes different action. 

But I also visualize fun little things too, which I don't know if a study could prove this, but from my own experiential knowledge, I will literally manifest, visualize lines. I'll be at customs in the airport, and it's like an hour-long lineup, and I'll visualize in my head, "You know what I would love? I would love that they add three more people, and then the line goes by really quickly." I'll close my eyes, I'll visualize it and then like 20 seconds later three people will come, and then the line will move. So, like, I really feel like I can affect the 3D physical world simply by my imagination.

Dr. Richard Shuster:
All right. So, you have powers. You have customs powers, which I've never encountered anybody-

Kathleen Cameron:
The force is within me.

Dr. Richard Shuster:
No, clearly. So, all right. But back, can I keep us on this path here? So, we have our three no-nos. We're not going to complain, vent or gossip. We're going to use our imagination and see us as our best selves. What else? What's the next piece of this?

Kathleen Cameron:
The next piece I call embodiment. And so, there's a lot of work out there that talks about things like acting as if, acting as if, or what's the other one that I heard the other day? Fake it to make it. Fake it till you make it sort of thing. And I think that there is a place for some of those things, but I also think when you are acting or you're faking it, it has this feeling of pretending. And when I think that I'm pretending, I almost disassociate, and I think that it's just like I'm acting for a second. 

So, for me, I practice being. And that's the way in which I move the energy through my body. So, for me, for example, the act of confidence, I'm going to be like, "Okay, I desire to be more confident today. I'm not going to fake it. I'm actually going to practice being it. So, how can I take action today in this moment in a confident manner?" And then, for me, that moves it into the physical 3D world. 

The other piece is, a lot of people want to believe things, but they don't. And so, for example, affirmations. I think affirmations can be wonderful, but I think affirmations can be a problem because the more that you're affirming something, you're actually affirming the lack of it. So, if I keep telling myself money loves me and I love money, the longer you keep saying that, the longer the truth is that money doesn't love you, and you want more of it, and you feel that it's lack or limited in some way. The moment that you stop saying it because you already believe it is the moment it becomes truth. 

So, I really don't like to use affirmations for very long. I'll use them for a very, very short time, and then I practice being the affirmation. So, if I believed this affirmation were true, what would I do differently? So, if I believed money loves me, and it comes to me in greater quantities every day, what would I do different instead of just affirming it? So, for me, it's the embodiment. It's moving it actually into the body and internalizing the new belief system that I want to have.

Dr. Richard Shuster:
This is really interesting because as you started talking about the practice and confidence, I'm thinking about, "Well, this isn't really that different than just visualizing yourself as confident," but it is. It's completely different because you're essentially operationalizing confidence in a way that you can take action and do the thing that is confident. Similar to affirming something, you're actually doing the thing that you've written down on a piece of paper, that you've been saying out loud a hundred times a day. 

So, this embodiment piece is really fascinating. All right, so what's the next piece?

Kathleen Cameron:
After embodiment?

Dr. Richard Shuster:
Is there a next piece?

Kathleen Cameron:
You know what, yes, of course. Like the next piece after that is to remain consistent and disciplined towards what you desire. What most people will do, and I see this time and time again, is that they will allow themselves to dream big, and then they will take a few steps towards the dream that they want, and then when they don't observe it fast enough, they just go back to, "Oh, well," and they go back to what they're currently experiencing.

One thing that I do without a shadow of a doubt is I am so consistent, persistent and disciplined in going after what I want. And so, for me, like once I set the stage of, "Okay, I desire this experience in my life," my focus is upon experiencing that in my life. I am not going to turn my back on it. I'm not going to change my mind. I'm not going to waver because I know it's the perpetual transmutation of energy. Any idea held in the screen of the mind manifests into the physical form by law. 

So, I'm not turning my back on what I'm asking for. I'm sitting here in joyful expectation, being the version of myself that already has it, knowing that I will, one day, experience it. And even if I'm not seeing it today, it doesn't mean it's not there. It's just it's not observable yet. I say 95% of manifestation happens behind the scenes. So, I just say, "Oh we must be at 93%." So, for me, it's staying true to the dream and holding it no matter what, knowing that the result is the dream. That's the end result. 

Dr. Richard Shuster:
I had, a number of years ago, Hal Elrod on the program. Hal's been on a couple of times. But the last time he was on, he was talking about the miracle equation, which was stating - and he doesn't really believe in the law of attraction. He called it the law of action and attraction. And he said, "Unwavering belief plus unbridled effort," I might be screwing up the end of that one. But basically, working hard at something and believing that you're gonna have it no matter what results in success. And I will put in the show links, that episode, because I'm not doing it justice. 

But really just fantastic in the sense that you're… the 93% is interesting to me too because you're just saying… because there's no time table for this. Like outside of your customs example, most people can't say, "You know what? Three weeks from today, I want to have $200 million in the bank," or whatever the example is. That's not likely to happen no matter what your belief system is. But 

And I will say this too, the brain is going to fight you on things that are impossible. So, if you say to yourself, I'm gonna have $200 million next week, your subconscious will say, "You know what? That's really stupid. You're not." But if what you're asking for, if you can convey that to yourself in a way to where your subconscious becomes an ally and is working with you, I think that's the secret sauce. 

So, this is awesome stuff Kathleen. I've loved our time together. We'll have to do this again sometime. As you know, I wrap up every episode by asking my guest just this one question, that is, what is your biggest helping, that one most important piece of information you'd like somebody to walk away with after hearing our conversation today?

Kathleen Cameron:
Yeah, what a wonderful question. I think for me, it's truly about the realization that the life that you live today doesn't have to be your final destination, that any and all things are possible. And if you're willing to really go within and ask yourself those questions about, "Who am I? How do I see myself? What kind of difference can I make in the world?", when you really, really do that, you'll be able to experience whatever it is that you want outside of you. And so, please dream bigger. The nurse in me is like, I had a great life doing that. But now, this level of time and financial freedom is really beautiful. And I'm still serving and I still get to have impact. It's even bigger. So, dream bigger would be the biggest helping.

Dr. Richard Shuster:
I love it. I love it. Kathleen, where can people learn more about you online?

Kathleen Cameron:
The Manifested with Kathleen Cameron podcast, of course. And then, it's also on my YouTube channel, Kathleen Cameron Manifests. And then, a lot of people love to follow me on Instagram where I share a lot more about my life. And that's @KathleenCameronManifests as well.

Dr. Richard Shuster:
Awesome, and we'll have everything Kathleen Cameron in the show notes at drrichardshuster.com. Well, Kathleen, this was awesome. I loved our time together. Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom with us. It was a great conversation. 

Kathleen Cameron:
Thanks so much for having me. 

Dr. Richard Shuster:
Absolutely. And I want to thank each and every one of you as well who took time out of your day to listen to this conversation. If you like it, if you're excited, if you're going to stop gossiping, complaining, and venting today, go give us a follow and a five-star review on your podcast app of choice because this is what helps other people find this show. But most importantly, go out there today and do something nice for somebody else, even if you don't know who they are, and post in your social feeds using the hashtag, #MyDailyHelping, because the happiest people are those that help others.