An Unconventional Life with Stacey Robbins

In this episode, I finish my prior interview with world traveling woman/worldschooling momma, Lainie Liberti. She's taken the daring path of listening to her inner voice to leave the conventional way of raising a kiddo and traded that for taking her son around the world as a means of learning. There are a million good ways to parent and learn. You'll love hearing this episode (part 2 of 2).  Find out more about Lainie and her wordschooling resources at her website: www.raisingmiro.com (Music: www.bensound.com)   00:00: Opening   Preparing for Life via the Experience of Travel What he’s really learned is how to problem solve - how to advocate for himself - teamwork - responsibility. Not because these were lessons that we created and said ‘here open up a workbook and figure this out’ it’s because those are the lessons of real life and they were in context. - Lainie There’s arts, culture language learning. There's geology, geography, agriculture. Astronomy. Everything is interwoven and tied into the experiences were having as we're exploring new cultures. - Lainie Context is what anchors the learning into a child. Let me be immersed in the experience and I will absorb it. -Stacey What It’s like Being in Other Cultures (Hint: It Starts in the Home) A lot of the fear based programming are not a part of our realities anymore. The moment that we started to connect to people, loosen our grip, look people in the eye and smiling and connect, and even though we don't speak the same language were both human. We both want the same things we both want happiness and health. That kind of understanding broke down those ideas, fear, the programming that was not my messages or words. I eventually felt that people everywhere were just like me. We had more in common than we had differences. - lAINIE Personal Experiences and Stories of Human Kindness - Conversations with Syrian Refugee, a Jehovah's Missionary, and an Ex Prisoner When you have to bring healing to someone in your family that's had a negative experience - to help them not to judge ALL by then ONE (and still validate the negativity of that experience and help them walk through) it confronts that thing inside us that goes wow - I had a negative experience and that's caused me to label a whole certain group of people this way and now im confronted to examine that too as I help my son to examine that as well. - Stacey Just because you had a negative experience - there’s an important moment to rest yourself and still be open to the goodness that's possible in the next experience. - Stacey The world is made of individual and we always must keep our eye on hat. People do good things and people do bad things - doesn't mean that cultures are good or cultures are bad, doesn't mean that people are good or people are bad - its the actions that were responding to. We need to keep this perspective straight and not so easily fall into racism, or anything else that is damaging to our humanity.  - Lainie When we judge against a culture or whole people group we then close ourselves to the goodness that exists in the people from that place or culture. - Stacey Fostering Independence with the Partnership Paradigm We function on a basis on consensus. The first step of learning independence and experiencing independence is learning how to advocate for yourself. And underst that when you're advocating for yourself there is a consideration of how that affects the whole community. - Lainie Advice to the Person That Wants to Begin (Hint: It Starts in the Home) It’s very easy to maintain the drudgery of your day to day life. I read a quote recently that really spoke to me: “Travel is the adventure that takes the taste of bitterness out of your soul.” I know that sometimes a good by product of a traveling experience is that it can bring about a healing and a joy and a revitalization of what you're here to do and what's truly important. - Stacey Tapping the Humanitarian in Lainie - The Cult of Scarcity We tend to live with this idea that there is not enough. That there is scarcity. That we have to work harder to get what's ours because somebody next to us may take it. That is what drives us from not being present in our own lives. The idea that there’s not enough creates more fear. It separates us from the needs and preferences. If we realize that we do have enough, that there IS enough, that what we have is just perfect for this moment, it’ll stop that cult of scarcity. It'll stop us from being separated from one another. Separation is the problem. - Lainie   Probably the greatest illusion that we have in our society and humanity is that were separated, when were really together. Were really united by some divine and universal thread. - Stacey   The shift is becoming in service to others. That’s the remedy. - Lainie How to find Lainie:   Raising Miro on the Road of Life Global Education through World Travel http://www.raisingmiro.com   Project World School Inspiring Temporary Learning Communities for Teens & Young Adults Check out the 2017 Schedule Now! http://ProjectWorldSchool.com   Watch our TEDx talk called Making The World Our Classroom   For the Love of Learning - Voices of the Alternative Education Movement Host- Weekly talk show broadcasting on CCN Monday 8-10pm EST http://ForTheLoveofLearningShow.com

Show Notes: Worldschooling: The Unconventional Classroom   In this episode, I get to introduce you to world traveling woman/worldschooling momma, Lainie Liberti. She's taken the daring path of listening to her inner voice to leave the conventional way of raising a kiddo and traded that for taking her son around the world as a means of learning. There are a million good ways to parent and learn. You'll love hearing this episode (part 1 of 2).  Find out more about Lainie and her wordschooling resources at her website: www.raisingmiro.com   (Music: www.bensound.com) 00:00: Opening   00:40 Story behind Our Magical Healing Adventure and meeting Lainie I went through weeks of really intense  anger. And I felt like I can’t sustain this emotion. What am I going to do? And my brain was like you need to use this. You need to do what you’ve done with every other challenge in your life. You need to use it and make it work for you. - Stacey 7:00 - World Schoolers 8:30 - Introduction to Lainie Liberti, Co Founder of World Schooling   Lainie Liberti, a mom and recovering branding expert (whose 18 year career once focused on creating campaigns for green – eco businesses, nonprofits and conscious businesses) and her now 18-year-old son Miro Siegel, set out 8 years ago on what became a life changing journey. (That eventually became World Schooling)   10:05 - Bravery and Fear   “I don’t know if I actually consider myself a brave person. I  just consider myself as somebody who is capable and willing to listen to my intuition and inspiration at the same time.” -Lainie   The ability to say: Why do we have to do things this way, why do I have to live my life in this way? Became a habit that I lived. One of the things that I help empower people to find is the empowerment inside of themselves to have, not only freedom, but confidence to question things. - Lainie   In some ways it does require a certain bravery to listen to yourself in a culture that is trying to have you anesthetized to your inner inklings so you can keep the mill going, keep with the flow. - Stacey   17:00 On Criticism and finding the gift within   Instead of giving in to these sorts of criticisms I just listened and nodded my head and thanked everybody for their input. I let them know I would do my best to try and integrate their concerns into our travel and ask them if they could wish us well. Instead of battle, this seemed like the best approach. - Lainie   “A man with an experience is not at the mercy of a man with an argument”. - Leanord Ravenhill   It’s ok to love people and not be in a relationship with them. - Laine   24:00 A brief history of World Schooling   The vision that I had and the inspiration has grown. So I don’t feel like I’m out there alone anymore. I’m about there with 34000 of my best friends now. -Lainie   Risking Adventure is a high value of mine and a phrase I use all the time from a Philosopher named Edmund Friedman. He said that the mind can only conceive certain things. It can only imagine so far. Once you risk adventure then what happens is the brain opens up in ways that it couldn't by only imagining. Then a whole other world of options and possibilities opens up to us. - Stacey   28:00 Challenges: Anticipated & Actual   “One of the things I had to really address was my addiction to being busy and my addiction to being productive. I realized underneath was the thought that I am worthless unless I am producing something of value. It’ ok to actually just be.” Lainie   The quiet became so loud that I was actually able to hear the crazy conversation in my head. I went on a journey to go on a practice of stillness, because I got called to rest. It was so provoking to my brain. It can hit our identity vs our role and how in society we so confuse those. We confuse who we are with what we do. Then when you go to an area where there is more space more quiet and more time, for me, it really provoked so many questions and it brought up so many voices that I think I couldn’t hear because i was in such a busy stream that the noise of my life drowned out the beliefs that were driving me. - Stacey   Presence is so important. Worldschooling and travel was my vehicle to find it. But it doesn't have to be yours. - Lainie   It was the small moments that changes. The nuanced moments that we consider most special out of our journey together. - Lainie 36:30 Benefits: Expected & Actual   I had this belief that education was something only somebody else could give us. I believed I wasn't qualified to educate my child.   Then I discovered unschooling   (Benefit) My shift in my relationship to the idea of education. I started to realize that what we were doing was learning, gaining more information, being engaged, being present, and learning that was education. And that worked for me. My whole world changed and the expectations lead us to new expectations. Those expectations opened up new avenues, new doors, and new ways of understanding, and new ways of being. That was the true gift. - Lainie   To Be Continued in Part 2 of the interview with Lainie Liberti... Raising Miro on the Road of Life Global Education through World Travel http://www.raisingmiro.com   Project World School Inspiring Temporary Learning Communities for Teens & Young Adults Check out the 2017 Schedule Now! http://ProjectWorldSchool.com   Watch our TEDx talk called Making The World Our Classroom   For the Love of Learning - Voices of the Alternative Education Movement Host- Weekly talk show broadcasting on CCN Monday 8-10pm EST http://ForTheLoveofLearningShow.com

In this episode one of my counseling clients, and "soul" assistant, Jessi Bass plays the role of a new counseling client, and I answer her topical questions. We will cover many other topics in future episodes. (Music: www.bensound.com) -------------------------------------------- Show Notes: 00:00: Opening 2:45 Intro to A Coaching Moment Podcast w/ Stacey & Jess 6:00 - Intention setting - What is it and Why An intention is sort of like aiming your energy and your focus toward where you desire to get to in the conversation and how you desire to get there. - Stacey I invite my clients to set an intention as well so they are partnering in the results they want to have. I’m not their answer man. I'm not their guru. Its a conversation where their energy and my energy are playing with each other and our highest selves are hanging out and sharing with us the wisdoms that our human mind can understand 9:35 - How To Love Your Spouse When You Can’t Stand Them When were getting triggered and angry at our spouse in a way that we can’t really remember the love - it's probably more than just anger. When we get blinded by anger, a lot of times it's really the present moment triggering past moments. It ends up triggering the insecurities that we came to the relationship with and who we thought this person was going to write the wrongs of our past and the pain that we had. The reason we close off our heart and we close off those love feelings is we usually get to this point of I don’t feel safe. 15:33 - How To Navigate Tense Moments in Love Really whats is magic is being able to pause. Being able to give space between the thoughts on your head and the words that come out of your mouth. The feelings in your heart and the words that come out of your mouth. Become a Witness. How much of this is coming from another sentence that’s been operating in your like? Examine. Is there an underlying sentence in my life that this is completing? This always happens and now you’ve done this. Speak Authentically from Yourself rather than using the words that would normally blame someone and put them on trial. Authenticity allows for compassion, but blame is going to put defense up with somebody 23:50 - How To Use Marriage as A Mirror (What this means, and how it can help us grow in the ways that we're here to do) The thing that we think the other person is supposed to be giving to us is usually the thing we need to go on a journey to heal for ourselves What are you expecting him to do for you that you are designed to do for you that you’re not doing? I kept wanting him to change when really it was my blemish People will match the investment that you make in yourself. And people who are health won’t invest more in you than you invest in you 34:34 Cultivating Community It's on our blood, in our DNA that we were meant to do life together. - Jess I think that life finds a way to recreate those things (community) because its within us to be connected. It’s part of the fabric of our divine being, and our human being, to be connected to one another- to seek out life that pulses with ours. Sometimes just the spurring of the ideas (of what you can do to cultivate community) is enough to get people going, and started. The whole mentality of understanding, in the first place, how important it is to know that we belong to each other. - Jess Mentioned Resource: The Turquoise Table, by: Kristen Schell http://www.kristinschell.com/the-turquoise-table/ Connect with Stacey: Website: www.staceyrobbins.com FB: https://www.facebook.com/staceyrobbins/ Insta: @lovestaceyrobbins Twitter: @staceyrobbins   Connect with Jessi: Insta: @jessi.kristine & @sisterwell FB: https://www.facebook.com/sisterwelltogether/   (Music for podcast: www.bensound.com)  

    In this episode I share my Hashimoto’s Journey. I’ve helped tens of thousands of people all across the world with my book You’re Not Crazy and You’re Not Alone. There are a new generation of people springing up who need to feel supported. I will share my unique way that I’ve allowed Hashimoto’s to work for me. How I’ve chosen to have Hashimoto’s serve me instead of master me. My heart  in all of this is to short cut you in your journey so you don't have to go the long hard winding road that I have. Show Notes: 00:00: Opening 1:24 Introduction / Intentions of the First Hashimoto’s Podcast 3:30 –  What is Hashimoto’s? 4:30 My Story: Growing up When you don’t feel safe, and you don’t feel in control, you’ll find external ways to feel powerful. It’s not only one level of stress to go through something, It’s another level of stress to hide what you're going through. I can give you a sense of feeling alone unknown and not understood. 7:35 – On meeting my husband + Finding my worth in work When we seek out a spouse, were seeking them out on two different levels. The level that's healthy and the level in us that’s not healthy. And so it just depends on ‘what are you going to lead with? It’s not only one level of stress to go through something, It’s another level of stress to hide what you're going through. It can give you a sense of feeling alone, unknown and not understood. 10:02 – On living one way and feeling another. And my butt being cold. (AKA my pre-diagnosis symptoms) It's like when you go through a hard time in life and you're going at slower pace or you've got your some of your internal structures really strong, thats one things, But when you're driving fast and lose and you're already in in a vulnerable pace because you're kind of messy on the inside even though you look put together on the outside you're going to hit that bump and you're going to soar and then you're going to crash and burn. Which is what happened to me. 14:55 On living in spite of my symptoms 15:40 Doctor’s Journey “A pill for each ill”   Whatever there was, there was a pill that I was handed. They kept looking at me and they’d tell me this is all in your head. And I’m like: How do you gain this much weight and it’s all in your head? How does your skin freak out and it’s all in your head? How does your stomach hurt and it’s all in your head? How is your hair falling out and it's all in your head? There was something going on physiologically and the pills weren’t addressing it. 17:28 - “Could you just snap out of it?” They were frustrated because I wasn’t snapping out of it, I wasn't providing in the same abundant way that I was used to. I couldn’t rise up. Instead of people looking at me with compassion I got mocked. There was a log of judgement. A lot of misunderstanding. A lot of misdiagnosis at that time. I reached a point where my doctor even  said that’s it I’m just frustrated. You need to stop wasting my time. You keep taking my time from me. 19:40 - The turning point. Or what I thought would be. I picked up the prescription, I took the pill, I started working out. Here I was at 240 pounds and within three months when I was “supposed to be back down to my normal weight” I was now 270 pounds. My skin was bleeding. My hair turned color and the doctors all looked at me and said this is what happens before someone dies. I needed to examine my life. Whatever of my life is left. 23:20 : Surgery or God I would just live my days trying to find my way through the maze of finding my health finding my peace finding MY center. i was do driven by things that were on the outside that I was having to address this thing that I couldn't hide. 25:40 Taking Hashimoto’s on as a Spiritual Journey It's almost like my issues were saying that's it! We're not going to let you hide anymore. And so I took this on as a spiritual; journey. I slowed down and I asked myself some questions about where is the resletellness coming from where is the drivenness coming from where is my lack of safety coming from and just kind of following the breadcrumbs to lead me to some significant revelations I needed to have about my belief that I was unworthy of love unless I performed,  or looked a certain way a certain wait or provided a certain amount. The belief was I was rejectable and that i was undeserving of someones devotion or faithfulness. That I felt unsafe, and nobody in my life made me feel safe so I constructed a world where I was making me feel safe from things that I could do on the outside. So now that I couldn't provide for myself or take care of myself in the same way or even keep myself safe in the same was I had to examine, where is my heart? Where is my trust? What do I rest in if there's no one really outside of me to do that? I realized that I kept myself so busy because I really just  didn't want to be alone with me. Because I didn’t know me and what I knew about me I didn't trust or like about ,e I had a critical voice in my head. I was very self condemning, very self loathing, very self rejecting, and held myself to a very high state of perfectionism. 27:38 Getting Clearer What is Hashimoto’s? Hashimoto’s is when the body is attacking the thyroid. OK. Well where am I attacking me? Where am I living without peace where am I living life like I am at war with me? I was able to see that I hadn't been loving to me. I was able to see that I hadn't been kind to me. That I hadn't been safe within the walls of my body, my life. And I was living as a dictator over my body, demanding that it push past things that it really wasn’t designed to. I had to go on the journey of loving myself where I was, and it wasn't even TO get me to a goal. It was to love me because I needed love. Because I was designed to love and be loved. 31:14 Transformations, and losing the victim (no more finger pointing) I started making changes and choices that reflected what love would do. 34:17 You’re Not Crazy. You’re Not Alone. You Are Powerful. You are powerful to make changes to your health today that can impact you tomorrow. The journey for so many of us with Hashimoto's is about getting back to a place where we can love ourselves. Love is a wonderful inspiration, but it's a terrible reward. 39:30 You are Worthy Stop looking at the external indicators to see whether or not you're deserving of a good life just know what the journey is to go inside to love yourself NOW. If you're waiting for the feeling (to love yourself) then you’re waiting for the wrong things. Because they don’t always show up first. 41:37 Your body is Inclined toward Health It is always working to find the greatest route back to your health. Where To Find Stacey: Website: www.staceyrobbins.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/staceyrobbins/ Twitter: @staceyrobbins Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/StaceyRobbins21 Instagram: lovestaceyrobbins   Books: Bloom Beautiful You’re Not Crazy and You’re Not Alone An Unconventional Life *Also mentioned: The Guy's Guide to Hashimoto’s; Rock Robbins -- Hashimoto’s from the husband’s angle. Helping to understand the physical, psychological, relational and relationship dynamics. Learn what’s going on in your woman's body and life when they have Hashimoto's. (Music for podcast: www.bensound.com)

In this episode I interview Rev. Josh Reeves: minister for over 10 years, serving in Irvine, San Diego, Seal Beach, and most recently in Lakewood, Colorado. He has written three books and began a podcast this year entitled "Weekly Wisdom." Find his podcast here: http://themeaningplace.org Show Notes: 00:00: Opening  00:42 Introduction of Podcast 2:10 Intro to Reverend Josh Reeves Josh's message is were filled with humor, light, and such depth. Josh has been a minister for over ten years currently serving in Lakewood, CO. Written 3 booKs and began a podcast tilted weekly Wisdom. He loves people well. - Stacey   5:15 - A Different Take on Ministry I think I have a different perspective in the spiritual realm of things, in that religion, spiritual thinking and philosophy to me… I love it but it comes second to  living life and to people. That's my love and that's where I connect with a sense of the sacred most. Caring is the most essential thing that we do, both in a kinesthetic sense (moving our arms and our hands and getting out of bed to how we treat each other each day. For me, when we can put that as our foundation in whatever service work were doing its amazing and sacred what shows up.   7:45 - On Navigating Personalities and Where to Point Your Feet My essential spiritual practice is relating with people. That dialogue and that listening is so important to enriching our lives and feeling heard. What I’ve learned over time as well is that listening and conversation isn't just a one on one thing really. At its deepest level, the best talks that I give is when I'm really feeling tuned into the collective wisdom of the community. I want to get up there and be a reflection of their wisdom, not necessarily bring down from some philosophized mountain some wisdom for them that they don’t already have. I want to reflect their dreams, their vision, and sometimes even their pain. Speaking isn't so much giving a lecture, it's about building a rapport and having a conversation with folks around you. That to me is where real spiritual connection happens and real transformation can begin to occur.   14:03 Inspired to Become a Minister Part of what Im a ‘part’ of is almost like a Wild west of spirituality. So what I’m really interested in is what deep, inclusive spirituality really looks like and what does open minded spirituality really look like.   17:00 Principles of Science of Mind Science of mind as a philosophy started getting going in 1920s branch of The New Thought Movement comprised of half women leaders. New Thought to me is kind of a combination of folks who were trying to renew Christianity and renew values and focus on physical healing in particular with kind of this new found American Philosophy of Religion independence and self exploration. Science of Mind (as a branch of New Thought) is an exploration of the mind and what it can do. It's about using ancient spiritual wisdom that you might find in lots of different faiths and how do we apply it to the laboratory or life to get results. Our thoughts are creative and if we focus them in then we can co-create our lies with the divine power and law of attraction.   20:57 Yeah But Isn't This Just For The Rich Westerners I think there is this idea that our spirituality is about creating greater hope for ourselves, and remembering even when we’re suffering and going through hard times, that were children of God. That were beautiful and precious expressions of something.   23:40 Using where you are and then evolving something It’s interesting when a spirituality shows up as a certain time how we can use it and connect with it in our heart and translate it in a new way that it can actually evolve it over time. Change nothing evolve everything, by bringing more consciousness, more awareness, better listening. 26:16 On Vulnerability Something that I want to be able to do in ministry or when Im sharing is not just share my flaws, but really share how I’ve seen and found the sacred in my flaws and mistakes.   28:48 On Success Those people to me that are the most successful are the people who are putting their whole heart into what they do everyday whatever it is and are at peace wit it and themselves, People committed to their own thriving. I love seeing folks who are willing to shed the skin they've been in and be willing to be reborn in a new way.   32:59  One of my Biggest Life Lessons and Being Committed to Your Highest Good It was an important thing for me to give up trying to make things happen in my life To let all that go and  focusing on being really good at doing whatever was on front of me to do. When I stopped focusing on aiming to try and make things happen or forcing them to and just focused on doing a good job - the success and opportunities came out of that. As opposed to getting everything I wanted in life I got something even better, which is even More than I could have Imagined by being willing to not know and follow a path Success rarely works the way you tell it to, but as a natural fruition of being you at a high level instead of on low.   37:00 Favorite adages or quotes “Caring is everything” “All you can take with you is that which you've given away” To realize there are so many treasures within us and around us but when we hoard them and hold them, they lose all value. And so you have to share them with your life to really get the gifts and presents out of things. 38:12 On Safety, Openness, and Healthy Boundaries It brings relief for someone to say you're safe You can’t have fun if you don’t feel safe, you can’t learn if you don’t feel safe - Stacey “To the extent that we control, we limit love in our lives.”  - John Townsend Boundaries aren’t the walls that we build to keep eachother out, they’re the guidelines that we agree to so that we can have intimate space with one another.   42:05 On Listening and Judgement What I want to bring is not just a willingness to get people to dialogue, but to listen better and to also not be afraid to have their hearts broken. And by that I mean that is to not let themselves be complacent o the terribly shitty things that are going on out there. Sometimes we're so rushed to fix things, and find the answers to things, that we don't stop to acknowledge enough the pain and just be in it for a while. And that kind of takes courage, but you don’t get to that safe place to make right decisions until you’re willing to look the pain dead in the eye. Listening requires some form of understanding our connection. Understanding that when I’m listening to you, I’m listening in to me. That there is that communal wisdom. That there is a connection, we are threaded together. -Stacey Judgement is when you're in a relationship with an idea that you already have about somebody or something. And so the relationship you're in is in your head. The listening is already in your head so you're not really listening ndn present. You may have to change your philosophy and the things you've built your foundation on. “To truly listen is to risk being transformed forever.” Sakej Henderson 47:40 Sex is the answer… I mean Pie.   48:43: Where can you find Reverend Josh? The Weekly Wisdom Podcast: http://themeaningplace.org Mile Hi church in Lakewood, CO https://milehichurch.org (Music for podcast: www.bensound.com)  

In this episode I interview David Trotter: filmmaker, author and marketing strategist who is passionate about telling inspiring stories and creating resources that motivate people to take positive action. He’s an award winning filmmaker who has produced and directed three feature length documentaries including Mother India, In Plain Sight, and Set Free Posse. His first scripted feature film The Road to Edmond will be released in late 2018. He lives in Orange county with his amazing wife Laura and their two great teenage kids. Find out more about him at his website: http://davidtrotter.tv   Show Notes 00:00: Opening “Just wanted to give you the 411 on my very first podcast. David Trotter and I went deep pretty fast, diving into spiritual philosophies and religious backgrounds. Even though this isn’t a religious podcast show, it will address spirituality and we’re definitely going to chat with people from many different belief systems.It was a great conversation where our topics ranged from his conservative Christian background, to doing a film on LGBTQ subject matter, and then, we lightened it up for a bit before we dove into the topic of gun control. I think it was a really great first show and I’m so glad to share this deep dive with you. Ready? Here we go…” Stacey   1:24 Introduction/ Intentions of Podcast “This show is based on my book An Unconventional Life: Where Messes and Magic Collide. It’s a collection of 21 chapters of the unique ways we’ve lived and traveled, and the crazy things we’ve done, to the wisdoms we’ve found in the mundane. Where we’ve crashed and burned hard and the creative ways we’ve risen from the ashes This show is all about talking with extraordinary souls who look at life through a different lens. Influencers and shapeshifters. People who not only see things differently but say it through their art of living. My heart in this is that when we hear from people who look at life differently it adds to our vocabulary, our toolbox, our options, on how we can see things, say things, do things, and live our lives.” Stacey   4:15 -  Introduction to David Trotter “Filmmaker, author and marketing strategist who is passionate about telling inspiring stories and creating resources that motivate people to take positive action. He’s an award winning filmmaker who has produced and directed three feature length documentaries including Mother India, In Plain Sight, and  Set Free Posse. His first scripted feature film The Road to Edmond will be released in late 2018. He lives in Orange county with his amazing wife Laura and their two great teenage kids.” Stacey   6:00 Dave’s Recollection of meeting Stacey   8:34 - When people ask you what do you do? In Dave’s own words.   13:37 - The spiritual conversation. Dave’s journey. “I started sensing a calling into ministry and became a pastor in full time ministry for over 10 years.” Dave   15:38 The biggest issue for me. Homosexuality. “How I felt at the time was that anything different than a marriage between a man and a woman is less than God's best, which is what I would articulate. My heart would sink. I knew the relationship would be cut off and there would be no further dialogue.” Dave   16:00 A Radical Change “Being out of ministry for 10 years has given me the opportunity to have dialogue and conversation with people who are in same sex relationships, people wrestling with theological issues, spirituality and faith in general. As I had more space it allowed me to question things. As I have been exposed to other ways of seeing the bible, other ways of seeing God - it has allowed me to then take the step to say these are key issues, and I would love to create a film that asks those questions in a way that is humorous, pushes the envelope, and would ultimately cause some controversy that would result in conversation. This becomes The Road To Edmond.” Dave   19:30 - More thoughts on Christianity as a former pastor, and Dave’s progressive film The Road To Edmond   25:44 - Growing past the rewards “The point that you’re rewarded for a thought that you have is the point that it’s tempting to stop growing. When you have a life that’s supported by a certain philosophy, you’re sort of motivated to not grow past that thought. That's why I always admire people who are willing to say ‘gosh there was a reward here and I could have stopped at that point because I had a big audience or a bigger paycheck at that thought. A sense of community and acceptance at that thought. But I’m willing to let all of that go, I’m willing to risk all of that for this thing that’s inside of me that’s pulsing so strong, or the conflict inside me that’s so strong that I have to wrestle with even if it means my philosophy changes.” Stacey   30:00 - On God as Love “I reached a point where I was like you know what? I just want to love people. I don’t want to leave anybody out. I don’t want to spend my energy trying to save people when I really don’t see them as broken. I see all of us as made from a God of Love and Love made us so we are Love.” “The breakdown really isn’t that were broken and need to be fixed the breakdown for me is that we are incredible and we get spiritual amnesia about that. We are this beautiful light but sometimes we don’t recognize that within us.” Stacey   33:40 - Dave’s current journey - being in the middle. “The Road to Edmond is a spiritual act, it is a spiritual process, and a spiritual gift that I’m trying to give to the world. The heart that’s embedded in this film is a heart of genuine questioning that’s not meant to tear down but meant to create an environment of safety in the midst of the laughter.” Dave   34:58 - On asking questions and moving beyond to find your tribe “I think the hardest part for the people who are asking questions is the possible loss of community and firm ground.” Dave “I felt like I was coming out of the christian closet, and I’m coming out as a human. Who loves people, and loves God, and the price tag was community.” Stacey “The two biggest issues that are addressed in this film -  are the two big issues in our world today which are: LGBTQ and ultimately who’s in and who’s out in terms of Heaven and hell.” Dave   42:40 Dave’s favorite part of making a film   45:02 Getting through the grind + Coming back to ‘The Why’ + success strategies for time production + EA   48:12 -Entrepreneurial grit + External vs Internal motivation factors   54:20 External Internal Motivation test   57:29 - Dave’s favorite quote ‘The five P’s’ doing the work in your life to live ready   1:00:20 - On Preparation “You can’t cram for stressful moments. What happens when you’re in a stressful moment, or a tragedy or a hard time is you live the readiness you have.” Stacey   1:00:56 Tapping the humanitarian in Dave: his two hot button issue and what we can do to move the world forward in a healing way.   1:03:45 - Stance on Gun control and boundaries in crossing lines   1:08:27 - Wisdom we can glean from recognizing there are no guarantees that we have the day, learning to embrace the moment “I can either live in fear or I can have richness that says wow isn’t this life great...  There is a richness that comes with the mortality and a wisdom - and wanting to take care of issues like violence, but at the same time knowing that it’s an illusion if I think I can control all of that..” Dave 1:11:48 The Concept of living The Unconventional Life “ There is something so powerful when I came to the conclusion that I could do whatever I wanted in life. And you remind me that on a daily basis. I can go where I want to go. I can do whatever kind of work I want to do.” Dave “Some people would say the reason I can do this is because of my own privilege. Because of the education that I’ve had, the color of my skin, the country that I live in. Some people don’t have this same freedom. But I think that so many of us live with cultural restraints that we just assume hold us back. You can live however you want to live, and that’s the beauty of an Unconventional Life.” Dave   “You can find a way to make a living You can raise kids in all kinds of different ways You can travel in different ways You can create different things   I can create a book I can create a film I can create a website ANYBODY can” Dave   1:15:52 The ‘right’ way to live VS. living in Possibility “Part of what came from my religious construct were two messages that were in opposition to each other. One was that there’s one right way to live and believe. The other one is that anything is possible. You know, I don’t know how good my aim is at hitting the center of that target every day in every thought in every way. So when my brain opened up to: there are so many great ways to be a wife, so many great ways to be a mom to, teach your kids,  to still have our own spirituality that makes you a peaceful happy person, when I realized that… I think this lives inside of us, you know, in that same way the whole oak tree lives inside of the acorn- everything it needs lives inside of that except for the environment it’s going to grow in and the elements. That was inside of me. That’s inside of you. I believe that’s inside of everybody. To find their way to live their happiest, healthiest, most peaceful life. I believe that.” Stacey   1:17:37 Thoughts on Humanism “It’s about taking the healthiest parts of your psychology and anything that’s possible and you’re building your life on that.” Stacey   1:18:25 What discerning God’s will looks like for me “One of the biggest problems I found in conservative Christianity is: What is God’s will for my life?” Dave   1:20:57 - Closing/ Where to find Dave Website: davidtrotter.tv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dtrotteryou Twitter: jdavidtrotter Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jdavidtrotter Instagram: jdavidtrotter   (Music: www.bensound.com)