#10 Trusting God in Overcoming Fear and Trauma

Find Your Voice, Change Your Life Podcast

Podcast Host: Dr. Doreen Downing

Free Guide to Fearless Speaking: Doreen7steps.com

Episode #10 Regeline “Gigi” Sabbat

“Trusting God in Overcoming Fear and Trauma”

(00:02) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Hi, this is the Find Your Voice, Change Your Life podcast series. And I’m Dr. Doreen Downing. And I get to interview people who somewhere along their life found that they did not have a voice. So they could not stand and be fully who they are in this life. And yet somewhere along the line, they did a process and inner journey or found a mentor. Somehow they were able to access the truth of who they are, find their authentic voice, their true voice, and be able to speak anywhere, anytime. And that is the gift that we get to get from those who do eventually find their voice. Today, I get to interview and ask these kinds of questions to share a story with Regeline “Gigi”, my friend, and I’m going to read her bio, so you get to know who she is and how magnificent she is. Regeline– I also call her “Gigi” Sabbat is a motivational keynote speaker, two time best-selling author of the Walk With Me and God First books that have been endorsed by Les Brown. She is also a life coach and confidence coach, first generation Haitian American financial expert, Florida chapter leader for World Women Conference and awards, the host of Walk With Me podcast on JRQ TV, domestic violence advocate, sexual abuse advocate, breast cancer advocate, human traffic advocate, and mental health advocate. She is an experienced leader who has adopted a conservative approach to help Christians grow spiritually, financially, professionally, and/or personally. She does this by setting clear and measurable goals. For those that are ready to take action and experience life growth and transformation. She also helps people get unstuck—yay!–financially. Thank you, Gigi. I am so excited. You and I have had some conversations before. So we’ve met around my work on anxiety. But I got introduced to you and saw how much and I just read it how much you offer the world of those of us who are needing help. So today I am inviting you to tell your story about how your voice came about, how it wasn’t there probably in the beginning. And what– why don’t we start there, you and not having a voice starting out?

(02:44) Regeline “Gigi” Sabbat:

Yes, I appreciate you. And it’s an honor to be here today. So backtracking here a little bit, I was sexually assaulted when I was eight years old. And that pretty much silenced me for my entire life. I had trust issues. And just really, it affected my social relationships, which I talked about in my book, with my book Walk With Me. And just really honing in on the fact that that truly affected my entire life. And I took all the precautions that you could possibly think of to avoid it from ever happening again. Then I was sexually assaulted again as an adult. And from there I pretty much became numb to pain. And then I stepped into my purpose God has for my life! But keep in mind as an adult I was I went through a domestic violence matter. So I survived that as well, prior to being sexually assaulted, for the second time. So that– those challenges in my life really led me to find my voice and my purpose.

(03:44) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Oh, I love the way you just said that–the excitement and the thrill and almost like a whisper you know, just like yes. The- the full “yes”, of how it is possible. But before I go into that a little bit more the whole kind of assault on our bodies, on our psyches, on, on who we are as these little girls growing up in this world, and how unsafe it makes us feel so we want to hide. I mean I’m thinking that that might have been one of the ways that you coped. How did you cope?

(04:27) Regeline “Gigi” Sabbat:

Yes. So essentially, I read the Bible again and I got baptized again as an adult and my relationship with God grew tremendously. So here’s the thing I’ll tell your listeners here is that when we read the Bible, we are building a relationship with God. God wants to be a part of all areas of our lives. Too often, folks have God in their personal lives. And then they get to their business and they said, “Whoa, what’s happening here?” That’s because you don’t have God in your business. You– You can have your faith in your heart. You don’t have to leave that at the door. Always keep God first place in your life no matter what.

(05:03) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Yes. And just curious, it feels like perhaps you came across the introduction to God as being a savior. But before that, did you not have that?

(05:19) Regeline “Gigi” Sabbat:

I did, I did. I had God in my life. But I just say this– that our relationship grew tremendously. My relationship with God, after everything that happened. I just, again, I understand His purpose for my life, which is to serve his people on this new spiritual platform. And I’ve always been head in books, head in books, head in books, head in books. And after everything that happened, it reminded me to read the Bible, which is another book in itself. And so, you talk about God first. And God commanded me to write God First. And I see why, it’s for a reason, not for no reason. When he commands me to do something, I listen. And so I just stepped into it, I wrote the book. And it’s really to help others understand the importance of having God first place in our lives, because we wouldn’t have all the issues that we have in society, if people were to keep God in His proper place, which is first. You talk about Billy Graham, Brad Bright, Bill Bright, all these folks were trying to tell us that we need God first in our lives. You go back to all of their speaking engagements, their books, everything. So I did my research prior to finalizing the book, and I referenced them as well. And what I found was that they were trying to tell us that we need God first in our lives. So there was a book that was written, that was stated, “God is the issue.” So a lot of folks misunderstood what they were saying. They weren’t saying, God, speaking of God, or having God in our lives is the issue. What they were saying is, God not being first in our society, is the issue. So that’s the message that I push out now, because I did my research. And I understand what they were trying to tell folks. So I’m helping them out.

(07:12) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Yes, and it sounds like when we’re talking about voices, inside of ourselves, it feels like the listening, we have to know who we’re listening to, and what we’re listening to, inside of our own brains, I guess you might say, and to be somebody who has been attacked or assaulted it, it seems like that could be a voice inside of ourselves saying, you know, we’re not worth something or where we’re victims that I think that what you’re saying is that the voice that if we listen to that stronger inside of us, but we have to learn to listen and trust, and I think that’s one of your messages to listen and trust God.

(08:02) Regeline “Gigi” Sabbat:

Right, get quiet and listen to him. Because when we get quiet, we can hear him speaking to us. And he’ll guide you. And remember this: Joshua 1:9 states “Haven’t I commanded you, ‘Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or discouraged for your Lord, your God is with you wherever you go. Therefore, remember, God is with you, wherever you go, you’re not alone.’” And I always tell folks, don’t give up. No matter what you go through in this life, you need to get back up and keep up the good fight. Because here’s the thing, you can write all the plans that you want, go ahead and write a long list. But God knows the plans that He has for you. Understand that if something didn’t work out in the timing that you needed it to, or if there was a detour or delay it happened for a reason. Get back up.

(08:48) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Listen, listen, listeners. Gigi is a strong voice of encouragement and possibility. So let’s talk then about what you do currently that you offer folks.

(09:05) Regeline “Gigi” Sabbat:

Yes, currently, I’m a motivational keynote speaker. I’m also a life coach and a confidence coach. So I help Christians achieve their goals. So, I meet folks where they are, I help them from where they are to where they want to be with the goals. And also, I help folks with their confidence a lot of people reach out to me in regards to wanting to build their confidence. They say, “Oh, I see your live videos and you have so much confidence. I see what the speaking engagements, you have a lot of confidence, I need confidence.” So that’s what I help both men and women with. And I’m also excited to announce that we just launched our LSCOA Speakers. And so what that is it’s a Life Service Center of America speaker. That’s someone who has spoken on our stage in regards to domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, breast cancer, mental health, leadership topic, or business topic. And they have spoken on our stage for about 10 minutes. And so, you’re actually an LSCOA Speaker Doreen.

(10:09) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Yay! So Life…. Say that again, Life…

(10:12) Regeline “Gigi” Sabbat:

Life Service Center of America Speaker, that’s an LSCOA Speaker.

(10:16) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Great! Oh, I’m so glad to be a participant and a contributor to life services. And I can’t remember the…

(10:27) Regeline “Gigi” Sabbat:

Life Service Center of America

(10:35) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Life Service Center of America. Nice. Well, thank you for that quick announcement. And that feels like an award, actually.

(10:38) Regeline “Gigi” Sabbat:

It is, it’s an award for you.

(10:40) Dr. Doreen Downing:

I want to ask you around confidence, because you’re right, I think those of us who feel connected to what’s core inside of us and feel the confidence and feel the surrounding sense of what’s possible, if we’re, you know, if we’re connected to what matters to us. So, what would you say are some of your messages about confidence, to folks?

(11:07) Regeline “Gigi” Sabbat:

I would say that it needs to be something that’s natural to you. Too often folks focus in on their self-esteem, and they say negative things about themselves. If you’re constantly beating yourself up and saying all these negative things, you will never have that confidence. It needs to, again, just be something that’s natural, natural as you just opening your eyes, when you wake up in the morning. It should be a part of you, it shouldn’t be something that you overthink, and you say, “Oh, I need to look this way, I need to feel this way, I need to have this confidence.” No, it needs to just be a part of you. I tell you this, I never think of confidence in a manner of something outside of me. It’s just, it’s just a part of me, I come as I am. And that’s what I teach folks is that it needs to just become natural to you. And so, I help them get to a place where it becomes natural to them.

(12:02) Dr. Doreen Downing:

And I like again, you did it again, when you went open your eyes, you know, just kind of the mysteriousness of, of life and you seem to be fascinated. And that’s what you bring is, I see that in your face when you talk. So natural, I totally agree. You and I are both so on the same page around what is naturally ourselves. So, one last question I guess I might ask is just to go one step deeper, around “natural.” I know that a lot of people go “well, if I go inside, it’s all messy. And I don’t, you know, I don’t have the self-esteem.” And but I believe and I think that you do too, that there’s some deeper source inside of us. And I think what you’re saying it’s God for you. And that deeper source is who we truly are who we came into this world with, our precious souls that can’t be tarnished, because we are beautiful beings. So how do you help people find that natural spirit?

(13:07) Regeline “Gigi” Sabbat:

Yes, so everyone is truly unique. And I’m all about meeting people where they are, I don’t want to force them to do anything. But I do want to help them in regards to what they need help with. So, I need to see where they are and how I can best assist them. So, everything has a, has a plan in regards to meeting that person’s needs and where they are to where they want to be. So, everyone has a certain goal as well which intertwines with that plan.

(13:35) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Okay, so what I get then is that there’s a, an honoring or respecting of the individual who you feel that there’s a sense that they are in a plan. And maybe they have not yet acknowledged that or discovered that correctly. And you help them discover who they are in this whole idea about who they’re who they’ve come to this life to be, and help them go the big “Yes” to who they are. That’s wonderful. I feel like we can go on and on, but I just want to end this with some kind of message you want to give people and also how we can– how people can find you.

(14:25) Regeline “Gigi” Sabbat:

Yes, I will tell your audience this– to never give up and always maintain a resilient mindset. No matter what trials or tribulations you face in your life. No matter what challenges you face in your life. Get back up and don’t let anxiety consume you. You’re bigger than your anxiety. Anxiety should not run your life and you are not truly living until you conquer anxiety. Or if you have any other mental health issue, you need to face it is what I call it, face it. And when I say face it, you need to be aware that you have it first and foremost. And then you also need to face it in regards to the recovery process. And once you recover, then you are truly living.

(15:23) Dr. Doreen Downing:

There you go again with that bright smile. I hope people get to watch this because that’s what’s so intriguing and engaging is, is your belief that just radiates from your heart and through your eyes. People are going to fall in love with you. I have.

(15:34) Regeline “Gigi” Sabbat:

I appreciate you.

(15:35) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Yes, yes, I know you do. And I appreciate you. So, one last– How do people find you? What is a good good next step to find you?

(15:58) Regeline “Gigi” Sabbat:

Yes, my website LIFESERVICECENTEROFAMERICALLC.COM and make sure to put that “www” at the beginning so you can find it properly. When you sign up, you get a free sample of my book. And also make sure to subscribe to my podcast that’s Walk With Me. It’s available on all major podcast platforms and YouTube.

(16:22) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Yes, and thank you so much, Gigi.

(16:25) Regeline “Gigi” Sabbat:

You’re welcome. Thank you for having me.

(16:28) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Oh, yeah.