Transcript
Jo: There we go. Hey, everyone. Joe here. And today's guest, you know what? Full disclosure, we're friends. And I can't wait. I was up all night thinking about this. I can't wait to introduce the world to Paula Hightower. Although, Paula, you don't need introductions. I've been walking through grocery stores remembering all the wonderful things you've done.
Jo: And instantrealityshift.com, that's the next direction. And I love it so much. So, Paula, thanks for coming on the show.
Paula: Hey, thanks for having me.
Jo: Now, I have to ask a couple questions. I ask this of all my guests.
Paula: Yeah.
Jo: What is your mother's maiden name and what is your social insurance number?
Paula: It's Nanya and business.
Jo: No, don't
Paula: Nanya and business.
Jo: her. Yeah, that's my mom's maiden name too.
Paula: yeah yeah
Jo: We're related. That's why love it. Both nunyas.
Paula: yeah
Jo: Now, so we've known each other for Do you remember? and Like 20?
Paula: I would say maybe 1998 when we met.
Jo: thirty
Paula: So yeah.
Jo: ninety eight oh my god 30?
Jo: 98. Oh my God. Oh my God.
Paula: Yeah.
Jo: Or as my my students would say, the 1900s. Yes, kids. We met in the 1900s and we're still alive.
Paula: Yeah.
Jo: We're beating that clock right now. So we've gone through a lot of stuff and I knew you when you were putting out music.
Paula: Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Jo: What got you from music to instant reality shift?
Paula: Oh God, that's just like a lifetime in between.
Jo: Right.
Paula: And it's it's just my life in general and technology and everything in between. It's just, I'd still like to get into music, my own, but I just haven't had the time or made the time to do it.
Jo: Right.
Paula: certainly was fun. But I've been more at least within the past year or two, I've been really seeking soul seeking and just trying to find ways to manifest and to figure out who I am, what I want and how to manifest that.
Jo: yeah
Paula: And I'm just getting more into a spiritual energy type like mindset.
Jo: That's cool.
Paula: And so this is kind of the instant reality shift is kind of in line with that.
Jo: Yeah.
Jo: I love that when when I first saw that pop up on your page, because if if no one, i mean, people might know this, but you're an amazing artist too.
Paula: I do have my art stuff and I sell that on Etsy as well, but yeah.
Jo: You're doing stuff with web apps.
Jo: it's It's an amazing thing. And like cutting edge technology, which we all kind of grew up with, we were that generation that grew up with technology like this. And I remember like, we're like Facebook, we could probably make this, but we don't understand the back end why people would want to be on it.
Jo: At that time, were like, well what was Facebook? Like, who'd want to be on this? Everyone, apparently. So we grew up with this technology and you finally are in a place where you can make instantrealityshift.com happen.
Jo: And I looked at the website. I I've listened to it and affirmations affirmations are the key. People have a thousand books about them and they're all saying the same thing. Affirmations will help.
Jo: There's an app I was doing before we got on. Affirmation was the number one thing. Honestly, that's it.
Paula: Well, they it's actually, there's a difference between affirmations and what instant reality shift is offering.
Jo: So,
Jo: Oh, yes. What's the difference?
Paula: It's affirmations, which is a term that it has was coined by an author and speaker named Noah St.
Jo: Oh,
Paula: John.
Jo: Nice.
Paula: And with his research, he discovered that when you're just, affirmations are just statements.
Jo: Right.
Paula: And when you're making just a statement, Your subconscious might be arguing with that. It may not fully believe it and it might resist it. There may be some resistance in your subconscious.
Jo: Yes.
Paula: Whereas if you ask a question, and that's what an affirmation is, ah ah question, not a statement, your mind becomes curious and there's it it it ah unlocks this natural problem-solving tendency your your mind has.
Jo: Right.
Paula: So it's more open to the question itself. and making it a reality than a statement which it could be resistant towards. hope that makes sense.
Jo: I love that concept.
Paula: Okay.
Jo: I'm throwing my phone out. Sorry, phone. You're gone.
Paula: Okay.
Jo: It's gone. Get out now. But that's exactly it. That was, okay. I wasn't bringing this up because it took me a long time to even make like the app that they, I'll tell you mine.
Jo: ah I'll show you mine, I guess. Like, I hate the business end of creative work. I just despised it. So I'm like, I love the business end of creative work. And I'm like, ah sure sure I do.
Jo: And it starts to work, but it's like this big resistance that comes by it. So you're saying you ask a question, you're doing a question and your mind goes, can fix this.
Paula: Yeah, your mind starts searching for answers as to how you can make it true.
Jo: Nice.
Paula: And it starts to believe it's true by finding these answers. It it does this all in the background.
Jo: Right.
Paula: So like you, instead of saying, i am I'm good at the business side of creative things, you'd say, why is the, but something like, why is the business side of the creative work I do so easy to do and so easy to handle? And you would just come up with questions.
Paula: like that. And another bonus I've got that I do offer on my website is I can create a custom audio just for you, just for your issue with that topic.
Jo: Oh my god.
Paula: So that's another thing you can keep in mind.
Jo: i I had to come back with your website with this because I got some issues. You know me. I got some issues. We'll have to work on this one. But that made so much sense. It was goes back to the old Arnold Schwarzenegger thing. What would this look like if it were easy?
Jo: It's not a statement. It's a question. And then your mind fills it in. I never got that question until you just explained it to me.
Paula: oh
Jo: Like, honestly, i never got I never understood the question until you explained it. So wonderful job. Good for you. So you did the spiritual journey and started to go into your own Wishing to help others, right?
Paula: Yeah, so I'm following a program right now. i don't know if i if you want me to tell you what is.
Jo: You can, as you wish. It's your program.
Paula: It's a program that was founded and created by a man named Brian D. Ridgway.
Jo: Cool.
Paula: And it's called Level 5 Mentoring. And one of his beliefs and teachings kind of is what inspired me to do this questions because he's got something called quantum questions.
Jo: Nice.
Paula: And when you ask these quantum questions, that's what makes this these type of things manifest ah ah in your life. So I was inspired by that. That was just only a very small part of what he's teaching.
Jo: Right. are.
Paula: That was just one little piece of it. And so that inspired me to do this instant reality shift. And I have the technology and tools I've discovered to make these quite easily.
Paula: And, and And I'm finding, you know, they're but they've been they i initially did it just for myself.
Jo: right
Paula: And when I actually found that it was making results, I thought it would be a really cool idea because I am a website developer by trade.
Jo: are
Paula: So I thought I could build a website for this and offer downloads. And, you know, it's not too expensive and people can just get it and it will help people. So that's why.
Jo: No, it's amazing. i Like I said, I really have been on your website lately, and especially today, just to give it look. And I was like, oh, man, she's good.
Jo: shes This is like exactly...
Paula: Thank you.
Jo: If you ever go to instantrealityshift.com, and you you need to, by the way, The first thing you'll notice is like, it's such a clean copy of a website. It's such, everything sparkles and shines.
Jo: And that's really been your hallmark ever since I've known you, apparently since the nineteen hundred
Paula: a second
Jo: Like you have this great aesthetic eye and it just shows. It really pops out and it makes you feel like you're into something deep and good, which if you ever tried the audios, which I have, and I'll give you a full testimonial.
Jo: They're great. Honest to God, I was like walking around my head just like getting lost. And instantrealityshift.com really brings it all into it. So you started with it was working for you and you want to help people.
Paula: Yeah, exactly.
Jo: That's amazing. Oh,
Paula: I thought I could, because I'm also um in this this program I'm in, I've been training to become a, what they were calling a practitioner, and now they're calling it a beacon mentor.
Jo: cool
Paula: I'm trying to get my hours in. I'm still working on that. but then I can start doing what Brian D. Ridgway does and helps people, what he calls break their spells.
Paula: and, it's probably what I'm learning right now is probably the most basic start of it. There are other layers that I will start learning in the future. Once I get my hours in for this part, but part of what he often does with people is he approaches these quantum questions.
Paula: And he has a method of doing it and um it's really effective. So yeah, so I am working on that, doing that too.
Jo: Well, I didn't want to say this because we we did see each other in, was it ju July, right? Was it July or June?
Paula: and It was in middle of June, I think.
Jo: June, okay.
Paula: Yeah.
Jo: I can't remember. Oh, this month's July.
Paula: yeah
Jo: That's right, middle of June.
Paula: yeah
Jo: We got it. was last month.
Paula: Yeah.
Jo: And you looked fantastic. I think we spoke a little bit You were smiling. Everything was all popping for you. And I know we've gone through a lot of stuff together.
Jo: And to see this transformation is wonderful to see as a friend. And honestly, i was i'm not jealousy is not the right word for it. like I was jealous, but it was like, oh man, like i like where do i buy this?
Jo: you know like How do i get into this? Because it's just, you are the living proof of it. And I think something like instantrealityshift.com is such an amazing concept is you are the proof. You are your number one spokesperson because it's you.
Paula: Yeah, I've been, the ones I've been working with, or the the the audios I make that I've been created for myself was a lot of it was focused on self-confidence.
Paula: And i do i do feel that has really, really improved for me.
Jo: That was... the weirdest thing because okay if people don't know the background your music is fantastic your ability on the web is without you you can't honestly god you can't touch paula on the web but like the ability to get anywhere and design the graphic designs the ingenuity is all right there and all these amazing things and yet
Paula: All right.
Jo: yeah like almost like a level of humbleness was being externally, you know, you're a humble person. Trust me. She'd been talking about all the things she's done. We'd be like, she's a humble person, but maybe that was the ego also being suppressed.
Jo: And that you're saying, you're now saying you're gaining your self-confidence back.
Paula: Yeah, so there's a ah ah self-worth I believe I've got, or I don't know if that was one I just made for myself or one I put out there, but there's a self-worth.
Jo: Right.
Paula: There's also an imposter syndrome. And I kind of was going through that imposter syndrome thinking, oh, I don't know what I'm doing and da-da-da-da. And so this is this has really helped with that.
Jo: Absolutely. the The imposter syndrome is real. We actually had a class on that. The first class at Oxford you have is about the imposter syndrome.
Paula: Oh, wow.
Jo: So many people just have it and they're like it's just crushing you because it's self-doubt. It's this. It is bringing you down. You don't deserve this. you knows It's all those negative thoughts.
Paula: Oh, yeah.
Jo: And so you helped yourself. And now, honestly, that's the one I struggle with the most too, to be like, Yeah, the business side, I want to do, you know, be better at the business side of things, but it's the self-worth.
Jo: And if you're an artist, if you're a creative, or if you're just in life in general, you have those doubts always. And they're coming at us a thousand miles an hour through the internet and Instagram and this and that now.
Paula: Yeah, I've had it for for everything, for my web development work. I've had it for my artwork. I've always always had this like, oh gosh, do I really know what I'm doing? Am I really good enough? And, you know, this like I said, this this stuff i've this these audios and stuff I've made have really helped a lot because I'm really starting to believe, you know, that I am good enough. and And so I put it out there so that other people, because I know imposter syndrome, so many people have,
Paula: dealt with it and uh yeah i know yeah there's quite a few i'm just having a look here
Jo: Yeah.
Jo: this This one helps out a lot. And what other what other ones do you have on your site right now? Like smoking, I'm guessing, might be a big one.
Paula: I've got things for wealth and success and money situations. I've got love and relationships, finding your soulmate.
Paula: I've got health and well-being.
Jo: Oh my God. Gosh.
Paula: So there's weight loss, release anxiety, improve sleep. I just picked up on things that I know a lot of people suffer from. pain relief. And then there's self-worth and confidence. There's self-love, which is one I just put out last week.
Paula: The imposter syndrome, overcoming procrastination. And then there is, like you mentioned, there's the addiction ones. I've got smoking, alcohol addiction, gambling, and some others. so So I'm working on things that I that i noticed. And then I you know know that a lot of people are suffering from, and I'm hoping.
Jo: Yeah, and that's a key word.
Paula: oh Yeah,
Jo: They're suffering, and they shouldn't have to be.
Paula: no, no. And they can. And I believe that everybody has the power to be able to overcome these things. And I think this tool is really going to help. So.
Jo: It does. is I know it helps. I know it helps because we're both living proof. I've listened to the one you gave me, and thanks again for that, by the way.
Paula: You are very welcome.
Jo: It does help. And when you said you put a ah ah new one out, how long does it take you from concept to finished product for a a new audio?
Paula: Yeah.
Paula: i I would say maybe a couple of hours.
Jo: Really?
Paula: I come up with the the the questions that I feel are most appropriate to the topic.
Jo: Right.
Paula: Sometimes I use a little suggestions from ChatGPT to help me refine it. And then I don't use my own voice. So I do use it another voice.
Paula: not is also ah an AI voice, but it's a very natural sounding one.
Jo: Yeah, it is.
Paula: um it's a very calm, nice, peaceful, pretty voice. think it's nicer than my own, personally. and And the music is just very easy to get because I use CapCut to put everything together.
Paula: I put the voiceover together with with music that's just generally, you know, royalty free, binaural beats and meditative music.
Jo: Cool.
Paula: That's very nice and brings a feeling of relaxation along with the listening of the questions that get repeated throughout the audio. So I, i would say, yeah, it's probably a, you know, a couple hours, maybe a little, a little more when I,
Jo: Yeah.
Paula: take the time to create the, the imagery to put in my shop and the descriptions of of the, audios and stuff like that.
Jo: My God, I forgot that copywriting, everything from copywriting you have to do, like for the descriptions for your shop and the ad placements of it all. And you're using CapCut, I discovered that yesterday.
Jo: That's how slow I am in business right now.
Paula: Okay.
Jo: Yeah, I like, oh, a new program that's been out for eight, 10 years. That's whatever. So you're using this stuff. Have you ever thought about using I know you.
Jo: You make music. I know. I know. I still have it on my hard drive somewhere. I still listen. Did you ever think about going like a ah ah full, I won't name the squeak box. What do you name that one?
Jo: Have ever thought about going full squeak box and going, all right, I'm doing a section of this is my music with this because it's a reflection of the artist.
Paula: Oh, you mean like putting out more music and stuff?
Jo: Yeah. Like, is this, and put them on the aurels.
Paula: I mean...
Jo: Aurels.
Paula: On the... On where?
Jo: on On your aforemation, sorry.
Paula: Oh, no, not i no, I have that separate. I did actually recover some of my old music, and I put it out on, I used some tool, I forget what it's called now, but it's out on Spotify, Squeakbox, so you can actually look for it on Squeakbox, and it's too weird for most people, but you can find it on there.
Jo: I will.
Jo: So am I. You know?
Paula: yeah
Jo: i love I honestly got to love it. So you're going maybe do more music in the genre. So how does your music background help you pick the right soundtrack for the meditations then?
Paula: it I don't know. It's more intuition. I just, i you know, like CapCut has a library of audio that you can just use that's royalty free.
Jo: Really?
Paula: I just search for certain keywords like binaural beats or meditation music.
Jo: Right.
Paula: And I just pick what appeals to me and Sometimes what it's labeled as that's if it's for love, or if it's for healing. and And what if what just what feels right to me to go with the particular set of affirmations that I have generated.
Paula: So
Jo: That's very cool. So you were very sincere when you said you had to wait for a technology to be there. Because you're using a lot of tech on this.
Paula: Yeah. This is something I wouldn't have been able to do 20 years ago. Or if I did, it would have taken a lot longer.
Jo: yeah
Paula: it probably would have cost a lot, lot of money to do. Because I'd have to have somebody do a voice.
Jo: Absolutely. absolutely
Paula: And, you know, if I didn't want to do my own voice, you know, that sort of thing.
Jo: Yeah, yeah that this for those that don't know, before, apparently yesterday when I discovered CapCut, you would have to find your royalty-free music through different sources.
Paula: Yeah.
Jo: That's step one. Then you would have to probably open up an Adobe software subscription to get the audition or whatever it's going to be in there. Then you'd have to get a voice actor to do this. And then, it's a lot of and thens, and you're out a couple grand before you even get the first one done.
Jo: It's like, oh my gosh.
Paula: Yeah, and I i do admit I'm using some AI to help me.
Jo: Nothing wrong with that.
Paula: And I do pay for access to these tools, but it's not that much money.
Jo: Yeah.
Paula: It's yeah it's small monthly amounts, and it helps me hugely with these things.
Jo: I bet. You're using tools where they should be for. You learned your artwork first. You're taking the studies, you know, you're taking them very seriously. And you're still learning you're and you're you're putting back into the community. That's a wonderful combination, really.
Paula: Yeah.
Jo: So what's...
Paula: One thing I just want to say quickly though, with my artwork, I don't use AI to create art. That's one thing I'm really against. I do it. If I use it for art, it's for fun and jokes.
Jo: yeah
Paula: But when I'm creating artwork, that's all me, you know, either on a digital iPad or on pen and paper or pencil and paper.
Jo: and i i know
Paula: Yeah.
Jo: i know.
Paula: Yeah.
Jo: i I've seen the stuff you've been posting and it really is humbling because I'm like, I can't do this.
Jo: Anytime I see an artist do something I cannot do, I'm like, God, that's talent, man. That really is.
Paula: You have to stop saying you cannot do it.
Jo: oh
Paula: Maybe you can say, why am learning art so easily?
Jo: but
Paula: Why is it so natural for me to be an artist?
Jo: Oh, there you go. I love it.
Paula: Yeah.
Jo: As you help me out through this thing. And that was, again, like my self-doubt demons coming in at me, right?
Paula: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah,
Jo: Absolutely. well Wow. Thank you for pointing that out. That's wonderful. Thank you about that.
Paula: you're welcome.
Jo: Now, Paula, where can we find you on socials?
Paula: So I'm on, if you're looking for my instant reality shift, it's instant reality shift, all one word on Instagram. I'm also on TikTok. I'm on Facebook also, instant reality shift on there as well.
Jo: Love it
Paula: And I'm mainly posting on Instagram and Facebook, but I do occasionally go on the TikTok. I do have my artwork socials as well, but I've been focusing on the instant reality shift, but I do have artwork by Paula.com and all of the links are on there as well.
Jo: and love it. love
Paula: And my Etsy shop, the links to that as well. So yeah, that's all there.
Jo: Absolutely brilliant. I saw some of your work being put out yesterday. i think it was Facebook. and I was like, oh my God. It was the animated one. I'm like, oh my God, this is brilliant.
Paula: Oh yeah. So that, that I just do for fun. So I, I did the drawing myself.
Jo: Yeah. Yeah.
Paula: And what I did is I, I just for fun, I put it in mid journey, which is another AI thing and it animates.
Jo: Yep.
Paula: It's now got a new feature where you can get photos, images, anything animated. So I just thought for fun, it would be kind of funny to, to have that drawing all animated. Yeah.
Jo: It's a great GIF. I mean, and honestly, God, and then you did the drawing yourself and you animated it through tech, which is no more different than we do back in the day with a cell by cell by cell, still using tech.
Paula: Yeah. yeah
Paula: Yeah.
Jo: We're using tech as a tool, not as the crutch, you know, and I love it.
Paula: Yeah. It's not a replacement.
Jo: Now, I asked this of all, this is a sincere question I do ask of all my guests.
Paula: It's just, yeah.
Jo: Thinking back, what advice would you give the younger, I mean, like teenage or younger you If you can come come back and talk to that person, what advice would you give?
Paula: I would probably to tell myself try to tell myself to learn self-love and learn self-confidence and that you can do anything you put your mind to and to enjoy your own company.
Jo: Yeah.
Paula: Don't feel like you need somebody to become a whole person.
Jo: Yeah.
Paula: there's There's a lot I would tell myself, but yeah, that's what it first came to mind.
Jo: No.
Jo: No, absolutely. That's all great advice. it really is. And Paula, i you are probably, without a doubt, my best friend. So I just want to say it's so good to see you again.
Jo: And instantrealityship.com. It's so well done. It's gorgeous.
Paula: Thank you.
Jo: You understand? It is a gorgeous site. It's a gorgeous idea. It's a gorgeous business. I'm so glad you're doing it. So I am.
Paula: Awesome. Thank you.
Jo: And plus, I'm greedy because now I can benefit from B using it. But it's an amazing product.
Paula: Yes. and
Jo: So instantrealityshift.com. Go up right now. Check all the socials out. On behalf of Paula, thanks for the conversation. i loved it. behalf of myself and Paula, we bid you, as Paul Harvey would say, good day. Bye, everyone.
Paula: Bye. Thank you.
