Everyone's Incompetent at Something

Judith A. Swack Ph.D. • November 29, 2023

That’s obvious you say. So what’s the big deal? Who even wants to be competent at everything? The logical answer is to decide what areas of competence are important to you, and if you’re not good in those areas, take a class, learn a skill, read a book, have somebody teach you how to do it, hire or marry someone with that skill. And where you are incompetent but don’t want to or can’t do anything about it, accept it gracefully.

The problems come when:
people who are competent believe they are incompetent and hold back on fully contributing what they have to offer to the world, or people who are incompetent are too ashamed and afraid to admit it and avoid learning the skills they need, thus stagnating in their lives, or overcompensate (the superwoman complex) by trying to do it all (sometimes to the point of burnout), and not very well at that. When people come for HBLU™ therapy the goal is to clear the negative programming around competence in order to bring out their best gifts so they can fully contribute what they have to offer and feel fulfilled in their lives.


Success Stories
Jeanette was a very competent computer hardware engineer. She always wanted to be a software guru, but felt incompetent in that area. Although she had a lot of experience programming in one kind of computer language, she felt incompetent about transferring that knowledge to other computer languages. So she held herself back, and stayed in a job where she was bored. After clearing her blocks about competence in our HBLU ™ sessions, she realized that her strong suit was that she is a quick learner and thus very versatile. Since all computer languages have certain similarities, she could learn and use new languages quickly. At her next job interview, she emphasized these points, and they hired her. She’s been doing software design engineering ever since. In the last 10 years, she has worked for three companies, programmed in several computer languages, and finally achieved her goal of being a software guru.


I met Sandy at a party. She confided that she was dating a wonderful man who asked her to marry and have a family with him. She told me that although she loved him, and he would make a wonderful husband and father, she had decided to break up with him immediately because she could not read or spell well. She was afraid that he would discover this after they had children and divorce her when he found that she couldn’t read bedtime stories. I urged her not to do anything rash, and to see me immediately. In our HBLU session I taught her the NLP strategy for spelling using the visual part of her brain. She was able to spell immediately. I then recommended she get a reading tutor to help her learn and add more words to her memory. She did, and learned to read very well. She married her wonderful man and over the years had three children to whom she read bedtime stories.


Connie is a busy dentist. While working for several months on the goal of building her business and running it in a more organized way, she came in for one of our sessions complaining of muscle soreness throughout her whole body. She explained that she had just run a marathon. “I didn’t know you were a runner,” I remarked. “Well, actually, I’m not,” she replied. “You have to really train to run a marathon. Did you train for this?” I asked. “Not enough,” she replied. “Why did you do it,” I asked. “My friends were all running this marathon and asked me to join them, so I did,” she said. During the HBLU ™ healing session, we found that she was afraid to admit that she was incompetent at anything and felt that she had to be all things to all people. Not only did this pattern result in her physical overexertion, it also prevented her from being organized and using her staff more efficiently at work. After we cleared this pattern, I asked what she would have said to her friends, now. She replied, “I would have felt perfectly comfortable laughing off their invitation and thanking them for thinking of me.” After our session, she returned to her practice with a better understanding of real world limitations, and began to make the necessary changes in staff utilization.


What is HBLU ™ ?
HBLU ™ is an innovative, rapid, and powerful new mind/body/spirit healing methodology developed by Judith A. Swack, Ph.D., a Biochemist/Immunologist, Master NLP Practitioner, Mind/Body Healer, and leader in the field of Energy Psychology. HBLUTM integrates biomedical science, psychology, hypnosis, Neuro Linguistic Programming, applied kinesiology, and other energy psychology techniques with original research on the structure of complex damage patterns. HBLU ™ is so effective because:


  1. The client’s deepest wisdom guides the healing,
  2. It has menus of well characterized patterns and effective healing techniques,
  3. It clears blocks to success at the conscious, unconscious, body, and soul levels.


HBLU ™ helps people rapidly achieve the results they want to live full, happy, healthy, and satisfying lives. Maybe it can help you, too.

Dr. Swack and her associates work with people in person or by phone. Healing from the Body Level Up ™, Inc. is located in Needham, MA. Call 781-444-6940 to book an appointment, order a free information package, and order audio and videotapes.


Boston Women’s Journal August/September 2007

Open Does Not Mean Vulnerable

By Judith A. Swack, Ph.D. • August 26, 2025
Copyright 2025 Judith A. Swack, Ph.D. Jane was dating two men at once and having trouble deciding who to choose. She listed all of John’s wonderful qualities and all of Steven’s wonderful qualities and remarked, “If I could just put the two of them together I’d have the perfect man.” When asked why she didn’t just date one man who had everything, she said she was keeping one man as a backup because she didn’t feel safe with either one of them. Puzzled, I asked, “Why would you date, let alone marry, anyone you didn’t feel safe with? Clearly, you’ll never marry either of these men.” Jane simply looked astonished. Love is a beautiful thing. We all need to love and be loved. Sadly, many of us have been hurt by the people we love and who are supposed to love us. When that happens, we no longer feel safe, and we shut down the ability to give and receive love. The tragedy is that we can no longer feel loved or experience ourselves as loving beings. We no longer experience the nourishing flow of warm golden buttery energy that uplifts the heart/soul, connects us all, and soothes all pain. And everyone else we could be loving is robbed. According to the dictionary, the word “vulnerable” means open to attack. When someone says, “I’m afraid to be vulnerable” he/she should be afraid to be vulnerable, but he/she should not be afraid to be emotionally open, emotionally present, or emotionally close. Opening to give and receive love should not make one vulnerable. So what to do about it? With HBLU we acknowledge the fear and heal the traumas, dysfunctional family system and cultural brainwashing patterns that caused it. This allows people to reach out with their hearts and share one of the greatest gifts in life. If you or anyone you know would like to open your heart to love, get happily married, or improve your marriage or other relationships, HBLU methodology can help you. If you would like to learn more or schedule an appointment, please call 781-444-6940 , email [email protected] , or go to www.hblu.org . Blessings, Judith
A vector graphic of a woman with 4 arms multi-tasking. Cooking, signing papers, and watering plants

June's Miracle

By C. C. Life Coach • June 24, 2025
Dear Judith, Of all the work we have done, of all the monumental healings and shifts you and your work has helped to facilitate in my life- this piece was the most hidden, the most perverse, the most subconscious- and was driving my life into oblivion. I could not live one more day enslaving myself to my family, being stuck in a loveless abusive marriage. I was exhausted and stuck begging G-d for a way out (any way out). Until you your work and my soul discovered that we needed to unblock my energy fields from using evil to seduce- by running a pathologically self-serving and self-absorbed seduction pattern. Here I was a slave to my family, doing everything, getting nothing- I was the last person self-serving. How did my soul and you even find this. At first I thought no… Until you pointed out that this is what Enneagram 4s do to get love. And it all clicked. This was the seduction. IF I enslave myself, I will get love- so it was all my agenda my mission- I was “doing everything for them” which was the illusion, the seduction I was under- but it was truly a manipulative pattern I ran to try to get love from everyone I could. Only to fail miserably- and to feel even worse. I felt powerless and stuck. Until you said those words…. And through your work- we prayed- and the seduction and illusion vanished. Poof just like that! I can’t believe this has all been me all this time. I WAS DESPERATE TO GET: Love, safety, approval, success and wealth and WORSHIP AND WORLD DOMINATION What I learned was that I created a pattern of need. Everyone had to need me- I had to do it all- so people would love me. Because deep inside I doubted they could just love me for me. And that I truly don’t have to do anything for love. And neither does anyone… And that I just give it up and teach my family to be self-sufficient so they DON'T NEED me and we can establish love for the sake of love. OR SCREW UP MY WHOLE FAMILY AND LIFE PERPETRATING EVIL BY BEING PATHOLOGICALLY SELFISH. Here are my learnings: I’m just another cog in the wheel and that’s ok. We all are working together. No one better or worse. There is no need to dominate just to do each of our missions. I was seduced into thinking I was so selfless and altruistic because I was working for what I thought “was everyone else’s good” but was really still what I thought- and my agenda I have been self-abusing all this time, putting myself last so I could get sympathy and love. I was acting like a victim and poor me to myself & failing because I got no sympathy gratitude or love… When we interviewed my husband - I sat still. It was the first time I could listen to him and learn. I was still - like air. Without an agenda. And It’s the first time I feel still. And my nervous system relaxed. The first time I’m not working to get something in every action. Today I put my agenda down. It feels so light and relaxing and freeing It’s all been one big undercover operation to get love shrouded in a mission to do for others so no one would ever find me out. That it was all about me. And it didn’t make sense until you said I was pathologically selfish and self-absorbed. Me? No!!!… oh my gosh yes…. And the shell around me shattered. I can relax and just be me for the first time in decades…. You and your work- Judith- I’m just in disbelief- after being in disbelief many times- you’ve changed my life. Thank you Thank you Thank you. You’re a true genius Judith. I can never thank you enough. You are my teacher my mentor and I’m so grateful to have been given you to guide me in this life. I only hope to help your work reach millions. All the Best! C. C. Life Coach

Nothing Is Impossible.

By Copyright 2025 Judith A. Swack, Ph.D. • January 31, 2025
James ’s brother, Samuel , sustained severe traumatic brain injury from a car accident. He spent the year going to many doctors for treatment, but could barely function. Samuel complained that not only did standard medical care not help him, but the doctors ignored and mistreated him. Whenever James suggested any complementary therapies, such as acupuncture, chiropractic, or HBLU, Samuel immediately came up with excuses as to why going for that kind of treatment was impossible. (Notice that he didn’t claim that that kind of treatment wouldn’t work. He just made it impossible to get there.) James said, “Even though I feel really guilty about it, I’ve stopped trying to help him because he makes everything impossible.” Monica ’s 25-year-old son, Ed , suffers from such severe debilitating Crohn’s disease that he couldn’t finish high school, can’t work, can’t leave the house, and can barely leave his room. Traditional medical care and medication is not helping. Monica and her husband bought him a dog thinking that would cheer him up, but Ed does not interact with it. Monica has suggested and made appointments for many complementary therapies such as nutrition, naturopathy, family therapy, and HBLU, but Ed refuses to go to these appointments. Monica experiences guilt and deep sorrow that her son is so ill, and she and her husband haven’t been able to help him. Valerie ’s partner, Nancy , is 200 pounds overweight, suffers from ADD and severe anxiety, and hates her job. Nancy had been on medication for the ADD and anxiety, but when her psychiatrist retired, never attempted to find another provider and let her medication lapse. When Valerie suggested that Nancy find new doctors and get back on medication to help her mental function and treatment for overweight, Nancy refused to make any follow-up phone calls or emails. Although they had gotten engaged in the Spring, by Fall, Valerie had asked for the ring back. Valerie said, “I don’t think I can live with her if she refuses to take care of herself and won’t let me help her.” What do James, Monica, and Valerie all have in common? They feel deep sorrow, guilt, and frustration that they can’t help someone they care about deeply. But the people who are suffering are also trapped in a pattern that continues to cause them suffering. Both the impotent helpers and the perpetual sufferers are trapped in a seducer strategy called, “I’m impossible.” What is a Seduction Pattern? Seduction patterns are some of the most energy draining, perverse, and frustrating patterns a person can experience. People with seduction patterns get tricked into doing things they don’t want to do. They are unable to leave bad relationships, jobs, family, or other upsetting situations.