The Brian Brister Experience

June 6, 2021, sitting in my apartment in Los Angeles, California, God told me to move to Nashville. He didn't tell me why, but I knew it was my next step. It took over a year and a half of praying, seeking, questioning (see also: crying, sobbing, being miserable, begging God to let me leave) before he revealed his purpose, but October 18, 2022, standing backstage at The Dove Awards, God revealed why he brought me to Nashville.

Had the chance to sit down with my social media friend Ben Fresch and discuss his amazing health journey since ending up in the hospital with covid weighing 430 pounds and nearly dying. He cut all sugar cold turkey and after losing some weight just from that one change, he then hired a personal trainer, went on to lose a total of 218 pounds (so far), ran a half marathon and is studying Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.I left this conversation so encouraged and inspired and I hope you do as well!To follow Ben on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benjamin.freschInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/benfresch/

Spent a bit of time sharing about my health journey today. Where I started, what happened, how I felt, where I am right now and where I'm going. I invite you to join me on this journey, either as a participant or a spectator/celebrator. Either way I'm just so happy you're here, but if you want to get healthy, I'm your guy. Let me be your coach. You can do it. I can help.

Kingdom Tour 2022 with Maverick City Music and Kirk Franklin has officially ended. I am back in Nashville. I have caught up on sleep. Now What?

I had the opportunity to do a live podcast recording with my friend and fellow health coach, Michael Todd. We talked a bit about his own health journey along with the idea of progress over perfection, giving yourself grace and also learning how to use Stop. Challenge. Choose in your daily life.You can follow Michael on social media using the links below:Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Michael.Todd.HappyHippyHealthCoachesInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/michael.loveslife/

I smile a lot. Like a lot a lot. And I often get asked how I continue to smile so much when the world is so dark or life has so many things not working out like we thought they would. Every time, I remember that my joy isn't situational. My smile isn't determined by how good or bad my day is. Sure. I still cry and get angry and sad and all that jazz, but more often, I smile. Listen to learn more.

I realized during a recent men's prayer meeting that I had never actually prayed for my wife, the person...That changed that day and I can't wait until the day that I am able to share this experience with her.

I meant to record this episode a couple of months ago and didn't, but it keeps coming up in conversation, so I decided to sit down and record it to share with you.You may be confused by the title because your assumption is probably that I auditioned to make the choir, but that isn't true. I'm so thankful I did make it, but it's not why I showed up in Atlanta back in April...

No matter how dark this world is or how difficult life seems or how alone you feel in this moment, you matter and you belong her. God doesn't make mistakes and he made you, so you're not a mistake.If you're a person who is considering ending your life, you can speak to someone 24 hours a day at the national suicide prevention lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Since the inception of social media, I think people have been arguing behind a screen with a person they've never met in real life...and I don't know one story where it ended for the better.Today, I chat a little about that and also offer some tips that may help you have difficult conversations with people in your life who may feel differently than you do.Share this with people in your life who you feel may benefit from this conversation. 

I took the time to write a letter to a previous version of myself-a version that had a lot of great friends and family and church and was living in his dream city, but still felt lost and unhappy and unsure that he would ever find love. I wanted to take the time to let him know that he has just no clue how good things are about to get.There will still be a lot of heartache and hard times in the following years, but he's gonna make some really good choices and see some really incredible things happen in his world, most, if not all, because he finally made the decision to get healthy.This is that letter.I encourage you to write a letter to a previous version of yourself and give them hope that better times are coming.

June 23, 2021 I arrived in Nashville, having moved from Los Angeles with 10 days notice after God told me to. I take the time today, June 23, 2022 to reflect on this past year-the good, the bad and the ugly. I share things here that I haven't even shared on social media and I've only shared with one or two close friends in the moment.Moving to Nashville hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows and it hasn't looked like I wanted it to most days, but I'm trusting that God knows better than I do and that as long as I continue to listen and obey, it will all work out.Happy One Year, Nashville! I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time.

This episode is my first ever live podcast interview with my friend Raisa Zhovklaya from Syracuse, NY. We went live on Facebook to talk about what it looked like being raised as an immigrant in America (She and her family moved from Ukraine in 1991), failing nursing school but continuing until she received her degree, nursing through a pandemic and her own journey with physical, mental and emotional health.It was an amazing conversation and I felt like we could have kept going for another hour or two. If you want to follow Raisa on social media, I'll put links to her Facebook and instagram below:https://www.facebook.com/raisa.zhovklayahttps://instagram.com/_raerae_91?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to immediately think of all the things that went wrong in your day, but when someone asks you what went well, it's a little harder to come up with? Why is it also so much easier to focus on the negative things that are said or done than the positive ones? You can receive a hundred great reviews, but if one person has a negative thing to say, that's the one you remember; that's the one you focus on?I'm here today to encourage you to look for the good, to see the positive, to put your reticular activating system to work and begin to see the things done well everywhere!

If we're being completely honest, sometimes people are just jerks and it sucks to continue to show love.  And then get hurt over and over again, because the reality is that people are going to do things that we don't agree with. So, why do we keep showing love when other people suck? 

My first ever live podcast recording. I went live on Facebook to talk about this while recording this episode.In this episode, I update you on some health stuff I've been dealing with and how the power of prayer still works. I also let you know where I currently am physically and emotionally, and talk you through what I'm going to do to get back to my best.

I'm an overpacker. It's who I am; and I'm done apologizing for it. People have often made jokes or tried to make me feel bad about overpacking. I like my stuff. I like having it all with me. And I have no idea what I want to wear next Tuesday afternoon. Heck, I don't even know what I want to wear to dinner tomorrow evening. So, I'm taking my favorite things and I'll figure it out when I get there. Are you an overpacker? Or do you take everything you need for a week in a backpack? Sound out on my social media. Let me know.

Episode 50!!! Can't believe we made it here! Such a wild moment!!!Thank you guys for being along for the journey, for liking and subscribing and for sharing with your friends and family!"Congruency is doing with your body what you think with your mind." My friend Sam Prestenbach of The Freedom Parents made this statement this weekend at our event in Phoenix and I haven't stopped thinking about it since then. Everything single thing that we believe whether it's true or not determines our next step. There may be times in our lives that we are living incongruently with our goals or what we tell others to do, but we are always 100% living in congruency with what we believe.Change your thoughts. Change your habits. Change your life.Check out Sam and her husband Harold at @thefreedomparents on Instagram.

It is estimated that the average adult makes about 35,000 remotely conscious decisions each day. Every choice that you make either pushes you closer to your goals or delays you from reaching them. When it comes to life, you are in control of it. When it comes to your future, you get to choose it. When you have a really, really clear vision of what your goals are, then every time that you're presented with an opportunity to make a choice, you can ask yourself "Does this choice support my goals or not?"

You have a lot of opportunities in your day to be unkind. To tell people what you really think about the way they treated you or the that you don't like their outfit or that you think they're overweight or you don't believe their dreams are possible or to respond negatively to something they said or did to you. Today, I'm going to challenge you to do the opposite. What would happen if you were just kind instead. Instead of being rude and blowing up and hurting another human, why not show them love? Show them grace? Show them peace. In a world where you can be anything, be kind.

A question I had never been asked before with regard to my health journey, but definitely something I had considered, but never shared with anyone. The time is now. Today is day. Today, I share what it looked like when I invited God into my health journey. And how it changed everything.

I put up a post on social media, asking people for ideas about things to talk about on my podcast. I got a lot of options and one of those was to share my bucket list, so here we go. Some of the things I've accomplished and some I haven't, but I love this list so much an the fact that it gives me a focused list of things to move forward on in my life. Do you have things on your bucket list? Want to share them? I'd love to know. Comment on any of my recent Facebook or Instagram posts what your bucket list items are. 

How many times today have you stopped and celebrated something that you did well? The fact that you woke up on time, you got out of bed, you made your bed, you took a shower, you brushed your teeth, you put on shoes, you smiled at the lady at the coffee shop. You waved at a puppy.How many things have you done well? My assumption is that some of the things that I just listed you didn't do, and you immediately let yourself beat yourself up about it. You're like, oh, I should've done that. I should have brushed my teeth. Yes, you absolutely should have brushed your teeth. You are correct to that is not the point here.You have to celebrate yourself.Because your mind will already beat you up all day about the things that you don't do well. You have to combat that with celebrating. Today's episodes shares some tips and tricks, the why behind it and also my personal experience with celebrating myself.I mention my friend Keirsten in this episode. Her instagram is https://instagram.com/keirsten_b?utm_medium=copy_link and you should totally give her a follow, then shoot her a message and tell her I sent you.

15 Things About My Relationship With My Dad That Impacted My Relationship With God:1. He loves me so much.2. He's more proud of me if I'm doing things right or accomplishing great things.3. There's no room for differing opinions.4. We should laugh and have fun.5. It's okay to cry and be emotional.6. If you don't do it exactly right, it's not worth it.7. I'm held to a higher standard than other people are.8. In the end, he will always show up.9. He does things to remind me he cares.10. The things he wants to teach me are important even if I don't see it yet.11. He will always protect me.12. He wants the best for me.13. He believes in me. 14. If it's important to me, it's important to him.15. He will always come back.

Wrapping up our conversation with Jordan Carter, we talked a bit more about triggers, but then also talked about what it looks like to be truly loved, truly known. Also what it looks like to simply sit with someone in their "mess" without trying to fix it. Just being. This conversation was so good for me and I teared up multiple times.Follow Jordan on Instagram @jordancarter__ or @meshteams. Also check out meshteams.comAlso, check out his podcast, released the first Wednesday of every month. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meshteams-podcast/id1561900699

I had the immense honor of having a conversation with my friend Jordan Carter, Pastor of Missions and Outreach at Abundant Life Christian Center in Syracuse, NY. Jordan has been a friend of mine for many years and was my roommate in Syracuse before he married his lovely wife, Faith. Jordan has been a very dear friend to my heart from the beginning and I love what he shares in today's episode about his life, his triggers and the role they've played throughout his life. Follow Jordan on Instagram @jordancarter__ or @meshteams. Also check out meshteams.comAlso, check out his podcast, released the first Wednesday of every month. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meshteams-podcast/id1561900699

You were created for so much more...and so was everyone you come in contact with. So, why are you wasting the opportunities you've been given to have a legitimate conversation with someone about where they are, how you can encourage them, sharing something you love about them...by commenting on the weather?

I took a break. I didn't plan to, but it happened. A lot of emotions, moving cross country to a city I didn't plan on living in, leaving a city I loved, not focusing on my healthy body or my nutrition for about two months and I ended up in a place that I didn't feel I could show up for you guys here. But I want to be here. I want to do this podcast. I want to share about my life, so I'm here. I'm trying. I hope you'll join me again. 

Loved getting the opportunity to chat with my friend/client Robert Gooch (we'll just call him Gooch) about his life and his health journey and what he's learned along the way. During our conversation, he briefly talked about what he likes to refer to as "God Winks" in reference to his baby girl and his sister and I loved the reference so much that I've thought about it multiple times since our conversation and have even recognized multiple God Winks in my own life. We had some technical difficulties which led to the audio not being nearly what I would hope for it to be, but I still hope you get something from this episode and that, you too, begin to recognize some God Winks in your life!

Sometimes in life you have to admit that you just don't want it bad enough. "It" could be anything in your life that you continuously think of or attempt to pursue, and then always make excuses for why you haven't done it. Or always make excuses for why it's too hard or always make excuses as to why you give up every single time.Just admit it. You don't want it bad enough; because when you want something bad enough, absolutely nothing will stop you from getting there. And when it's something that you want, but there are other things that you want more in that moment, you will always find an excuse.If you really, really, really, really want something more than anything else in this world, you will find a way to make it happen. If not, you'll make an excuse. So instead of beating yourself up every other day for not doing the things that you said you wanted to do, just admit that you don't want it bad enough. I'm not having this conversation as a way of shaming you. I'm trying  to help you find mental and emotional freedom from where you are.

The definition of pivot, as I have found online from Merriam Webster, says the action or an instance of turning around on a point.And that is exactly how this feels. Wow. Sometimes when God speaks it feels like it is WAAAAAAY out of left field. And, at the same time, like it's the most obvious decision you haven't considered.That's where I'm at right now. God hit me up Sunday night with a super clear message to leave Los Angeles and go to Nashville and it couldn't have come as more of shock to me.So, I talk a bit about that and I also talk about what it looks like to live your life when you're hearing from God and when you're not hearing from God. How do you make decisions or choices about your life when you aren't hearing his voice? You remember that as long as you're pursuing a relationship with him, he will stop you if you're about to harm yourself. And if he doesn't stop you, maybe it's because the choice you're making isn't going to negatively affect your ultimate calling and God can use you in that new city or that new office or that new club. Most often, the will of God has far less to do with a location and far more to do with an action. 

Do the people you surround yourself with encourage you and celebrate you and hold you accountable and call you out on your B.S. and cause you to want to grow and become more? If not and that is the life you desire, then it's possible that your people aren't actually your people. They can still be your friends. They can still be your family. But you have to surround yourself with people who believe in you and want the best for you if you desire growth in your life. 

Today wraps up three part series of interviews with my friend Carroll Keane and it has been incredible. I hope that you guys have enjoyed it as much as I did. If you haven't listened to part one and part two, I highly encourage you to do that. You can listen to part three and still get a lot from it because I  believe that these episodes do stand alone.However, they build upon each other so beautifully that  I think that if you listen to part one and part two before listening to part three, it's going to be a much more cohesive understanding and better experience for you. So if you haven't done that, go check those out.If you've already listened to the part one and part two, welcome. You know that we wrapped up last week's episode talking about mental health issues and what that has looked like and how Carroll has worked through those things in his life with those diagnoses and trying to figure out natural ways to combat those.I thoroughly enjoyed that conversation and hope that you got something from that. Today, we pick up talking about health and addictions and what that has looked like for both of us. And then we're going to end the conversation, wrapping it all back up with a bit more of the creativity talk that we had in part one.

Last week, we left off in my interview with my friend, Carroll Keane with him telling me that a year ago he had given up coffee completely, which was quite a shock to me. But then once I thought about it, I was like, wait a minute. This kind of sounds like something that Carol would do, just to see. So, today we kicked off that conversation with Carroll explaining why he chose to give up coffee and many other things as he contends for his physical and mental health daily. I loved the analogy that he gave at the end of the episode about being a soldier vs. being an athlete. Let me know your thoughts!

Carroll and I met while living in Los Angeles and attending church together. When Covid-19 shut do Los Angeles and I left to visit my mom in Mississippi, Carroll and his wife Julissa left the following day to visit family in Missouri and decided to begin building a life there. Shortly thereafter, they found out they were expecting and are now living and raising that sweet babe in St. Louis. We had an amazing conversation here about the difference in being creative and creating and what that has looked like in our lives. This is just the beginning of our conversation, but it felt best to split it into multiple episodes. 

Two years ago, I said yes to something that I had absolutely no desire to do, but God told me to do it, so I did. It completely changed every single thing about the trajectory of my life and I couldn't possibly be more thankful that I said yes when all I really wanted to do was say no.

I have a daily calendar with motivational quotes. It is based on the book UNFU*K YOURSELF but Gary John Bishop, and a few days ago, the quote was "We Are Always Winning At Proving Something". That confused me for a moment and then it punched me in the gut. Positively or negatively, winning or losing, growing or staying complacent, we are ALWAYS WINNING at proving that thing. That can be a tough pill to swallow sometimes.I'd love to know what you're currently winning at proving. Feel free to follow me on instagram @brianbrister and let me know there what it is you're currently winning at proving. 

Episode 30! Wow! Can't believe I've already released 30 episodes. Having a podcast was a dream of mine for so long and here we are. 30 episodes in. Thank you guys for riding this wave with me.In today's episode, I started out just wanting to give you guys an update on some life changes that have been happening and it turned into a bit of a conversation about the importance of self care and what self care can look like. It doesn't always have to be massages and new nails. It can be, but it doesn't have to be.Take a listen, then reach out and let me know what self care looks like for you. I'd love to hear your take on it!Have a great week!

Do you ever feel inadequate or like a fake? Like somebody is going to rip back the curtain and suddenly realize that you're not the person that you appear to be? Or is that just me?It's not that I'm living a fake life. I just sometimes don't feel like the leader or brother or son or worship leader that I claim to be.Spending today working through what this looks like for me and hoping to hear from you in this as well. The best part about this session is that I had a pretty freaking cool AHA moment as I was talking through this. 

The things that you believe about yourself govern everything about your life. Your goals, your dreams, your hopes, the way you connect with others or respond to others-all stems from what you believe about yourself.I talk about the following quote from Gary Bishop in the podcast and mentioned that I would include it in the show notes here so you could copy it into your notes or take a screenshot. "Subconscious thoughts are deeply ingrained in your pshche, so it can take a lot of thinking, imagination, and commitment to transform these invisible yet powerful thoughts into ones that better align with your stated goals."-Gary Bishop

Admitting that you're an emotional eater may be easier to do for some, but at the same time, admitting that you're an emotional eater and being willing to change it and being willing to fight against that  and being willing to recognize when you need someone to step in and link arms with you and help you on this journey is a much bigger deal.I'm an emotional eater. And the reality is that I've been emotional eater for a very long time. However, I didn't always recognize it and I definitely wasn't willing to make the changes necessary to combat it.I took some time here to be super honest and vulnerable about my life as an emotional eater and what it looks like for me even now, at a healthy weight, having been on my health journey for over two years to continue to contend for my health and to continue to contend to become stronger and better and wiser in this fight against giving in to my emotions.

This is a fun little game that a couple friends of mine and I play because I so often wake up in a new place. And I'm not gonna lie. I love it. I recorded this episode because there are so many things regarding next steps and where I'm headed and where my head is and where I want to be and don't want to be and it's just been so much to try to figure out that I've just avoided the conversation. I never ever would have imagined being in Mississippi for a year, but I also wanted you guys to know where my head is and hopefully just talking it out would help me process a bit about what's next. I'm not sure it did much good, because my head is still all over the place with next step possibilities, but here we are.Where in the world is Brian Brister? Heck if I know.

I wanted to take some time today and share with you some reasons why you should choose me to be your health coach if you're looking for a health coach. Let's be real. Some of you aren't even looking for a health coach and probably should be.

In this episode, I address the question that constantly comes up in so many areas of my life-why do I continue to put off the things that I want in life? Recording podcasts, building a business, recording an album, doing a photo project, losing weight, going to the gym, etc.All things in life that I say I want and some of them I really enjoy. I put them on my to-do list and then don't do them. Or I spend hours convincing myself to do them before I actually go do them. Recording this episode was actually something I kept putting off. It's so wild.I don't actually have an answer for you here, but I'd love it if you'd join the conversation with me over on Instagram or Facebook. Let me know if it's something that you also struggle with, or if it's something you've overcome, let me know how you did it!

Last week we talked about the importance of doing work that you're passionate about; that makes you feel alive; that sets your soul on fire.This week I wanted to encourage you to discover who you are at the very core of your being-the person that God created you to be. So many time in life we show up as the person that we think people want us to be or as the person that we think will be most widely accepted, even when that's not our most authentic self. I want to let you know that when you show up as your most authentic self, the people that are supposed to be in your life will be...and the ones who aren't will slowly walk away and in the end, at least you'll be able to close your eyes at night knowing that no one dictated who you showed up as.I talk about two of my friends who always inspire me to be the best version of myself, Twyla Swanner and Molly Thayer. I wanted to share their instagram accounts with you in case you wanted to follow along.Twyla: https://instagram.com/allyswann?igshid=mdj5wzgh5gcmMolly: https://instagram.com/mollythayersflair?igshid=xis7w2oymtdtNow, they are both people who show up as a lot, which is what I relate to, but two of my friends who I didn't actually talk about in the podcast, but who show up as their most authentic selves in a much more reserved, laid back way are Jeff + Candida Wohlgemuth. Their instagrams are https://instagram.com/mollythayersflair?igshid=xis7w2oymtdt and https://instagram.com/candida?igshid=1fohjo6s8rxwn respectively.Go give those people a follow. Send them a message and tell them I sent you. You won't be sorry.Now, go become the best version of yourself for yourself. 

What makes you feel alive? And I don't mean like, Oh, this is cool. I feel a little bit better about myself. I don't want to run and hide under a pillow. No, I mean, What sets you on fire? What brings you joy and celebration and peace like nothing else?Today, I'm talking about the importance of loving who you are, where you are and what you do.I also share some tips that I've learned about discovering those passions for yourself. If you already know what those things for yourself, or once you discover what they are, I'd love it if you would send me a message letting me know what you've discovered. You can also comment on my most recent instagram post, whatever it is, if that's easier.

I've always been a huge proponent of sharing your story-in person, on social media, whatever. Sharing your story, your struggles and your successes, makes you more relatable and lets others know that they're not the only person on earth experiencing whatever it is that they're going through. Because we're all in this together and we weren't meant to do this alone. 

People often comment on my over the top positivity in most situations and also my ability to do, think, act and go without seemingly any concern for other's negative opinions about those choices. I wanted to share a bit more insight into that, but also share some tips for how to become a more positive person if that's something you desire.1. Focus on the good in a situation2. Practice Gratitude3. Keep A Gratitude Journal4. Open Yourself Up To Humor5. Spend Time With Positive People6. Practice Positive Self-Talk7. Identify Your Areas Of Negativity8. Start Every Day On A Positive Note9. Sometimes You Have To Seek Medical HelpA Few Options For Virtual Therapy:1. Talkspace https://www.talkspace.com2. Better Help https://www.betterhelp.com3. Regain Couples Therapy https://www.regain.us4. OnlineTherapy.com https://www.onlinetherapy.com5. Faithful counseling for Christians https://www.faithfulcounseling.com6. Teen Counseling https://www.teencounseling.com7. Pride Counseling https://www.pridecounseling.com

This podcast is a bit different than previous podcasts, because I'm the one that is being interviewed this time around. Last month, I was interviewed by my friend Ron Cecil and his friend Daniel Penner Cline for their podcast, Cutting For Sign.After the podcast was released and I listened to it, I realized that we discussed things that I hadn't discussed in my podcast previously and rather than recording those separately, I asked Ron if he would be willing to share the audio file with me to then release on my podcast as well.While this is a bit different than my normal podcasts, I hope you get something from today's episode. Cutting For Sign Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cutting-for-sign-with-ron-cecil-and-daniel-penner-cline/id1544882464?i=1000504511925Ron Cecil on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rcecil?igshid=19fqity5s0jx7Daniel Penner Cline on Instagram: https://instagram.com/dpenner0813?igshid=1eufvf8h7qhq9

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!For 2021, my word of the year is intentional. I share a bit more about that and then also share some tips on how you can choose your word of the year if that isn't something you've done before or if you're feeling stuck.I was going to create my own list to share with you, but then I found these tips on Mountain Modern Life and decided to share them with you. https://mountainmodernlife.com/word-of-the-year/Have you ever chosen a word of the year before? Did you choose a word this year for this year? If you did, I'd love if you'd message me on social media or comment on my most recent instagram post what your word of the year is. Bonus points if you share why you chose it! 

Spent a bit of time chatting about 2020, what I've experienced, what I've learned and why, in spite of all the insanity that has happened, 2020 has been a really, really special year for me. I am so excited for 2021 and to have you alongside me on this journey.Links to things mentioned in this episode:Highest Praise by C3LA Music (the song I was able to be a part of the recording)https://open.spotify.com/track/0h13SlJtBTJZvuNNL9GQmM?si=T_NUVEh9RcuKOn-u_DxddQOnly A Man by Jonny Lang Coverhttps://youtu.be/SJk6SXuyrIwPeace by Bethel Musichttps://open.spotify.com/album/5ooqN8wLOZ4zAYo23v3GfA?si=9rB6iO-bQyCxUhQ1ks3O_wForever Amen by Steffany Gretzingerhttps://open.spotify.com/album/4INKppNLM2RZwGmggvpMvY?si=gCU-hD6MTzGZt4wY2LgKBANo One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus by Steffany Gretzingerhttps://open.spotify.com/track/2oIFaafMda5ATaMr2b9pK8?si=yW2mBjtVQI-39k0jG3EPmQHydration Is King Podcast Episodehttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brian-brister-experience/id1529822185?i=1000497171256