Happy Life with a Russian Wife

Trainees’ Feedback after Participating in
Lyubov Latypova’s Training on “Empowerment.”

First of all, let me share the story of why I started this training. The idea to create an empowering training for women has emerged as a response to the requests of many readers of my Russian blog “Living in the Age of Change.” They were Russian women who had started their lives overseas and faced imminent challenges. Moving abroad is always stressful, even if one’s life is organized happily and safely there. The difficulties are experienced by all who find themselves outside of the traditional ideas about life.

This may be a crisis in one’s personal life, family relations, in business, at work – no matter where. It is important that the person has made a decision to change, and just needs some impetus to find the right direction and start a successful movement towards it. That’s what “Empowerment” is – the impetus that sends you off in the right direction!

More than 60 women from more than a dozen countries of the world (such as Russia, Canada, the U.S., Japan, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Sweden, Israel, Poland, etc.) benefited from their participation in my first on-line training called “Empowerment.” It helped them not only adapt better to the given circumstances but also change and start living more fulfilling lives. Here are their comments and feedbacks after participating in it:

Eugenia, “Lyuba, thank you for the training and for those resources that became accessible thanks to the work with you. It is difficult, but very interesting and effective.”

Olga, “As someone old and wise said, knowledge without usage is dead. Thanks for both.”

Olga Korshunova, “Lyuba, thank you for this training a lot! It was a wonderful gift from the Universe! Thanks for including me in your training group consisting of so nice and wise people! I got much energy from our meetings, and an impulse to work and to learn new things, to listen to the others and to integrate this information. I enjoy what is happening to me nowadays; I live by it and energize.

To be more specific, it turned out that as though I set close goals at the training, it helped me see the perspective and believe in a dream again. I wanted to go forward and stop being late. I wanted to spend time here, at the forum, reading posts of my new friends. I got so much warmth and empowerment from all of them! Thank you all, and thanks for sharing your knowledge with me!

I share my impressions about the training with other people hoping some of them would like to change as I did. I am not saying goodbye, because I want to keep on working on myself.”

Inna, “Lyuba, thank you a lot for the training!!! It was so exciting and interesting that now I wonder how I could doubt if I need this training or not in the very beginning. It turned out I needed it a lot!!! It contained so much interesting information.

It was in the context of the seminar that the meaning of the long-known phrases was re-thought in a positive way. I had insights on familiar phrases, such as “What will I have from it?” and “A single thread from everyone – and there’s a shirt for a naked one.” Earlier, a troublesome situation would easily make me nervous; now I just ask myself what I would have from it and move along.

I have also noticed that I started to concentrate more on the positive thanks to the skillfully designed training plan and materials. By the way, I did not have an opportunity to take part in all of the casts, so I was really looking forward to getting the files for downloading. I am delighted by all the meditations, but especially I liked “Tango,” “The Wave of Success,” and “Seven Hidden Rooms.” So I am very glad that I participated in the seminar: I did not lose anything, but got much. Thank you!”

Natalia, “Lyuba, your training is TERRIFIC! It helped me believe in myself. Excuses of such kind as “I cannot,” and “How could I…” have place no longer. I feel resurrected out of ashes, or of foam, or of something else. At the same time, I feel responsible for every minute of my life, for every word I say. I did what I had stated as my goal at the training: I became a master of my life. Now I feel very well that my life DOES depend only on me. It is a great achievement for me!

All organization of the training: the exercises, home tasks, and communication with clever and purposeful people – all is well thought-out and helps fly out of one’s own limitations like a fizz’s cork!

I’ve got significant results both during the training and afterwards. I do not have a feeling that it is all over. Just the opposite, it is just a beginning! I have started to change my inner self, my deeds and communication with people. I love it! It is a very fulfilling work.
Lyuba, thank you for your energy and work with us!”

Anna Lebedeva, “Lyuba, Thank you so much for the training!!! It exceeded all my expectations. Many things changed in my life inside three weeks afterwards. I think that only thanks to the training I had easily gone through parting with my love, started yoga groups (with one year of procrastinations!) and successfully conducted a master-class which I had dreaded to conduct before.”

Tamara Sushko, “Although some of the training exercises might seem strange, the training gives energy and knowledge on how to find non-standard approaches to problems. During the training I had set specific objectives, such as to get drivers’ licenses for my family in Sweden. The thing is, my husband had just feared to start learning 12,000 theoretic questions in Swedish for six years, and I had had problems with the driving test. This situation took too much of our energy, money and nerves. And today my husband has finally got his driver’s license! It is remarkable that this event coincided with completion of the training. Moreover, I have also managed to pass the driving test without much trouble.”

Viktoria Beryozka, “Lyuba, thank you so much for the training! I am very satisfied with the results and just stunned by the opening perspectives. I hope I will have enough patience and diligence to keep working on myself! Thanks again!”

Marianna, “Trainings, like girls, can be different. But I decided to participate in Lyubov Latypova’s training because of the coach’s personality. Before attending any training, it is important for me to find in a trainer intellect, self-confidence, enthusiasm and dedication to the work he or she does. In this coach, every component was present in abundance.

It is known that the effectiveness of training depends to a large extent on the qualitative cast of participants. They are so different! Any coach knows that sometimes it is practically impossible to involve some of the participants into the tasks; one would hole up looking like a bored observer, another would participate with interest. We were lucky, because the majority of the group came to play and to win. Each of the participants decided what to benefit from: knowledge, experience, or new acquaintances.

Lyuba did not always give ready answers to questions. She made us think and dig deep to the roots of a problem announced by this or that participant. How inventive she was while constructing different cases and exercises! At the same time, she knew clearly what she wanted from us and meticulously tracked the results of our performances.

During the training, we had lots of insights while accomplishing tasks. The majority of them are applicable in practice, and in our lives. As for me, I absorbed every piece of information when I did well. I am used to a measured pace, so the speed of the training seemed too intense for me. At some moment I felt rejection, because I was not able to do the tasks however I tried. But when Lyuba gave us a two-week breathing pause, everything became as it should have been. Since then, I enjoyed all the exercises immensely.

At last, the goals of the training and my own goals met. I managed to shape vague formulations of my goals at first into the precise ones, and half of them have been already achieved. Others need more time for implementation.

It is important that I do not want to part, so we will keep on working together!

I thank Lyuba and all other trainees, who participated in building the “Empowerment.” I entered it with interest and curiosity, and went out with a smile of confidence in myself and my unclouded future.”

Anna Kati, “Flowers and champagne to the studio!”
Thank you all, it was a pleasure to meet you! I have achieved my goals, found the right path and empowered! AND THAT’S ALL?
No, of course not!

Because a powerhouse of a person empowered many other powerhouses, and those, in their turn, empowered more and more others.

To be honest, I expected the training to be interesting, but I did not expect that it would be SO INTERESTING! I had experienced so many insights!

I was looking forward to meeting the new group of participants, and I was not disappointed! They are wonderful people!

In the personality of our trainer, Lyubov Latypova, I was especially attracted by her humanity and her ABILITY to BRING, to INPUT, to SHARE, to MOBILIZE and to ENERGIZE.

If I were asked why I could recommend the “Empowerment” training to my close friends and acquaintances, I would say that I had really appreciated getting USEFUL and VALUABLE INFORMATION in the “BEAUTIFUL LANGUAGE plus NICE VOICE” format. In my opinion, the SECRET of SUCCESS of this training is in the right combination of such components as USEFUL INFORMATION, QUALITY WORK, and MOTIVATION OF PARTICIPANTS. It was an A-one training.”

Olga Kanti, “This was a superb training!
I did not expect it would be like this! Terrific tasks made me go out of the comfort zone, that is, out of my warm and slumberous den I had got so much used to, and look at myself as an observer. I saw what I had not suspected before.

I achieved great results while working in the group. The group was very strong. Each of the participants shared her experiences and vision at the training.

It was interesting to observe and to participate in the process of changing personal goals, and of their becoming more conscious, more specific and more meaningful during the training.

I have achieved one hundred percent of my goals and got even more. I got lots of new ideas and practical assistance in implementing some of my plans. I got a practical confirmation of my belief that by changing the point center of your attention you can change the world around you (not immediately, you need patience, of course).

I would like to write a couple of words about the author of the training. Lyuba is a surprising person! She is not only an A-one professional, she is firs and foremost a large-minded person with a big loving heart. I admired how she helped other participants realize something very important on their own without judgment and imposing her opinion in critical situations, which are inevitable while working on one’s inner hang-ups and problems. She did it wisely, tactfully and patiently, as a loving mother-bird would push her nestling out of the nest to make it fly.

It is a pity that in our time zone the training was too late, and I had to miss some of the casts. But it is understandable why – the time spread was too big (for the participants’ locations were from the Russian Far East, to Europe and America). But this inconvenience was well overlapped by a nice moment: in the morning, in the closed part of the forum, I could always find a fresh cast for downloading and home tasks.

So, Lyuba, THANK YOU SO MUCH for your training, its wonderful organization, and your beautiful and professional work. Thanks to all of the trainees, with whom I am already connected by warm friendly relationship and professional interest.

I will surely write a more detailed report on the training for the readers of my postings.

I wish success to all my partners on the training: to the present and to the future ones!”

Svetlana, “It was my first experience with the webinar as a form of training, and I found lots of advantages in it.

First of all, it was available at any time. If I did not have time to participate in the live broadcast, I could then listen to it when it was suitable for me, and even re-listen when I forgot something. The perception changes in time, so listening to the same cast in, say, two months, you might enrich yourself with new ideas and hear something what you had missed before, factored in the acquired experience.

Secondly, I could discuss my objectives and insights in the group of like-minded persons at the forum practically 24-hours a day, due to the wide geographic location of participants.

Thirdly, I always felt an invisible support, which helped me get stronger and more confident.

In addition, I liked the opportunity to work on exercises alone, in the comfort of my home, and to express my ideas openly without fearing speech in public.

The group itself was a great advantage. It consisted of very interesting and thoughtful people. Our communication was mutually fulfilling and enriching, due to which the training turned into oceans of ideas and valuable information. If there was a problem, a trainee could enter the forum any time and start reading, and would find a solution or an answer to her question. The forum was sorts of a complementary power source. By the way, the title of the training, “Empowerment,” suites it best. I was not only empowered; the power lives in me now and I feel very confident and comfortable.

The training indeed gave me a powerful impulse to change and build a better life. I appreciated the high quality of materials’ contents and skillful planning of training exercises. What I got there had a long-standing effect on my self-development. It made me act and actually do things, and settled a strong confidence in myself. Of course, every participant had her goals, but the training was built in a way that it could be helpful to any person. It provided basic information that could be applied to any situation or problem.

I would like to say a few words about Lyuba’s personality. I had participated in lots of trainings before, but never had I met such a warm-hearted and open trainer as her. I was struck by her trust in the world, her elegance, erudition and ability to find approach to any person. Her mild voice was enswathing and relaxing, but there was so much energy in her words!

I am very grateful for the chance to participate in this wonderful webinar, which has changed my attitude to my life and me. Thank you so much!

P.S. I have a feeling that it was not accidental, and the training happened at proper time in my life, as many other things though”.

Tatiana, “Being married abroad is not a tryout for the faint of heart. It is truly an extreme situation. Of course, those who have never lived abroad or had nothing left to care about might think that it is a tall tale. But those who had practically everything for a fulfilling life in her home country, and who have found themselves in a new country trying to make it all from scratch know how the continuation of the fairy-tale.

When I got married and started to live in an Asian country, I realized with horror that I could no longer have the habitual social life that had been very fulfilling before. I had felt comfortably as a guest in this country, but the status of a permanent citizen implied new responsibilities I had not planned to get used to. What did I have to do? Act! Search!

And I started to search! I searched for friends. But who is a friend? A friend is a congenial soul. The majority of people I met had an entirely different background, or were at another stage of adapting themselves to the new country. Then, in search of my own path in the new society I started looking for a psychologist who could have helped me to work out a new life strategy. I found one who had advertised himself as a specialist for foreigners. I thought, well, this one should know our mentality and would help me deal with the situation.

Having paid a decent sum of money for the first therapy session, I started answering questions about what I ate and how I slept, what my sexual life was, etc. Finally, after several sessions I realized that the Korean psychologist would not be able to help me either.

It did not make sense to apply for assistance to a Russian psychologist, who was not on top of issues. Alas! What could I do? Go to church for a confession? They say, “Come to your own rescue, and the Lord will rescue you!” No, it was not the right variant… I could not come to my own rescue. Perhaps I had made a mistake when I moved to another country? Maybe this country was not for me? I decided that only time would show.

I joined hobby courses. Somehow they did not make my life happier. There was no happiness in my life… That was it! Where did I lose that feeling of the urge to live? Why didn’t I get any joy and satisfaction from my life? Had no power to live? Did not want anything? No wishes… Everything I saw was totally negative… The locals were just nuisances.

So what did I need? I needed to return to my old self, to become congruent regardless of external circumstances. I just needed power for this.

Lo and behold! I got an email from my subscription that invited me to participate in a seminar on “Empowerment.” The title! It caught my attention at once. Empowerment is something that implies a humane belief in a person’s potential and positive attitudes. That was what I needed! To have my power back! Then I found out that the trainer herself had the similar experience, and that she was strong enough to cope with the situation.

Having read her blog, I realized that the paths of Russian wives’ adapting themselves to their lives abroad had many things in common! And that this person would help me, because she had been in my shoes. I needed her assistance as a life-coach, because she was a positively thinking woman with the experience of international marriage abroad! At her website, I found a lot of useful information at once. Without further hesitation, I used the chance of participating in her training, and I was not disappointed. I got the support and the basis I had been looking for.

It is worth mentioning that I am a pretty independent person. So I was happy that we did not work on separate issues at the training, but had gone through a complex “moral reanimation,” which helped me regain control and responsibility over my life. I realized that I was not alone in this situation! And it was not my mistake! It was just another non-standard path chosen by many other women (even the worldly-wise ones ) from good families and with good biographies, who managed to become happy and satisfied with their lives regardless of the circumstances!

The training is over. What are my results? Finally, I had passed a postgraduate exam (last semester, I flunked it), then I put an end to my relationships with the previous job (that was something I had wished to make clear for myself at the training). I was at suit with my employer who had not paid me my last salary, and started looking for a new job. Now I am working on my article for a conference… That is, my day planner is full, and I am feeling great!

Miracles happen! I just needed to find the necessary direction and fill myself with the positive (it was something I had got in abundance at the training!) and feel that I was not alone on this planet!

I would like to say a few words about our trainer, Lyubov Latypova. She is a born life-coach! She is a resource woman! I was gassed! Visit her website and you will see it yourself! I remember one morning before the training, when I woke up after reading through her materials and resource referrals with the feeling that my brain slept apart from me. It was for the first time for two years in a foreign country when I felt relaxed.

One thing I regret is that this training had not appeared earlier. I would not have spent so much money in vain on useless therapy sessions, and had so many sufferings which brought no results…

So if you are an independently thinking Russian woman married to a foreigner abroad, having hard times realizing what your new place of living and status of adaptation are, regardless of your age, apply to Lyubov Latypova! Improve your life at the training on “Empowerment!”

Maya, “Lyubov, I am so grateful for your help, and for this training! I have got more than I had hoped to achieve. The major thing that the training had given me is a self-belief. I seized doubting myself and my deeds. I learnt not to be afraid of the system, and not to back down. From now on, I can go only forward, and it does not make sense to turn around and make a step back… Only the best is ahead of me! Thank you, Lyubov!!”!

Lilla, “My wish has come true in two months after the training. I have a new interesting work with the salary twice higher than before…But the most surprising thing was that it happened in the same company I had worked for! This very situation of my wish coming true could not have been planned or reasonably suggested on the moment the training started. As I thought during the training, I needed to gain strength and … start looking for another job somewhere else, because in my own company:

• Firstly, it just could not possibly happen. During three years of my work for the company, I have seen more than once my colleagues’ not getting the promised moon and usually, in six months, the disappointed new arrival started to formally “go to business” and actively search for a new job on the side.

• Secondly, the notorious crisis, which did not hit the company directly, made it declare though (it seems, out of solidarity) the total economizing on everything as its major policy, including the personnel payment. So only a crazy person could impinge on the “sacred thing” and talk at that moment about a motivated, but, oh my, 100% raise. And

• Thirdly, my professional ambitions were encouraged in no way in the company: I spent three years in a total exhaust, in a musty corner, without any raise in three years, without a bonus…. and this, by the way, on the back of absolutely obvious success of and direct economizing on a project on personnel management implemented for a year under my responsible supervision.

So it was not due but against the circumstances that I did get the new job. But why?

Primarily, due to “Seven Steps to Happiness” – it worked! Yes, thanks to the training, I found the right person who helped me to make the first step as regards the new work in my company. This person supported my humble starts with all his vigor.

Then, “Do Not Brandish a Blunt Hatchet.” Well, I had a lot of work to do with myself and sharpen a couple of hatchets. That is, I had to learn to play by ear by meticulously tracking my strengths and weaknesses. Dreams and signs worked too.

And – thanks to Lyubov. When the final stage of negotiations with the management came to its critical point of a two-weeks (!) procrastination in making the final decision, Lyubov’s loving kicks and “brainwashing” made me return to the casts and especially to the “eye to eye” exercise. I recommend it highly.

“You should always move! – Even when you think that it does not make sense” – that was a genius saying of one of the training participants that I liked very much.”

Olga Dolgikh, “What has changed in my life? I had participated in the seminar before finding a job here, in the United States. Those who live abroad face the problem of finding a job, especially when one’s knowledge of English is not very good. Where do our Russian girls usually find jobs? – If the best happened, in a supermarket. I could not even dream of working in a kindergarten with my medium level of English. But I do work there now! This seminar enhanced my strengths and self-confidence.

It was Lyubov and other participants who helped me believe that I can do everything! I do not stop at what I have achieved. I know that I will work according to my specialty as an artistry teacher.

The most important is that I enjoy my life every day! I thank the Universe, my family, my husband, and my friends for all the wonderful things that I have.”

Tamara Sushko, “After the training, I helped to finish one film, just several shots, but it headed the list at an international film festival “Northern Character” held in Murmansk (you can read on this issue in Russian at http://4yearsemiliasblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/blog-post_23.html). Soon I got into another film-project, an amateur film for which everything including equipment had already been bought.

Moreover, I got acquainted with a director of films about nature from our town, who goes to Russia and shoots films there. He turned to be a technical encyclopedia on home video, and he is ready to consult me on this issue! I hope to attract him to participating in one of my other projects in Siberia.”

Olga Korshunova, “Lyuba, my dear, I cannot stop thanking you and I will do this for the rest of my life! I before the training and I after it are two totally different people.

At present, I work a lot, and most important, I have enough strength to do it. Before the training, I used to feel sorry for myself and complain, but now I just do not have time for this, though I am preoccupied with myself!

Before the training, I wanted to change my job and move to another place, because I was not sure in other variants. Now I have a real perspective to move towards my love. It is important that I view him as someone who is not my second “half,” but who is a whole and successful person!

I work much in this direction. The training helped me to discover my inner self. I would not have done what I actually did: I had always been shy to talk about myself, but at the training I felt the urge to do it. I started to love learning myself, so I consciously work on my personal development.

Lyuba, I participated in seminars and trainings before, and it seemed to me that changes were soon to appear in my life. But they did not last long, and I found pretexts to excuse myself. Now it is the other way round!

I bid farewell to my perfectionism although it is not a piece of cake! It still likes to emerge all of a sudden, but now I realize that it cannot help me in any way.

It is interesting that my friends and relatives got used to my changing, and our relationships have significantly improved. They listen to me and ask for advice! I happily share my impressions about the training with them and tell how it influenced my life.

Things are becoming systemic in my life, and I get a kick out of this!
A good calm mood has become a norm for me. I feel at peace with myself about my work, because I have changed my attitude to it as to just a favorite business of mine. I decided that I have other priorities: me, my own life path, self-learning and self-development! What else do I have in store? I am sure a lot.”