Jennifer Cassetta - Hear Me Roar: How to Defend Your Mind, Body and Heart Against People Who Suck

Published By:

www.PromotingNaturalHealth.com

Hear Me Roar:

How to Defend Your Mind, Body and Heart Against People Who Suck

By Jennifer Cassetta and Lindsey Smith

Copyright 2014 by Jennifer Cassetta and Lindsey Smith

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, contact Promoting Natural Health, LLC at www.PromotingNaturalHealth.com .

The content of this book is for general instruction only. Each persons physical and emotional condition is unique. The instruction in this book is not intended to replace or interrupt the readers relationship with a physician or other professional. Please consult your doctor for matters pertaining to your specific health and diet.

To contact the publisher, visit

www.PromotingNaturalHealth.com

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN-10: 0990646203
ISBN-13: 978-0-9906462-0-4

eISBN: 9780990646228

We dedicate this to girls everywhere.Remember, you are POWERFUL beyond measure.

GRATITUDE

From Jennifer:

To Mom and Dad - thank you for instilling confidence in me at an early age, for your unconditional love and for being supportive of all of my dreams. To Julia and Anthony, thanks for always having my back. I love your guts!

Thank you to all of my friends and teachers at the World Martial Arts Center in NYC. Special thanks to all of my women warrior mentors for making strong look fabulous. To the long lineage of our teachers, the lifelong lessons learned from this school over my 10 years of training are worth its weight in gold - a deep bow to you all.

Thank you to Joshua Rosenthal for your coaching and having a vision to make this world a healthier and happier place!

Thank you to my man, Lindsay, for your steadfast love and support.

And major props to my writing partner, Lindsey, whom without this book would not exist! Youre my inspiration.

From Lindsey:

To my parentsthanks for believing in my dreams and teaching me self-respect early on. I am forever grateful.

Joshua & Alexone conversation really did change my life (and now, hopefully the lives of others). Thank you for believing in me.

Derekthanks for totally not sucking and being supportive through it all. I love you.

Amieas always, you go the extra mile to make a product shine. Thanks for being a part of this project!

Jennthanks for teaching me how to kick-ass in life, business and with this book!

From Jennifer & Lindsey:

Thanks to the amazing women who contributed to this book:

Amie Olson

Aire Plitcha

Alexandra Franzen

Akirah Robinson

Sheila B.

Maria B.

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever felt scared and completely powerless in a situation? We know we have, and chances are you have too. It breaks our hearts to hear stories of women in the US and around the world who have been taken advantage of, either physically or emotionally.

According to statistics, one in three women across the globe will be the victim of a sexual assault in their lifetime. That doesnt include all of the girls and women who have been abused in some horrific way and have never come forward to report it. It happens to your neighbors and your friends. It happens to even the most successful and confident people. Many celebrities have come out with their stories of sexual assault including Oprah, Ashley Judd, Teri Hatcher, Maya Angelou, Queen Latifah, Tori Amos, Mary J. Blige, Madonna, Julianne Hough, and Marilyn Monroe, who was one of the first women to speak publicly about it.

Perhaps you have been a victim of some horrible abuse. At the very least, we hope you no longer have to feel alone. At best, we wish you peace in your healing journey and hope you can then take the tools you learn in this book and help to empower and protect other women and girls in your life.

Maybe you have never experienced a sexual assault or any type of emotional or physical abuse. After reading this book, you will have the tools to stay confident and safe should you find yourself in a bad situation!

In addition to writing this book to keep young women stronger and safer, we also want to create a space for this conversation. Look for #HearMeRoar at the end of every section and get involved in the conversation through social media.

OUR STORIES

Here are the stories that helped change our attitude towards our personal safety, our power, and the word victim.

Jennifers Story

I was twenty-four years old when some guy who sucks grabbed my ass (and whole package) on the street one night. It was 3 a.m. and I was coming home from a party in NYC. And yeah, I was pretty tipsy. Instead of practicing my street smarts and heading straight from the cab to my door, I took out my cell phone to listen to a voicemail.

After the initial moment of shock, I screamed, cursed, and spat fire his way until he took off down the street. As I called 911, I simultaneously took off after him in my stilettos hoping to catch the creep and hand him a can of whoop ass. But, lucky for him (and me) I didnt catch him.

The aftermath was actually the scariest part. What if I hadnt been able to scare him off? What if he had knocked me out, dragged me into a car, and taken me to some lair of danger? What ifwhat if?

This is where the powerful part comes in. I decided to get more serious about my Hapkido training. My three days a week at the dojang (martial arts studio) turned into six, and my routine continued for years this way until I actually made martial arts training and personal training my full-time career.

That night I didnt have to use any of the kick-ass techniques that my martial arts master taught me, except one very powerful lesson that changed my whole perception. Are you ready for it? Here goes:

If you ever feel backed into a corner and physically threatened, think like an animal in the wild. Become the tiger. Become the attacker and you no longer have to defend yourself. You then attack until your opponent becomesdinner.

Lindseys Story

When I was seventeen, I was a good girl. I was captain of the cheerleading squad, class president, and homecoming queen. You could say I had my stuff together.

Despite my good girl tendencies, I decided to go to a party with a friend from high school even though my inner voice was telling me not to go. Upon arrival I was handed a drink and thought, Hey, why not? A few sips in and I started to feel really weird.

The next thing I recall is waking up naked in a bed that wasnt mine. The unthinkable and unimaginable happenedI was drugged and date raped at a party by some guy who sucks.

As you can imagine, this completely affected my life. Everything from my relationships to my self-esteem to my confidence was completely tarnished. I felt powerless, broken, and ashamed.

It took a long time to reach the point of being a victor and no longer a victim, to accept myself rather than hate myself, and to realize it was not my fault.

In doing so, Ive felt called and empowered to help other women like YOU feel confident in their skin, create their boundaries, and make decisions that can save their lives and cut out people who suck.