Dear Life with Christina Rasmussen

Today I talk about showing up as yourself without any modifications. Without the adjustments you had to make to survive the world we live in. I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  Things We Mention In This Episode Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter  Share Your Invisible Losses Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

It has been a few weeks since we've had a new episode and this one is a short one about self-compassion. I also talk about why I took a break from writing the weekly letter (don't worry, it will be back soon) and how healing it has been to take a pause from one pursuit to make space for another. I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  Things We Mention In This Episode Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

We wind up 2021 with clips from a few episodes that I loved and that I hope you'll love, too. You can find the links/episode numbers to the full episodes from each guest below. Thank you for spending time wanting to change your life. Thank you for searching for the truer self that exists within you. Thank you for not giving up on that true self. Don't you ever stop that true self from coming out. Thank you for listening to the podcast and I wish you happiness, bliss, and peace in the new year. I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  Things We Mention In This Episode - Episode 107 - Anita Moorjani - Episode 111 - Steven Kotler - Episode 102 - Terri Cole - Episode 123 - Dr. Piero Calvi-Parisetti - Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen - Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen - Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

Inside of all of us there lives an identity, a personality that is always hidden. Only a small percentage of people are able to show up in the world exactly as they are because it can take a great deal of courage. So, today, let's try to express our true selves even if it's in a small way. Start with one choice to reveal a part of your hidden self. Maybe it's wearing a color that you love, painting a wall in a color no one else would normally choose, or in any other way that makes sense to you. I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  Things We Mention In This Episode - Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen - Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen - Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

I talk about making sure that in your life, in your relationships, with your family, your friends, and with yourself that you honor the open sea perspective and the knowing that you have because of the losses that you've experienced. You are not here to settle. You are here to live the life that you're supposed to have. “What a shame finally to reach the open sea, but settle for a modest jug of water!” - Excerpt From: Rumi. “Rumi's Little Book of Wisdom.” I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  Things We Mention In This Episode - Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen - Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen - Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

The holiday season is upon us and so are the complex feelings that can come with it. I talk about the contrast of the happiness of the holidays and the pain of loss, anxiety, and worry that can plague so many of us. I also talk about the importance of trusting that we can show up as ourselves without always preparing so much. I want you to try to make space for both sadness and joy during this time. They are two sides of the same coin. I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  Things We Mention In This Episode Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

As you know, I love writing and I'd also love for you to write. I have received hundreds, if not thousands of messages, from people who want to write a book and are looking for information on how to go about it and how to get one published. Before you think about publishing, it's essential to consider one important thing: the enjoyment of writing and just getting your story on the page. Today's guest is an amazing fiction writer and poet, Diane Wald. Her book, “My Famous Brain”, was the winner of the Visionary Fiction category from the NYC Big Book Awards, a competition judged by experts from many facets of the book industry worldwide, including publishers, writers, and professional editors. We spent the hour talking about her life as a writer, her struggles when she was teaching and writing, and how she's had 3 books published in the last 3 years at 73 years old. She truly is an inspiration to any who wants to know how to start and is worried that it is too late to start. I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Diane Wald Diane Wald, at age 73, is an award-winning poet and novelist, who has worked as  an English professor, academic dean, and communications director for a national animal welfare organization. She has published five chapbooks, four full-length collections of poetry, and two novels. Three of her books — Gillyflower, The Warhol Pillows, and My Famous Brain — were published within the last three years.  You can connect with her via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Things We Mention In This Episode Website: MyFamousBrain.com Website: GillyFlowerNovel.com Book: "My Famous Brain" by Diane Wald Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

I had a deep, intentional, and grounding conversation with a sophrologist named Dominique Antiglio. Dominique is a Sophrologist and founder of global Sophrology platform BeSophro, and best-selling author The Life-Changing Power of Sophrology. She specializes in stress and sleep management, anxiety reduction, and burn-out prevention.  This conversation is for you if you feel like you're living life too fast or if you're feeling like you're especially sensitive to the world around you and people don't seem to understand those feelings. She also beautifully speaks to the idea that we should acknowledge certain relationships in our lives have limits. To know these limits helps us remove the judgment we place on that person and find peace with what that relationship can provide us and what it cannot. It was a fascinating conversation and I hope you enjoy it. I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Dominique Antiglio Dominique is a Sophrologist and founder of global Sophrology platform BeSophro, and best-selling author The Life-Changing Power of Sophrology. Dominique specialises in stress and sleep management, anxiety reduction and burn-out prevention. She has been instrumental in bringing the practice of Sophrology into the mainstream (the Guardian calls it the “dynamic young cousin” of mindfulness), with prominent figures like Arianna Huffington publicly praising Dominique and her work. You can connect with her via her website or Instagram. Things We Mention In This Episode - Website: BeSophro - Book: "The Life-Changing Power of Sophrology" by Dominique Antiglio - Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen - Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen - Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

I talk about stepping into the power of the true self and releasing the grip that fear has on us. What would happen if you didn't modify who you were so that you could fit into what everyone else expects from you? What would happen if you feared less and lived authentically more? I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  Things We Mention In This Episode - Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen - Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen - Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

Christina talks about the places she has traveled recently and how important it is to make mindful decisions about returning to places that may hold painful memories for you. With so many beautiful places in the world to visit, why return to the ones that will bring you a lot of loss? I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  Things We Mention In This Episode - Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen - Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen - Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

Today's episode is with Dr. Piero Calvi-Parisetti who has dedicated the last 15 years of his life to exploring the data and evidence in our world to see if there really is life after death and death truly is just a doorway. I felt truly connected with him. He cares so much about people that have lost their loved ones and he wants to help alleviate some of that grief by making sure they know that death is not the end. You're going to be left with less doubt about the survival of consciousness and you will enjoy his in-depth and scientific exploration of the afterlife.  I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Dr. Piero Calvi-Parisetti Scottish/Italian author and speaker Piero Calvi-Parisetti is a medical doctor originally specialising in Public Health and Disaster Management. After working with the International Red Cross and the United Nations in the management of international  humanitarian aid operations,  at the end of year 2000 he took up a late academic career. Until 2015, he has been Professor of Emergencies and Humanitarian Action at Milan University (Italy) and a visiting professor at several other universities. In 2004, a simple anecdote narrated by his wife triggered an intellectual interest, at first, and then a true scholarly passion for psychical research, especially for the study of scientific evidence pointing to the survival of human personality of bodily death. By digesting some 30,000 pages of literature, attending international conferences and study days, interviewing the researchers and even training personally with Dr Raymond Moody (the first physician to write about Near-Death Experiences in 1975), Dr Parisetti became convinced that mind and consciousness cannot be reduced to the activity of the brain, and, in a way which we do not understand, they survive the death of the body. He is the author of five books and the producer of an 8-hour video course on various aspects of the survival hypothesis. He closely collaborates with the Forever Family Foundation, a nonreligious, not for profit organisation strong of over 12,000 members worldwide dedicated to furthering the knowledge of afterlife science among the bereaved.  You can connect with him via his website, or Facebook. Things We Mention In This Episode - Website: DrParisetti.com - Book: "Step Into the Light" by Dr. Piero Calvi-Parisetti - Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen - Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen - Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

Now and again, I get to have a conversation with someone who is so extraordinary in ways that I didn't expect even after researching their lives and accomplishments.  In this case, David Richman was exactly that. He discusses the journey he has been on to change his life, change the lives of his kids, to impact the cancer world and inspire cancer survivors to be more connected and get the help they need, to live a healthier life despite his upbringing and the original narrative of his life. If you're looking to better your life and understand why his book “Winning in the Middle of the Pack” was so impactful to me, this is the episode for you. I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About David Richman David is an author, public speaker, philanthropist, and endurance athlete whose mission is to form more meaningful human connections through storytelling. In his first book, Winning in the Middle of the Pack, he discussed how to get more out of ourselves than ever imagined. With Cycle of Lives, David shares the interconnected stories of people overcoming trauma and delves deeply into their emotional journeys with cancer. You can connect with him via his website, Facebook, and Instagram. Things We Mention In This Episode - Website: cycleoflives.org - Book: “Winning in the Middle of the Pack” by David Richman - Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen - Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen - Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

Today's episode is with one of my favorite people in the universe, astronaut Nicole Stott. Her book, “Back to Earth” is out now for everyone to enjoy. We talk about her incredible experiences under the ocean, in space, and how the process of making art with no gravity is strange and magical. Her book is extraordinary and her heart and soul is all about reminding us that we are the guardians of planet Earth, not only for ourselves, but for our kids and future generations. It is so important that we can protect this beautiful space ship that we all live on and that we remember to tap into the feeling of connectivity that lives inside all of us. I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Nicole Stott Nicole Stott is an Astronaut, Aquanaut, and Artist who creatively combines the awe and wonder of her spaceflight experience with her artwork to inspire everyone's appreciation of our role as crewmates here on spaceship Earth. She believes that the international model of peaceful and successful cooperation we have experienced in the extreme environments of space and sea holds the key to the same kind of peaceful and successful cooperation for all of humanity here on Earth. A personal highlight from her spaceflight experience was painting the first watercolor in space, which is now on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in DC. She is the founder of the Space for Art Foundation, and co-founder of Constellation.Earth.  You can connect with her via his website and Instagram. Things We Mention In This Episode - Book: Back to Earth - Website: www.nicolestott.com  - Space for Art Foundation.org - Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen - Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen - Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

Today's conversation is going to feel very different. This is an opportunity for the person who sees the world in a more traditional way to see it in a very new way. My guest today is Paul Selig. He is a channel. A receiver that shares information from guides, who are not here in the physical world, that is insightful and life changing. I believe many of you will be surprised at the intelligence and importance of what Paul's guides share. In this episode, we talk about his new book “The Kingdom”. All of his books have been channeled and received in a short amount of time, well-written, and already edited. They are direct from the source.  If you are looking to witness yourself and your life from a different place, from what is called the “upper room” where energy is higher, where creation is a fearless experience, then I hope you listen in to this conversation with an open mind. I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Paul Selig Paul Selig is considered to be one of the foremost spiritual channels working today. In his nine breakthrough works of channeled literature, including I Am the Word, The Book of Mastery, and the Beyond the Known Trilogy: Realization, Alchemy, and The Kingdom author and medium Paul Selig has recorded an extraordinary program for personal and planetary evolution as humankind awakens to its own divine nature. Paul was born in New York City and received his master's degree from Yale. A spiritual experience in 1987 left him clairvoyant.  Described as “a medium for the living,” Paul has the unique ability to step into and “become” the people his clients ask about, often taking on their personalities and physical characteristics as he “hears” them telepathically. His work has been featured on ABC News Nightline, Fox News, the Biography Channel's The UnXplained and Gaiam TV's Beyond Belief.  Also a noted academic, Paul served on the faculty of NYU for over 25 years and is the former director of the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Goddard College. Paul offers channeled workshops internationally, conducts frequent live-stream seminars and makes his home on the Island of Maui. You can connect with him via his website, Instagram, and Facebook. Things We Mention In This Episode - Book: The Kingdom, A Channeled Text by Paul Selig - Book: Alchemy, A Channeled Text by Paul Selig - Book: The Book of Truth, A Channeled Text by Paul Selig - Book: The Book of Mastery, A Channeled Text by Paul Selig - Book: The Book of Love and Creation, A Channeled Text by Paul Selig - Book: I Am The Word, A Channeled Text by Paul Selig - Website: www.paulselig.com  - Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen - Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen - Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

Today's guest is Jennifer Katz. The author of “The Good Widow.” Jennifer lost her husband unexpectedly 3 years ago after 18 years of marriage.  We discuss how loss changes us, how dating after the death of a spouse is a complex and difficult decision but can be a rewarding one too.  There are some controversial subjects Jennifer and I touched upon during our conversation. Just try to remember that our experiences are unique to each of us and we should seek to be inspired by the diversity of everyone's choices.  Your journey is your own. Especially after loss. I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Jennifer Katz: Jenny, author of The Good Widow, is an adoptive mom and a stepmom living in Western NY. Trained as a clinical psychologist, Jenny is Professor of Psychology at SUNY Geneseo. She teaches about gender, sexuality, and helping relationships, and in her free time, she loves reading, yoga, musical theater, and broccoli. You can connect with Jennifer via Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Relevant Links - Official Site: The Good Widow - Book: The Good Widow - Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen - Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen - Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

For those who follow me on Instagram, you see that I often post photographs of the sunrise and I feel that there's something really special about it. There is some kind of connection between us and the sun, almost some kind of communication. When I am watching the sunrise, I feel that each day gets a fresh start. As if someone is telling me that the day is going to be ok. Everything is better for those few moments. I encourage you to seek out the sunrise tomorrow and see how it makes you feel. - Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen - Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen - Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

Today's guest is someone that you're going to fall head over heels with. In this conversation, Andrea is transparent, vulnerable, and honest. This is about loss, addiction, being cheated on, and recovering stronger than ever. She found a way out of the corner that life put her in and completely transformed. Andrea is helping every woman get their confidence back (or helping them find their confidence for the first time) and teaching them to take up space without apologizing for it. I felt really connected to who she was and her message and I hope that you will, too. I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Andrea Owen: Andrea Owen is an author, global speaker, and professional certified life coach who helps high-achieving women maximize unshakeable confidence, and master resilience. She has taught hundreds of thousands of women tools and strategies to be able to empower themselves to live their most kick-ass life through speaking, her books, coaching, and her wildly popular podcast with over 3 million downloads. She is the proud author of two books, which have been translated into 18 languages and available in 22 countries. Her latest book, Make Some Noise: Speak Your Mind and Own Your Strength came out on August 2021. Andrea is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) from The Coaches Training Institute, a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation, a SHE RECOVERS®️ coach, as well as a Certified Daring Way™️ Facilitator; a modality based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown. When she's not juggling her full coaching practice or writing books, Andrea is busy riding her Peloton bike, chasing her two school-aged children or making out with her husband, Jason. She is also a retired roller derby player having skated under the name “Veronica Vain”. You can connect with Andrea via Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. Relevant Links - Official Site: Your Kick Ass Life - Book: Make Some Noise: Speak Your Mind and Own Your Strength - Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen - Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen - Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

Today's episode is a very special one. I invited my daughters for the first time to publicly share about their loss journey. They share how the loss of their dad was experienced differently in different stages in their lives. They talk about the relationship they have with him now and how it has evolved over the years. How they dealt with sharing their loss with their friends. How it impacted their lives then and now. This is definitely up close and personal. Informal and real. It will feel as if you are here with us.  I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  Relevant Links Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

Today's conversation is with Karen Johnson, a healer and writer who spent 30 years of her life working as a judge until her beloved son, Ben, died from an overdose at 27. After that devastating experience, she sold her home, retired, spent 2 and a half years traveling and interviewing shamans, and ultimately became one herself.  This episode is about Karen's journey with grief and the world beyond. She emphasizes that, while it will take time, we don't have to be stuck in our grief and our loved ones don't want us to be stuck as it keeps them from doing their work on the other side. If you want to know how to find the wisdom and energy in grief that can be used to create a new life and how to trust the universe, this is a must-listen. I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Karen V. Johnson: Karen Johnson is a graduate of Georgetown Law Center (J.D.), a former Fulbright Scholar in Afghanistan, and holds Masters Degrees in Public Health and Public and International Affairs (MPH, MPIA). Karen is a retired federal administrative law judge and practiced criminal and energy law for more than 30 years. She also is a former U.S. Army officer, Major, USAR (inactive).  Karen was personally trained by Alberto Villoldo and the Four Winds Society, and holds a certification in Luminous Healing from Healing the Light Body School, and is a teacher with the Four Winds. You can connect with Karen via Instagram or Facebook. Official Site: Shamaniclarity LLC,  KarenJohnson.net Book: Living Grieving: Using Energy Medicine to Alchemize Grief and Loss Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

We re-visit a conversation with Nancy Levin and this time with better audio than before! We talk about her divorce and how hard it was for her to walk away from a relationship that was verbally abusive. We talk about boundaries and how important they are in our lives and how to shift out of “people pleaser” mode and into living your life for YOU! If your life feels like it's not your own. If you are running, if you are busy, if you are rushing through every day of your life and you feel that laughter and smiling is not a part of who you are anymore then I hope you'll listen to this conversation. I'd love to hear what you think of this conversation and how you see it translating to your own life. Be sure to comment below or connect with me on Instagram to tell me all about it. More About Nancy Levin Nancy Levin is a Master Coach and bestselling author of several books, including Permission to Put Yourself First and Setting Boundaries Will Set You Free (Hay House, January 2020). She was the Event Director at Hay House from 2002 - 2014 and now hosts her own weekly call-in radio show Jump Start Your Life on Hay House Radio. Nancy offers in-depth coaching and training programs designed to support clients in making themselves a priority and setting boundaries that stick. You can connect with Nancy via her website, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Things We Mention In This Episode Website: www.nancylevin.com Book: Jump...And Your Life Will Appear by Nancy Levin Book: Writing For My Life by Nancy Levin Book: Permission to Put Yourself First by Nancy Levin Book: The New Relationship Blueprint by Nancy Levin Book: Setting Boundaries Will Set You Free by Nancy Levin Workshop: Join Christina at The Omega Institute for Life Reentry After Loss Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly inspiration Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

I really got the sense that Eric cares so much about the people that he helps work through their grief journey. His daughter passed away several years ago and, since then, he has changed his life completely to be of service to all people who have lost their loved ones and are going through the pain of grief and tragic loss. He tries to help people see that living in survival mode is necessary, but must be temporary. We talked about Greece and how that culture handles grief so differently, survivor's guilt, signs from our loved ones, dreams, and so much more. He reminds us that part of our healing process is remembering that our loved ones aren't the only reasons that we're here living our lives. If you want to experience hope for better days ahead, I hope you listen in. I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Eric Hodgdon: Eric Hodgdon is a coach, author and speaker. After losing his 15-year old daughter Zoi to suicide in early 2014, Eric found a way to get back up and through his grief journey, he is sharing the lessons learned so that no one else has to walk alone on their journey. Eric has trained thousands of people who simply wanted to know how to navigate the worst setbacks that can happen to us all. You can connect with Eric via Instagram or Facebook. Relevant Links Official Site: Resilience Leaders, LLC , www.erichodgdon.com Book: A Sherpa Named Zoi Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

On today's episode I am talking about reentering after a long quarantined year. Why it is important to not assume that you are the same person you were when you went into quarantine. You may think that you are the same because you have been with yourself all this time. It is hard to detect change when you are in constant interaction with yourself. I am going to ask you to consider that you are different. Reentry back to life is going to feel like you have just left a dark room and you walked into a very sunny world without your sunglasses. Even that is a gross understatement of what life reentry is after being in the Waiting Room for such a long time. Enjoy this solo episode and make sure you go out and experiment with something new. Something new and something easy. Sunglasses won't be enough for the effect of the sun light on your eyes after being in the darkness for what felt like an eternity.  Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

On today's episode, I have one of my favorite human beings. Steven Kotler has researched, studied, experienced, and presented the information about flow and peak performance in a beautiful way. We talk about how grief, tragedy, and loss is influential in making the impossible happen and creating new realities for ourselves. The flow state is accessible to everyone and is a universal experience. After this conversation, you will understand how flow can benefit you, how grit and resilience are essential traits, and how fear is experienced by everyone (but you don't have to see it as an obstacle). I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinastars on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Steven Kotler: Steven Kotler is a New York Times-bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world's leading experts on human performance. He is the author of ten bestsellers (out of thirteen books total), including The Art of Impossible, The Future Is Faster Than You Think, Stealing Fire, The Rise of Superman, Bold and Abundance. His work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes, translated into over 40 languages, and appeared in over 100 publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Atlantic Monthly, TIME and the Harvard Business Review. Steven is also the cohost of Flow Research Collective Radio, a top ten iTunes science podcast. Along with his wife, author Joy Nicholson, he is the co-founder of the Rancho de Chihuahua, a hospice and special needs dog sanctuary. You can connect with Steven via Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or LinkedIn. Relevant Links Official Site: StevenKotler.com Flow Research Collective Book: The Art of Impossible Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

Jimmy Choi joins me to talk about his journey from being diagnosed with young onset Parkinson's disease when he was 27 to the motivational speaker and American Ninja Warrior that he is today. He is an extraordinary human being who managed to step out of an 8 year battle through darkness and mental struggle about a diagnosis that would forever change his life. To say that he is one of a kind would be an understatement. He works hard everyday to outpace his current self and that is the most important thing that any of us can do. This is not just about Parkinson's. At the end of this hour, you will be inspired and you will go about your day looking out for yourself and wanting to go beyond your comfort zone and overcome your own obstacles.  I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinastars on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Jimmy Choi: Jimmy Choi is a technology consultant and motivational speaker from Bolingbrook, Illinois. Choi was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease at the age of 27, and has since become an active advocate for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Since then, Jimmy has participated in multiple clinical trials to further research for better treatments and hopefully a cure for PD. Physical therapy led him to running and other activities that help him physically and mentally. He joined Team Fox in 2012, and ran in his first marathon that year -- and he hasn't stopped since. In July 2017, he took on a new challenge and competed on NBC's “American Ninja Warrior” to show the world that Parkinson's will not stop him. Jimmy maintains a very active lifestyle, having competed in over 100 half marathons, 15 full marathons, one ultra-marathon, six Grand Fondo rides, multiple Spartan Races and countless 5K and 10K runs. To date, he has raised more than $240,000 for Parkinson's research with Team Fox... and counting. You can connect with Jimmy via Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter as: jcfoxninja. Relevant Links Parkinson's Foundation: The Michael J. Fox Foundation Instagram: @jcfoxninja Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

Frank White, author and space philosopher, is back for another incredible conversation. Frank and I have become great friends since our first interview over a year and a half ago and since then we've been talking about space, humans in space, and the Overview Effect. He has interviewed many Astronauts about their experiences seeing Earth from above and how it has undoubtedly created a cognitive shift in them. We talk about future civilizations, the unidentified objects that are being acknowledged now by our government, and how all of these things help us shift our view of life and reality. Let's look at our existence from a place beyond this one location. From somewhere that may even be more familiar than being here on Earth. I'd love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I'm @christinastars on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  Frank has also appeared in Episode 15 & 90 of The Dear Life Podcast. More About Frank White: Frank White is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and a Rhodes Scholar. He coined the term "Overview Effect" and has written three books on the subject, as well as several books on other topics. He advocates the creation of a new philosophy of space exploration and development. You can connect with Frank via his website or Twitter. Relevant Links Book: The Overview Effect - 4th Edition by Frank White Book: The Cosma Hypothesis: Implications of the Overview Effect by Frank White Film: Overview Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina's weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

I am thrilled to introduce you to today’s guest, Dr. Parker J. Palmer, a prolific author of ten books and thought leader. This conversation felt perfectly timed for me personally, and I can’t wait for you to listen to it too. Parker has such a grounded and clear way of articulating profound ideas and human experiences. One such idea he has coined is what he calls the tragic gap. This is the tension between reality and possibility. He explains how he came to terms with this truth many years ago as a student and was feeling discouragement and despair during the civil rights movement in the 60s. Coming to terms with reality but also being aware of the possibilities if only the world didn’t push back. He describes it as a kind of a death, the death of a dream. So many of us are navigating these tragic gaps in our personal lives and the world at large.  He describes who he calls culture heroes like Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela and how they found ways to keep showing up without letting the needs of the world or the tragic gap overwhelm them. Parker suggests that it’s a fact that we are constantly caught between the harsh realities of the world, but it is possible to reframe our lives and the way we experience this gap that can make it more liveable. One of those ways is by coming back closer to ourselves and seeing what our individual role to play in the bigger picture can be. He suggests asking these questions, which I will now be asking myself regularly, Am I being faithful to my gifts? To the needs I see around me and to the places my gifts might intersect those needs? In asking yourself these questions, this helps you stay the course and not get overwhelmed by all of it. We all have a role to play and if we can remain faithful to our gifts, we will keep moving forward.   “Am I being faithful to my gifts? To the needs I see around me and to the places my gifts might intersect those needs?”  ~ Dr. Parker J. Palmer   I asked Parker about how he knows when to quit something because over time, sticking to something becomes more stubborn than resilient if it’s just not working. His answer was perfect. He suggests asking yourself, is this thing I’m doing still life-giving or is it death-dealing? We also talk about what he thinks happens when we die and how he has been intrigued since a very young age about death and where we go. He shares that he has been walking with mystery and questions his whole life, dancing with them even. Toward the end of our conversation Parker shared very candidly about his personal experience of clinical depression, when he decided it was time to write about those experiences and what being able to speak about that has meant to him instead of hiding that part of himself.  The way he describes those moments in his life with such honesty and compassion, both for himself and others experiencing it is something that I hope everyone will listen to. I truly believe that’s how we will save lives. This is one of those conversations that will stay with me for my lifetime. I’d love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinastars on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Dr. Parker J. Palmer Dr. Parker J. Palmer is a writer, speaker and activist who focuses on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality and social change. He is founder and Senior Partner Emeritus of the Center for Courage & Renewal, which offers long-term retreat programs for people in the serving professions, including teachers, administrators, physicians, philanthropists, non-profit leaders and clergy. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California at Berkeley, as well as thirteen honorary doctorates, two Distinguished Achievement Awards from the National Educational Press Association, and an Award of Excellence from the Associated Church Press. Palmer is the author of ten books—including several award-winning titles—that have sold two million copies and been translated into ten languages: Healing the Heart of Democracy, The Heart of Higher Education (with Arthur Zajonc), The Courage to Teach, A Hidden Wholeness, Let Your Life Speak, The Active Life, To Know As We Are Known, The Company of Strangers, The Promise of Paradox, and On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity and Getting Old. You can connect with Parker via this website. Things We Mention In This Episode Book: On the Brink of Everything; Grace, Gravity, and Getting Older, by Parker J. Palmer Book: A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward an Undivided Life, by Parker J. Palmer Book: Let Your Life Speak, by Parker J. Palmer Book: I Don’t Want to Talk About It, by Terrence Real Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

On today’s episode, I welcome New York Times best-selling author and international speaker, Anita Moorjani. I have been following Anita’s amazing work for years, starting with her first book, Dying to Be Me which tells the story of her amazing near death experience when she had a terminal cancer diagnosis and her incredible road to recovery!  We start the conversation from the very beginning and her childhood and talk about her very unique experiences living, as she calls it, between three worlds and existing in three different languages. As well as the early signs of being an empath and developing a very strong inner world and seeing more than others around her. Anita explains that she didn’t always see being sensitive or shy as positive traits, particularly because of the reaction of those around her and the stories her family told. She felt different, outcast, weird. Instead of special and unique. It wasn’t until her near death experience that she realized how special and unique her life was and how everything happened for a reason - nothing was a punishment, it all happened FOR her. She realized that she was the perfect person to bridge religious and cultural differences.  We talk about the very hard loss of her friend to cancer as well as her own cancer diagnosis. Anita believes she needed that experience and diagnosis to finally start taking care of herself and stop being, as she puts it, a people-pleasing doormat. It was after that near death experience that she started to step into herself and and emodied who she truly is.   “Don’t be afraid to take care of yourself first because your light is needed in this world.”~ Anita Moorjani   Anita speaks about her new book called Sensitive is the New Strong and I had to ask her how she embodies this confidence and radiance now. She says it is because she finally realized that her sensitivity and empathy for other is a super power. Not something to feel ashamed of. She developed boundaries instead of putting everyone else first.  She is committed to helping others learn what she has learned, without having to have a near death experience. She believes it’s time for empaths to take leadership roles. The world needs your voice. It’s time to stop hiding so we can change the world. She now sees that her purpose is to take care of herself and everything else is secondary from there. I hope that you will listen as Anita talks about how to interrupt the self-sacrificing behavior so many of us can find ourselves in sometimes. One of the key ways she suggests is to connect to something bigger than yourself - the universe, God, Source, whatever you call it. And also connect with yourself. Anita wants everyone to not be afraid to take care of yourself first because your light is needed in this world. I’d love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinastars on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Anita Moorjani Anita Moorjani is the New York Times best-selling author of Dying to Be and What if This Is Heaven and Sensitive is the New Strong.  She is a beloved international speaker and has dedicated her life to empowering people’s minds and hearts with her story of courage and transformation. She recently published a new book, Sensitive is the New Strong: The Power of Empaths in an Increasingly Harsh World.  She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband Danny.  You can connect with Anita via her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Things We Mention In This Episode Website: www.anitamoorjani.com   Book: Sensitive is the New Strong, by Anita Moorjani Book: Dying To Be Me, by Anita Moorjani TEDx talk: Dying To Be Me Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

I’m happy to introduce you to Tammy Lally a Certified Money Coach, TED Speaker, and Author of Money Detox. She helps others master their finances by stopping the cycle of their money shame to rewrite their financial future. Tammy works with people to first conquer their emotions around money and then through a comprehensive financial plan. I found Tammy after watching her TedTalk (which I hope you will go and watch) and knew she was someone that I needed to introduce to my listeners. The connection that she is able to make between money and emotions, especially grief and loss is powerful and I also believe life-saving for so many.  She shares the hard story of losing her brother and what a profound impact both his experience and also her experience of grief had on her. His death made her want to understand her beliefs and behaviors around money and life. She feels it pushed her toward finding a higher power and finding answers. She credits a lot of Grace, Faith, and a lot of Grit for getting her through.  We talk about the realization that we both had at points in our own experiences when it became clear that no one else was going to come and save us. When we realized that we have to do the work and stop looking to be rescued. This isn’t the same as trying to do everything yourself and not asking for help (which is very important), but that you also need to show up for yourself. When the strength comes from within it’s so powerful.   “The healing that you can do through the lens of money is extraordinary. It’s one of the biggest healings of our time because we give money so much power. There is so much personal and spiritual growth that can come out of it.”  ~Tammy Lally   Tammy shares openly and honestly about her own money story and the personal bankruptcy she experienced shortly after her brother died. She says that our money story is imprinted on us, like much else, in the first 10 years of our lives and it’s just repeated over and over again unless we break the loop. This imprint happens through the way our parents did or didn’t talk about it, the energy around money when it was talked about, the stories we hear from the media and the way people with or without money are spoken about, and so many other things.  One of the best ways Tammy says to break this pattern for the future is to talk about money with your children. Bringing it into the light is the only way. I hope you will listen to this episode if you are newly grieving a loss. She and I both share our own experiences with money in the first few years after loss and Tammy gives such important advice if you are also in this part of the process. Ultimately, you need to ask for help and allow the help that is being offered to you. Find someone that you trust to talk about what is going on and then receive the help that comes your way. Letting people help you with the basics so that you can be well enough to move slowly from surviving to thriving is so important. Tammy’s work is literally saving lives. I’d love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Tammy Lally Tammy Lally is a Certified Money Coach, TED Speaker, and Author of Money Detox. She helps others master their finances by stopping the cycle of their money shame to rewrite their financial future. Tammy works with people to first conquer their emotions around money and then through a comprehensive financial plan. Tammy has 20 years of experience in the financial industry and 30 years of study in psychology, addiction, recovery, and spirituality. She brings a distinctive blend of financial industry experience, psychological knowledge, and spiritual consciousness to her work. Tammy offers a compassionate approach to money and money shame, which is truly powerful in helping her clients achieve transformative outcomes. Her signature "Money Detox" process is a seven-step journey that allows anyone to achieve financial freedom and joy. She works with individuals, couples, groups, and businesses and has thousands of people. You can connect with Tammy via her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Things We Mention In This Episode Website: www.tammylally.com  Book: Money Detox, by Tammy Lally TedTalk: Let’s Get Honest About Our Money Problems Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

I’m happy to introduce you to today’s guest Dr. Lise Deguire a clinical psychologist and author of a beautiful and inspirational new book called Flashback Girl: Lessons on Resilience From a Burn Survivor. As I told her in our conversation, Lise is one of my new heroes, and not just for the reasons that you might expect.   In her book, and in our conversation, it becomes clear very quickly that her story can help many people in many different ways. While the events of her life are highly specific, many of the losses (both traditional and invisible) are universal and helping so many people. As Lise mentioned in our conversation, she believes that it is through honest sharing of what we’ve been through that we can connect with and help others best. We talk about her experience as a 4-year-old girl that changed the course of her life forever, as well as the many other losses that happened as a direct or indirect result of that moment. It’s these moments that so many of us can relate to, hard and painful relationships with our parents, the loss of a loved one, teasing and bullying, and even a first marriage that wasn’t right for the long term.  She openly shares that while the people we want and expect to show up for us won’t always be able to, it’s important to notice that there are so many others that are. We also spoke about the idea of a Thriver mindset and whether or not it is something that we are born with or something you can train yourself and learn. She tends to believe it’s a little of both.    “It happens sometimes that the people we think are supposed to be there for us are not going to be. They can’t be, they won’t be, they are dead. But there are also so many others that want to be there for us if we can let them, it’s important that we notice them too.”  ~ Dr. Lise Deguire   Dr. Deguire is not just inspirational, she has this kindness and compassion toward the human condition. I felt it as I immersed myself in her work and it became even more strong when I connected with her in person for this interview. I’m certain that you will feel it to when you listen to our conversation. My hope is that after listening to Lise’s story, you will get the courage you need to Thrive in your life as well. I’d love to know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Dr. Lise Deguire Dr. Lise Deguire is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Pennington, NJ. At the age of four, she was third-degree burned over 65% of her body, a result of both maternal and corporate negligence. Against the odds, she lived through this injury, enduring countless surgeries, extended hospital stays, and while attending different schools, faced loneliness, ostracism, and bullying. She grew up in a dysfunctional family and lost four members of her family to suicide. Despite these life challenges, Dr. Deguire has forged a triumphant path towards love, health, and life satisfaction. She waited 50 years to write her memoir, and tell her story publicly until all of her family members had died. Dr. Deguire graduated from Tufts University, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Hahnemann/Widener University. For the past twenty years, she has been in solo practice in Pennington, New Jersey. She is the author of her memoir, Flashback Girl: Lessons on Resilience From a Burn Survivor. She has appeared on NPR, NBC, ABC, FOX, Sirius XM, and numerous podcasts. She is a blogger for Psychology Today and has been featured in Tiny Buddha, Thrive Global, The Elephant Journal, Best Ever You, The Trenton Times, and Grown & Flown. Dr. Deguire writes a blog about psychological resilience issues and is a national keynote speaker. You can connect with Dr. Deguire via her website. Things We Mention In This Episode Website: https://www.lisedeguire.com  Book: Flashback Girl: Lessons on Resilience From a Burn Survivor, Dr. Lise Deguire Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

I really enjoyed this conversation with Christine and I hope that you do too! Please comment below or share with me on social media to let me In today’s episode, I’m happy to introduce you to my friend Christine Hassler. Christine has a fascinating and inspiring story, that is ultimately about choosing yourself instead of meeting expectations or what we think we are supposed to do. In her 20s, on the outside, it looked like Christine had it all. She was working in Hollywood, had a successful career and boyfriend, and was hanging out at parties with A-listers like George Clooney. And yet, as she describes it, she was miserable.  Be sure to listen to the early part of our conversation where she actually describes the moment she was speaking with George Clooney at a party and that was a moment of realization for her. Realizing that she was not where she belonged.  In this open and honest conversation, Christine shares what happened after she left that life, and shares that it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows after that. There were many hard moments and lessons to be learned along the way. As she says, “it got worse before it got better, but at least she wasn’t lying anymore.” She speaks of her beloved coach and spiritual teacher Mona and the influential role she played in Christine’s life and personal awakening and transformation. Christine shares that she thinks one of the reasons we can stay stuck for so long is because of fear and even if we’re not currently happy, the fear of what it might feel like to change is often too big to take the leap. We can get conditioned to the suffering instead of going through a potentially bigger pain (temporarily) to move toward what is more in alignment. We also talk about her experience with anxiety and depression. How she connected with and healed her inner child, which she feels is key to all of our healing and growth. Christine explains that anxiety is an alarm bell and often our inner child is telling us that a need isn’t being met and is feeling unsafe and abandoned. So it’s very important to find ways to connect with our inner child and help them feel safe.   “With a career, relationship, or any of your dreams, it’s never too late. We’re sold this false timeline of things but there is wisdom and freedom that come with time and aging. It’s never too late for anything.”  ~ Christine Hassler   We also talk about relationships and how it wasn’t until she fully chose herself, was she able to call in and meet a man to be in a conscious relationship with. Until then, as she puts it, her wounded child and teenager were picking her partners and she was repeating old patterns. There is a lot of presence and grounding in where she is today. She seems to have found peace and no longer lives in regret. She explains that of course, she is human, and still experiences disappointment and what she calls expectation hangovers but she is able to move through them more quickly than before.  Christine encourages us to leverage disappointments into learning opportunities by asking, what does this remind me of? In disappointment and grief, there is always so much more going on than what is in the present moment. If we can follow the thread back to past experiences and moments those are the clues to where we have the opportunity for more exploration and healing. Let me know what you think. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Christine Hassler Christine Hassler is a Master Coach, facilitator, and speaker with over 16 years of experience. She is the best-selling author of three books, most recently Expectation Hangover: Free Yourself From Your Past, Change your Present and Get What you Really Want, and is the host of the top-rated podcast “Over it and On With It” where she coaches people live on the show. Christine is known globally for her ability to identify what is holding someone back and compassionately guide them to clarity.  She also works with companies and organizations to increase productivity and decrease the stress of their employees. Christine has a Master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology and implements elements of NLP, psychology, spirituality, science, and her own diverse life experience into her work.  She’s appeared on: The Today Show, CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX, E!, Style, and The New York Times.  Christine believes once we get out of our own way, we can show up to make the meaningful impact we are here to make.  You can connect with Christine via her website and on Instagram. Things We Mention In This Episode Website: www.christinehassler.com  Book: Expectation Hangover, by Christine Hassler Podcast: Over It and On With It, with Christine Hassler Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

Today’s guest is not what at all what you might expect when I tell you that he is known as “the funeral guy” and that he owns two funeral homes. Chris Meyer is so full of positive energy and a zest for life, and as he explains during our conversation, he has learned so much about living this way through his work with death and those that are grieving. Chris Meyer has lived many lives already in this one, working as a screenwriter, lawyer, funeral director, author, and so much more. He spoke openly and honestly to me about those different phases of his life, his lessons learned, and how he keeps finding the inspiration and drive to begin again and again. He shared what certain failures in his life have taught him and I thought it was so wise. Chris said that failure is such a huge part of his life and he’s grateful because it means he is continuing to strive. Chris says, “failure brick by failure brick is how we build our home. If you are taking the failure and you’re learning, you have a strong house and a hell of a lot of appreciation.” Chris shares his experience in the funeral industry. He talks about what it was like in the beginning and how it has changed him so profoundly. It is such an intimate experience to meet people in those moments between time and space, and he says that he has received so much more than he has given. It’s been so impactful for him to walk through these times with people and their families and he tells a particularly touching story of a woman that was dying and how she chose him to carry out her plans after her death.   “Death is the greatest reminder of how to live, or start living, your own life.” ~ Chris Meyer   I hope that you will listen to this episode as he shares some of his biggest lessons learned including seeing all of the commonalities and connections that we have when we are grieving and that the grief we feel is a reflection of the love we feel, two sides of the same coin.  Chris wants all of us to remember that tomorrow is not guaranteed and that there is truly no time like the present. Please comment below or share with me on social media. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Chris Meyer Chris Meyer is the author of Life in 20 Lessons: What a Funeral Guy Discovered About Life, from Death and The 'Wood and is the CEO of funandmoving.com, also known as FAM. Meyer now resides in Northern California with his best friend and wife of over twenty years and his three unique and amazing sons. Among this, Chris also owns two funeral homes, which served as the inspiration for Life in 20 Lessons which is often referred to as "not a book about dying, but a book about living." You can connect with Chris via his website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Things We Mention In This Episode Website: www.funandmoving.com  Website: www.chrismeyerauthor.com  Book: Life in 20 Lessons: What a Funeral Guy Discovered About Life, From Death, by Chris Meyer Book: The ‘Wood, by Chris Meyer Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

It’s my 49th Birthday today and I wanted to release a special solo episode to celebrate this day with all of you.  I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook. Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter 

I’m looking forward to hearing what you think of this week’s conversation with my guest Terri Cole. Terri is a licensed psychotherapist, relationship and empowerment expert, and author. She also happens to be a dear friend of mine. Her new book, Boundary Boss is available as of today and in this conversation, she walks me through the steps using a real-life example of an issue I was facing. The connections she was able to help me make and the clarity I found in this short conversation was remarkable! Terri talks about boundaries in a way that I haven’t seen before. As someone that thought I had strong boundaries, through this book, she defines them in ways that I wasn’t expecting and opened my mind to areas and experiences in my life that are boundary issues I hadn’t seen before.  If you’re familiar with my work and what I call Invisible Losses, you will appreciate the connections that Terri makes to how those losses and past experiences show up in our present relationships and interactions.    “The truth about boundaries is that they are not the blocks to the epic relationships we want.  They are, in fact, the bridge.” ~ Terri Cole   This episode is full of real-life examples and steps from Terri’s book that I’m certain will get you thinking about this in a different way, and hopefully also feel that it’s possible to make shifts in your own life. She highlights that when certain triggers or problems we face feel really big, it’s a good indication that it’s connected to a past experience that is showing up again. She reminds us, and in her book teaches us, how to shift out of the child experience and into our adult self. Terri is truly extraordinary in the way she explains and teaches these concepts. If you’d like to hear more of her personal story and how she went from running a top modeling agency to where she is now, be sure to listen to her first appearance on The Dear Life Podcast right here.  I can’t wait to dive into the exercises in the book and explore these newly defined boundaries. I hope you will join me! I hope that you’ll listen and let me know what you think of this conversation. Please comment below or share with me on social media. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Terri Cole Terri Cole is a licensed psychotherapist and global relationship and empowerment expert. For over two decades, Terri has worked with a diverse group of clients that includes everyone from stay-at-home moms to celebrities and Fortune 500 CEOs. She has a gift for making complex psychological concepts accessible and actionable so that clients and students achieve sustainable change. She inspires over 250,000 people weekly through her blog, social media platform, signature courses, and her popular podcast, The Terri Cole Show.  You can connect to Terri via her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Things We Mention In This Episode Book: Boundary Boss, by Terri Cole Website: www.terricole.com Dear Life Podcast Episode: Episode 48 with Terri Cole Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

I’m so happy to introduce you to today’s guest, Dr. Lisa Shulman. As I told her at the beginning of our conversation, had I found her work when I experienced the loss of my husband in 2006, I may not be doing the work that I am doing now. I thanked her for doing her work and for writing her book Before and After Loss because the way she describes the impact of loss and grief on the brain is truly life-changing for all of us. When I first found her book I thought, how come I didn’t know about this before and how come my community doesn’t know about her? Dr. Shulman and I have a wide reaching conversation about her own experience of grief when her husband died to her research and need to understand, as a neurologist, just what was happening to her brain as she experienced grief or as she calls it, emotional trauma.  Like me, she had much professional experience with grief before her own experience, so she anticipated that she would have an easier time than others because she had been close to the experience, but as she learned you don’t really know how it actually feels until you are walking in those shoes. Dr. Shulman explains why our Survivor self kicks in after emotional trauma to keep us moving through the world, and in many cases, high-functioning. It’s how we continue to go to work, take care of our children, maybe even make big life changes and take risks. It’s in this mode that we start to believe that we’re “ok” and so do the others around us. I had chills when she talked about the depression that comes with grief wasn’t the problem. The real problem as she understood and experienced it was the utter disorientation and loss of self-identity, one of the big invisible losses that I talk about in my book Second Firsts and in my Life Reentry classes. It took a long time for her to unpack and understand that was what was going on. Because, as you know if you’ve experienced the death of a loved one, you’re not only grieving the person that you lost but also the person that you were in relation to them.   “When you understand how the emotional trauma of loss impacts the brain, it normalizes the experience and you feel less alone. We are all having very similar experiences, right down to the kinds of dreams that we have.” ~ Dr. Lisa Shulman   Dr. Shulman explains that it’s the same brain pathways whether you are experiencing the death of a loved one, losing your job, or go through a divorce. No matter the loss, it’s alll tied up in the brain’s evolutionary patterns for our survival in the face of threat. Grief is felt in the same place of the brain no matter what loss you are experiencing. She approached her grief as a neurologist and wants to normalize the experience of grief for everyone. As she explains, when you understand how emotional trauma impacts the brain, it normalizes the experiences and helps us to feel less alone. While of course everyone’s experience is different, it’s also true that we are having very similar experiences, right down to the kind of dreams that we have.  Dr. Shulman wants everyone to know that the experience of loss is a normal response of the brain and that there are extremely powerful, tangible things that we can do for ourselves to promote our healing.  She believes that the more we understand that we can promote positive neuroplasticity for ourselves we can truly being to heal.  I hope that you’ll listen and let me know what you think of this conversation. Please comment below or share with me on social media. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Dr. Lisa Shulman Lisa M. Shulman MD is a neurologist specializing in Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. In addition to neurology, her diverse background includes training in health policy, nursing, and education. She is the Eugenia Brin Professor of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders and the Rosalyn Newman Distinguished Scholar in Parkinson’s Disease.  Dr. Shulman serves as Treasurer of the American Academy of Neurology and Director of the University of Maryland Movement Disorders Center. She serves on the Board of Directors of both the American Academy of Neurology and the American Brain Foundation. Dr. Shulman is Editor-in-Chief of Neurology Now Books and co-author of the reference book Parkinson’s Disease: A Complete Guide for Patients and Families, now in its third edition and translated in 3 languages.  She is the author or editor of 16 books, 30 chapters, 140 peer-reviewed publications, and 170 abstracts. Things We Mention In This Episode Book: Before and After Loss, A Neurologist’s Perspective on Loss, Grief, and Our Brain, by Dr. Lisa Shulman Website: Dr. Shulman at The University of Maryland Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

I’m happy to introduce you to this week’s guest, Debra Silverman. Debra is an author, astrologer, and clinical psychologist. Over the past 40 years of professional experience and private practice, she has specialized in helping thousands of individuals achieve emotional health and wisdom based on their unique personality and the four elements: water, air, earth, and fire. Debra is the first astrologist that I’ve welcomed to the podcast, and I hope you enjoy listening to her refreshing take on how the stars play a role in our lives. As I was preparing for this episode I noticed right away that her world is full of life and she infuses that in the way that she operates in everything. I could sense so much strength and that she has been through a lot and carries so much. This made Debra laugh and she asked who was reading who, she tells me that I have an astrologer’s chat so I guess I get it honestly! Debra shares some of the hard times she experienced with the death of her husband when she was in her 30s and the evolution she has undergone. She says that she doesn’t really understand time, but she does know that as time marches on, there is as she calls it a wisdom cooker effect and we learn and deepen because of all that we have been through.   “There is a gift in trusting time. There is no rush.” ~ Debra Silverman   Throughout our conversation, she reads parts of my chart, so if you’ve ever been curious about why I am the way that I am, this is the episode for you! Some of the ideas she shared were not the first time I’ve been told these things. Apparently 2022 is going to be a very big year for me! Debra explains being an astrologer as a gift of seeing a 360 degree view of a person. That combined with her Masters in clinical psychology, and she is very good at getting a read of a person. Astrology can be an interesting way to learn more about yourself and perhaps practice more self-acceptance and how to work with how we are built, instead of feeling like there is something that needs to be fixed. Debra shares a lot of interesting insights into what various signs indicate and the parts of our charts can impact our lives and personality. I’m grateful for Debra saying YES to life, even after so many hard moments, because of that she has this complexity and depth and also a lightness to her. I’m certain you’re going to enjoy this conversation as much as I did. This is a fun one! I hope you’ll listen and let me know what you think.Please comment below or share with me on social media. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Debra Silverman Debra Silverman is the author of The Missing Element: Inspiring Compassion for the Human Condition. When Debra was just 20 years old, she met an astrologer who blew her mind and changed her world forever. She had officially been introduced to the world of Astrology. It was then that she realized the stars in her own world had aligned just right, and she had found her life’s purpose.  Debra went on to deeply study the mind and body, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology & Dance from York University and a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University. Over the past 40 years of professional experience and private practice, she has specialized in helping thousands of individuals achieve emotional health and wisdom based on their unique personality and the four elements: water, air, earth, and fire. Her work with families, individuals, and couples has her standing out in a sea of therapists and coaches.  She has taught at the internationally renowned Esalen Institute, and her work has taken her around the globe, practicing and lecturing in places like New York, Los Angeles, London, Vancouver, Seattle and Boulder, Colorado. You can connect with her via her website, Instagram, Facebook, and on Twitter. Things We Mention In This Episode Website: www.debrasilvermanastrology.com  Instagram: Debra Silverman Book: The Missing Element, by Debra Silverman Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

In today’s episode, I’m happy to introduce you to Don Hoffman. Don is a professor emeritus of cognitive sciences at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author of the book, The Case Against Reality and has a TED Talk titled, Do We See Reality As It Is? Through his work, Don is trying to answer a big question: Do we experience the world as it really is ... or as we need it to be? In this conversation he speaks about how our minds construct reality for us. We talk about what is beyond space and time and why we should respect theories but also always question them. One part of the conversation that gave me chills was that every time we discover a new reality, another reality will be hidden behind it. Don thinks that there will never be a final theory of everything. The exploration will be endless. No matter how far we go, we’ve only just started. “There will never be a final theory of everything. The exploration will be endless. No matter how far we go, we’ve only just started.” ~ Don Hoffman We also spoke about the current division between science and spirituality and how this work can be the bridge between the two of them. That we can now all (scientists and the spiritual communities) agree that there is something beyond space and time, and we can all now come together to answer the question - What is beyond space and time. And of course, I asked him what he thinks happens when we die. My hope is that we can keep having conversations like this to expand our idea of reality and consciousness. I’ve found the more that I know, the more it helps me in this lifetime. I’d love to hear what you thought of this conversation. Please comment below or share with me on social media. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Don Hoffman  Donald Hoffman is a professor emeritus of cognitive sciences at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author of the book, The Case Against Reality and has a TED Talk titled, Do We See Reality As It Is? You can connect with him via his website, and on Twitter. Things We Mention In This Episode Website: Donald Hoffman  Book: The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes, by Donald Hoffman TedTalk: Do We See Reality As It Is? by Donald Hoffman Podcast Episode: Dear Life Podcast episode #94 with Dr. Bruce Greyson Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

Today’s guest is Tom Campbell. Tom is a Physicist and Consciousness Researcher that began researching altered states of consciousness with Bob Monroe in the early 1970s where he and a few others were instrumental in getting Monroe’s laboratory for the study of consciousness up and running. He has been experimenting with and writing and speaking about consciousness ever since. There is a stillness about Tom, and deep inner knowing that you will experience when you listen to this conversation. Even though I have spent many years reading about and researching consciousness and time and space, this conversation and Tom’s work has forever shifted and altered the way that I understand and think about these things. Through this vast and expansive conversation, we dive into Tom’s understanding of consciousness and answer some of the BIG questions like, Why are we here? Where do we go? Where does love fit into all of this? And a whole lot more!  I also want to say that it is OK not to agree with some of Tom’s discoveries and beliefs. In my humble opinion the truth about our existence is a multi layered reality. There are many answers that will construct the one truth. So take from this conversation the parts you need to add to your truth.   “We are here to grow up. We’re here to make good choices, and through the quality of our choices we evolve.” ~ Tom Campbell   Tom shares the work that he did with Bob Monroe in the 1970s, his first out-of-body experience, and how he can now have these experiences at will. Tom is a self-described skeptic and explains how these experiences allowed him to see what is fact and what reality, consciousness, and our purpose here really is. We talk about what reality actually is, what those synchronicities might mean, and trying to tell you. I share a story that some of you may have heard already about a rubber ducky and how it continues to show up in my life, the life of my loved ones, and even people I’ve worked with. He explains in great detail what happens when we die and how he knows this to be true, how we remain connected to those that have exited this reality, and how that connection changes as well.  This conversation will stay with me in this life. It is truly extraordinary. You may want to listen to it a few times over because it is FULL of big ideas and concepts. Please comment below or share with me on social media. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Tom Campbell  Tom Campbell, Physicist, and Consciousness Researcher began researching altered states of consciousness with Bob Monroe (Journeys Out Of The Body, Far Journeys, and The Ultimate Journey) at Monroe Laboratories in the early 1970s where he and a few others were instrumental in getting Monroe’s laboratory for the study of consciousness up and running. You can connect with him via his website, Facebook, and YouTube. Things We Mention In This Episode Website: www.My-big-TOE.com   Tom’s Event Schedule: www.Mbtevents.com YouTube: Tom Campbell Books: My Big Toe Trilogy, by Tom Campbell Class: The next Life Reentry class with Christina starts on March 30th Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

Today, I’m doing something a little different than I have done before. While many listeners are likely familiar with my story and my work, I’m aware that maybe you don’t! So, today I thought that I would “introduce” myself to you in case you’ve been wondering what happens beyond the podcast or how I came to do this work.  Fourteen years ago, I lost my thirty-five-year-old husband to cancer, leaving me with two young girls to raise. I felt lost, frustrated, and alienated by our culture’s outdated “time heals all wounds” approach to grieving. As I’ve described many times in my weekly newsletter and in my first book, Second Firsts, I felt like an alien on earth. I felt like I no longer belonged here and nothing made sense.  I realized that even my training as a grief counselor had not prepared me for what I was feeling and experiencing. I felt like I had also died that day and had to find a way to create a whole new life, and the model for grief that I’d been taught didn't explain that or show me the way out. So, I set out to understand what I was experiencing and the Life Reentry® Model is the outcome of that search. I hope you’ll listen to this episode where I walk you through how, and why I created The Life Reentry® Model through which I have led thousands of people through. I myself practice the principles of Life Reentry daily. It’s more than just a class or theory, it’s a way of seeing and living your life. It was fun to remember the early days of these classes and how we were one of the first using Zoom, well before we all became very familiar with it this past year!   “There is no going back to the person you were before loss. There is only going forward. Being stuck in the in-between, in the Waiting Room, is where we suffer, play small, and repeat old patterns and behaviors that keep us just surviving instead of thriving in our new life. Many people spend years in the Waiting Room, thinking that this is their new life.” ~ Christina Rasmussen   Life Reentry begins with a person stuck between two worlds. This is a place we call The Waiting Room—a psychological space one retreats to after great loss. It is a gap between lives—the life that has been forced into the past by grief and loss, and the new life that has yet to begin. The Waiting Room is not a physical place, but rather a mindset. It’s a holding pattern—safe, comfortable, but inhibitory. It keeps us out of danger, but also out of our life.  After spending the last ten years teaching and educating hundreds of thousands of bereaved people through classes, workshops, and my two books, I made the discovery that it wasn’t the traditional loss of death that kept the bereaved and non-bereaved people in a repetitive cycle of grief, but the invisible, non-validated and untold losses from the earlier chapters of their lives.  I call these Invisible Losses. What I uncovered through my time with people was the multitude of Invisible Losses that kept pulling people back into, and staying stuck in the Waiting Room. I discovered an undercover world of grief. What plagued my class participants and emotionally imprisoned them long term more than anything was these invisible, mistakenly perceived smaller experiences that are not traditionally considered significant. These are the losses that society fails to recognize, mirror back, or validate.  When everything looks the same on the outside, yet everything has changed on the inside, we break. We break in half. This is the duality of loss. In this short episode, I explain in more detail what Invisible Loss means and what they look like in our everyday lives (there are multitudes).    My mission is to bring forth a new way of speaking about and embracing loss and also to help our communities understand that living after loss is equally important as grieving.    If you are feeling stuck in a place between the life you left behind and the life you so wish you can have… If you feel stuck in the Waiting Room but don’t quite know why... If you have gone through something difficult, invisible, untraditional, or a big loss and have struggled to find your way back... If you feel like you should be farther along in processing your grief but just can’t seem to move through it... If you are ready to look at your life, behaviors, and patterns and create a new life and way of being…   I’d like to invite you to join me for my next Life Reentry for Invisible Losses course. Registration is now open for this in-depth and life-changing 8-week online experience. We begin on Tuesday, March 30th. You can find out more information and register HERE. Things I Mention In This Episode Save your spot in the next Life Reentry Class beginning March 30th HERE. Sign up for the Second Firsts Message in a Bottle HERE. Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you! Please continue the conversation with me on Instagram or Facebook.

In today’s episode, I’m very happy to introduce you to Kelley Lynn. She is an actor, comedian, TEDx speaker, grief coach, and author of the book "My Husband Is Not a Rainbow: the brutally awful, hilarious truth about life, love, grief, and loss." Since the sudden death of her husband Don in 2011, it has been Kelley's mission to help change the conversations we have about grief and loss, and to help others navigate through life after loss with her comedy, speaking engagements, and book. Kelley is so inspiring in the way she lives her life. She has brought all of herself into her re-entry, her life post loss. I’ve been following Kelley online for years and one thing that has always struck me is that she didn’t shut down the comedic, creative, and social parts of herself after Don died. She leaned into all of  it, with the grief too, and took everyone along for the ride. I believe that Kelley is truly an example of how life is meant to be lived after loss. You show up with all that you have, even if it’s painful. We speak about the early days after Don died, and how even that very night, she felt compelled to write and to share what she calls the brutally awful, hilarious truth about grief, loss and love. She shares some of the stories that while painful, are also funny that many of us who have experienced loss can relate to, from the awkward things people say to you, to having to cancel bills and accounts, to dating again after loss. Her advice for plug-ins (the term that I use in the Life Reentry Model for the moments we exit the Waiting Room and begin to re-enter our new life) gave me chills - “Do what hurts the least.” I couldn’t agree more. She shares some of the ways she plugged into life in the early days, and continues to plug-in now.    “Do what hurts the least.” ~ Kelley Lynn   We speak about the idea that tragedy and comedy are two sides of the same coin, and how laughter is just as important as crying when we are grieving and going through something hard. Kelley also shares openly and honestly about what it was like to start dating again, how at first she never thought she would be ready, and how she eventually met her husband Nick. We talk about what it’s like to have “two husbands”, and what works for her to hold love for both Don and Nick. My hope is that this episode encourages you to find your voice, and your own unique way to plug-in to your new life after loss. I hope that it offers inspiration if you are thinking about dating again and you’re not sure. As Kelley Lynn said when I asked her what one thing she wants my listeners to remember about life after loss, “Your life after loss is not over, it’s just beginning. The life that you had, the one that you knew, is over. But this life is a new life and it’s just beginning.” I’d love to hear what you thought of this conversation. Please comment below or share with me on social media. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Kelley Lynn Kelley Lynn is an actor, comedian, TED talk speaker, grief coach, and author of the book "My Husband Is Not a Rainbow: the brutally awful, hilarious truth about life, love, grief, and loss." Since the sudden death of her husband Don in 2011, it has been Kelley's mission to help change the conversations we have about grief and loss, and to help others navigate through life after loss with her comedy, speaking engagements, and book. Kelley lived in the NYC area for over two decades teaching comedy and acting, and now resides in her home state of Massachusetts with her husband Nick. Kelley recently married Nick in a covid-safe, no guest wedding ceremony at The Groton Inn on New years Eve - they live streamed the event on Facebook. You can connect with her via her website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Things We Mention In This Episode Website: www.akelleylynnlife.com  YouTube: Kelley Funny Lady Tedx Talk: When Someone You Love Dies, There is No Such Thing As Moving On Book: My Husband is Not a Rainbow, by Kelley Lynn Class: The next Life Reentry class with Christina starts on March 30th Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

I’m thrilled to introduce you to today’s guest, MaryLiz Bender. She is one of the people in the space world that can combine space and humans really well. Her documenting and her journalistic storytelling, and the way she captures everything is, I believe, the way that we bridge the worlds between space and the people on earth that ask the question - why should I care? MaryLiz is an example of resilience, creativity, and following your dreams. She also happens to be a dear friend of mine. I am touched and inspired by the way she has navigated some very hard years and the way that she shows up now, using her voice and her talents to serve the greater good. She has performed music on her dream stage in Nashville as a professional recording artist, taught herself coding and programming through the public library while she was couch surfing and homeless, and has now gone on to co-found Cosmic Perspective with her partner Ryan Chylinski, where they connect people to space through story, film, and outreach. Be sure to visit their YouTube page to see some of their beautiful films. She has such a warm and engaging energy about her, and so many amazing stories to share. I hope you listen as MaryLiz shares some of her life stories, including how she went from a hard youth to finding herself standing between Bill Nye and Buzz Aldrin watching her first rocket launch! Just before we recorded our conversation in February, MaryLiz participated in a 6 week mission to Mars simulation which was built on top of a dormant volcano in Hawaii. She shares what she learned during that experience and how it reinforced even deeper her mission to keep the connection between space and humanity, as she says, the exploration of space is the pursuit of what it means to be human.    “It’s not going to be easy, and you don’t want it to be. Easy is boring and you don’t learn anything.” ~ MaryLiz Bender   I am blown away by the way that MaryLiz is in her life today. It’s hard for me to see the losses that happened in her early years. MaryLiz was a recent participant in my Life Reentry Class and she shared some of the way that her Survivor Self shows up and how she has been able to lean into her Thriver Self more and more.  My hope that this episode encourages you to follow your dreams and not be afraid to re-enter your life again and again. Maybe you’ll even find yourself on a rocketship to the moon one day! I’d love to hear what you thought of this conversation. Please comment below or share with me on social media. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About MaryLiz Bender  MaryLiz is a futurist composer and space-age storyteller, on a mission to inspire hope, elevate empathy, and unite through experiences of awe and wonder. She co-founded Cosmic Perspective with her partner, Ryan Chylinski, where they connect people to space through story, film, and outreach. MaryLiz founded Zero-G Music to design music for space travel and ensure we take our humanity with us to the stars. As a professional recording artist, she makes music with her bands Twin Limb, Kwieta, and she composes film scores as Star Travel.  Driven by bright visions of the future and inspired by the fact that we “protect what we love,” she aims to help humans fall in love with life and the pursuit of meaning. You can connect with her via her website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Things We Mention In This Episode Website: Cosmic Perspective  YouTube: Cosmic Perspective Podcast Episode: Dear Life Podcast episode #90 with Frank White Class: The next Life Reentry class with Christina starts on March 30th Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

In today’s episode, I’m happy to introduce you to the remarkable Dr. Bruce Greyson. He is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and served on the medical school faculty at the Universities of Michigan, Connecticut, and Virginia. He was a co-founder and President of the International Association for Near-Death Studies, and Editor of the Journal of Near-Death Studies.  Dr. Greyson has been collecting stories of near-death experiences for 45 years and has just published a new book called, After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond, that documents some of these incredible stories and what they can teach us not only about what happens when we die, but also how to live.  He explains that through his work, he realized just how incomplete our understanding of life and death, the mind and the brain actually was. And while he had peers that did not support his work, he felt it would actually be a disservice to science to not investigate further.   “Paradoxically, becoming less afraid of death makes you live life more fully.” ~ Dr. Bruce Greyson    This conversation and the ideas and perspectives Dr. Greyson shares is truly extraordinary. He has learned that the death of the body is not the end, and that death is often a beautiful, blissful experience. Many people with near-death experiences say that loved ones were waiting for them on the other side. Dr. Greyson says that this shows us we can let go of the fear of dying alone. He talks about what happens to our brain and mind during these experiences, why not everyone has a near-death experience, and how the explanation of what happened is dependent on a person’s cultural and religious background. One of the biggest impacts of Dr. Greyson’s studies and the stories of near-death experiences is not necessarily explaining what happens when we die, although that is remarkable as well. What may be even more powerful is what these stories teach us about living. Most near-death experiencers say that it teaches us about life and how to live a fulfilling and meaningful life. It turns out that not being afraid of death helps us to open up to living life to the fullest. While I know this conversation and information can’t take away the pain and grief of losing a loved one, I do hope it offers some comfort.I hope that you find your way to this book, the stories are truly remarkable. I’d love to hear what you thought of this conversation. Please comment below or share with me on social media. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Dr. Bruce Greyson Dr. Bruce Greyson is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He served on the medical school faculty at the Universities of Michigan, Connecticut, and Virginia. He was a co-founder and President of the International Association for Near-Death Studies, and Editor of the Journal of Near-Death Studies. A Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association; he has received national awards for his medical research. You can connect with him via his website. Things We Mention In This Episode Website: brucegreyson.com  Book: After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal About Life and Beyond, by Dr. Bruce Greyson Book: Dying To Be Me, by Anita Moorjani Website: Dr. Raymond Moody Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

In today’s episode, I’m happy to introduce you to Dr. Anoop Kumar. He is an emergency physician, mind-body strategist, speaker, and author. Anoop has a very unique way of describing things like consciousness, time, death, and reality in a way that I have never seen before. I was fascinated by his life and how his experience in the physical world as an emergency physician who has seen so much pain and loss and trauma was able to bridge with the other more esoteric side of him. He asks big questions like Who are we? What are we? And what the heck is going on here? These are questions that I know you have asked yourself too. These are the questions that we come face to face with after loss. After the death of my first husband I asked these questions and realized there is so much more to this world than we can think, or feel, or say. Dr. Kumar shares how these questions started forming for him and how the process of integrating these new realizations and understandings of the universe into his reality. As he puts it, he felt like he was walking the line between sanity and insanity.   “It’s ok to question what we call reality. The stories we have been given in this modern culture are extremely narrow.” ~ Dr. Anoop Kumar   We talk about how Dr. Kumar defines reality and why we should raise our standards about what we think is real. He also shares his extraordinary 3 minds framework, which is what he calls his attempt to explain the depth of the human experience. He talks about what he thinks when we die and why some souls reincarnate and others don’t. Dr. Kumar’s mind and understanding of the universe and what it means to be human is truly extraordinary. I hope you’ll listen as he explains the differences between the first, second, and third minds, and how these show up on a societal level as well as individual. Comment below or share with me on social media! Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Dr. Anoop Kumar Dr Kumar enjoys exploring and communicating about the intersection of consciousness and everything else. He is an emergency physician, public speaker, author of Michelangelo's Medicine and Is This a Dream?, and a columnist for Emergency Medicine News. Anoop spent time in India and the United States as a child and grew to appreciate the differences between these cultures. He inadvertently began developing a framework for these differences when his parents exposed him to Advaita Vedanta, which soon became his playground. Against this backdrop, school seemed to be lacking something critical–in-depth knowledge of the nature of being human. This was the seed of Anoop's desire to communicate publicly. You can connect with him via his website, Instagram, and Twitter. Things We Mention In This Episode Website: anoopkumar.com Book: Michelangelo’s Medicine: How redefining the human body will transform health and healthcare, byAnoop Kumar, MD Book: Is This a Dream? Reflections on the Awakening Mind, by Anoop Kumar, MD Video Series: https://www.anoopkumar.com/videos  Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

In today’s episode, I want to introduce you to productivity strategist, Mike Vardy. You may be wondering how speaking about productivity fits into the themes we cover on this podcast and let me tell you why I think that it fits perfectly. Because I know that if you are listening to this podcast you have maybe experienced the loss of a child or spouse, a divorce or other relational loss, jobs, income, and so many other things. You have had a lot of tragedy and compounded trauma, especially after this most difficult year. It is easy for us to get stuck in the Waiting Room with anxiety and overwhelm when we wake up in the morning, confronted by everything we have to do. Our survivor self makes it hard to even do the most basic of tasks. My goal for this conversation with Mike was for you to come away from listening with a feeling of empowerment and with meaningful actions that feel easy to do. These actions are what I call plug-ins in the Life Reentry Model, and they are what will slowly move you out of the Waiting Room and into your new life, they are what support you to reenter.   “Time is a part of who we are. Filter your focus, define your day, and make every moment matter.” ~ Mike Vardy   Mike shares some of his best tools and strategies for crafting your time to focus on what is truly important. By crafting your time and discerning where you give your attention, you begin intentionally crafting your life.  From theming your days and looking at everything we have to do as a project, Mike offers very practical and attainable action steps that you can begin to incorporate into your life today. I’d love to hear what you take away from this conversation and if you’ll be incorporating some of Mike’s tips into your days from now on. Please comment below or share with me on social media! Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Mike Vardy Mike Vardy - also known as "The Productivityist", is a highly-acclaimed productivity strategist and the creator of the productivity framework known as TimeCrafting. He's considered to be one of the top thought leaders in the personal productivity and time management space, with over a decade of expertise under his belt. His work has been featured in Lifehacker, Fast Company, HuffPost, Inc., and Forbes. His podcast, The Productivityist Podcast, is a conversational podcast that has been downloaded over 5 million times since its inception and featured guests such as Seth Godin, Brian Tracy, Keith Ferrazzi, and Gretchen Rubin. Mike lives in Victoria, Canada with his wife, daughter, and son. You can connect with him via his website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Things We Mention In This Episode Website: Productivityist Free Resource: The Daily Driver Podcast: Productivityist Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

On today’s episode, I’m happy to introduce you to Ashley Jones, the founder of the Love Not Lost Foundation. Ashley shares with us her incredible story of what it was like to lose a very young child to a terminal illness, and how that experience changed her forever, in ways that she did not expect. The way that she describes how her love for her daughter Skylar now has no boundaries and has expanded out into the world is so beautiful and inspiring. What she experienced personally, and also as she began to support others, is that the old definition of grief and the language we use to talk about death and loss are not actually very helpful. In an effort to revolutionize grief and how we support those that are grieving, she created the Love Not Lost Foundation. During this conversation, Ashley shares her own experience of grief and how she has reentered this new life. She realized that no one had taught her how to grieve or given her any realistic expectation of what it would actually feel like. She felt that there are no clearly defined stages of grief, but that it is a fluid and ever changing experience that shifts with us throughout our lives.  We speak about how the old model of grief shows up in the workplace and with our family and friends. Things like getting creative with how managers support employees who are experiencing loss, the importance of language and the words we say and things we do trying to support people but often creating more pain or a feeling of dismissal. If you are a manager or CEO in a company, I encourage you to listen to this episode, or share it with someone that is.   “So often we see death as the enemy, but the enemy is actually disconnection. We want to disconnect from ourselves and each other in our grief, but really that’s the opposite of what we should be doing.” ~ Ashley Jones   Ashley also speaks about what led her to begin offering portrait sessions to families experiencing a terminal diagnosis, and how that evolved into creating an entire non-profit organization that now supports both families that are grieving and also those that want to offer help and love but may not know how.  In this last year, we have all experienced various levels of loss and trauma and it’s important for us to support each other where we’re able and to ensure that the ways in which we attempt to provide support actually has the impact we are hoping for. There is a bigger need than ever for workplaces and organizations to remember the humanness of their employees and to acknowledge what people are going through. Ashley wants everyone to know that grief is a very unique and specific experience for each of us. I’d love to hear what you take away from this conversation and what you think about how Ashley is redefining how we grieve and support those in grief as well. Comment below or share with me on social media! Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook.  More About Ashley Jones Ashley Jones is a friend of grief and an ambassador of love. Her experience losing her only daughter to a terminal illness led her to create Love Not Lost: a nonprofit on a mission to revolutionize the way we heal in grief. Ashley has dedicated the rest of her life to helping people heal and become whole, healthy humans. You can connect with her via her website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn Things We Mention In This Episode Website: Love Not Lost Foundation Grief and Empathy Tools: Support Toolbox Website: How can I love you better? The Heart Beat: Monthly giving program Ashley’s TEDx Talk: How to Heal In Grief Dear Life Podcast: Episode 87 with Jamie Butler Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

There are some people that come by your life and you realize that they are not only special because of what their impact has been on our world, but also who they are as a human.  Since Frank White and I recorded this conversation way back in August of 2019, he has become a dear friend of mine. Just last week I had the extraordinary opportunity to participate in the live broadcast of a Celestis Memorial Spaceflight, where we launched and released more than 100 souls into the universe. It was truly a highlight for me, as someone that has always been obsessed with space to be on that broadcast with so many experts and visionaries that I admire. My goodness, what a different world we were experiencing back in the summer of 2019! We had no idea that in less than a year we’d be in the midst of a global pandemic, economic and social justice crises. That our world would feel unrecognizable in so many ways.  My conversation with Franks feels more timely than ever as the pandemic and other world events remind us of our interconnectedness and interdependence with each other and all living things on this planet. The perspective he provides and the reminder we are all crew members on space ship earth is so important.   “When you can see your life as a larger, whole system it all starts to make sense.” ~ Frank White   When you listen (or re-listen) to this episode I want you to remember one thing, when we are able to have a perspective that is different from our unique point of view. When we can see the world from really far away and when we can see our loss and our grief and our trauma and our obstacles from a very different vantage point those difficulties and tragedies change just a little bit. This shift in perspective can make a world of difference when it comes to healing after loss and tragedy. In short, Frank is about space. His passion and need to understand the feeling that astronauts get when they are up in space and looking down on earth, they feel this awe and connection to everything. He has been mesmerized by that feeling for most of his life and career. His book the Overview Effect has been here in my home with me for years and I actually wrote about the overview effect a couple of years ago and shared it with all of you.  Frank is here to spread light and new bigger perspectives to the world and I am forever grateful for this. And here is your homework for tonight after you listen to this episode. Go outside tonight, and look at the stars! More About Frank White Frank White is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and a Rhodes Scholar. He coined the term "Overview Effect" and has written three books on the subject, as well as several books on other topics. He considers himself a "space philosopher" and advocates the creation of a new philosophy of space exploration and development.  You can connect with Frank via his website or Twitter. Things We Mention In This Episode Website: Celestis Memorial Space Flights Book: The Overview Effect by Frank White Book: The Cosma Hypothesis: Implications of the Overview Effect by Frank White Film: Overview Podcast Episode: Dear Life Podcast Episode #1 with Nicole Stott Physicist and Space Activist: Gerard K. O’Neill Book: The Golden Book of Astronomy Non-profit Organization: Space Studies Institute Organization: Space for Humanity Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly inspiration Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

This week on the podcast, I’m happy to welcome Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy, also known as SARK. If you haven’t yet heard of SARK or been immersed in her magical world, you are in for a real treat! SARK truly creates magic wherever she goes and we started our conversation with me asking her about the first time she remembers using that word. Her answer was truly remarkable and caused me to guess that she was an illuminator and light bringer in a previous life as well, because she knew at such a young age what she wanted to be and do in this lifetime.  SARK has such a beautiful ability to use her work to alchemize the darkest moments of her life into light and illumination. She shares some of the dark moments from her early life and people that showed up in her life at the exact right moments and how her writing and illustrations allowed her to process some really hard topics. I remark on the last time I saw Susan in person and the 8ft tall crayon she carried around that day, it’s no exaggeration to say that she is truly unforgettable. If you are someone that is looking for love later in life, this episode is for you! Susan very beautifully shares her experience of meeting her first love at the age 58. He was a widower when they met and she speaks candidly about her initial fears of dating a widower, and then how that evolved to embracing it and allowing it to add more layers and more love to their relationship. Grief found Susan a few years later when John passed from cancer, and I do hope you will listen as she talks about her experience of grieving deeply while wildly living. It is my wish for you too. We talk about her new relationship with John since he left the physical world and her path to finding new love. I believe deeply that we’re here to love many times and in many ways in this life. We are very different people in each relationship, and Susan’s story is such a wonderful example of that.  “It is possible to grieve deeply and live wildly at the same time.” ~ SARK I’d love to hear what you take away from this conversation and how you think you can begin to live wildly, even when you are deeply grieving. Comment below or share with me on social media! Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook. Susan also created a free mini e-book exclusively for the Dear Life podcast community! You can click here to download it. More About SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) is a bestselling author, artist, inspirationalist, and acclaimed teacher and mentor. Her purpose in life is to be an uplifter, transformer, and laser beam of love- she offers that with love through her art, words, and spirit. You can connect with her via her website, Facebook, Instagram,  Things We Mention In This Episode Free Minibook: Alchemizing Losses of All Kinds and Letting More Love In, by SARK Program: SARK’s Private, Magical Mentorship Book: Succulent, Wild Love: 6 Powerful Habits for Feeling More Love More Often, by SARK and Dr. John Waddell  Sark’s Inspiration Line: 1-415-546-3742 Website: Planet SARK Instagram: SARKIFYLIFE Book: The Art and Science of Hand Reading, by Ellen Goldberg Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

In today’s episode, I’m happy to introduce you to Danny Gough. Danny is an intuitive coach, songwriter, musician and inspirational mentor. He is also the creator of Class Dynamix, Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalists in 2020, maybe you saw the viral video? Class Dynamix is a venture that inspires regular inner-city kids to believe in themselves through Danny’s empowering original songs. Danny shares what that experience was like, and what life has been like after taking that “quantum leap”. We talk a lot about these quantum leaps that we take in our lives and while others may see them as lucky or one hundred percent positive, they can actually be quite difficult and disorienting. Danny is such an authentic and kind soul, which shines through so brightly in this conversation and the work he puts out into the world. We also spoke about his strong connection to the universe, how his meditation practice has allowed him to “let go” and be present and calm in times of potential stress, and his hopes for the the future in such uncertain times.   “Life is all about giving. We’re here to give and to serve and to pour out who we are.” ~ Danny Gough   This conversation is truly heartwarming! I’m certain you’re going to feel like Danny is a good friend of yours after listening to this episode. I hope you will also be inspired to trust in the timing of things, to listen to your internal voice, and to take quantum leaps in your own life! I’d love to hear what you take away from this conversation and the quantum leaps that you have made in your life. Comment below or share with me on social media! Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook. More About Danny Gough Danny Gough is an intuitive coach, songwriter, musician and inspirational mentor. He is also the creator of Class Dynamix, Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalists 2020 - a venture that inspires regular inner-city kids to believe in themselves through his empowering original songs. You can connect with him via his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Things We Mention In This Episode Danny Gough Website: www.dannygough.uk Class Dynamix Website: www.classdynamix.com  YouTube Video: Britain’s Got Talent Performance Stop Bullies Book: As a Man Thinketh, by James Allen Book: Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, by Joe Dispenza Book: Letting Go, by David Hawkins Book: The Power of Now, by Eckart Tolle Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

In today’s episode, I’m welcoming Jamie Butler, a natural born medium, is back for another interview. Our first conversation is one of our most listened to episodes of all time. In that episode, we spoke about how death is not forever and she shared one of the most impactful experiences she has had in doing this work which will leave you with goosebumps. Be sure to listen to that if you haven’t already. As I was preparing for this second conversation with Jamie, I recognized how grounded she is while doing such ungrounding work. We spent a lot of time speaking about how it wasn’t always that way and the skills she has had to develop to, as she puts it, choose to be human. I really connected with this idea of choosing to be human even when it is so hard and we don’t always feel free.  Jamie shared how she engages with the spirit world, the boundaries she has in place, and even gave me some advice for the occasions that I receive visitors from the world beyond. Jamie wants to normalize the idea of getting in touch with our intuition and also with loved ones and other spirits.    “We are made up of an energetic body and it cannot be contained in the physical body. We are a piece of the whole and also whole unto ourselves.” ~ Jamie Butler   If you’ve ever wondered about channeling, remote viewing or what the day to day reality of a natural born medium is, you’ll want to be sure to make time to listen to this conversation. One thing she shared with me was that it’s important for those who have transitioned to connect with us as well.  This conversation is truly extraordinary! If you did listen to her first interview, then you will know to listen for the chimes and she is not alone in the studio when we record! If you are interested in exploring your intuition and connecting with the spirit world, her work is so amazing. I’d love to hear what you take away from this conversation and your connection to your intuition and the energy world. Comment below or share with me on social media! Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook. More About Jamie Butler Jamie is a natural born Medium, Wholeness Expert, Teacher, Lecturer, and Mom. Jamie’s life goal is to teach people of all ages about the infinite possibilities for healing, joy and success available to us when wholeness living is incorporated into our daily lives. You can connect with her via her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Things We Mention In This Episode Website: www.jamiebutlermedium.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/jamie_butler_medium 5-month mentorship with Jamie: https://jamiebutlermedium.com/jbmentorship/  Live $10 Classes with Jamie: https://www.learnitlive.com/jamiebutler  Book: The Holographic Universe, by Michael Talbot Book: Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe, by Robert Lanza and Bob Berman Book: Beyond Biocentrism: Rethinking Time, Space, Consciousness, and the Illusion of Death, by Robert Lanza and Bob Berman Book: The Grand Biocentric Design: How Life Creates Reality, by Robert Lanza, Matej Pavsic Dear Life Podcast Episode: Episode 28 with Jamie Butler Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

Well, here we are, it’s 2021. I know for a lot of you this week is the beginning of getting back to “normal” after the holidays. But if you’re like me, you probably have a lot of conflicting emotions. Maybe you’re feeling anxiety, hesitancy, and maybe even some excitement about what 2021 may bring for us all. In a regular year, this week can feel heavy, never mind the added uncertainty that this time in the world is adding. A lot of you has have lost so much in this last year, and for that, I am deeply sorry. My hope with this solo episode, and for the beginning of a new year, we will start taking the first steps together we will say a prayer. A prayer of hope, a prayer of healing, and a prayer of helping one another to try our best to show up every single day of this new year.   “I hope that when you wake up this morning and every morning, you will remind yourself that you made it this far. And you can make it another day, another week, another month, and another year. ” ~ Christina Rasmussen   Through this podcast, I am excited to continue to bring you, inspiration through the stories of people that have lived their lives and are living their lives with a mission to live fully. People that show up, not only for themselves but for everyone around them. These stories and these interviews will be here to give you hope and inspiration. The goal of Dear Life is to provide examples of people who made it against all odds because this is what I want for you too.  My most optimistic wish is that we will be able to connect not only through a microphone or a computer screen but also in person later this year. Here’s to wishes coming true! Please share this episode and message with others in your life that you think can use it. Please also let me know in the comments below or over on Instagram, what is your most optimistic wish for 2021? Things I Mention In This Episode Sign up for the Second Firsts Message in a Bottle HERE. Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you! Please continue the conversation with me on Instagram or Facebook.

It’s the final episode of the year, and I’m the opportunity to pause and reflect. 2020 has been a year unlike any other that we have faced. So many unexpected moments, some devastating, some scary, some surprisingly beautiful. While there is still so much unknown and uncertain about what is to come in 2021, there is some comfort in turning the calendar and beginning fresh. As we head into the new year and take a collective sigh at the relief, I wanted to reflect on the idea of new beginnings by highlighting some past guests that have started over in their own lives, after some very difficult moments. They found the strength to not only survive but to thrive, in spite of it all. My hope is that their stories will inspire you to look ahead to 2021 with hope and promise and that you will begin again.   “I hope that you will use the new year, and this extraordinary moment in time as an opportunity to begin again.” ~ Christina Rasmussen   I would love to hear what some of your favorite moments and episodes have been this year on the Dear Life podcast, please comment below or join me on Facebook or Instagram to share with me there. Things I Mention In This Episode Dear Life Podcast: Episode 70 with Jessie Sheehan  Dear Life Podcast: Episode 59 with Dylan Thomas Slattery Dear Life Podcast: Episode 50 with Natalie Sudman Dear Life Podcast: Episode 11 with Roz Savage Dear Life Podcast: Episode 29 with Elizabeth DiAlto Sign up for the Second Firsts Message in a Bottle HERE. Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you! Please continue the conversation with me on Instagram or Facebook.

Christina answers the question: “This will be the third year without the foundation of our family. My kids are 27 and 25 and living their own lives and there are no grandkids yet. I’ve struggled on how to remember Todd during the holidays. No one else mentions him, at all. It’s made worse by the fact that he passed on Nov 30. I just feel like hibernating for the entire season.” - Tammy Things I Mention In This Episode Sign up for the Second Firsts Message in a Bottle HERE. Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you! Please continue the conversation with me on Instagram or Facebook.