135: Lucky girl syndrome, ft. Georgie May

Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of Cani Crystals the podcast. I hope that you're all well. As you know by now, my name is Mart Tweedyedy, I'm your host, and this week I am joined by a very special guest. So she previously worked in social media marketing, and she lived a life full of parties and glamour. But behind it all, she'd struggled for years with poor mental health. She was desperately seeking this magic cure to alleviate her pain. And like many people, she experimented with various conventional methods, hoping to find a solution to that. But fast forward a few years, and she ended up on spiritual TikTok, where one video in particular changed her life. Now, she credits the #LuckyGirlSyndrome trend and its positive thinking techniques with transforming how she was living. She's since gone on a self-discovery journey and grown from a burnout party girl to wellness expert, establishing her business, training in EFT tapping, yoga, and reflexology. And she's written a new book, Lucky Girl: Unveiling the Secrets of Manifesting a Lucky Life, where she explores the science behind positive thinking techniques, and shares advice on how to create a life filled with purpose, joy, and authentic connection. So please welcome to the show wellness activist Georgie Mare. Hi, Georgie, how are you?

Hi, Mart, I'm very well, thank you. How are you?

Yeah, I'm very well. I was just mentioning to Georgie before we started, this episode's been a little bit cursed. Um, I couldn't do the first time round, Georgie was ill the second time round. I hope you're better now, by the way. And, um, my microphone's just dropped a bit as soon as I went to record this episode. So I'm just hoping that that's the universe's way of saying, if you want this, you're going to have to bloody work for it.

Absolutely, couldn't agree more. And we're here. I'm so happy to be here chatting with you today.

We are. Thank you so much. So Georgie, do you just want to basically introduce yourself to the listeners? Tell us a bit more about your spiritual journey and how you came to where you are today.

So yeah, hello everyone, I'm Georgie. I'm a social media marketing consultant, but also a wellness practitioner, and like Mart said, author of the book Lucky Girl. So my journey to where I am today has been one of real self-discovery, resilience, and also healing. From a very young age, as far as I can remember, I've been very much drawn to spirituality. Even as a child, my family would affectionately rather refer to me as woo-woo, and probably because of my penchant for, you know, like things like carrying crystals, burning sage. I always, from a young child, having these little rituals. Um, but however, my spiritual journey took a real profound, um, development in my early 20s when I found myself grappling with the aftermath of, um, traumas growing up and then abusive relationships. So These traumatic events and experiences, they kind of plunged me into a dark place where I just didn't recognize myself. I couldn't leave the house for about 3 months and battling with night terrors, and my mental health took a real dive. And, and in that time, I realized that I needed to make a change. I really needed to go within to work on these traumas, let them go once and for all, and reclaim back my life almost. So navigating through the depths of that time of real despair, I was quite receptive and open to holistic practices. So things like EFT tapping and doing yoga. And each modality that I was trying out— and honestly, you name it, I've probably tried and tested it— but each modality that kind of worked became a vital tool in my toolkit for coping with challenges that I was facing. And, you know, fast forward to today, I still encounter down days, but I've discovered that these practices offer me solace and strength and help me navigate through life's ebbs and flows that are always going to happen, but with a much greater sense of resilience. So ultimately, through trial and error, I've honed in on what works for me and what doesn't, and building up this toolkit of techniques that support my overall well-being. And my journey has kind of taught me the power of self-care, self-compassion, and the importance of embracing our own unique path to healing. And yeah, today I'm passionate about sharing my insights and experiences with others and helping them guide on their journey of healing and empowerment. And whether it's through my work as a wellness practitioner, my writing, or, you know, the posts I do on social media. My, if you like, life's mission is to inspire others to tap into their inner strength and resilience, no matter what challenges you may be facing. And I'm so grateful to be on this journey and this— through this transformation that I've ever gone through. I'm so thankful to each and every person that has supported me along the way. And yeah, it's, it's been a process.

I love what you said there as well about every single person having a unique different journey. And it's so right as well, because I always tell my members, you know, that what, what works for me may not work necessarily for them. And it is all individual. And I just think you've got to carve your own path to success, haven't you?

There is just no one-size-fits-all when it comes to—

Yeah, exactly. So were there any pivotal moments? I know that you said that you went through a lot of like abuse in your relationships and some trauma from the past, night terrors and things like that. Were there any pivotal moments that led you from, you know, being that happy girl to embracing the world of wellness?

Yeah, that, that transition. I know you mentioned before, a few people use the term burnt-out party girl to, yeah, embracing this world of wellness is, I think, marked by a few, several pivotal moments, um, that prompted me to have that deep introspection and a need for something to change in my life in a positive way. So In my earlier years, I really reveled the party scene, and I was a bit of a carefree spirit. Love the nightlife, love socializing. However, stepping more into my mid-20s, early adulthood, I began to notice that correlation between the partying lifestyle and its impact it was having on my mental health. And in my early 20s, I was working at the very fast-paced environment at one of the UK's leading social media marketing companies where the average age was 23. So that only intensified that dynamic, and the culture was centered around, you know, working hard, but we really did play harder. And, and then it was even my now— then my now husband who I met at the company, he actually turned sobriety due to his own mental health journey he was going through as well. So all these things, and again spoke about you know, early relationships and the trauma I was carrying from that, that just brought about a significant shift in perspective. Fast forward to COVID, the lockdown came, and really I saw that as a time that really afforded me an opportunity, like many people, to just pause, stop, because we had nothing else to do but, but to be locked down. And I really reflected and wanted to reassess the direction of my life. So when I was going into COVID, I was kind of struggling with workplace challenges and feeling the weight of some toxic workplace dynamics. And then luckily I was furloughed, and that became a real turning point for me. So again, during this time of introspection, I wanted to make that conscious decision to spend the time pursuing avenues that really nurtured my well-being and offered a sense of what it is I found that really fulfilled me. So I embarked on a journey of self-discovery and took up studying EFT tapping and yoga, which I got my qualification in during the furlough, and some other holistic modalities as well. So these studies not only provided me with invaluable tools for my own self-healing but ignited a passion to start a holistic wellness practice. So When I returned to work months later in the fall, I found myself transformed, no longer willing to tolerate toxic environments or compromise my wellness for the sake of conformity. And it was that newfound clarity and determination that propelled me to take the leap of faith and actually leave my job to pursue further studies in, um, holistic wellness, such as clinical reflexology. And then I created my own business, which is called Grow and Glow, and that symbolizes the culmination of my journey and a real testament to my commitment to holistic wellness and personal growth. So through that company, Grow and Glow, I offer healing services such as EFT tapping, yoga, clinical reflexology, alongside, um, developing products, um, that have inspired my journey. So that includes a tincture formulated with mushrooms and adaptogens, all crafted to support individuals on their own wellness journey.

I always find it amazing when I hear people's stories of, you know, you know, that every cloud has a silver lining, saying it's almost as though we all went through this pandemic, it was an absolute shit show, wasn't it? And we were all forced to stay indoors, but the amount of people that have built up businesses off the back of that because they were actually able to have that free time to be able to think about, you know, what do I really want in life? What really makes my heart sing? And I think that's really like kind of boosted people's morale to think, you know, I don't have to stay in this 9 to 5 forevermore. I can be my own boss and I can go out and do this. I think it's absolutely amazing that you were able to do that during the pandemic as well. So congratulations on that. And congratulations also on the new book. So Lucky Girl: Unveiling the Secrets of Manifesting a Lucky Life. What motivated you to write this book then? How did you decide on the content of it?

So I'm definitely one of those people that never in a million years would think that they could write a book, let alone get one published and out there into the world. I just never had that on my bingo card for my life. So, and I really do think if I can do it, any of your listeners, anyone listening to this can certainly themselves. But For me, the motivation behind Lucky Girl, again, it all stems from deeply from this personal journey, um, that I've had through healing and intertwining that with my passion for mental health and talking about that. I mean, writing for me has always been a therapeutic outlet, and it provides me solace. It helps me clarify my thoughts and kind of pinpoint when I'm kind of having a bad day, it just helps me let everything go and get it out on paper, and I just feel so much better after. There's so many things that writing can be a beautiful tool in helping for, and your mental health is definitely one of them. And even every morning I spend 5 to 10 minutes just writing what's in my head and getting it on paper. So throughout those years, I've always used journaling as my thing for self-exploration. And again, like saying before, how I tried and tested many many, uh, various practices and what works and what didn't. I just wanted to go for a process of this accumulated wealth of knowledge, writing down what works, what doesn't, and my thoughts of what have helped for my Wellbeing Toolkit. So early last year, I was actually traveling in India, and I just felt really inspired there. And I remember just sitting on a book, and I was writing down my reflections and experiences of the practice that have helped me over the years. I was just jotting things down and about my life twists and turns. And yeah, this tranquil moment on the beach combined with a couple of hours later scrolling through TikTok, I stumbled across this thing called Lucky Girl Syndrome technique, and I was very intrigued by what it was. And it's— working social media, really intrigued by its sudden popularity and relevance., and I just kind of went on a deeper exploration of its principles and its implications. So taking a deeper dive in the phenomenon, I realized its profound correlation to broader themes of luck and manifestation. And again, drawing from my own experiences and insights gained from researching Lucky Girl Syndrome, I began to weave together the narrative that would be the foundation for my book. So then went home a couple of days later, and by the time we touched down in the UK, I had literally spent the whole flight, all 9 hours, just pouring my heart and soul into 40,000 words of a manuscript. I— yeah, like a woman on a mission. And that really fueled a new, newfound sense of purpose, and I wasted no time from landing pitching my book out to publishers and eager to share this transformative journey that helped me to uncover the secrets to manifesting a lucky life.

I absolutely love that. And I love as well that you are so passionate about mental health. So my background is that I worked in mental health in the NHS for 15 years. And I left that job in 2022 to basically continue on with doing this because I was doing both at the same time. And it's just not feasible to do two jobs at the same time, two full-time jobs as well. But my business ethos is about infusing, you know, mental well-being with spirituality techniques and tools. So it's kind of like the same business model as yourself. But I love hearing when people are so passionate about mental well-being, because I always say to people, you know, you can't manifest when your mental well-being is like, Lord, you know what I mean? Because it's almost like you've got to feel happy and content within yourself, and you've got to be mentally, you know, like, well, well enough to actually deal with what you're wanting to manifest for it to actually happen. Does that make sense?

Absolutely. It's definitely a two-pronged approach when it comes to manifesting. Like, we really need to be nurturing what's going on in here before we can expect all the goodness of the universe to flow in. So yeah, absolutely, completely agree with what you're saying.

So going back to what you were saying there about, you know, scrolling TikTok and things like that, how do you think that social media has influenced the popularity and perception of not only Lucky Girl Syndrome, but also spirituality as well? Because I know, like, I think I had something like 1,000 TikTok followers and I put on a video about the new moon thinking nobody's going to want to hear about this, and overnight grew by like 55,000 followers. And I was like, what has just happened? And I was like, is there a market for this? Like, How do you think social media has influenced like the popularity of spirituality as of late?

We all just love it really, don't we? But we love it deep down. But I look, I think social media is a double-edged sword for lucky girl syndrome and manifestation as a whole. And one hand, it's really propelled the concept into the spotlight. Not even just that, but like you said, the with the moon, anything, anything that's a little woo-woo, social media really does thrust it in and it's is a big trend around at the moment, and platform— platforms like TikTok, with their focus on short, catchy trends, that really made the 'I am so lucky' affirmations go viral. And this accessibility has sparked a conversation about positive thinking and manifestation.

Yeah.

However, it also paints an unrealistic picture, I believe. So Lucky Girl Syndrome's often presented as a guaranteed path to fortune with perfectly created video showcasing only the wins. And it— yeah, in that respect, it does ignore the role of hard work, chance, external factors. The list goes on. So it can feel quite exclusive, neglecting the experience of people who, who do face challenges, setbacks. Let's be honest, we all do. So social media has made Lucky Girl Syndrome popular, but it's also distorted the message. And there's a whole chapter in the book I write about the balance and the BS behind it, because there is two sides to the argument as well. And if we're going to use manifestation and Lucky Girl Syndrome techniques, then we want to be doing it with responsibility, not ignoring what it actually takes, that real hard work and effort and action, but also allowing the, the good of the universe, working with the laws of attraction, and to attract that good into your life and help you working on your mindset, cultivating optimism and gratitude, but also being realistic in the process as well.

Yeah, I think what you said there was perfect. Like, it is a double-edged sword because platforms like TikTok, obviously it pushes the content out and it simplifies things for people that might not necessarily have even heard about the Law of Attraction or gratitude or anything like that. But it also does distort it in another meaning. And, you know, it kind of waters down and dilutes its true meaning and potential, doesn't it? I do think that, you know, sometimes the messages that we see on TikTok in terms of manifestation can be harmful to the cause because I'll put a video on, for example, and someone will message and say, oh, so I just have to wish about something and all of a sudden I'm going to get it. Absolute bullshit. Do you know what I mean? But, and I'm like, no, no, no, that's literally half of it. You've still got to put in the inspired action. And it's just because they've taken a tiny little snippet of this whole book, basically. So how do you respond to, you know, skeptics and things like that, or people who might view Lucky Girl Syndrome as, you know, just another internet trend without substantial grounding?

I wrote an article a couple of weeks ago for The Independent, and I remember thinking, as soon as it goes live, I could see it on the bottom, the comment. And I was like, and it said 6, and it's only been live for a couple of— oh, and don't look, don't look. We know not to look. We've been, we've been here through many a times. Don't look. And as the day was going on, there was just something in my brain like, read them. And look, I read them. They, they were exactly what I thought they were gonna be, just people completely bashing me, bashing Lucky Girl Syndrome. They were quite funny, to be fair. And look, you— I write about this a lot in the book. And again, for not just in that chapter that's dedicated on the balance of the BS, but throughout. And look, for the skeptics, their job is to be skeptical. We're all skeptics at heart. And really, the way to deal with it is, you know, we acknowledge the trendiness. I acknowledge the validity of skeptics' points. And Lucky Girl Syndrome didn't gain— it did gain traction very quickly on social media. And yeah, trends can sometimes lack depth, but really, instead of arguing about whether it's a trend, I— what I want to do is explain the core idea behind Lucky Girl Syndrome and talk about the potential benefits of using a positive mindset, using affirmations, and cultivating an optimistic outlook instead of you know, dwelling on, oh, it's just bullshit, it's just what's this person talking about? And we mention in the book the field of positive psychology, and we back every single point up with studies. And there's a lot about the science of happiness, well-being, and research suggests positive affirmations can and does boost your confidence and self-belief, which can indirectly influence your outcomes. And look, it's not— again, it's not about attracting good luck, it's about reframing those negative thoughts that we all have and focusing on the positive aspects of your life, realizing even those that have literally nothing, there is ounces in life of luck in your everyday. It can be the sun shining, it can be, you know, having shoes on your feet. Just that it does— what luck is very subjective and it's different from person to person. But really it's about reframing those negative thoughts, focus on the positive aspects in life, because that shift in mindset can lead to a more proactive and optimistic approach when you are faced with life's challenges. And yeah, finally, Lucky Girl Syndrome isn't like mental health, like all the tools and anything that's offered in the world. Nothing is a one-size-fits-all solution. It's a tool at the end of the day. Some people will find it helpful, but it's also meant to be used alongside hard work, taking inspired action, and doing the planning.

What are some of your favorite tools and techniques that you use on a personal, uh, day-to-day basis? And because I know obviously one size doesn't fit all, and you've mentioned, you know, things like EFT, yoga, what does a typical day spiritually look like for you?

I'm not a great meditator, but I'm trying. So every morning before getting out of bed, I'll go on the Calm app and I'll do 10 minutes of just listening to it. And I— my head's going a million miles an hour. I've got ADHD, so I'm just one of those that I'm never going to be a Zen monk in the Himalayas that can meditate for hours on end. It's not going to be me. But what it does is just taking those 10 minutes to start my day is really switch my thought pattern around, using those deep breaths to really help ground me, help calm me. And then I just Yeah, if I don't do that for my 10 minutes in the morning, I do notice a difference in my day. So, meditation, I'm trying, but it really does work, I can promise you. And then I'll, you know, literally like a habit of brushing my teeth, I'll listen to affirmations. So, I absolutely love listening to Louise Hay affirmations. I just put them on YouTube when I'm getting ready, and they'll be playing in the background. You know, some days I won't think twice about them, but some days they'll really sit deep with me. And again, it just— that little action for me, it's just so routine, like having breakfast. It's there, and it just sets me up for a beautiful day, I always find. And again, if I don't do it, I notice the knock-on effect. I'll— yeah, without trying to overcomplicate it, I'm not saying I'm a saint here and I do all these things every day. I really don't. But definitely spending time. I've got my journal always with me. I'll try and fill a page in the morning of just getting anything out there, what's on my mind, how I'm feeling, the good, the bad, the ugly, and just put pen to paper, answer the daily questions that I need to answer for myself, make a little bit of a plan for the day, but also visualizing my day in the best possible way. That's what I kind of use with my journal. Well. What's the best outcome that could happen? But also being realistic about my day as well, so it's not putting tons of pressure on myself. And, and then just breaking down big tasks that I have to do. Uh, I think that's just super, super important. And then my day does vary spiritually. Like, I love— if I had more time, I like do a deep cleanse, get the sage out. But some days it's literally just as simple as remembering to have a couple of deep calming breaths. But yeah, it really does work. But you know, there's a lot of days where it feels like luck isn't on my side, especially when you live with or have previously lived with depression. Littlest things can sometimes be totally overwhelming, and it's so important that I found to just recognizing and really spending time just on counting on 5 fingers, just 5 things you're grateful for. Many times throughout your day. And just even the smallest instance of luck in your life really does help reframe, helps boost yourself, boost your self-worth, self-esteem. And yeah, just found it absolutely profound in my healing journey, just practicing that gratitude wherever you can.

I think it's so true what you were saying there as well about, you know, just finding the tiny little thing that you can turn into a habit of, you know, brushing your teeth, something that we do every single day because I think loads of people, when they start on their spiritual journey, they start to overcomplicate things, don't they? And they almost say, oh my God, so I've got to meditate, then I've got to do some yoga, then I've got to do my tapping while I'm in the shower, then I've got to go for a walk with my subliminals on, all whilst I'm on my way to work. When I get to work, I've got to do some yoga. Once I've done my yoga, then I've got to go to the gym later on, then I've got to come back, I've got to work with my crystals, I've got to somehow have a sound bath and stuff like that. And I'm like, no, no, no. Doesn't need to be that complicated. Just choose one activity and roll with it for a week and see how you get on. And when I say like one activity, I mean maybe 2 or 3 minutes on a morning, like you say, as you're brushing your teeth. Sometimes I go out for a dog walk and I'll have subliminal affirmations playing in my ears, or Louise Hay's affirmations. I love those. And I will literally go for a walk within an hour and halfway through I'll just switch off and, you know, I'm just marching along, but that's still actively going in. It's like no extra time needed. So I think it doesn't have to be complicated, but I do think as human beings we tend to think we have to give it 100% or we're not giving anything at all.

It's like we're in competition with ourselves. Like, it really is to do things perfectly or there's just no point doing it. Look, I've been there many times. I was that frantic woman on the train you see in the morning. Commuting to work, he was tapping. And actually, it's doing the opposite effect because I'm not actually sitting, I'm not enjoying doing it. I'm sitting, and so it's doing the opposite effect of what it's meant to do. And I was there, you know, really drilling in, meant to be saying this, and whilst, you know, the other angry commuters— it's, it's— we, we are getting far too in our heads of overcomplicating it. And really, like you said, it's just so simple as finding one thing, giving it a go. If it doesn't work, let it go. You're not— like, again, like, this will be a time in my life probably where I just go, hey, I'm not going to be a meditator, off we go. But for now, I'm still trying to stick with it. But it's about being kind to yourself as well. It's not going to work, let it go. If you do want it, just keep 10 minutes a day, a few minutes, it really doesn't matter. Just breaking it down, make it Make wellness simple.

Love that. So how does the book Lucky Girl, how does that reflect, you know, your own personal beliefs and experiences? Like, what do you want readers to take away from it? And, you know, like, in terms of your own personal beliefs, like, before you saw that video on TikTok and things like that, what were your own personal beliefs? What have you brought to the book in terms of your own experiences?

I mean, Lucky Girl resonates deeply with my own personal beliefs and experiences, particularly actually in, in the exploration and the power of luck. So again, like I said before, there's many times in my life where I think, look, it's just not on my side today. And yeah, living with depression where hopelessness just completely overwhelms you at times, recognizing that the smallest instinct of luck in your life is, can be actually the biggest thing. So acknowledging, embracing the presence of luck, no matter how subtle, it, that for me has been instrumental in navigating through those tough times that I faced. It serves as a reminder that amidst the darkness, there's glimmers of light that always guide me through. And through using that lens of Lucky Girl, I've come to understand that luck isn't about these grand gestures or miraculous events happening in our lives. It's about finding the small ounces of gratitude in our everyday moments and trusting that even when things seem bleak, there's still room for positivity and possibility. So yeah, in essence, it reflects my belief in the resilience of human spirit and the transformative power of gratitude and perspective and Yeah, ultimately it's a reminder that to embrace luck that surrounds us even in the darks of time and to trust that with patience and perseverance that brighter days will always lie ahead.

That's a beautiful message. So how can people work with you then, Georgie, and what do you offer?

So yeah, if you're based in Cheshire or nearby, I, you're welcome to schedule an in-person appointment. I have a home studio where I offered personalized sessions in reflexology, EFT tapping, and yoga, and every session's aimed to help you achieve relaxation, balance, and holistic wellness. But a lot of my clients actually are online, so I offer virtual sessions and appointments. So whether you're anywhere across the globe, you can still benefit from these, um, healing practices. Uh, you can follow me on Instagram, so So my Instagram handle's @lulukiecollective1, and there you can stay updated on community events that happen in Cheshire, Manchester, but also just following the content that I post as well. So whatever option you choose, I'm, I'm just so dedicated to support anyone on their journey to greater wellbeing and inner balance. So yeah, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram, and I look forward to working with any new client.

Oh, thank you so much, Georgie. And what I'll do is I'll pop all of Georgie's links in the show notes for this episode as well. So yeah, thank you so much for coming on the show, Georgie. It's been lovely to have you. And for everyone listening, you can get Georgie's book now. I will pop the link to the Amazon shop right underneath this episode in the show notes. And if you have enjoyed this episode, please leave me a rating or review wherever you listen to this episode, as it really does help the podcast grow. And it's totally free for you to do so. And I hope that you all have an absolutely amazing weekend, and I'll see you all again next week. Bye!