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On today's episode of The Wholesome Fertility Podcast, I am joined once again by Katie Beecher @katiebeecher_medical_intuitive, a licensed professional counselor and medical and emotional intuitive. With over 35 years of experience, Katie has a unique ability to create detailed physical, emotional, and spiritual reports and even symbolic paintings using just a person's name and age. In this powerful conversation, we dive into how fertility challenges are deeply tied to the body's messages, unresolved trauma, and even spiritual guidance. Katie shares insight into Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome as a hidden factor in infertility, the emotional layers of miscarriage and loss, and the importance of connecting with spirit babies. We also explore how symptoms are not something to fear—but invitations to tune in and heal. Whether you're on a fertility journey or simply seeking a deeper connection to your body and intuition, this episode is filled with wisdom and compassion. Key Takeaways: Symptoms are not your enemy they are messages from your body and spirit. Anxiety, trauma, and stress disconnect us from our bodies, blocking healing and fertility. Spirit babies often communicate with future parents and may arrive through various paths—including adoption or donor eggs. Conditions like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome can go undiagnosed but play a significant role in reproductive health. Empowering your intuition and setting boundaries are crucial for emotional and spiritual readiness for parenthood. Healing is not about control—it's about partnership with your body, your spirit, and the wisdom within. Guest Bio: Katie Beecher is a licensed professional counselor and renowned medical and emotional intuitive with over 35 years of experience. Known for her unique ability to create detailed wellness reports and symbolic paintings using just a person's name and age, Katie has been featured in over 200 media outlets including Goop, Poosh, and Kora Organics. She is also the author of Heal from Within: An Intuitive Guide to Wellness, a practical guide that teaches readers how to access their own intuition, cultivate self-love, and heal holistically. Katie's work is deeply informed by her personal healing journey from bulimia, Lyme disease, and depression—an experience that began when she courageously sought help as a teenager and has since inspired her life's mission. Websites/Social Media Links: Katie's InstagramKatie's FacebookWatch her on YoutubeGet her book: Heal From Within: A Guide to Intuitive WellnessRead here blog: The Common, Frequently Overlooked Disorder That May Connect All of Your Mystery Symptoms—------------- For more information about Michelle, visit www.michelleoravitz.com  To learn more about ancient wisdom and fertility, you can get Michelle's book at: https://www.michelleoravitz.com/thewayoffertility  The Wholesome Fertility facebook group is where you can find free resources and support: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2149554308396504/  Instagram: @thewholesomelotusfertility  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewholesomelotus/ Disclaimer: The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your health or fertility care.   Transcript: # TWF: Katie Beecher (audio) [00:00:00] Episode number 3 32 of the Wholesome Fertility Podcast. My guest today is Katie Beecher. Katie is a licensed professional counselor and medical and emotional intuitive. With over 35 years of experience, Katie is featured in over 200 media outlets including Goop, Courtney Kardashian's website and Miranda Kerr's Gora Organics blog and has taught a week long workshop. At the Omega Institute, she has a unique way of working with clients, creating a detailed, individualized, physical, emotional, and spiritual report and symbolic painting before ever seeing them, talking with them, or seeing a photograph using only their name and age. Katie's first book. Heal from within. An intuitive guide to wellness uses practical tools and techniques Katie uses in her own medical and spiritual intuitive readings. The book teaches you to be your own medical intuitive, using [00:01:00] Katie's revolutionary step-by-step process for connecting to intuition and spirit, finding self-love and empowerment as well as to heal physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Heal from within is filled with remarkable stories of healing from her years of experience, as well as her own healing from bulimia, Lyme disease and emotional illness at the age of 16, without telling anyone, including her parents, Katie contacted her pediatrician and began therapy for a severe eating disorder and suicidal depression. She has been healed for over 35 years. Welcome to the Wholesome Fertility Podcast. I'm Michelle, a fertility acupuncturist here to provide you with resources on how to create a wholesome approach to your fertility [00:02:00] journey. **Michelle Oravitz:** Welcome back to the podcast, Katie. I'm so happy to have you back. **Katie Beecher:** This is a really great topic and I work with it a lot, so it's nice to, uh, podcast. **Michelle Oravitz:** So good. So I remember our first podcast episode. We talked about how about your gift really, and how you also incorporate art, which I thought was so cool. **Katie Beecher:** Yes. **Michelle Oravitz:** and so now since then you've started to see a lot of people. With fertility, like specifically fertility people are coming to you like about loss miscarriage and also spirit babies, like future babies and babies who have, yeah. **Katie Beecher:** I mean, I've, I always worked with a little bit but yeah, lately, like the past six months or so, I've really been getting a lot of fertility people. And, and I really, really, my heart goes out to them. **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah, for sure. And I feel like it's kind of like you're being called, you're being summoned. **Katie Beecher:** Yes. **Michelle Oravitz:** it's like a need, it's like a need in that world to really [00:03:00] become a messenger in that space. I wanted to get your thoughts, like, why do you feel like we're living at this time right now? Like this time it seems to be more needed than ever. Like the, the fertility space, like there a lot more people are experiencing that. There's a lot more of that happening now, and I wanted to get, get your take on it. **Katie Beecher:** Yeah, I mean, I think some of it gets down to just lifestyle changes and people having children getting married later, having children later, you know, decide to do that. And that's kind of. Age isn't necessarily a fertility block as we know, but it definitely can complicate things, you know? So I think that's a piece of it. I don't know if there's more stress than in the past. It feels like it, **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah  **Katie Beecher:** for sure. So, and we all know that stress plays a big part in it with the cortisol and the, you know, effects on the immune system and, and all those kind of things. So I think that's also it. And [00:04:00] I feel like people have more of a need to communicate with spirit in terms of their own personal relationship with their intuition. Their body and a lot of people for various reasons are kind of out of body and,  **Michelle Oravitz:** Right. It's true.  **Katie Beecher:** it's really hard to know what your body needs for fertility or anything else if you are not in it or if you feel like it's your enemy or you can't listen to the signals it gives you in terms of self care, for example. You know, so.  **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah, I agree. I also like noticed, I remember I read your book and it's, I feel like with you, it's what's cool. What I really like is that. You not only are connected to spirit, which I think that most people who don't really understand it think it's kind of like somewhere up in the clouds or it's not like real, or I not, it's hard to like kind of, look at because it's not something that could be looked at. It's something that's more experienced. But what I find that's interesting about you is that you [00:05:00] really pull it into the body **Katie Beecher:** Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. **Michelle Oravitz:** you kind of like the intelligence in your body. It's almost like the, the messages that your body's giving to you. And that could be considered Yeah. Like intuitive, but that's actually like something we all have. **Katie Beecher:** Yeah, no, it's true. I try to, you know, make it not woo woo because it's really not, and we all have medical intuition. We use it all the time. Like, you know, if you get a stomach ache, it's, you immediately start thinking. and problem solving. Like, was it something I just ate? Do I need to have crackers? Do I need to get some seltzer? Do I, you know, have to, aol, do I need to lay down? Do I need to go to the hospital? So whether it's you or your kids, right? Because we're, we do it for our family members also. so I think it's something that naturally happens. My abilities take it to the, you know, nth degree, which is different, but it doesn't mean that people don't have medical intuitive abilities who don't do what I do. **Michelle Oravitz:** 100%. I think so too. It's, [00:06:00] not I think it's something that we've all been given because we need to have it. We need to know what's going on with our body and we can have it too. It's not something, and I think that sometimes we also give the power away. I. To other people to dictate kind of what we should do with our own bodies, and we also overlook our own intuition on what our bodies are telling us because we don't trust that. I mean, it really kind of goes on and on. **Katie Beecher:** It, it really does. And I think people, if you have trauma or illness or something, the thought is that these, these feelings in your body, are scary or that there are enemies or we have to fix them and obsess about them. And a, I think a more practical way of looking at it is what is my body telling me? What is my intuition telling me? You know, if my chest is tight, that may be my intuition yelling at me that I need to do something different or whatever. Even like anxiety [00:07:00] is so big and I look at anxiety as number one. It's very natural. It's a survival mechanism, right? We've always had it. We've always needed it. And it's letting, it's letting you know that something isn't right. So it may be danger or it may be that you're letting people take advantage of you, or not setting boundaries, or that you're not doing self-care or you're doing something against yourself, or it just means something's wrong that we need to take a look at. And the more you push it down, the stronger it gets. So then it becomes this big thing in and of itself, you know? **Michelle Oravitz:** But it's actually just trying to guide you. It's kind of trying to get your attention and that's why I always say like symptoms, it's so funny 'cause we get really annoyed with symptoms. But symptoms are our best friends. They're the best things that we could have. It's such a, a, genius design of our bodies is to let us know what's going on and to guide us. It's when we fight with the symptoms, they grow bigger and bigger and then they become like really hard to manage. **Katie Beecher:** And then what happens [00:08:00] is the more we ignore, the worse they get and the more that they need to interfere with our help, our happiness, and our help, and, and it's not even necessarily our faults because. We have a culture of just, you know, grin and bear it, kind of get through it, you know, just don't even, you know, and, and there's something to be said for that as well, but like, you can't ignore what your body is telling you. And then also expect to be healthy and happy because you, you're either here or you're out here.  And if you're out here. It's impossible to be present. Most of us live in between, like I, I live out there too, so, but I be here, you know, in order to function and and help people too. **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah. And then so talk to me about some of the cases that you've seen of late. You know, 'cause you've been talking to more people. I know we were talking before [00:09:00] about a lot of loss, and I think that that's a really important topic because it's so confusing, it's heartbreaking. It's just really hard for people, especially because not a lot of attention goes on that type of loss. Like pregnancy loss. It's not given a ceremony. It's not unless the couple decides to do it. So I think that, and then the community, sometimes couples go through it alone, so I think that it's a very unique type of loss in that way. It could be really, really difficult because of that. **Katie Beecher:** like I said, I really feel for people and a lot of it is, things that some, if you haven't been through it, like a miscarriage or, or whatever, or a fertility journey. Right. If you haven't been through that, just like if you haven't been through anything, it can be hard to understand what a person's going through. But I was working with somebody recently and she been trying to get pregnant for. I guess like five years now. And she's in her forties. And she's gotten pregnant through [00:10:00] various means, but they were all chemical pregnancies, so they only lasted about a week or so. And then even with the egg retrieval all of her embryos have seemed to have some abnormality, so. There's nothing that she can do, you know, in terms of, of fixing that. And then the, the question is like, does that mean that every time I try to get pregnant, there's gonna be something wrong with the baby? And is there something wrong with me and is there something wrong with my body? And just like, and this person, I really feel for her 'cause she's doing it alone. She doesn't have a partner, you know, and so there's not even anybody to help. Kind of support you and pick up that slack, you know? And that, that loss just then turns, I think, to sheer terror of, ah, and then  **Michelle Oravitz:** right. Every single time you have to go through it, you're, you're not gonna be able to feel safe. **Katie Beecher:** and there's A-P-T-S-D [00:11:00] component to it of, do I get my hopes up? What if I get hurt again? What if I, and, and all of those feelings of grief and loss and everything come back every time you even think about doing it again. You know, **Michelle Oravitz:** Right. **Katie Beecher:** and I just, like you said, it's not, and I think things like your show and other things have helped people be able to talk about it more. You know, but it is a foreign concept to a lot of people. **Michelle Oravitz:** For sure. And so what do you see, do you see like a spiritual component to it? Is there some message or something that they need to like address that they feel um, at least to get through it, you know, to get them stronger? Mm-hmm. **Katie Beecher:** so it's, I I pick up a really mixed bag of things. It's not uncommon for me to pick up. Physical or emotional issues that need to be addressed before a healthy pregnancy can take place. And so, things [00:12:00] like Lyme, because Lyme can get passed on, you know, to your kids. And if you have that, there's a lot of reasons why you need to heal as much as possible, you know, before you can have healthy pregnancy. What I pick up on a lot is something called ER Danlos syndrome. Have you heard of that before? **Michelle Oravitz:** No. **Katie Beecher:** So Ler Danlos, the, one of the most prominent symptoms of it is hypermobility. So being ultra flexible, but even that can, can be different in every person. But it's a connective tissue disorder and it's collagen and elastin that are always inflamed in your body. So you have this ongoing inflammation, but EDS impacts virtually every area of the body. **Michelle Oravitz:** Wow. **Katie Beecher:** It's really, really crazy. I have it, my daughter have it has it also. So I feel like a Guinea pig, you know, having, and then I can help a lot more other people, which is. Is good. And then I end up helping a lot of families 'cause it's genetic. So people are like, oh, I didn't know I had it. That [00:13:00] sounds like my mom, but that sounds like my sister. Or, you know. But the thing about it is that because your organs can be lax because there's inflammation, because all sorts of things and it screws up your hormones. It a million things that can be a real, a hidden cause of infertility. **Michelle Oravitz:** Wow, that's crazy. 'cause I've never heard about. **Katie Beecher:** Yeah, it's not uncommon. It used to be considered a rare disease and there's 13 different types, so all except the most common type are pretty rare. But the most common type is not rare at all. I pick it up all the time and it's been getting more media attention, which is good. Because doctors are really bad at diagnosing it. 'cause there's all these symptoms and so when you go to a doctor, usually all insurance allows them to pay for, is that one symptom? Like, which is crazy because you need to look at the whole body  to  **Michelle Oravitz:** Wow, that's so crazy. And what could you do about it? **Katie Beecher:** So, you can't [00:14:00] cure it, but there's a lot you can do. And so a lot of it is like testing for histamine sensitivities, for example, histamines come into it. They do all sorts of different, you know, testing for autoimmune things and just that kind of thing is, is valuable. But what was the most helpful to me in my treatment was getting to work with physical therapists who were specialists in EDS. And I was able to see like which parts of my body were really stiff. 'cause you can be stiff, not just  flexible, right? It all, it moves around your body all the time. 'cause your tendon ligaments are going like this. And so what was tight? What was loose? What was weak? Was strong. Different sides of the body are different. It ex like it can show if you have a, a loose area, other areas get tight to overcompensate for it. So, I've been able to like do things like before I do my pole dancing and aerial arts and stuff like [00:15:00] that. There's certain exercises and things that I need to do in order to not injure myself again. And even things like, it makes you more susceptible to bone density issues, right? Because it does, it can't, you can't hold up your muscles and bones with loose ligaments. So there's a lot of things. And in terms of pregnancy, right? People with EDS are more prone to things like placenta previa and all sorts of different complications, even like miscarriages and stuff. Implantation issues, just all kinds of things. Endometriosis, so many things. But during pregnancy, as you probably know, our ligaments and our hips loosen up anyway, right. So if the doctor knows that you have EDS, there's things that they can do, exercises they can give you, things that they can do to, you know, watch for. And also like maybe if things are really loose, you might need a a cesarean, you know, before another person would, or [00:16:00] even like. Anesthesia, for example. People with EDS, sometimes anesthesia works, sometimes it doesn't work, sometimes it works too much. So it's, you know, those kind of things that you can kind of prepare for knowing what conditions people  **Michelle Oravitz:** Could it impact like an incompetent cervix? That's, uh, so that's another one. You'd get a cerclage to keep it closed. **Katie Beecher:** Exactly, exactly. Yeah. It affects the whole body, 'cause connected tissues everywhere,  including the brain.  **Michelle Oravitz:** crazy. **Katie Beecher:** It is, it's really, and it's, it's so gratifying to work with people with it who have been told they have everything else, like fibromyalgia. Don't even get me started on that diagnosis. But, you know, that's what comes back a lot because  they don't know right, what the root causes are. And even like, like pots you know, like I said, histamine sensitivities, like there's so many side. Side things that are basically created when we have inflammation and when  our organs aren't doing what they  **Michelle Oravitz:** It can impact your gut. I mean, it [00:17:00] impacts so much. **Katie Beecher:** huge. Yeah. And the earlier you get diagnosed, the better. And my daughter and I have this running joke. Oh, it's EDS, you know, but I wasn't diagnosed until my fifties and she got diagnosed when she was 25. so  **Michelle Oravitz:** so crazy. Wow. That's actually eyeopening. 'cause it's not something that I've heard. I, because I, I see patients all the time. They're always giving me their doctor's diagnosis. I would've remembered it 'cause it's a very unusual **Katie Beecher:** Right, and there's a spectrum, so it, there's hypermobility and then like everything else, it's a spectrum. So even if you don't have full blown EDS,  **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah.  **Katie Beecher:** person, it, it can still affect you. **Michelle Oravitz:** Are there any functional medicine approaches that can help it inflammation?  **Katie Beecher:** like definitely, you know, supplements that help with inflammation  and, you know, natural stuff. There's a a  **Michelle Oravitz:** Or even collagen, taking collagen or like bone broth. I don't **Katie Beecher:** yes.  **Michelle Oravitz:** are the things that I think off, off **Katie Beecher:** [00:18:00] Yeah. It's kind of a mixed bag because part of it is that we don't process collagen. **Michelle Oravitz:** Oh, I **Katie Beecher:** Right way. However,  I find taking collagen very helpful.  **Michelle Oravitz:** Okay, got It It could be also, like certain people might benefit, certain people might not. It's kind of like a, it's not a one size fits all, even if you have it. **Katie Beecher:** exactly. And like I use dma. Which is kind of a weird little thing, but I use it for hair growth, but it also is silica, so it helps your bones and, and you know, and then um, there's a supplement I like called Liga plex too, which also helps with adrenals 'cause it messes with your adrenals, messes with your nervous system, the whole whole thing. A lot of people with it are neuro neurodivergent links, eating disorders. It's, it's really, wow. really, because you don't have a. Sense of your body. So your your proprioception is off and your body image is off, and  **Michelle Oravitz:** That's interesting. It's so crazy to me [00:19:00] because um, you know, so many people go through these things and they think it's their fault. They don't realize that there is another explanation kind of lurking underneath that is causing them to feel the way they're feeling and they feel the shame and kind of guilt for getting to the place that they're getting to, but they just don't realize why. Mm-hmm. **Katie Beecher:** My daughter actually just from me being me, you know, and then the, she has the same and different symptoms, even though we have the same subtype of EDS, but she actually went to her doctor and. Told the doctor all about this stuff and the doctor's like, well, that's too rare. That doesn't, you know, it really even barely ever happens. And you know, the, just gave her medical gaslighting. And thankfully I have two stubborn adult children who, you know, she went to somebody else who had more of a background in it. She got officially diagnosed, she went back to that doctor, **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah. Good for her because sometimes that's so frustrating. Yeah. Yeah. **Katie Beecher:** She was like, uh, this is what I have, and you told me I didn't. And like, you really need to know [00:20:00] more so you can help other people. And the  **Michelle Oravitz:** Right. Yeah, it's good. It's good. I like it when that happens. 'cause it's not, not to sort of, it's more to, to educate them like I to come back. 'cause patients educate me all the time. Like I think that as doctors, you need to let your patients educate you because that's how you learn, that's why it's called a practice. You have to connect and really listen to your patients if you really wanna become a good practitioner. In general. Yeah, **Katie Beecher:** Yeah. And I think the best practitioners have medical intuitive abilities. **Michelle Oravitz:** true. And I'll be honest, it's interesting because like, I definitely have always been sensitive. I do think that I'm intuitive. I don't like, uh, it's not something that I kind of go forward with, but it's true. Like people that work with me know that, but. I will never override another person's intuition. So if somebody tells me they don't feel right about a supplement, even if the textbook tells me that is the perfect supplement for them, I [00:21:00] will say, listen to your body. That's always, just listen to your body, you know best. And I think that, I think that that is just kind of like a do no harm. You have to really respect the person's inner intelligence that they only connect with. **Katie Beecher:** Yeah, and teach people how to trust it, like as accurate as my guides are, and it's really amazing. I tell people I don't want. You to trust my intuition over yours. Like I want you to consider what I'm saying, but it doesn't mean that like I wanna teach you how to develop your intuition. I wanna  teach you how to talk to your spirit  **Michelle Oravitz:** Well, that's your book. Your book talked a lot about that. It was like empowering your own in innate intuition. **Katie Beecher:** Exactly. And we do need other people. We do. You know, 'cause we have blinders and we have fears and all kinds of stuff that can get in the way in our own agendas and you know. **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah. **Katie Beecher:** But I think when you talk to people and they think about times when they're in, when they trusted their intuition, they can be like, like miraculous things [00:22:00] happened. **Michelle Oravitz:** It's true. It really is true, and sometimes it's interesting. Sometimes in order to trust your intuition, you're actually. Given a very difficult choice to make. You have to like do something that is hard to do or like go against people's opinions or go against what your initial expectation was, but then it becomes so worth it, it it, you start to realize there's a reason for that. **Katie Beecher:** Yeah, I totally agree. And it's, if I hadn't gone through some of all of the stuff that I've gone through, I wouldn't have learned how to, you know, develop and trust my intuition and my weird abilities. And it was really through that diversity and. I like to tell people that other people's pain or your own pain might be the greatest gift you've received. It doesn't make it any easier, but you know, if you can respond to it and figure out what you need to do to take care of yourself and maybe learn to trust spirit instead of feeling [00:23:00] alone all the time, like. There's so many benefits to it that yeah, even though it's not an exact science and you don't always  trust it, you  **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah, everything's so unique. I think that that's like on earth, like every person is so unique. Every path is so unique. Even if you have like this, a similar type of path, it's still unique. You were just talking about uh, EDS and how it's unique with every person that has it. And the same thing with fertility. So like people going through that, you know, going through those challenges, it's like any kind of challenge in life really. You know, where something is there. To guide you. I've seen it. I've talked to enough people. I've been doing this in, you know, the podcast since 2018. I've talked to enough people to hear stories and how their end, like the end point. They always look back and they're like, I wouldn't have changed it. But when they're in it, they're like, I don't want this. But then afterwards they're like, oh, wow. Now I see. It's like hindsight shows [00:24:00] you the reason. **Katie Beecher:** A lot of the time too, I find that people have, who are having fertility issues, they have really difficult people in their lives or they hate their job or something like that. So it requires setting boundaries. Especially if you know, you and your partner don't agree on some really important parenting issues or values or what I see a lot too is people who are concerned about their parents or in-laws. And how they're going to be with their children. And so it can be an amazing opportunity to stand up to them and set limits with stuff. Maybe you would've taken from your own parents or an in-law for yourself and you're like, no way you're treating my kids like that. Or saying that around my kids are doing, you know? I got a lot ballsier for sure when I had kids and I. **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah, yeah, yeah. You, and then that's really, I think that that's one of the things, [00:25:00] like, I feel like fertility challenges set you up for parenting because you, you start, you start with advocating for yourself, and eventually you're gonna have to make very difficult decisions with kids and advocating for them, even in the medical com, you know, system. I, I've had it for many things. Doing things that, uh, is a little outside the box. I didn't want fluoride, my kids' teeth, and people look at you sideways, but now it's coming out that it's not good. And not being political, like I'm just saying in general, like in general, it's coming out that fluoride is not good for you and it lowers the IQ of kids. It, it is what it is. Yeah. **Katie Beecher:** I know it's, and that's, I know so many challenging things because yes, it benefits teeth, but oh my God, all the other stuff. **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah. And there are other things that can benefit the teeth. Uh, vitamin D. Yeah. So many things. So, so it's kind of like that, like it doesn't [00:26:00] end, you know, these challenges never end. And I think that what you're saying is so important, like really setting boundaries and standing up for what you know to be right. It's really listening to your heart, your integrity, and kind of like staying in your integrity. I feel like that might be difficult at first, but it actually makes your life easier. **Katie Beecher:** Does. Yeah. **Michelle Oravitz:** It's kind of like the the trick thing that people don't realize. **Katie Beecher:** No, I, I tell people it's like training a dog, like you're setting boundaries with your dog so that they don't, you know, pee in the house or  they,  you  **Michelle Oravitz:** be happy later. **Katie Beecher:** so, and that's, that's how you parent too, and that's how you deal with, with other people in your life.  You know, it's not a negative. Maybe it'll make people angry at you. You know, maybe temporarily, maybe not, but, oh, well, Yeah. Listen, if people are angry at you, when you're not doing something to intentionally hurt them and you're just kind of speaking your truth, then that's a they problem. Oh, it. **Michelle Oravitz:** You know? It's like, you know, you're [00:27:00] not like trying to hurt anybody. You're just speaking your truth. Then that's, you know, you can't, you can't really control that. And I, and I say you have to stand, definitely stand your ground. I agree with you. I mean, that's definitely a big thing. Do you through spirit babies, like get messages for things that they want their future parents to know? **Katie Beecher:** It works a lot of different ways, so, encourage,  **Michelle Oravitz:** Right. I think that's the theme for today. It's not a one size fits all. **Katie Beecher:** No. I get messages from children who who were not able to come through as healthy pregnancies. That's a good way to put it. Even people, and it's awful. If, if you've had an abortion and now you're trying to get pregnant, there's like can be so much guilt  **Michelle Oravitz:** It could be in mind off. I know. I, I've talked to so many people **Katie Beecher:** Right. So I talk to them. I also am able to talk to babies and children who are coming to them. And it's [00:28:00] fascinating because it's, it's often biological children, but sometimes it's also children who are going to come to people through adoption or. **Michelle Oravitz:** Yes. I just got the chills 'cause it's true. Like it that it's still your child. Yeah. **Katie Beecher:** Like, I see it all the time where there's a mom or a parent, you know, parental group, whatever you wanna call them. And there's this child on the outside and they're not necessarily a baby. And that's often my signal. My guides are like, this person needs to help whoever this is. That's they're gonna connect with whoever this is. And it may come to them, they're not expecting, you know, but, and as we know there so many kids who. In need of good parenting and, and foster care system's awful. And, you know, and all those things. and it is very delicate to bring up,  **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah, it's true. It's true because, uh, people have their own plans.[00:29:00]  **Katie Beecher:** know, and, and of course they want biological children and of course, you know, so I, I totally get that. But I am honest with people when I do my readings and I'm just like, Hey. This is coming through,  **Michelle Oravitz:** I think you have to be 'cause you're a messenger and you can't change the message if that's what it is. And I had Dr. Lisa Miller on who had gone through, actually it was very interesting. She had gone through her fertility, like a fertility challenges and. Went through so much to try to conceive and she kept getting this inner voice come to her and say, if you if you can conceive, would you adopt? Or something like that. Like, I don't remember the exact sentence, and would you still adopt? And she was like, no, I, I want my own baby. And then it kept coming to her. And then at one point she just happened to be, I think I was staying at a hotel or somewhere where. [00:30:00] There was a program on kids that were orphans, and one of them was inhaling some kind of chemical and said, the reason that he does that is because he doesn't feel love. Like he doesn't have anybody that loves him. And of course, you know, anybody has a heart and hears that their heart breaks. But for her it was like this next level of, uh, wow. Like it really shook her. And at that point it was, it. It was her and her husband, and there was a reason why the TV couldn't work and it had to be on that, and they ended up adopting in that. And the night before she went to adopt, I think it was outside of the country, she heard the voice again, the question come back to her, would you adopt if you can conceive naturally, would you adopt? She said, absolutely. And that month she also conceived. you know what I mean? And it was like those children were supposed to meet and be SI **Katie Beecher:** Yeah, exactly.  **Michelle Oravitz:** was just [00:31:00] the whole thing. So crazy. **Katie Beecher:** The person um, that I recently worked with, I saw a young boy and an older girl and I said, one of them is not going to come from you. And and I'm like. There's gonna be some child you hear about, or some show is gonna come on, or some program or something you come across on the internet, and it's going to open your eyes or open your heart to the possibility of adoption. It doesn't mean that you're not gonna be able to have your own. Biological person too. But yeah, I literally saw them together holding hands and it's, I get a lot of images through my, you know, with my guides. But I totally felt like, you know, she's like, I really don't even wanna go there. I said, I understand and I'm not telling you what to do. All I'm saying is look into the possibilities even doing a donor egg, because that might take that fear. of having, you know, a child [00:32:00] that is really disabled or something like that, you know, because, and I'm not, that's not a judgment call. She told me the first time she got pregnant, she had this overwhelming fear that there was something wrong with baby. **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah, it was like that intuition. **Katie Beecher:** Exactly. And then it didn't, it wasn't viable, you know, so it turned out she was right. I  said, see, so your intuition's working,  **Michelle Oravitz:** Right. Although I just took this for people listening, just 'cause you have a thought like that doesn't mean it's gonna happen. There's a difference between fears and sometimes fears can trick us, but then there's also intuition and that is real. Like it's a, it's a, it feels different. **Katie Beecher:** It's true. And, and especially, I mean, any new mom or anyone, time you, you know, you get pregnant of course. You're like, I would want this to go, well, this  **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah, you're gonna, you, and sometimes your mind goes into all kinds of places. What if it happens like this? Or that doesn't necessarily mean it's your intuition. Yeah.  **Katie Beecher:** Yeah.  There's a difference between fear and I. Yes.  **Michelle Oravitz:** It's happened to me before. Yeah. No, no. 'cause I know, like my, I, I know myself. Like if I, you know, I'd be like, oh [00:33:00] my God, well if I feel that, does that mean that it's real? And, it feels like that. Yeah, for sure. Like when you're actually going through it. But sometimes you do have like this real strong nudge, like knowing which is different. But again, it's harder for people who don't like, do what you do to really distinguish the, Difference. How can people, actually, that's a good question. How can people figure out what's my intuition and what's my fear? be a perfect person to ask. **Katie Beecher:** sot book I. And it talks about all of this stuff, but I really, I'm glad that you mentioned it because people will say to me like, how do I know it's my intuition or not just a voice in my head or something I made up right? Or fear or whatever. So what I tell people is, whatever you get when you're communicating with intuition, just allow it to be there. Write it down. It's a written technique thing. Write it down. Just allow it to be there without judgment, without fear. And then if something does come through that's scary. Then address [00:34:00] that and just be like, okay, hello voice. You know, what is this thing that I'm really afraid of? Why am I afraid of it? What can I do about it? Is this an intuitive feeling or is it just a fear? You know? So that way you are not pushing it down,  **Michelle Oravitz:** Mm-hmm.  **Katie Beecher:** addressing it. **Michelle Oravitz:** Right. Right. That's a good point. 'cause sometimes we'll push it away. **Katie Beecher:** Right. And this way you can problem solve. Like I'm, I'm really afraid you know that there's gonna be something wrong with baby. And then, so that may prompt you to be like, okay, ask your doctor if there are tests that you can do to, you know, so  **Michelle Oravitz:** you  can be proactive. Yeah. **Katie Beecher:** You know, like in my own case, I felt like something was off. We had an amniocentesis and it,  gonna get into this whole thing, but it showed like a potential, really like huge problem, like. Like still a born person. Yeah. It was really, really scary. And the doctor's, like, most of the time we don't even find this this thing with the cerebral spinal fluid, unless there's an autopsy and it [00:35:00] like, doesn't affect most people, but, but it could be worst case scenario. So they're like, you can do nothing or whatever. And I'm like, no, I want the amnio. I wanna know, do the genetic testing. And, and it was torture because at that time it took a month. Sales. But I was glad I did 'cause they're like, everything is normal.  So, yeah. And you could carry that fear or you could be like, I'm gonna do something about it and find  **Michelle Oravitz:** Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. And that's where you're being guided to resolve and that's, that's what I like about how you approach this is because you approach it from a very realistic way where you're actually using action in order to, but also intuition and you're bridging the two. **Katie Beecher:** Yeah, I like to give people actionable steps. You know, and okay, yeah, all these things are happening and you can't control them and it feels awful and you don't feel like you have any power, and, but what kind of things can you do? Even if it's just not just, even if it's, you know what? I can't control what's [00:36:00] going on right now, but I need to go take a walk, or I need to go work out, or I need to go do something creative to calm down my nervous system. Let out the stress that is an actionable response. **Michelle Oravitz:** Yes, that is true. And your nervous system. I am obsessed with the nervous system. I talk about it a lot because it's an information, it's an information system. So basically it's an antenna like, and if it's not if it's chaotic, you're not gonna get the message. It's static. **Katie Beecher:** Exactly. **Michelle Oravitz:** You need to regulate it. And that's part of the whole reason why I think stress is, you know, is such a factor. We're constantly fight or flight. We need to even it out and kind of take the other, you know, the other balance of rest and digest and kind. I think that when we do that, we're able to get the messages more clearly. **Katie Beecher:** Oh my God. Yeah, absolutely. Even my, you know, my own self if I'm feeling out of it or whatever, I'm just like, you can't go into your reading list this way. You know, you can't create your report and painting and all that. So you need to go do something to [00:37:00] chill. **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah. **Katie Beecher:** Be in a better space. So yeah, it's not just regular people, it's also people who do this for. **Michelle Oravitz:** Oh, it's every person. Every person with a nervous system. And it also puts you in a more creative, like when your nervous system is balanced, you're also more creative. You're able to be more creative. And what is fertility? It's your physical body's creativity. **Katie Beecher:** It, it is so true. And our bodies are just so tuned in to what we are thinking and feeling. A, a quickie uterus story this actually happened to me, so going through a bunch of really intense stress with husband's job and stuff like that, so life was really freaking chaotic and I had been painting every day and I'm like. I just lost the desire and I don't paint like black daggy things anyway, so I just was like too depressed to do anything. And ended up having really bad abdominal pain for a full year. Really bad ing abdominal pain like in, in bed. [00:38:00] Never knew when it would start and like crazy. 8 million tests of course, and no one could really find anything. They did take my appendix out and found a cancerous tumor on my appendix. **Michelle Oravitz:** Oh wow. **Katie Beecher:** A rare cancerous tumor. So that obviously needed to come out. Um, So that was a good thing from all this crazy. But ultimately the doctor was finally like, okay, your uterus feels weird. And so I'm like, I, I've had my children. Well, I'm not doing this pain anymore. Please just, you know, let's end this. So, woke up from the surgery and she said, we had to take one of your ovaries too. I'm like, okay. And she said, I've never seen this before in anyone. I'm thinking, yeah, it's me. My, my fallopian tube had wrapped around my uterus, **Michelle Oravitz:** Oh my God. How can they not see that in the ultrasound? **Katie Beecher:** well, it was adhered to it, and I guess the angles, it  just  didn't, didn't show up. But I was like, I know exactly what that is. That is me. I cut off my creativity. I cut off that [00:39:00] connection to myself, so my body responded by literally choking off. Center, which is  **Michelle Oravitz:** Wow. Isn't that crazy? That is so crazy. But I see stuff like that a lot. Like, you know, a thyroid or like throat. Conditions. And the people also at the same time have a difficulty expressing themselves to the most pivotal person in their life. And you know, and sometimes just releasing that and all of a sudden tears and things come out, our bodies, you know, it's like that book. Uh, your body keeps the score. true. **Katie Beecher:** It, it's, and you know, Carl Young and other people like that have been talking about it for, I don't know, long, long, long time. And now just we're, we're just catching up now. **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah, and it also gives you symbols. It'll give you like a reflection of metaphors. **Katie Beecher:** Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. It's, it's really fascinating and like, I like to teach people how to talk to your uterus, talk to your eggs. You know, talk to your [00:40:00] hormones, whatever's going on, and treat them as your friends. Not something that you hate or that is broken, or that you have to obsess about or even fix. Of course, the goal is to heal. But, and I did this with healing from my eating disorder, was, what do you need from me? Why is this happening?  **Michelle Oravitz:** Mm-hmm.  **Katie Beecher:** are there things I need to change in my life? What are you trying to tell me? How can I help you heal? So, treat it like a team member **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah, I **Katie Beecher:** that is in it with you that's helping you make changes rather than feeling like it's foreign  or you're out of your body. You hate your body. It feels  like  it's.  **Michelle Oravitz:** thing. It's that, that kind of myth of the separation. **Katie Beecher:** Exactly. Exactly. So that takes so much of the anxiety out of it also. 'cause you're like, okay, I do have [00:41:00] some control over this. It's not just this, my body that's doing all these things that I don't want it to do and can't understand. Like  **Michelle Oravitz:** Right. It's, it becomes more whole, like you feel more wholeness. With that, it becomes more complete. There's more closure too because you're allowing whatever it needs to be expressed to express itself. I remember seeing Dolores Cannon, I'll see sometimes like reels or different things and she was talking about how your cells in your body, like look at you kind of like your executive function as a God and like whatever you say, it's like, oh, that must be true. And that's really how your subconscious mind works and that's why hypnotherapy works because it's kinda those suggestions. Ultimately come from the top. Your conscious mind can make those choices and then repeat it, repeat it, repeat it until it gets into the subconscious mind. Your body and your cells are part of that subconscious mind. **Katie Beecher:** It's true. And even just I'll be, you know, freaked [00:42:00] out about something, whatever, before I go to poll and, I'll have a great class burn off all this energy and I'll come back and be like, what was I even thinking about? Or a totally different perspective what was bothering me before. So, so much is our mindset. **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah, it, it really is everything. 'cause it's like how we experience our world and you could take like 10 different people with the same exact life and they'll experience it differently. **Katie Beecher:** Yeah, it's, it's so true.  Um,  **Michelle Oravitz:** have choice. **Katie Beecher:** we do, so I'd like to encourage people who are dealing with fertility difficulties to not see their body as the enemy. To be open to all sorts of possibilities. When we release some of that anxiety and stress, we're more creative, like you said. So maybe you, you think of a, a problem solving strategy that no one's brought up before, you know, or that you haven't, [00:43:00] or maybe your body will be like. Oh wait. I thought it was this, this, and this, but maybe I need to have my hormones checked, or maybe the testing wasn't accurate or maybe like it just frees you up  to  **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah.  **Katie Beecher:** more answers. **Michelle Oravitz:** I see it a lot of times with my patients. So what you're saying is actually very accurate, like. I think that once people, and I see it also once they do acupuncture or like dirt, certain practices, they'll start to uncover things and they'll get ideas and they're like, oh, that's interesting. Somebody said some, something about that. Or they'll listen to a podcast and hear like the guests and they're like, oh my God, I think that that's my route. And it just kind of, they start to align and then find answers. So  **Katie Beecher:** I mean, being a control freak, which I'm guilty of you **Michelle Oravitz:** All of  us.  **Katie Beecher:** freakiness. Right. And anxiety just, it interferes more than we realize, and it's almost like people are addicted to anxiety, **Michelle Oravitz:** Oh, 100%. Joe [00:44:00] Depen always talks about that, and it's true, like you could, you could be addicted to stress and like the adrenals and the, and you could get addicted to the hormones that anxiety and stress. Give you, you just are so used to it that that feels normal. And that's why, you know, abusive relationships you'll tend to gravitate 'cause that feels normal. **Katie Beecher:** And also if you're stressed out and your life is chaotic, it's impossible to think about your own needs and your own goals  **Michelle Oravitz:** Mm-hmm.  **Katie Beecher:** your own issues. So it's a way of avoidance, like every addiction is, you know, it's a way of avoiding stuff that you need to take care of or that's painful or whatever. So it's really sad that that people sort of. Choose that route, when they do have choices, it's not, not making people out to be, you know, that they're, it's their fault or anything. But we do have a lot of choice in, in what we do and how we interact with people. And just setting boundaries or not is a great [00:45:00] example, you know. **Michelle Oravitz:** I agree. I mean, I think that finding, figuring that out and kind of realizing that we actually have so much more power over our lives. I think that that's like that first step of empowerment. You're like, oh, wow. So I think that absolutely, it's true. We do have choice. Yeah. **Katie Beecher:** Right. And even like now, it's a bit of a crazy time. You know, and, and I'm sure a lot of people are feeling like. I can't change a society or, or a government, no matter what side you're on, whatever, you know, but there's too much there and I have no power. And it's, even fertility is just such a huge issue, right? But if you start being like, what can I do to take care of myself? What can I do to control my issues or when I feel like I'm spiraling? And then. Maybe I have more power than I think in terms of like getting together with like-minded people or fighting for your issues or you know, [00:46:00] something. So I just, that powerlessness is just such an awful feeling. **Michelle Oravitz:** it is, and it it all has a place too, in some weird way to teach us or to bring us back to ourselves. I always kind of have the belief that all roads lead to the light. ' cause eventually, even if it's like a really tough time, it'll eventually lead you to some kind of light. **Katie Beecher:** That's very true. And also on the subject of control, I like to tell people it's not all or nothing. So it's not like you're in control mode, all obsessed. You know your agenda. And the only alternative is to totally step back and give all that up. The way that I like to describe it is spirit intuition. It's there as a helper and letting it, like I recognize myself if I'm going too hard on an agenda or forcing something, whatever, and I can just be like, okay, this isn't working. So step back, allow intuition to come into your life [00:47:00] as a protective guiding force, and it tells me when I need to take action and what I need to  do. It gives me ideas. It helps me problem solve, so I'm not giving up any control. I'm gaining more by letting Spirit into my life. **Michelle Oravitz:** I love that. I think that's so important and I, I'm very spirit forward. It's like my, I, I can't do anything without my, I call them like my invisible assistants, and I'll tell you like when you lean on them or him, I, you know, whatever it is that you feel connected to. I see them as his team, you know, but, but yeah, I, whenever you lean on that intelligence, it always shows up. Like it almost always shows up like in incredibly miraculous ways. And I see it with my patients. I see it with my clients. Like that's the crazy thing is like the, the stories that I hear all the time. So it's real, like it's legit. And, uh, I think [00:48:00] it's so cool. So. For people listening now and they're like, okay, I wanna work with Katie. Like how, what kind of offerings do you have **Katie Beecher:** Sure. So I basically do two types of readings. One is what I call a full reading. And it comes with a four page report and an intuitive soul painting  and.  **Michelle Oravitz:** that. I think **Katie Beecher:** I know just with the name and age, I prepare the full report and the painting. I send it to them. We meet for an hour, we discuss everything I've sent and then a million things, more people can ask whatever they want and more stuff comes up. And then I also have an offering for just an hour without the report and painting. So it all depends on kind of what people want and what they can afford, and, you know, stuff like that. They're both effective. And I do sometimes offer a 30 minute too, although it's not on my schedule,  but it's an option. So yeah, those are basically the two. And then if people even like, they have questions about what we [00:49:00] talked about, I encourage them to email me after. So it's not just like you have a question, you have to make an appointment after I. **Michelle Oravitz:** That's **Katie Beecher:** Yeah, so because we talk about so much everything, emotional, physical, spiritual, that's impacting you in a positive or negative way, we talk about it. So it's a lot. But yeah, it's a pretty amazing process. I also teach people how to connect to their intuition and their bodies during the visit if that's something they wanna do.  So,  **Michelle Oravitz:** And how can people find you? **Katie Beecher:** So the easiest way is my website, katie beecher.com. but  **Michelle Oravitz:** Mm-hmm.  **Katie Beecher:** Instagram and Facebook and, and all of the  **Michelle Oravitz:** I follow your Instagram. I love her Instagram. It's so cool. And I love all the, all the things that you do. Like, uh, all the, what was it? The poll work. I think that's so cool. That's hard. That's not easy. That it, it's not as easy as it looks. I could tell you that. You, you have to use a lot of core. **Katie Beecher:** You use your whole body. It's really crazy. And when you have EDS, movement is [00:50:00] one of the most important things you can do. What I do is a bit extreme and I've had injuries because I've dislocated things, but still the best thing I've ever done for myself. And I really encourage movement for stress relief and  **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah. Well, good for you. It's amazing. So thank you so much, Katie. This is, uh, it's always a pleasure talking to you. I really enjoy it, you know, it's really fun and I think it's important too. It's important. I really love talking about connecting to that, like the spirit or energy, you know, I think it's so important. I think it's a lost art. In a way, because we've gotten so just into science now we're coming back. Now we're bridging it, which I like. **Katie Beecher:** Yeah. No, I agree. I. **Michelle Oravitz:** Mm-hmm. **Katie Beecher:** Because you're letting your guard down in a way,  **Michelle Oravitz:** Yep.  **Katie Beecher:** you know? But  **Michelle Oravitz:** But that's where the power is. That's the portal. All right. Thank you [00:51:00] [00:52:00]   

Topics: Shame/Grief, Shoulder Pads, Carl Young, Etch-A-Sketch, Religion, Prayer, Not A Victim, Give Thanks BONUS CONTENT: Senior Citizen Dance, Cookie Cookie, Everybody Has Something   Quotes: “The way of Jesus is the answer to our longings.” “Atheists are obsessed with religion.” “Everybody worships something or someone.” “Gratitude doesn't have to include emotion.” “My graph of athleticism has stayed consistent.” . . . Holy Ghost Mama Pre-Order! Want more of the Oddcast? Check out our website! Watch our YouTube videos here. Connect with us on Facebook! For Christian banking you can trust, click here!

Today's quote is, "who looks outside, dreams, who looks inside, awakens!" by Carl Young.About the Host:Melissa is an Integrative Health Practitioner and Master Practitioner in NLP and Timeline Therapy and a Board Designated Hypnotherapy Teacher Trainer, helping people get to the root cause of their health issues and then get lasting results. Melissa neither diagnoses nor cures but helps bring your body back into balance by helping discover your “toxic load” and then removing the toxins. Melissa offers functional medicine lab testing that helps you “see inside” to know exactly what is going on, and then provides a personalized wellness protocol using natural herbs and supplements. Melissa's business is 100% virtual – the lab tests are mailed directly to your home and she specializes in holding your hand and guiding the way to healing so that you don't have to figure it all out on your own.Melissa is the winner of the 2021 & 2022 Quality Care Award by Business From The Heart and is also the recipient of the Alignable “Local Business Person of the Year “Award 2022 for Whistler.Melissa has been featured at a number of Health & Wellness Summits, such as the Health, Wealth & Wisdom Summit, The Power To Profit Summit, The Feel Fan-freaking-tas-tic Summit, the Aim Higher Summit and many more! She has also guested on over 60 different podcasts teaching people about the importance of prioritizing our health and how to get started. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/yourguidedhealthjourney Thanks for listening!If you know somebody who would benefit from this message, or would be an awesome addition to our community, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in the comment section below! Subscribe to the podcast!If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe on the podcast app on your mobile device.

Episode Summary:In this episode of The Creative Genius Podcast, Kate Shepherd speaks with Kwame Scruggs, the founder of Alchemy Inc., a nonprofit using the transformative power of mythology to inspire and uplift communities. Kwame shares his incredible journey, from working at Goodyear for 15 years while earning his degrees at night to founding Alchemy Inc. He highlights the wisdom we can gain from myths, including how they can help us identify the subconscious beliefs that may be holding us back.Kwame is life work revolves around the transformative power of mythology and creative expression.  Born and raised in Akron, Ohio. He started his career at Goodyear. Where he worked for 15 years at night while earning his M S in technical education with an emphasis on guidance and counseling. Because as you'll hear this man is somebody who really cares about others and has a passion for helping. His passion for helping others was always there, but it wasn't until he discovered the works of Carl Young. Joseph Campbell and Michael Meade. That he found his true purpose.In this episode, Kwame references the powerful myth of the Firebird, which inspired Kate to create a guided meditation that allows listeners to personally interact with mythology for self-reflection. This episode dives deep into how we can use ancient stories to uncover hidden aspects of ourselves, shift our perspectives, and step into the role of hero in our own lives.You'll also learn about Kwame's experiences working with high school dropouts and youth, as well as his work that was recognized by the Presidents Award  and his Ph.D. in Mythological Studies. His life's work revolves around reminding people that myths hold transformative power to help us all grow and heal.If you feel like there's a gap between your visions and your real-world results, this episode is for you. Kwame Scruggs shows us how myths can bridge that gap and help us uncover what's holding us back.Key Topics Discussed:Kwame's journey from tire factory worker to Ph.D. and nonprofit founderThe myth of the Firebird and its transformative powerHow to work with mythology to uncover subconscious beliefsKwame's impactful work with youth through Alchemy Inc.Kate's guided meditation inspired by the myth of the FirebirdThe importance of showing up for your purpose, even when the road is long and windingResources Mentioned:Alchemy Inc. (Kwame's nonprofit organization)The Myth of the FirebirdKate's Guided Meditation & Reflection Packet on the FirebirdKwame's Recommended Readings: Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, Michael MeadeTake Action!If you're intrigued by the idea of using myths for self-reflection, check out my guided Firebird meditation and reflection packet on my Patreon. You'll also find a growing library of resources, including bonus episodes, guided meditations, and more, designed to support your creative journey.

Michael Franti, the amazing and crowd loving singer, songwriter, musician, poet, activist, documentarian, and rapper. We sat down with Michael backstage at the Mill Valley Music Festival, 2023. In honor of Mother's Day we are releasing this now as in this interview, Michael reflects on his own Mother and how she influenced his life and music. Michael also shares a special story about one of his other great mentors, time spent at the University of San Francisco and how Woody Harrelson played a role in writing his first big hit “Say Hey”. We hope you all enjoy this episode and check out Michael's new Album, “Big Big Love” on all platforms. CreditsMichael Franti & Spearhead “ Stay human” Written and Performed by Michael Franti & Carl Young. https://open.spotify.com/track/2AugpoLeLeR2CsHASBVNkcMichael Franti & Spearhead "Say Hey (I Love You) featuring Jamaican soul singer Cherine Anderson - Written by Michael Franti / Carl Rogers Younghttps://open.spotify.com/track/383B8ksM58jbV3HbiRJo0KEpisode ArtworkStefanie Atkinson Schwartzhttps://stefaniejstudio.comLinkshttps://michaelfranti.com/https://www.millvalleymusicfest.com/https://sweetwatermusichall.com/https://stefaniejstudio.com#Sweetwatermusichall#Michael Franti#Mill Valley Music Festival

In this enlightening and empowering episode, we're joined by the inspirational Michelle Saudan, a beacon of light in the world of healing arts and the founder of Amanzi Wellbeing. Michelle's dedication to transforming lives through trauma-informed approaches, coupled with her mastery in sound healing, breathwork, movement, bodywork, and meditation, brings us a conversation that's both healing and revolutionary. Episode Highlights: Michelle opens her heart about her personal and professional voyage into the realms of healing arts. With her story, she illuminates the path for those of us seeking a deeper understanding of our holistic health. The spotlight of our discussion shines brightly on the topic of stored trauma—how it's often the unseen force disrupting women's health, especially during the pivotal stage of midlife. From hormonal imbalances to a spectrum of other health concerns, Michelle sheds light on the shadows cast by unaddressed trauma. Have you heard of trauma-informed approaches but find yourself mystified by what they entail? Michelle demystifies this term, explaining how such strategies foster a safe environment for healing and liberation from the chains of past hurts. Seeking practical wisdom? This episode is laden with tangible tips and strategies. Discover how integrating sound healing, purposeful breathwork, mindful movement, and meditation into your daily life can act as pillars supporting your health and healing voyage. We wrap up our conversation with a surge of hope and a call to empowerment. Michelle reminds us that it's within our power to nurture our health, rewrite our stories, and step into a life marked by balance and vitality. About Michelle Saudan: Michelle Saudan embodies the essence of holistic healing. Through her groundbreaking work with Amanzi Wellbeing, she has dedicated over a decade to enriching the lives of individuals, especially women navigating the complexities of midlife. Her approach is one that intertwines the physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions, offering a roadmap to those eager to heal from trauma and lead a life filled with joy and well-being. Michelle's commitment goes beyond individual healing—she is passionate about fostering community healing, notably through her trauma-informed wellness retreats that spotlight Africa's unique wellness treasures. In Conclusion: Dive deep with us into this life-affirming episode as Michelle Saudan helps us uncover the profound impact of stored trauma on our health and guides us through the pathways of healing. Remember, the power to transform our health narratives is within our grasp, and with the right tools and wisdom, we can emerge stronger, healthier, and more vibrant. Ready to start your healing journey? Join us on The Hormone Prescription Podcast and take the first step towards not just surviving, but thriving. Because your health isn't just about hormones—it's about heart, healing, and harnessing your power.   Dr. Kyrin Dunston (00:00): G Mate is quoted as saying trauma is not what happens to you, but what happens inside you. Trauma affects all of us, and it affects our health. If it stays untended, we'll never achieve the brilliant health that's possible for us at midlife and beyond. Stay tuned as Michelle Sudan shares with you, how to use Compassionate Inquiry and other modalities to help ease the trauma that's hurting your health. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (00:27): So the big question is, how do women over 40 like us, keep weight off, have great energy, balance our hormones and our moods, feel sexy and confident, and master midlife? If you're like most of us, you are not getting the answers you need and remain confused and pretty hopeless to ever feel like yourself Again. As an OB GYN, I had to discover for myself the truth about what creates a rock solid metabolism, lasting weight loss, and supercharged energy after 40, in order to lose a hundred pounds and fix my fatigue, now I'm on a mission. This podcast is designed to share the natural tools you need for impactful results and to give you clarity on the answers to your midlife metabolism challenges. Join me for tangible, natural strategies to crush the hormone imbalances you are facing and help you get unstuck from the sidelines of life. My name is Dr. Kyrin Dunton. Welcome to the Hormone Prescription Podcast. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (01:20): Hi everybody, and welcome back to another episode of The Hormone Prescription with Dr. Kyrin. Thanks so much for joining me today as we talk with Michelle Sudan, a beautiful woman I met in Dubai who's going to talk to us about healing the trauma that binds you, that's hurting your health. Whether you know it or not, the majority of us pro, probably pretty much all of us have little T traumas throughout our life. I know we've talked on the podcast and during the Stop the Menopause Madness summits some about this, but we haven't really tackled it in a big way. How do you start to address this in a tolerable way that's compassionate and really helps you to understand how these little overwhelming situations in your childhood and life have affected your health and are affecting your health to this day. So we're gonna talk with Michelle about that. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (02:18): I met her when I was in Dubai. She's from Zimbabwe. She talks a little bit about her story, which is beautiful, as with many of the healers I met in Dubai. She has a multifaceted skill set and is just a gifted human being. And really I think it's her presence that's more healing than anything. You'll see what I mean when you hear her talk. I think she has a healing frequency that just heals people who are in conversation with her or listening to her. That's been my experience with her and I just had to have her on the show. I had some beautiful experiences with her when I was in Dubai. Looking forward to having more. I think you will love this conversation as we really talk about healing the trauma that's binding you that you might not even be aware of, maybe you are, and how to go about doing that. So I'll tell you a little bit about her and then we'll get started. Michelle Sudan is the founder of AM Manzi Wellbeing and a practitioner of healing arts. She's deeply committed to the transformative powers of trauma-informed approaches, found healing, breath movement, body work, and meditation. She's devoted to supporting and holding space for the healing and wellbeing of our global community via trauma-informed wellness retreats with a focus on expanding awareness of Africa's unique wellness assets. Please help me welcome Michelle Sudan to the show. Michelle Saudan (03:45): Thank you, Karen. I'm so happy to be here. It's an honor. Love you energy, and just happy to share. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (03:52): Mutual. I'm so glad that our past crossed when I was in Dubai and really your energy just spoke to me. You have such a calming presence. There's so much talk about trauma and trauma informed therapy. I think the world is really waking up to how we've collectively been traumatized and how it's affecting our health. I know that's been a part of my journey these past 10 years, and you just had a presence and a way of speaking about these issues that was extremely non-threatening and inclusive and compassionate. And I saw people opening up in response to what you shared in a way I hadn't seen before, and I very much appreciated that. I know I participated in inner child healing meditation that you offered at Eva experience in Dubai that was just beautiful and so many other interactions. I so enjoyed hearing you talk about your grandmother and how she would speak to you and speak to just the culture that you come from, the continent that you come from. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (05:15): It's steeped in you in such a beautiful way. And so I was very excited to share you with my community because I think here in the US we women have been traumatized in ways that we don't even realize. And that was a big thing that happened for me in my year and a half travel outside the US was just seeing that, okay, yes, people have trauma pretty much everywhere, but it's very different in the ways in which, and the support systems and cultural differences in other areas that allow people to have a resiliency that I don't necessarily see here in the us. I mean, first off, the fact that it's talked about openly and collectively and discussed is so foreign to my US experience, particularly in the medical field where this really hasn't so much made it into the mainstream. It is starting to show that people are kind of left with not identifying, oh, this is talking to me, not aware particularly as a woman at midlife struggling with hormonal and other health issues. Oh, this is a part of my hormonal healing. Oh, what tools could I use? So you're left with a lot of women googling on doctor go, trying to find answers, maybe finding some answers, but really not a holistic, nurturing, supportive collective approach. So I'm wondering if you can start by talking a little bit about what brought you to trauma work and trauma healing. Hmm. Michelle Saudan (07:10): It's a lovely question. Thank you. Well, Kirin, I started my career as a bodyworker 14, now 14 years ago. And it came up to a point where a lot of my repeat clients would book sessions just to talk. I remember the first client, like it was yesterday, who booked a 90 minutes deep tissue massage. And he sat down and I said, well, you know, it is not first time he knows the protocol, you know, put the bath lay down. But he just sat and he said, no, Michelle, from today onwards, we'll do 15 minutes massage. 75 minutes we are going to talk. It started, and I was so confused because at that time, you know, 22 years old, I, I didn't know that there were such modalities like coaching and counseling and therapy. It doesn't exist in my part of the world in Zimbabwe where I came from. Michelle Saudan (08:09): So I started researching and, you know, came upon all these beautiful modalities and discovered that this was something I could, you know, serve my clients with. And then, then it was the topics that they brought as well, you know, topics such as suicide or harmful habits or, you know, depression, anxiety, which I did not know of, but they just opened up. And so I took it as my responsibility and also curiosity to find out more about these deeply rooted concerns that they were speaking to, and so that I could meet them at least halfway. And then that's how it started and it's been a roll on effect. And I remember watching a documentary called The Wisdom of Trauma by who is now one of my teachers, Dr. Gbo Mate, and his approached Compassionate Inquiry. And when I watched that, I just resonated with his teachings and everything that he spoke to in the world of trauma. And I decided to dive deep into somatic somatic healing when it comes to trauma informed practices and just an overall overarching theme when it comes to looking at trauma. And that's, yeah, that, that's the way it's taken me today. The nutshell. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (09:31): I love that because for so many reasons, the first, well one relates to this quote that you shared with me before we started recording, that I love by a h Almaas, only when compassion is present will people allow themselves to see the truth. I think that's something that I feel from you is from truth, but also peace, truth, inside peace. But the truth to me is peace. And that this man, bless him, , he saw the truth of who you were and he didn't believe, oh, she's just a massage therapist. And he saw that truth in the compassion that you offered him, that came through your hands because you weren't counseling him. And he called that out in you. So he loved and respected himself enough to say, oh no, I see who this woman is. And he also saw what he needed. And then to basically stand for that truth, this is what I need. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (10:34): And so it, it's so beautiful. I do believe that we each have a unique purpose on this planet and a reason for being here. And that part of our health problems are the fact that we haven't recognized or allowed ourselves to know that truth. And particularly in America, we've tried to decide with our minds, oh, what's a good career? How can I make a good living and, and have quote unquote security with a good pension plan and 401k and a home and a car, and all this with our minds. And we haven't listened to our souls to allow us to be called forth from us what our true purpose and calling is. And so I love that story because it says to me, you were attuned and you were listening to what is the universe telling me that I'm here for what I'm good at? And he called that out in you. I just think it's so beautiful. Does that make sense? Michelle Saudan (11:40): It does. It's, it's similar to, you know, when you, when you reflect on the quote, what's so beautiful about it, Karen, is that if, if I came to you and I was pouring my soul and bearing everything that I needed help with, I'm gonna seize to see everything and see things as they are and be willing to accept them and see the truth. And not just the story, but the underlying truth of what's really happening to me. For me, if there is judgment, if I'm being seen to be that which is not right in my life, if I'm being seen through a lens of compassion, then I'm gonna be willing to see all the parts of me, the good and the bad. You know, the comfortable and the uncomfortable. So that truth, seeing the truth of what really is present, seeing the truth of the pain that's underneath, you know, whatever addiction, you know, if there's, because underneath the anger that I hold within my body, within my soma, I'm gonna be willing to see it all and listen to it being mirrored back to me when there's compassion present and I'm willing and I'm ready to open that Pandora's box. Michelle Saudan (12:53): 'Cause when we open that box of healing, so much comes out that sometimes even shocks us. But if there's a compassionate witness or there's that sense of compassion within, then I'm, I'm not gonna be afraid. I'm just gonna be willing to open up that box load, I know what's inside, but I'm gonna be okay with it. 'cause The person in front of me is just mirroring that it's okay. And I think that really embodies what that quote stands for. And thank you for, for reflecting it back. I think it's so important. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (13:27): Yes. And something that has been really a part of my journey was initially I said, well, I want to work with women and help them with their health. So what's the biggest toolbox, most powerful toolbox I can get to access to help women? And so I said, oh, I'll get my medical doctorate. So I went to medical school and then I practiced that for many years. And then I saw that so many women, despite all the prescriptions I gave them and surgeries, I did hysterectomies, things like that, people were still suffering, particularly at midlife, including myself. And I said, well, we're missing something. Something's not right here. And then I discovered something called functional medicine. So that looked at the physiologic, biochemical causes of disease. So I studied that and that helped me transform my health and the women I was working with. But then after a while I started saying, wait a minute, yes, this works but not for everybody and why is that we're missing something. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (14:31): And then kind of went on my own healing journey and realized that the things that you help people with is what I was missing. And now I've realized, well this affects all of us, but very much in the US we have this mindset of, if I'm able to have a family and work at my job and be a productive member of society, this doesn't apply to me. Like there's very much this culture of don't talk, don't trust, don't feel like feelings are the enemy . And I find in working with women with their health, feelings are everything. And that's really what stops us from doing the things that could help us with our physical health is the feelings that we don't feel, the traumatic history that we don't acknowledge, that we don't talk about. But people spend so much time and energy not talking about it and pretending that everything's okay. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (15:39): Put some lipstick on, do your hair, you know, what's that song? I got my hair done, dah, dah, everything's fine. Like that to me says American culture. And so a lot of what I spend time with women doing is trying to help them see that no, everything's not fine 'cause you got your hair done and your nails done. And that really avoids talking about the things that are underneath what's causing you to not follow the diet. You know, you should follow, you know, eating things that I say are not in your best interest. doing things that are not in your best interest and your energy provides kind of, I've seen people open up in a way that, well, and I, I must say that in the Middle East where I encountered you in general, people are more open to being aware of these things. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (16:36): I'm talking about it. And I was amazed to arrive there and find this huge conversation going on in the kind of public that isn't going on in the US particularly. Also, I saw that in South Africa about apartheid and it's very public. And people say to you right away, oh yeah, we talk about this. We have to heal from this as a country. So can you talk a little bit about how people come to realize that this is them? And I'll say one more thing. I know I've said a lot at the retreat that you gave her a treat and you had kind of a conversation with everyone that to my mind was about codependency. But you never said that word . And you had people open up in a way that was so beautiful having this conversation in such a gentle way that women were realizing, oh yeah, this is me, but you never came at it. We come from a, in the US from a very top down perspective, oh, this is what the issue is and you need to da, and then people shut down. And no, that's not me. I'm not codependent. Can you talk a little bit about that? That's Michelle Saudan (17:46): A great question. It's like when you talk to a child, we have to realize that when people go through trauma, you know, like we all have gone through our own stuff, is that it causes us to put walls up and to protect and defend. That's a normal primal state of being when we're, you know, subjected to external forces that are, are not right, that are not safe for our being. So that when people are trying to heal, the last thing you want to do is, like you said, come from the mind because that's not gonna help anyone. It's what got them there. That's not what's gonna take them out. We need to come from the bottom, you know, and but come right from the heart center, that's what's gonna take them out. So in order to work with, with the trauma or to work with any of these circumstances that got people into the limiting states that they're in, then we can't be pointing fingers, for lack of a better word, it's gotta be different. Michelle Saudan (18:51): So that defenses are lowered and then we can work, then we have an open field. We don't have, we are not dealing with an army. You know, we are dealing with a peacemaking operation here that's ready to, to make amends and to see how we can fix things. And with regard to people talking about things you had said, you know, in South Africa, you know, people speak South Africa a little bit differently. That, and I love the movement and the energy, you know, that's building up. I can't say the same thing for other parts of Africa. I'm from Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans and South Africans, even though we share the same border is very different. Zimbabweans are still very much, we are very held back. I think we are 10 steps behind, for so many reasons. There's that fear, you know, that we can't speak, you know, after having, without bringing politics into this conversation. Michelle Saudan (19:51): But, you know, that has largely played a role, you know, lack of freedom of speech. It was never, never present from the time we won independence. But the South Africans had amazing leadership. Look at Nelson Mandela. Mm-Hmm. , you know, that, you know, for them to rely on. But for us, we can't say the same. So it's, we are still stuck in that time zone where people are not so open, at least not yet. And I hope to be one of the people with other sisters and brothers to change that narrative, not just for Zimbabwe, but for the continent as its own. 'cause It's time for us to heal, not just as a country, but just as a people regardless of where we come from. Mm-Hmm. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (20:36): Yes. And so is your approach something that you came by more innately from your origins and your ancestors? Or is it something that you learned? Michelle Saudan (20:49): It is something I would say I learned largely because I grew up in a community where we did not speak and you just had to go and do your job. Just if you had a roof and you had something to eat, whether it was once a day, you, you, you were better off. You just go and you continue because things could be worse. That was the mantra in our homestead. So, but then something happened and I have to thank them. I, I got a youth exchange scholarship at 16 and I went for the first time to the USA and it was such a huge culture shock because we were taught to be quiet, respect the teachers . And if we had an opinion, we kept it to ourselves. And when I went to a public school in Santa Barbara, it was very opposite. Michelle Saudan (21:48): Children spoke their minds. And so it, it really awoke something in me. I said, wow, you know, I mean, if we had a bit more respect, yes we can do it with some respect, but I loved how the children were just open, you know, they spoke the family. I stayed with them. The girls spoke about, you know, their emotions, how they were feeling openly with the parents. And that wasn't something I grew up with. So when I went back to Africa, it ignited something in me and I said, well, you know, I'd like that to be different, you know, 'cause it was nice, you know, we learned, we spoke our truth. Nothing was held and they were still together even though they spoke opinions. So it was a reflection. And then it was also something I learned because I traveled to so many countries in my time and then said, no, well, I've been extracted from what I've known for so long. I think this is where we are missing. We are missing something here as a people, as a culture. And this is hindering us in so many ways, economically, mentally, physically, socially, emotionally. And this is one of the major missing links, at least from the country I know of. I can't speak to others in the world, but from what I know from experience. So to a long-winded answer to your question, yes, it was learned. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (23:19): And so what was the evolution? Because yes, there are, people do speak their minds and opinions in the US and there's this whole reservoir of pain that isn't discussed, the feelings underneath. I'm wondering, coming from what you described in your cultural background and then the kind of eye-opening experience in the US, what was the evolution that allowed you to really have this deep presence and ability to sit with people in their pain and feelings? How did that evolve and how did you learn that? Hmm. Michelle Saudan (23:58): Yeah. Sitting with the deep pain comes from having gone through a lot of deep pain and adversity yourself. So I've gone through my own deep adversities, not just as an individual, but with my family is a lot of pain we've gone through as a collective. And I think watching when that's being mirrored to you as a child growing up. And you can see maybe we were not able to speak about the emotions, but the physical presence of holding space for people was always there is always part of the culture. You sit, there's no words being said, but we sit with the person and we know what's going on, but we sit and we grieve, we hold that space. So seeing that, but also having felt my family hold me and very much the same way and do the same for them is something you could sit with anything. Michelle Saudan (25:00): You know, people came with so many things and my grandmother was a, a nurse by night, but she did traditional African healing in the community, you know, and people were always coming to the home with different things and just sitting, you know, we could, they could be laughing and talking, but you see there was some pain and there'd just be silence, you know, or the body posture, you know, with the rounded shoulders and the heads down and the hands together under the chin as though you really, you know, I I I hear you, I resonate with you. So seeing that it's just been able to, to help me as well, to be able to sit with other people. It's like, no pain is, it is too big for me to be with you. I might not have all the answers to, or, you know, support to help you unpack it, but sitting with you that I can do no matter what. It's, Dr. Kyrin Dunston (25:58): That's so beautiful. Just being present with it. And, you know, my experience in the US is that we can't sit with, with uncomfortability. We gotta turn the TV on, eat that, you know, sweet compulsive avoidance of being present to discomfort, hence all the compulsive ways that we medicate our pain that then affect our health. You know, rates of diabetes, and pre-diabetes are soaring in the US over consumption of sugar, but also caused by stress, which affects how we process sugar, right? It affects our cortisol stress hormone. And it's interesting to me, a big part of what I help women with is the menopause transition. And it's a huge problem in the US but in other cultures it's not as much. And it's partly because of our lifestyle and the things that we reach for and the stress levels that we have. But it's very hard to get people to see this because in a capitalist culture, people profit off of our poor health and our compulsions. And it's such a part of the culture that we're taught when we're literal, oh, you fell and skinned your knee, have a cookie that'll make you feel better. How would you help someone compassionately lean into looking at the ways that they compulsively avoid their pain and feeling their feelings? Hmm. Michelle Saudan (27:31): Yeah. The first one, and I always use this word, is first compassion for yourself where there's no judgment. 'cause What leads us into the, the habits is then now the, you know, finding ways to cope with how bad we feel about ourselves, right? Mm-Hmm, . So it's okay, you know. So first I'll, I'll, I'll, I'll share an acronym that I share with many of my clients and something I use myself. So it's raining. So r stands for just recognize, just recognize what's going on for you. Okay? There's anger within me, there's guilt, or there's shame, or there's deep sadness. So there's grief. Just recognize what's there. And then the next thing is a, is allow, can you allow it to be there? You know, can, can the sadness be there without you trying to change it or whatever it is. And then I am in choir, just get curious, okay, what's really happening for me? Michelle Saudan (28:31): You know? And this creates space, you know, it gives you really a lot of space between the stimulus and you know, your reaction or your response. So get curious, okay, well what's happening? You know, what's triggered that? What's brought this on? And then the last part is to nurture yourself. So by the time you get curious and you say, oh, okay, well it was something someone said, okay, that triggered this belief. You know, there's this, there's something, 'cause this is, this is a pattern. Now there's space. You're becoming more conscious. And as Carl Young says, it's, it's until we make the unconscious conscious, it'll drive our lives and we'll call it fate. So here you are being conscious now, you know, by just doing this, you know, recognizing can you allow it to be with no judgment? Can the grief be there without me saying, oh, enough now, or have grieved for too long, I've been too sad, I've been crying for too long, or I haven't cried enough. Michelle Saudan (29:34): You know, can there be no evaluation on, on, you know, what's present for us? And then we get curious. And then the last part is nurture. Okay, what do you really need besides the cookie, you know, or the ice cream tub, is it a hug? Do I need to talk to someone? What's underlying? Because if it's, if it's a habit that doesn't serve you, it's okay, but let's look at what it's giving you. So when we look at a cookie, what are we getting? You know, we get dopamine, right? We circuits are wiring and firing. So from that, eating that satisfaction from the sugar. So what is that equivalent to? It's equivalent to a hug, quality touch. Yeah. So can I try that instead? And then it doesn't hurt me internally. So that's how the framework I use, it seems like a long little, long checklist. But when it's more conscious, it's just the way of being as opposed to, to doing. I Dr. Kyrin Dunston (30:32): Love that. So rain, recognize our recognize a allow, I was Michelle Saudan (30:39): In choir, so this was curiosity. And then n was is nurture, Dr. Kyrin Dunston (30:46): Right? And that quote from Carl Young, until we make the unconscious conscious, it will drive our lives and we will call it fate. And so many of the women I work with really have the mindset and attitude that my life is the way it is. I only have this health problem, this hormonal problem. Most of the women who come to me. And I just want you to tell me what supplements I need to take, diet to eat, exercise to do, to get rid of these symptoms. And not really seeing how unconscious patterns are playing a role in their health problems. And for so many of us, it is, I know for me, you know, unconscious patterns of this belief of I wouldn't be doing a good job as a doctor if I wasn't bleeding myself in my giving, right? I had to suffer in my giving. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (31:41): And then that caused me to overwork and overdue, which then affected my wellbeing and health. But it was such a compulsive, unconscious belief. And now I've kind of transformed that. 'cause I recognized it and it wasn't serving me. So I guess I kind of did this rain. I inquired this is serving me, oh, it's hurting me. And then I didn't, couldn't show up my best self and then started to nurture myself and say, no, I, you know, I can only really help other women to nurture themselves when I nurture myself. And so I stopped doing that. And I find that a lot of the women I work with have that similar belief. They give till it hurts. What thoughts would you share about that? Michelle Saudan (32:32): My grandmother always used to refer to this. I don't remember the passage, but it was from the Bible and it was about my cup runneth over. And she always used to say, you know, I'm, I'm a nurse, but at the end of the day, you know, my cup has to be four and the extra is what I give you children's, what I give my patients. And that was always something she spoke. And we didn't understand what it meant as an adult, I do now, but when we are giving so much and get into something where we spoke lightly saying compassion fatigue, you know, is giving so much that there is an underlying belief. And that's something that is very old. So it's something we have to look at, you know, within ourselves. It's like, okay, where, where is this coming from? Michelle Saudan (33:27): Because it's okay to give, you know, we're all in this line of service. But when it's, there's an, an agenda because it's a, it's attached to something that, that doesn't serve us where we de be depleting ourselves. So there's some work for us to do. 'cause It shouldn't be that way where when it's, when it comes out that way, there's, there's something where it started is so, so my question would be, where did you learn that you had to give so much of yourself that, or you depended or you placed your value on how much you know you gave. So something you learned. So it's, where did you learn that? And can we look at it from a nonjudgmental lens and see what's happening? Dr. Kyrin Dunston (34:15): So yes, the compassionate inquiry, and I know that you work with Gabor mate and I wanna share a couple quotes that you also shared with me. One from Gabor, which is, trauma is not what happens to you, but what happens inside you and the other from Tara Brock, whom I love the deepest transformations in our lives come down to something very simple. We learn to respond, not react to what is going on inside us. And very much what I hear you talking about is first becoming aware that something's happening. I think this used to be me and, and so many women I work with, we're not, we don't even, we're not, we don't even recognize these internal thought and feeling processes that are happening. And then we try to shut them down because we don't wanna go there. So we don't allow it. And then we're certainly not inquiring because I just need to put my lipstick on and keep it moving. And then we don't really know how to nurture ourselves 'cause we're not in touch with what we're needing and what we're wanting. But this idea of slowing it all down and learning to respond and not knee-jerk reaction, how would you help a woman to start to slow down and to start to respond and not react and really turn towards herself in this way? Michelle Saudan (35:47): It's, I think cultivating or having a practice of your own, you know, a mindfulness practice. And what I mean by that, Karen is not, not everyone needs to light a candle and burn incense and have a meditation cushion. You know, it, it, it can sound like making your own pot shrimp soup on a Sunday. And, and that's your moment and taking all the time. If whatever takes you out from the busyness, you know, of your external and really brings you in, then find that and use it as an anchor. If you love trimming your roses, let that be that moment where you say, okay, I'm gonna try and be as present as I can consciously and use this moment to, to really, I'm trimming the roses, but there's also, it gives me space and time just to be with myself, to slow down, you know, walking your dog, brushing your dog or your horses, just whatever it is, just find something that really anchors you. Michelle Saudan (36:51): We all have it, but maybe we just haven't consciously realized that, hey, that is my thing, you know, but you just unconsciously drawn to it, but you just didn't know that that is your, you know, your, your silver, your golden key to presence. So finding any practices that really bring you into the present moment to really slow down and anchor you can really make a difference. Because it's in those spare moments where you actually think, you know, well no, that didn't go well. What, what's wrong? You start questioning and give you space to contemplate if you are also ready to go there. Sometimes we can have all the space, but if we are not ready to go there, then all we'll have is just space. But, you know, so I hope that that helps. But just finding one's own way of taking that moment. But like you said, self-awareness is just do I realize that something's wrong and or something needs to be changed? Not wrong, I'll, I'll take back that word, but just something that needs to be changed. And if you just have that realization that no, something needs to change, then you have presence, voila, the rest will unfold. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (38:10): Yes, presence and awareness. And it leads me to a question that really has been reframed for me recently, and that is, what is self-love to you? How would you describe that to someone? Because we hear so much, oh, love yourself, love yourself. But really what does that mean on an everyday basis? What does it look like? What does it feel like? What, how do you do that? Michelle Saudan (38:35): Yeah. self-love. I, I think for me when I have a balance between authenticity and attachment, it means that I'm not stretching myself too thin to save the relationships around me. I'm not, I'm not putting myself on a spit as a sacrifice for the relationships I have. There is an element of me nourishing those relationships, but there's also a balance of me nourishing myself in equilibrium that for me, daily, because I'm in a relationship daily as all of us are, it's a very big thing because your relationships really test you. You know, as my young aunt made a joke. She said, well, if you want to get to know your crazy, have relationships or go live on an island, , Dr. Kyrin Dunston (39:30): You . Michelle Saudan (39:32): So it's so self-love is, in what ways are you choosing you even in the daily mundane things? I think it goes beyond, you know, spoiling yourself with a beautiful breakfast and a spa day or meditation treat at a center. But it's just how are you choosing you every day and how are you holding yourself accountable? 'cause It's also gotta be self-Love is also that element of allowing yourself to see your own growing edge, because then there's evolution, you know, that is also self-love. Not just in the ways we give space for, for ourselves, but it's also in recognizing, no, you know, this is where I contributed to this conflict or, you know, I, I wasn't my best here. You know, I could have done better, I could have responded better. That I feel, oh, I believe is also self-love because you are so self-aware and you are growing. So where are you catching yourself to be accountable and responsible for actions that may not have served or hurt somebody else's? Also, self-love, if it makes sense. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (40:44): Yes. I love that. Balancing authenticity and attachment and how you are choosing you every day and holding and holding yourself accountable. So it's kind of like a responsibility to yourself and to others. And how do you hold both of these gently in both hands together? , that's kind of what I heard. You have a beautiful retreat coming up that I would really like to go to. So I'm gonna see if the universe would like me to go. So I'm setting that intention 'cause it would be my 60th birthday, and I've been wondering what do I want to do for my 60th birthday? And then I saw the retreat you have and I said, oh my gosh, what I love, love that. And I try to live my life by what would I love to have happen? Because in this life I only get one . So I try to be guided by that. But do you wanna tell everybody about it in case they might be interested? We'll also have a link to your website that has the details, but tell everyone about it. Michelle Saudan (41:50): Mm-Hmm, . Thank you, Karen. Here, this retreat is called the Ancient Walks of Wisdom. And the intention was to, to really hone in on the holistic, forgotten languages of healing on the continent of Africa. But some of the oldest tribes such as the Himba and the Sam, who we know as the, you know, being the guardians of nature, they only take what they need. You know, they move from different ends of their lands with only what they can carry. But when, if I were to move, I speak to myself, I need a whole moving truck. I cannot carry everything in my hands. And it's a reminder for me, and I hope that it would be a reminder for those that come is that we forget to live lightly and not just externally, but internally. And this was the intention. And just to really look at how they live in unison and community with their children. Michelle Saudan (42:51): For example, one of the tribes we will visit is a Himba tribe. And the woman does not put the child on the ground unless he wants to, to walk and run. But she, he, this baby is latched with the mom 24 hours, you know? And eye contact and holding is something that we've lost in modern society. So this was just for us to come back. We are teaching this, we are learning this now by reeducating with modern studies and trauma, somatic healing. But when we look at it is something we already did in all our tribes, wherever we come from. So this is just to reconnect us, what has always been, but we've just forgotten. And this is what this retreat will embody. And I have one for local women. 'cause One thing I realized was that some of the retreats I was doing, which I canceled most of, was I didn't see my grandmother in who I was trying to represent. Michelle Saudan (43:56): I didn't see my mom or my great-grandmother, and they would have never afforded some of the retreats. And I said, well, I think I need to, to change this. And it gives me so much passion to now do some really low income retreats for just most women. So I'd like most women to be able to come and connect, like what we did at her retreat. I'd like everyone to be able to come because trauma and mental health is how it's seen right now in, in, in Africa is if you've, you know, in a mental health hospital, then that's when you need it. But if you don't do it again, put on the lipstick like you said and carry on. So I'd like to open that up. 'cause Our ancient elders, they did all of this, so they just didn't call it a retreat, but there was that support. So I'd like to bring that back in a way that suits us in the day and age we are living right now. So that's what I have upcoming and I'm really excited to share it and hopefully maybe I will come closer to you in the states and we can do some for, you know, for everyone's. I believe everyone should be able to have this at their fingertips. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (45:13): Oh, that sounds beautiful and I love your consideration for, for inclusivity at all economic levels. It's something that I struggle with in what I offer because to provide the type of services is rather expensive, and that means that some women are left out. And one of the ways that I can be more inclusive is by providing this podcast free. So I love having guests who come on and really I offer as you have this depth and perspective that they're not encountering every day and, and information and inspiration that they can use for healing. I mean, you sharing the rain technique, I invite everyone who's listening to start using that and just maybe keep it in your mind and the next time something happens that is disturbing or troubling or keeps coming to your mind, maybe just spend some time using that rain process of cognize, recognizing, allowing, inquiring and nurturing. That's a place to start. And I invite everyone listening also to look at, at Michelle's website and the offerings that she has, we'll have the link in the show notes that you can click. I thank you so much for just being who you are and for sharing yourself with us and the world. I think you've been a healing presence for me, and I know everyone listening to this show feels that as well. Michelle Saudan (46:50): Oh, thank you, Karen. It's been a joy. Thank you so much. Love to everyone listening and if anything, just remember it didn't start with you. I think we can love ourselves to healing by remembering just that. And yeah, I look forward to seeing you, Karen. If not at the retreat, I see you in Dubai or somewhere where God aligns us. But thank you too for the work you're doing. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (47:15): Thank you. And you know that what you just said, it didn't start with you. That's a whole other conversation, , that we can have. So maybe we'll have that at another date. If you're listening and that intrigues you and you would like us to talk about that, please reach out to me and let me know and we'll see if Michelle might allow us to make that happen. Thank you so much for joining me today. Look forward to hearing your experiences with the rain process, which is really a beautiful process that Michelle has shared with us. Thank you so much. I will see you next week in another episode. Until then, peace, love, and hormones, y'all. Dr. Kyrin Dunston (47:54): Thank you so much for listening. I know that incredible vitality occurs for women over 40 when we learn to speak hormones and balance these vital regulators to create the health and the life that we deserve. If you're enjoying this podcast, I'd love it if you'd give me a review and subscribe. It really does help this podcast out so much. You can visit the hormone prescription.com where we have some free gifts for you, and you can sign up to have a hormone evaluation with me on the podcast to gain clarity into your personal situation. Until next time, remember, take small steps each day to balance your hormones and watch the wonderful changes in your health that begin to unfold for you. Talk to you soon.   ► Know more about Michelle Saudan's offerings in the transformative powers of sound, breath, movement, bodywork and meditation. CLICK HERE.   ► Are you tired of feeling like you're losing control at midlife? Weight gain, low energy, and a decrease in sex drive are all too common. But it doesn't have to be that way. With our Hormone Balance Bliss Challenge, you can reclaim your youth and feel as amazing as you did in college. Our proven system is designed specifically for women at midlife who want to balance their hormones, reset their metabolism, and start seeing real results. Imagine waking up with more energy than ever before. Feeling confident and sexy in your own body. No more mood swings or uncontrollable weight gain – just pure blissful balance throughout menopause. Sign up now for our 7-day challenge and start seeing incredible results within days! Attend daily interactive Q&As with our experts, take assessments to track your progress, and learn the exact steps needed to achieve hormonal harmony. You deserve this – don't wait any longer! CLICK HERE to sign up NOW!   ► Feeling tired? Can't seem to lose weight, no matter how hard you try? It might be time to check your hormones. Most people don't even know that their hormones could be the culprit behind their problems. But at Her Hormone Club, we specialize in hormone testing and treatment. We can help you figure out what's going on with your hormones and get you back on track. We offer advanced hormone testing and treatment from Board Certified Practitioners, so you can feel confident that you're getting the best possible care. Plus, our convenient online consultation process makes it easy to get started. Try Her Hormone Club for 30 days and see how it can help you feel better than before. 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Wellness + Wisdom Podcast Host and Wellness Force Media CEO, Josh Trent, shares how we pass emotional baggage from generation to generation and how to take responsibility for it, even though it's not our fault. Limited Edition: Gold Pumpkin Spice from Organifi Save 20% with code "WELLNESSFORCE" on everyone's favorite Fall treat is here! Pumpkin Spice is more than just a taste phenomenon: it's a portal directly into the nostalgia of fall. With Gold Pumpkin Spice, that taste can also help promote relaxation and restful sleep, nourish the body, and support nightly recovery from a hard day's work.  Click HERE to order your Organifi today including the Green, Red, and traditional Gold! Are You Stressed Out Lately? Take a deep breath with the M21™ wellness guide: a simple yet powerful 21 minute morning system that melts stress and gives you more energy through 6 science-backed practices and breathwork. Click HERE to download for free. Experience Red Light Therapy at HomeSave 10% on your SaunaSpace order with the code "JOSH10" Unlike the traditional methods, near-infrared light works with your body's biology to create radiant heat from the inside out. By using near-infrared's shorter wavelengths in a way that mimics natural sunlight, the light penetrates deeply to raise your core temperature faster. ***Check out all of our other fave Black Friday + Cyber Monday deals!*** *Review The Wellness + Wisdom Podcast & WIN $150 in wellness prizes! *Join The Facebook Group In this solocast, you will learn: Are emotional epigenetics a real thing? What epigenetics is and how they conduct our DNA. “Genetics load the gun, and behavior pulls the trigger.” We are not victims of what we were born with and what our parents did. Inheriting emotions the same way we inherit biological adaptations from our parents. How we receive emotions from past lives, in utero, and our parents' trauma and stress. A study of children in orphanages: How the separation from their parents triggers biological alterations. What emotional contagion is and how it affects us. How our traumatic experiences, toxic mentality, and addictions are passed on to the next generations. How the programming in our brain unwires as we get older. Mice research: How the mother's stress affects the next 5 generations of pups. Emotional inventory: Can you be at cause of the things that happened for you in your life? The meaning of: "It's not your fault but it's your responsibility." How Josh is aware of his own hypervigilance. Is what we experience physically a manifestation of what we experience emotionally? The practices of holistic medicine and why emotional epigenetics is the missing link. Understanding what creates energy in motion and why it gets dysregulated. The opposite of addiction is connection. How emotional healing helps us achieve better health and wellness. Can you cultivate the courage to feel the feelings you're feeling?   BREATHE: Breath & Wellness Program Get 25% off of the BREATHE: Breath & Wellness Program with the code PODCAST25 Boost your immunity and calm your mind with freedom from chronic stress in the modern world. A 21 day guided breath and wellness program using ancient wisdom to boost your immunity, calm your mind, and give you freedom from chronic stress in the modern world. Combining special breathwork infused with safe vape cannabidiol, BREATHE gives you everything you need to let go of old weight, de-stress, and build immunity so you can live your best life. In this special (limited time) offer, you will receive: - Lifetime access to BREATHE - Free upgrades to all future training modules - Free additional training modules - Special VIP coupons for safe vape, essential oils, CBD, nootropics and more - Private WF group access     Listen To Episode 592 As Josh Trent Uncovers Why Emotional Epigenetics Is The Missing Link In Healing This is Josh Trent. This is a very extra special Solocast. Now, if you don't know, every single Thursday, every single week, we publish something where I can share my mental musings, the things that are lighting me up about the pentagon of wellness that I've been talking about for two years + now, the mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial ways that we either nourish or choose to malnourished ourselves. Have you ever noticed that people say things like, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, or they're just like their mother, they're just like their father." Now, why is that? Today, we're going to talk about emotional epigenetics, which quite frankly, I think it's something that I made up. I don't find it on any DuckDuckGo, Google searches, or Brave, it's just not out there, and if it is out there, please send me an email admin@wellnessforce.com. We're talking about the missing link in holistic medicine today. By the way, if you love these Solocast, let me know. Leave us a quick review, JoshTrent.com/Review. It helps the show climb the computer algorithms so that the AI gods bear us with you actually seeing our show and your friends seeing our show, and it also allows us to get even bigger people on the podcast. So please, if you love the show from my heart to yours, I ask you, go to JoshTrent.com/Review. Leave us a quick review. [01:24] Epigentics + Emotional Trauma Let's dig in today. By the end of this Solocast, you are going to understand what epigenetics are, what gene expression happens through emotional trauma, capital T, lower-case T trauma, and why parents' emotional trauma may change, that science is showing their children's biology, literally, the biology. Think of it as the software, which is the trauma, can actually alter the hardware, which is our brain, our synapses, and so much more. So let's dig in. Here's a story that I can share with you to understand this concept of emotional epigenetics and why I believe it's the missing link in true holistic circular complete medicine today. Epigenetics is a rapidly emerging field of science that has massive implications on how we address our health and the health of our future children. The word literally means on top of the genes, and that pretty much describes the epigenetics role in the body. Look, all of us have DNA. Almost every cell in our body contains all of our DNA and all the genes that make us up. It's the fabric of who you are. This is known as the genome. But look, we're not just made of one cell. Our brains do many different things from those in our heart, for example, who behave differently than the cells in our toenails or our skin. If all of our cells have the same info, why is it that they do such different things? Well, this is where epigenetics comes in. It's basically a layer like an onion of instruction that sits on top of the DNA and gives it signals to turn off and on, and many other things. You can think of it like an orchestra. When you have a conductor with the symphony. Well, if the DNA is the music, the epigenome is the conductor, it waves its wand, it tells the cells what to do and when, and everybody has an orchestra inside. This is what biochemical individuality is. So while the epigenome doesn't necessarily change our DNA, it is responsible for deciding what genes will be expressed in your body's cells.   [03:30] "Genetics Load the Gun, Behavior Pulls the Trigger" We had Chris Kresser on the podcast, and I'll link that here in the show notes for the Solocast. He said something so profound. He said, "Genetics load the gun and behavior pulls the trigger," and just let that land for a moment. When we look at epigenetics, it's what sits on top of the DNA, on top of the genes. You are not... and I want to share this from my heart to yours, not a victim of what you were born with, what your parents did, or what your parents acted. So in other words, it's not your fault, but it is your loving responsibility. This is where things can get very challenging because if you listen to our episode with Scott Jackson about being at cause. We know that being at cause does not mean that it's your fault. There's a difference there. In the same way that we have this biological adaptation for epigenetics and epigenetic expression, I've been noodling on this for a while now, just try this on, just bear with me. If you receive certain genomic adaptations from your parents, like type 1 diabetes proclivity towards MTHFR, proclivity towards weight gain, proclivity towards sensitivity to sun, or sensitivity to caffeine based on your haplogroups. These are all things to consider from a physiological standpoint. But what about emotionally, what about emotionally, is it possible? Today, I'm going to make a case that it absolutely is. Is it possible that emotional epigenetics are the missing link in what is actually being manifested on a physical level? Here's why I believe this. Not only is the biological adaptation that we go through in life, a combination of our genes and our epigenetics, but also the stress that we incur both in-utero, and also, if you look at the work of Mark Wolynn, I'll link this, we've had him on the podcast twice. He wrote It Didn't Start With You. He's the founder of the Family Constellations, where they talk about past life trauma. So the trauma that happens, capital T, which is like physical sexual abuse, terrible things, lower case T, which is neglect, an unsupportive parent, an avoidant parent, an anxious parent. All of these things stack up. Now they're emotional trauma from parents, from in utero, from past life, maybe even from other dimensions. I mean, look, we're all figuring this out as we go along. We all know that emotional trauma can actually change our biology.   [06:12] Gene Expressions for Generations Studies show that suffering triggers changes in gene expression that last for generations. This is a study I came across that was fascinating. In Zurich, Switzerland, the children living in SOS Children's Village orphanages in Pakistan had a very rough start to life. Many lost their fathers, which in conservative Pakistani society can effectively mean losing their mothers too. Now, these widows often struggle to find enough work to support their families and may have to give up their children. That's one example. University of Zurich physician and neuroscientist Ali Jawad says that despite the support that these children received, they experience symptoms similar to PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, including anxiety and depression. Now, this neuroscientist wondered about a potential hidden consequence of these children's experiences. He set up a study with the orphanages to probe the disturbing possibility that the emotional trauma of separation from their parents also triggers subtle biological alterations changes so lasting that the children might even pass them off to their own offspring. If you think about this in utero perspective, your grandmother was born with your mother inside of her, and your mother created you. So if that's the case, and we know now that epigenetic transfer happens on a biological level, then why wouldn't it happen on a psychosomatic level? I think it's so fascinating that people laugh at the idea that behaviors can be contagious. But we know from so many of the people we've had on the podcast that emotional contagion is utterly real. It is palpable. In other words, you're not just the sum of the five people you hang out with the most, you're the sum of all the behaviors of the people you choose to be around. Now, that idea would've been laughed at 15 years ago. But today, the hypothesis that a child's experience and adults' experience might actually alter the cells in behavior of their children that they bring into the world and the grandchildren that come into the world, it's now been accepted across the board.   [08:20] NLP: Neuro Linguistic Programming Look, in animals exposure to stress, cold or high-fat diets definitely triggers metabolic changes in later generations. There are some small studies that have been done on humans exposed to very traumatic conditions. Among them, the children of the Holocaust survivors point to biological and health changes in their children. So look, the implications of this are profound. If our experiences can have consequences that reverberate to our children, then to our children's children. This is a huge argument against everything from smoking to poor diet to toxic mentality. That's really the big one, toxic mentality. People that say things in families like, "Oh, that's just who we are. Oh, you're a Smith. Smiths are alcoholics." I mean, what an absolutely disempowering thing. And by the way, if you look at NLP and the barrier between the conscious and unconscious mind, when you are brought into the world zero through seven, at your seventh year, your brain has a lot of neuroplasticity and essentially your hemispheres have been connected for so long that you are so suggestible when you come into the world and you're so suggestible because all the programming in your brain, it actually unwires as you get older. It creates space for new programs. So how sad is it? Honestly, I'm like my hands on my heart right now. How sad is it that this emotional trauma that is very distinct from physical stress can be passed on to generations? Well, this is what was proven in this study. Let's dig in. In the study to explore how trauma affected generations of mice. Researchers stressed the mother mice, their little pups then exhibited both molecular and behavioral changes, such as taking more risks on an elevated maze. This is the key. These changes, they persisted for up to five generations, five generations. That's 3 to 500 years, you all. So the mother separated from the pups, and traumatized, the mother would ignore the offspring. The three-month-old male offspring made it with traumatized females. The offspring showed epigenetic and behavioral changes... this is the key, without having experienced the trauma, and that breeding carried out for six generations. I mean, look, if you're a scientific person, this study should be all that you need to know about emotional epigenetics. Why the trauma that we experience before we're even born while we're in utero and also in the first seven years of our lives and more, it's almost like we're all connected. It's almost like everything is all connected.   [11:04] Taking Emotional Inventory So here's the case that I'm making to you today, and I'm curious how you feel about this. If you can take a true emotional inventory of all the things that have happened for you in this lifetime that your soul chose to experience in quite a perfection, by the way, otherwise it wouldn't be experienced. Can you, number one, be at cause for the things that have happened for you in life? I'm not saying it's your fault. I know that terrible things happen, and I know that right now, maybe it's palpable for you. Maybe in your arms or your body and your stomach and your heart, maybe you feel like, "Fuck you, Josh. What are you even talking about? You think that me being raped, that me being abused, that me being hurt, that me being neglected, you think it's my fault?" No, that's not what I'm saying, my friend. What I'm saying is it's not your fault. It's not your fault. I think of that scene in Good Will Hunting, when Robin Williams was hugging his patient, Goodwill Hunting, and he said, it's not your fault over and over and over again, and finally Will just broke down crying. It's one of the most powerful scenes I've ever seen in a movie. You have to watch Goodwill Hunting. But it points to exactly what I'm talking about, because what I'm talking about is it is not your fault, but it is your responsibility. You can either be at effect or you can be at cause. So how do we unpack this in a way that truly provides a solution? Well, here we go. Number one, you must take an emotional inventory. I've talked about this in the Solocast on hypervigilance. You can go through that entire process because I want to move forward here with us today. Go to joshtrent.com/490. That's going to be the starting point for this emotional inventory process, which by the way, you know that if you experience hypervigilance, where if you ever feel like you're a junkyard dog and everything's fine. So why are you so stressed out and what's going on? This is where you start. You start with the emotional inventory, and I can speak from my own personal experience. To this day, at 42 years old, I still have an awareness of my own hypervigilance, the things that trigger me. I'll say that my hypervigilance is an expression of my epigenetics, and really the missing link for me to dive deep into and for all of us to dive deep into, because as above, so below, so below, as above. "You cannot have the tree reach its branches to heaven unless its roots touch hell," Carl Young. So what I'm saying here is if the missing link or the bridge between what appears for us, what manifests physically, cancer disease, rheumatoid arthritis, CHD, weight gain, liver issues, all these things, if they are a manifestation, and Chinese and Western medicine, show us that they are... If what we experience physically is a manifestation of what we are experiencing emotionally, energy in motion, then today, I know I've planted a seed in your garden that allows you to see the truth around if epigenetics express themselves physically because of what the cells were told by our parents' grandparents in utero and outside dimensions, then you know that after this podcast, you can see that the emotional energy that we experience as human beings, emotionally, these things get transferred too.   [14:28] Healing Addiction I think this is really something that is worth a deeper look on your own. It's going to be in the book that I write next year. It's going to be in many of the upcoming podcasts that we do. Emotional epigenetics, I believe is the missing link in holistic medicine. In holistic medicine, there is nutrition, breathing, water, thoughts, beliefs. Many of the ways that Paul Chek, Dr. Michael Ruscio, a lot of the people that we've had on the show who are experts in their field, they all approach these basic fundamental human behaviors. But what I love about Paul's work and what I love about my own work, too, is understanding what creates energy and motion. What I believe creates energy and motion and is the true missing link here is, the curiosity about discovering why energy is dysregulated, why energy is dysregulated. This is a part of this podcast that I really want you to feel before we say goodbye, and this is what you can take to the bank. If you are experiencing energy and you try to suppress or resist that energy, a part of your heart and soul knows that it always comes out sideways. In other words, why do alcoholics, drug addicts, porn addicts, shopping addicts, work addicts, why is addiction of any kind even a thing in anyone's life? It's because the opposite of addiction is connection. If you are connected to the energy that you're experiencing in your body, and you are courageously able to open up to that energy, to learn from that energy, to learn from the pain teacher, and to learn from the things that you are experiencing in a perfect way, otherwise they wouldn't be happening, then guess what? The more you lean into your emotional experience, the greater health, the greater wellness you will have, you will be. Period, end of story, full stop, new paragraph. This is it. Now, obviously, that is a sensitive issue because the moment that a human being starts to dig into their emotional inventory, starts to actually feel what they feel, starts to actually understand what the pain teacher, what these emotions are trying to tell them, well, then hypervigilance, the subconscious strategy that slowly kills us, this is what we talked about in the podcast, joshtrent.com/490. In that podcast, I go into depth about what hypervigilance is trying to tell us, but really what hypervigilance is, it's epigenetic expression of trauma; of trauma from an emotional standpoint that is trying to be let go of. It's always been said in many circles, what's coming is going, but what's coming that's blocked, never goes. So if that's the truth and there's something in your life, my life, all of our lives that is freaking asking for permission, it's asking for permission to be let go of, this is the ultimate question today, and this is what you can take and put in the bank as well. Can I cultivate the courage to take the emotional inventory, to feel the feelings I'm feeling, and to be honest with the challenge of my life? Can I be honest with the challenge of my life? Look, there's no shame if the answer to some of those questions was no. There was a major part of my life that was ruled by pornography for so long, and I think that these synapses that are wired, they do float away. They do uncouple. But in full transparency, I still have random thoughts of porn throughout the day. Do I act on them? No, I don't act on them because they don't hold the charge anymore because I've had the deeper work and the commitment to this deeper work be an everyday part of my life. Now, if you ask my partner, Carrie Michelle, she might be like, "God, can we just have one day where we're not working on ourselves?" My answer is like, "No, we can't," because every day is an opportunity. Every day is an opportunity to work on thyself, and that is my wish for you today.   [18:35] Join our Wellness Community: M21 and Breathwork Guide We've covered emotional epigenetics. We've talked about how this plugs into holistic medicine. We've talked about the studies of science, the reality of energy, and spirit, the past life in utero, experience that we all have as human beings. Here's what I want to challenge you to do today. Here's the invitation. The invitation for you today is to go to joshtrent.com/490 and take your breath and relieve your stress. You can join us in the BREATHE: Breath and Wellness program. You're here with us on the podcast. So I'm going to give you a special coupon right now. Just go to breathwork.io. Use the code "PODCAST25" in the BREATHE program. I'm going to personally guide you for three weeks. A lot of what we uncover in this process together is going to be why is hypervigilance there? What is going on on a physiological level? How can psycho-immunology actually be the cause of some of our diseases the cause of most of our stress? In that brief program, it is my promise to you that the breath is going to set you free from many of the things you're experiencing. Your free resource is joshtrent.com/490. Go there now. Do the emotional inventory. Email me when you're done, admin@wellnessforce.com. Then head over to breathwork.io and use code podcast 25. You get 25% off the program. I'm excited for you and I to do work together. I think it's really easy to listen to a podcast and turn it off and not do anything. Well, I'm talking to your subconscious mind. I'm talking to your heart, to your soul right now. There's a reason you clicked on this episode. There's a reason you're interested in emotional epigenetics. There's a reason that your soul brought you here; otherwise you wouldn't be listening. It wasn't just pure curiosity that brought you here. It was a deeper knowing. It was a deeper knowing that what you and I were going to explore today is the peace that you're seeking, and I don't say that lightly. It's a really big deal to me that you and I spend time together and I'm so grateful for you, and I want you to accept this invitation joshjtrent.com/490, breathwork.io, use the code "PODCAST25". Until I see you again on another Solocast, I'm wishing you so much love and so much wellness.   Links From Today's Show  140 Unconventional Medicine – Chris Kresser 481 Scott Jackson | Rewire Yourself: How To Create A Life You Love With Freedom From Subconscious Sabotage 311 Mark Wolynn | It Didn't Start With You: Ending The Cycle of Inherited Trauma It Didn't Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle by Mark Wolynn Good Will Hunting (Trailer) 490 SOLOCAST | Hypervigilance: The Subconscious Strategy of Survival That Slowly Kills Parents' Emotional Trauma May Change Their Children's Biology. Studies In Mice Show How 275 The Revolution Is Here: Paul Chek 236 Healing The Second Brain: Dr. Michael Ruscio Josh's Trusted Products | Up To 40% Off Shop All Products ***Check out all of our other fave Black Friday + Cyber Monday deals!*** BREATHE - 33% off with the code “PODCAST33” SiPhox - 10% off with code "JOSH" Holy Hydrogen - $100 off with code "JOSH" SinuSonic - 15% off with "JOSH15" Organifi - 20% off with the code ‘WELLNESSFORCE' QI-Shield EMF Device - 20% off with the code "JOSH" SEED Synbiotic - 30% off with the code "JOSHTRENT" BON CHARGE - 15% off with the code "JOSH15" MANNA Vitality - 20% off with the code "JOSH20" SimplyO3 - 10% off with code "JOSH10" Kineon - 10% off with code "JOSH10" Mendi.io - 20% off with the code "JOSH20" Adapt Naturals - 15% off with code "WELLNESSFORCE" SpectraSculpt - 15% off with the code "JOSH15" SaunaSpace - 10% off with the code "JOSH10" Cured Nutrition CBD - 20% off with the code "WELLNESS FORCE" PLUNGE - $150 off with the code “WELLNESSFORCE" LiftMode - 10% off with the code "JOSH10" MitoZen - 10% off with the code “WELLNESSFORCE” Paleovalley - 15% off with the link only NOOTOPIA - 10% off with the code "JOSH10" Activation Products - 20% off with the code “WELLNESSFORCE” SENSATE - $25 off with the code "JOSH25" BiOptimizers - 10% off with the code "JOSH10" ION - 15% off with the code ‘JOSH15' Feel Free from Botanic Tonics - $40 off with the code "WELLNESS40" Essential Oil Wizardry - 10% off with the code "WELLNESSFORCE" ALIVE WATERS - 33% off your first order with the code "JOSH33" Earth Runners Shoes - 10% off with code "JOSH10" DRY FARM WINES - Get an extra bottle of Pure Natural Wine with your order for just 1¢ Drink LMNT - Zero Sugar Hydration: Get your free LMNT Sample Pack, with any purchase Free Resources M21 Wellness Guide - Free 3-Week Breathwork Program with Josh Trent Join Wellness + Wisdom Community   10% Off MitoZen 10% OFF | CODE: “WELLNESSFORCE” MitoZen Scientific offers the most Advanced Natural Medicine and healing through detoxification. 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As with many people, in my line of work, one thing often leads to another, and often in some very unexpected ways. As you may recall, I have mentioned in a few earlier episodes that over the years, I have been involved in the writing of several stories for the purpose of possibly developing them into novels or films, and at one point in my life, I became very involved in studying story structure.           This was around the time of the release of the first Star Wars movie and during my research I became intrigued when I learned that George Lucas, the writer, producer, and director of the film, had been significantly influenced by someone named Joseph Campbell and that the basic story structure of Star Wars was largely developed from of what Cambell had termed, “The Myth of the Hero.”           This was from his book, “The Hero With a Thousand Faces,” that was published in 1949 and as I started studying it, I was amazed to find that what happens to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars follows the exact outline of Campell's story structure to the tee.           As I continued my research, it turned out that Campell's understanding of the hero was just one part of his work, which also included a general grasp of the power of myth in the human psyche. And, additionally, a large influence on him had been psychologist Carl Jung.           Of course, like most people who have gone through the standard western educational system, I had heard of Jung. but to be honest with you, the only thing I think I knew about him was that there were some differences in the way his last name could be pronounced. I called him Carl Young, but some of the finer students of linguistics pronounced his last name Yooong. I doubt he would care. I don't want to sound too shallow, but that's really about all I knew about the guy. Now suddenly I had an interest in him. It began with his influence on Campbell and the way his views pertained to crafting stories. But the deeper I got, the more fascinating his overall viewpoint became to me. By way of a very brief overview, Jung was a Swiss psychologist born in 1875 who became one of the major figures in modern psychology. But he was a little different from Freud and many of the other authorities of his time. He was slightly more esoteric. He founded analytical psychology, which emphasizes the exploration of the unconscious and deeper elements of the psyche.           He also introduced the concept of archetypes, which are universal, innate symbols and themes which remarkably appear in myths, dreams, and fantasies across all human cultures, throughout all eras of civilization.  He considered them to be part of the collective unconscious, representing fundamental human experiences and emotions that we all have in common, like a shared reservoir of memories and ideas that all human beings inherit.           And to take it one step further, he also delved into a process that he called individuation, which perceives life as a journey of self-discovery. It is a transformative process, and Campbell used it as a foundation of his myth of the hero. The protagonist, which also represents each one of us, undergoes trials and hardships, comes face-to-face with the unknown, and ultimately triumphs, returning to the world with newfound wisdom, giving boons to his fellowman. This is a basic storyline that has deeply affected human beings since the beginning of recorded history. I could see that thanks to George Lucas's consultations with Joseph Campbell, Luke Skywalker's journey in the ultra-modern Sci-Fi epic Star Wars, exactly mirrored the psychological and spiritual transformation that Jung had associated with individuation. I was starting to get pretty blown out and although my initial interest in Jung's observations began with just my interest in the elements of good story construction, his understandings began to take on greater relevancy to me as they pertained to my interest in some of the deeper meanings in life and how they relate to personal growth.           Which leads me to the basic theme of this episode. Because, as interesting as this may have hopefully been so far, what I really want to do is pass along four of my favorite quotes from Jung that I have found to be particularly transformative, and I have found that their meanings to me have deepened considerably over the decades.           The first one is, “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” In this regard, Jung observed that individuals tend to project their own unconscious qualities onto others. In other words, the aspects that we find irritating, offensive, or challenging in other people may be reflections of our own unresolved issues or unacknowledged traits. For me, this one required a little upgrade in the old humility department because about the easiest thing in the world to do is to dislike something about somebody else. Take it from me, if you're tuned into that sort of thing, you see it all day long. So and so is narcissistically self-centered. This one has an obnoxious mean streak. Or, that one is a power-hungry egomaniac. And on and on, ad nauseum. And it gets a little unsettling if you take Jung's point of view, that maybe the reason I see all these terrible traits in others is because I carry them all in me. Maybe if I didn't have them, I wouldn't even notice them. Like hearing strangers speaking in a foreign language that I didn't understand, I wouldn't pay it any attention at all. And if I recognize these irritating traits within myself, maybe I can find out what is causing them, and more importantly, maybe even transform them into something better, which would be great for both for me and for those around me. I find that anytime you think like that, you don't feel like such a big shot.   The second great quote from Jung is, “Your vision can clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside awakes.” This was in line with another realization I was dealing with as I started to become aware of some of the sayings of Buddha. Once, someone asked him what he was. Was he some kind of divine being, like a god, or an angel or a master of something like that? And he replied, “I am awake. To be awake is everything.” Now a library worth of books has been written about this idea of being awake in life, rather than being asleep. But Jung's quote was pretty confronting to me. How much did I look into my own heart? To tell the truth, I didn't even know what that meant, and no matter what I think I may have learned in the last half century, I probably still don't. And when it comes to looking outside versus looking inside, I wouldn't say that all my attention was completely focused on the outside. Probably no more than 98% of it. And again, I've been practicing personal growth for over fifty years, and I think there's a decent possibility that I may have picked up a percent or even two over the that time. Which, according to Jung, means that I'm still basically dreaming my life away. So, it seems like we all have in front of us the idea of making life a journey of self-discovery, gaining clarity through self-reflection, transcending illusions, and awakening through internal inquiry. For me, although it may sound like a tall order, what else should I be doing with this fleeting existence? The third quote that I want to mention is a short, pithy quip that I still really enjoy. “One ought not go to cadavers to study life.” Of course, you can look at this idea in a lot of ways, but here is an idea to consider. Perhaps observe the difference between what is alive and what is not. We have life within us. We are alive. But many of the antiquated concepts from unenlightened cultures that went before us are dead and the people that came up with them are long since dead. Flowers and insects are alive. And one thing about life – it always functions only in present time. The past is a memory and the future is only an idea. Life is always now and all of creation is throbbing with life. Maybe what he is saying is that by bonding ourselves to life, rather than to death we will produce a major change in both our outlook as well as our behavior. I'm reminded of a passage in the book, “Little Big Man,” by Thomas Berger, which was the source of the movie of the same name. Old Lodge Skins, the wise Cheyenne chief was reflecting on the difference between the Native Americans and the White Man. He said something like, to the Cheyenne, everything is alive. Not only the people, the animals and all the plants, but the dirt, the mountains, the sky and the sea, the earth and all of creation is alive. To the Cheyenne, everything is alive. But to the White Man, everything is dead. He even sees his brothers and sisters as just the walking dead. There's a lot to unpack in that comment. Finally, the last quote by Jung that really got to me was, ““The greatest and most important problems of life are all fundamentally insoluble. They can never be solved but only outgrown. We don't so much solve our problems as we outgrow them. We add capacities and experiences that eventually make us bigger than the problems.” This was the first time I had ever heard things put quite in this way. I know for me, I seem to spend the majority of my life solving problems. One thing, after the next, after the next. And I never thought about the idea of outgrowing them, that I could become bigger than the problems. The idea of outgrowing something reminded me of the first time I ever learned about outgrowing anything. I must have been about five years old and I had a pair of red cowboy boots that I absolutely adored. I wore them every day through the winter and when spring came, my mother put them on in the back of my closet. I completely forgot about them until late fall, about six months later. She was getting me dressed to go to a birthday party and I saw my old boots. I was overwhelmed with excitement at the idea of wearing them again. When I told my mother I wanted to get them out she said, “Oh no. They won't fit you anymore.” What she said didn't make any sense to me. These were my favorite shoes. After begging her about a hundred times, she finally put them on me with a big shoe horn. They felt pretty tight, but I decided to wear them anyway. When I walked out the front door, to my shock, I couldn't even make it to the car. They were so tight that I couldn't stand them and had to get them off as soon as possible. And the idea of ever wanting to wear again went right out the window. Permanently. Jung would say that it is the same with the greatest and most important problems in our lives. The only solution to them is to outgrow them. Maybe as our consciousness expands and grows, from our enlarged perspective, we see them with a different set of eyes. And we approach them with a different set of tools. And maybe from there, not only are the big problems taken care of, the little ones fall in line as well. Who know? It seems like we each have to find out for ourselves. Anyway, I hope that the quotes from Dr. Jung have stimulated some ideas in your awareness. As with a lot of insights from the world of personal growth, if you give them a little time and attention, they have the potential to bear some wonderfully tasty and truly nutritious fruit. But let's leave it at that for this episode. As always, keep your eyes, mind and heart open, and let's get together in the next one.

Alex Mischka is an embodied men's work facilitator. He is also doing intimacy relationship and sexuality coaching. He loves helping people return to their hearts, understand their blueprints, their true nature, and how they operate as beings in intimacy and relationships. From an early age, the archetype of the lover from Jungian psychology was strongly expressed in his personality. He had this kind of pulse, and it took him a long time to go through his rite of passage. As a man who has lost his father at quite an early age, he was quite lost. His 20s were the lost years, a lot of drug addiction, confusion, debt and wrecked relationships. This led Alex to his dark night of the soul, where he realized the need to fix all that was happening, which marked the beginning of his healing work. Initially, the lens of dating, social connection and especially how to really connect with women was the driver of this work. Then he discovered David Deida, things like shadow work, Carl Young, the archetypal realm and the inner child. So he began training in a number of modalities, and here he is today, about five years down the line, doing the incredible work that he does.   Key topics include:  ⭐️ The Men's Experience with Sexuality & the Lost Touch with the Essence  of Feeling ⭐️ Jungian Archetypes - The Lover, The Warrior, The King ⭐️ The Noble Art of Seduction, a Co-Creative Dance ⭐️ Relationships, Conscious Communication and Healthy Relating  ⭐️ Masculine Conditioning, Waiting to the Last Moment Before Seeking Help ⭐️ Sexual Leadership, Active Listening, & Letting Go the Need to Fix Things ⭐️ The 3 Stages of Needs - Selfish Needs, Couple's Needs, The Needs of the Present Moment ⭐️ Dark and Light Masculine & Feminine Energy  ⭐️ Surrendering to the Experience of the Submissive Role ⭐️ The Beauty of Erotic Energy, Eros, Erotic Blueprints & Understanding Sexual Needs ⭐️ Periods & Menstrual Cycles  ⭐️ Shadow Work    ✅ I have just opened up registration for the upcoming September 2023 cohort of my 12-week programme “Being An Authentic Masculine Man”, AKA B.A.A.M.M. Register interest here: https://forms.gle/rb4MJfo6XdHVXEG49   

Storm Chasers was a popular show about, well, take a wild guess. Thrusting audiences into the eye of the storm, dozens of scientists, cameramen, producers and medical personnel, risked their lives over five seasons to bring us footage unable to be captured anywhere else. That was until the biggest tornado ever recorded took the lives of three team members: Tim Samaras, his son Paul, and Carl Young.It's as thrilling as the hit movie Twister – except it's real!  Support the showDeath in Entertainment is hosted by Kyle Ploof, Mark Mulkerron and Alejandro DowlingNew episodes every Wednesday!https://linktr.ee/deathinentertainment

Let me tell you about today's guest, Alexander Inchbald. Alexander is on a mission to help 10,000 changemakers to create their Masterpiece and become Rainmakers. He is the founder of the #Masterpiece Movement, a growing community of pioneers, changemakers, misfits and rebels. Together with other likeminded communities they are creating a system that will sustain humankind. Alexander is a global authority on creativity: how we master our mind and body during the act of creation so we create a Masterpiece. He has studied Masters from the worlds of art, science, religion and leadership, explored the cutting edge of psychology, neurology, physiology, epigenetics and metaphysics, and experimenting with creativity, painting in gale force, freezing conditions and blizzards all over the world. The story that has emerged will literally blow your mind. He is a bestselling author a few times over, has worked on all of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals and lives with his family above Lake Geneva In today's episode, Alex and I talk about: The story of money, from the industrial revolution until today What this means to us today WooWoo mountain, the feminine vicious cycle and why it prevents us from building business that make money Reclaim the artist as well as the art director How we can change our relationship to money The inner and outer game The role of creativity (and the right brain) in making money Why can can't neglect the left brain And so much more [00:00:00] Sarah: Hello, humane marketers. Welcome back to the Humane Marketing Podcast, the place to be for the generation of marketers that cares. This is a show where we talk about running your business in a way that feels good to you, is aligned with your values, and also resonates with today's conscious customers because it's humane, ethical, and non-pushy. [00:00:23] I'm Sarah z Croce, your hippie turn business coach for quietly rebellious entrepreneurs and marketing impact pioneers. Mama Bear of the Humane Marketing Circle. And renegade author of marketing like We're human and selling like we're human. If after listening to the show for a while, you are ready to move on to the next level and start implementing and would welcome a community of like-minded, quietly rebellious entrepreneurs who discuss with transparency what. [00:00:52] Works and what doesn't work in business, then we'd love to welcome you in our humane marketing circle. If you're picturing your [00:01:00] typical Facebook group, let me paint a new picture for you. This is a closed community of like-minded entrepreneurs from all over the world who come together once per month in a Zoom Circle workshop to hold each other accountable and build their business in a sustainable way. [00:01:16] We share with transparency and vulnerability what works for us and what doesn't work, so that you can figure out what works for you instead of keep throwing spaghetti. On the wall and seeing what sticks. Find out more at humane.marketing/circle, and if you prefer one-on-one support from me. My Humane Business Coaching could be just what you need, whether it's for your marketing, sales, general business building, or help with your big idea like writing a book. [00:01:47] I'd love to share my brain and my heart with you together with my almost 15 years business experience and help you grow a sustainable business that is joyful and sustainable. If you love this [00:02:00] podcast, wait until I show you my Mama Bear qualities as my one-on-one client can find out more at Humane Marketing slash coaching. [00:02:09] And finally, if you are a Marketing Impact pioneer and would like to bring Humane Marketing to your organization, have a look at my offers and workshops on my website@humane.marketing. [00:02:29] Hello, friends. Today I have another deep and intriguing conversation for you, and it falls under the P of pricing. It's more about money, but money has to do with pricing, right? If you're irregular here, you know that I'm organizing the conversations around the seven Ps of the Humane Marketing Mandala. If this is your first time here and you don't know what I'm talking about, you can download your one page marketing plan with the seven Ps of Humane [00:03:00] marketing@humane.marketing slash one page humane.marketing, not.com humane.marketing. [00:03:09] One page, the number one and the word page. And this comes with seven email prompts to really help you reflect on these different piece for your business. So it's not a blueprint or a step-by-step or cookie cutter approach. It's, uh, not perspec prescriptive, but it really is, um, helping you to reflect on your seven Ps for humane marketing. [00:03:37] So today I'm speaking to my new friend, Alexander Ald, whom I, I've met in December at a lovely fondue afternoon with nine other beautiful human beings, and we somehow telepathically connected and he gifted me his book Masterpiece, which is truly a masterpiece. [00:04:00] And, uh, that's what we're gonna be talking about today. [00:04:03] And. Obviously, like I said, going to talk about money, pricing, and also this idea of the masculine and the feminine energy, but mainly the masculine because money has to do with masculine energy. Before, I'll tell you a little bit more about Alexander. I'll also invite you in the behind the scenes of my pricing journey with our community. [00:04:28] The Humane Marketing Circle. I started this community in late 2019. It has been kind of going already in a small group before, and for the first year, people could basically join for free as part of, uh, my book launch on Kickstarter, and they were free members for a full. And then obviously, you know what happened in 20 20 20, uh, and then whoever wanted to stay after 2020, [00:05:00] they, uh, paid 20 bucks per month. [00:05:03] Then I increased it to 37, uh, dollars per month and then to 47, and now it's back at 37. You know, economic circumstances and all of that. But meanwhile, more people joined. We added a second monthly call. We moved from, uh, tr a Trello board, which was very simplistic, and it worked for a while for us. But now we're kind of going pro onto a new online platform. [00:05:35] And now we have an engaged online component to the community, and we're hosting that on cajabi, which I kind of joke about. It's, it's very much like us, um, because Cajabi bought this new, um, platform just recently. And so it's a, it. Kind of the little sister of Mighty Networks. It has big dreams, and yet it's [00:06:00] not perfect yet. [00:06:00] And that kind of reminds me of ourselves as a quietly rebellious and, uh, heart-centered changemakers and marketers. You know, uh, we're not perfect. We we're, uh, doing our very best and that's what our online platform is like. And, and so yeah, people are loving it. And in January I hired a community facilitator, uh, Eddie, who's connecting men members amongst each other and really cry, creating this interconnectedness between members, which is so important in a community. [00:06:36] So together we have created something just beautiful and unique and. Totally ready for this new business paradigm that's very Aquarius oriented, you know, power to the people. Um, it's not a top down approach where I'm basically the guru and te teaching you how to do it. No, we're tapping [00:07:00] into our own personal powers and, and sharing what works for us and learning from everybody else what works for them so that we can then figure out, well, I'd like to do this in business and I, you know, this person shared this thing. [00:07:16] I wanna try that. And, and so it's, it is very much in this, uh, Aquarius energy. If, um, if any of you listening are into, um, astrology or kind of follow that even loosely. So yeah, we've really created something very beautiful and unique, I think, uh, together. And now it's time for me to bring in the masculine energy and walk my talk about creating sustainable businesses. [00:07:46] Um, I always share that with my clients and the, the marketing like we're human program. And even in this circle we talk about how just because we come from this place of giving and lots of empathy [00:08:00] and, you know, humane approach to business does not mean that we don't want to have a sustainable business. [00:08:07] We operate from this principle of maximum sustainable generosity, right? And this community has definitely been grown based on that principle, maximum sustainable generosity. And now has come the time where, um, I need to bring in that masculine energy and make it sustainable for me. Uh, beautiful things, good things take time to grow. [00:08:33] And we are at the point now where I feel like. This is just absolutely a gorgeous community. Uh, and now I do need to bring up the price because up till now it wasn't sustainable for me, and that's okay. Again, it takes time and uh, you can't charge the full price from day one. That just makes logical business sense, but now it's time. [00:08:56] So on May 5th, I'll be [00:09:00] introducing a new humane three-tier pricing that is, Conveying all the value you really get in this community and it's sustainable for the host and everyone else's work that needs to be paid fairly. I'm announcing this price increase not to use urgency to get you to sign up, but it wouldn't feel fair that I'm doubling the price overnight without giving you at least a last chance to sign up at the current rate. [00:09:29] You know, it has happened to me where I go to a website and offering, all of a sudden the price is like much higher and I'm like, well, I wish I knew about this. So that's kind of why I'm doing this. Um, now so. Again, um, if you've been playing with the idea of maybe joining us now is a good time, you'll still be kind of considered, I wouldn't say founding members because, um, again, I've been hosting this for over three years, so, [00:10:00] uh, it's not really a founding member rate anymore, but it's just kind of like this, um, you know, maybe a budding rate. [00:10:07] Like we. Add the verge of something that is going to grow. And, and, and if you get in now, uh, well, you get in at that $37 per month rate. The new rates will come into place on May 5th. Have a look@humane.marketing forward slash circle and see if, uh, this is a good fit for you. And we'd love to have you okay with that. [00:10:35] Um, and I hope Alexander is, is proud about me demonstrating my, uh, masculine energy here. So let me tell you a little bit about today's guest, Alexander ald. Um, Alexander is on a mission to help 10,000 change makers to create their masterpiece and become rainmakers. He's the founder of the Masterpiece Movement. [00:10:58] A growing community of [00:11:00] pioneers, changemakers, misfits, and rebels. Together with other like-minded communities, they are creating a system that will sustain human. Alexander is a global authority on creativity, how we master our mind embodied during the act of creation so we can create a masterpiece. He has studied masters from the worlds of art, science, religion, leadership, explored the cutting edge of psychology, neurology, psychology, epigenetics and metaphysics, and experimented with creativity, painting in gale force, freezing conditions and blizzards all over the world. [00:11:41] This story that has emerged will literally blow your mind. Alexander is a bestselling author a few times over and has worked on all of the United Nations, sustain sustainable development goals, and he lives with his family here in Switzerland above Lake Geneva. And [00:12:00] I've had the pleasure to, uh, be over at his house just recently with a beautiful view. [00:12:05] So in our time together, we speak about. The story of money from the Industrial Revolution until today. What this means to us today, uh, I get him to talk about woo woo mountain, the feminine vicious cycle, and why it prevents us from building a business that makes money, reclaim the artist as well as the art director. [00:12:30] How we can change our relationship to money, the inner and the outer game, the role of creativity, the right brain in making money. Why we can't neglect the left brain and so much more. Um, this is a deep conversation. It's a conversation where I use my. Um, left brain and Capricorn being to, um, you know, kind of ground and bring ourselves [00:13:00] back because, uh, Alexander can go really far into these concepts that I have to admit are, uh, sometimes even, uh, a bit far out for me. [00:13:10] So, um, it's a rainy conversation. So if you're ready for that, let's dive in. Hi Alexander. So good to see you speak to you today. [00:13:23] Alexander: Wonderful to be here. Sarah, thank you so much for having [00:13:25] Sarah: me. Yeah. Um, I was on a webinar with you last week. That was amazing. And then of course, uh, as I mentioned in the intro, we, uh, met in person, which is like so rare nowadays, right? [00:13:40] That you get to meet people in person. And we get to meet again actually, uh, tomorrow after this recording. So I'm looking forward to that. But, um, let's share with, uh, my listeners a little bit of the conversations that, uh, partly from your webinar, also from your book, [00:14:00] that you, um, so kindly shared with me and I entitled this, uh, conversation. [00:14:06] Can't remember the exact words, but something about money and masculine energy, because that's what I feel like. You bring to us, right? This kind of dance between the feminine and the masculine and what that has to do with money, uh, how art comes in as well, because you are an artist. So yeah. Let's, let's dive in. [00:14:30] Um, why don't you start with kind of like, um, an excerpt of the story that you sh shared in this webinar. Um, I was on last week, I think it was called, um, it was called The Path of Prosperity, right? That was the title. Yeah. So sh sh Start us out there. [00:14:49] Alexander: Wow. Um, you know, the Pathway of Prosperity is, is a model that emerged, uh, in Switzerland. [00:14:55] Last year I was working with a group of pioneers and one of my business partners, a guy called Peter [00:15:00] kk, and Peter looked at our relationship to money and has looked at it for the last thir 30, 40 years. Um, and he discovered some really, really interesting things when he looked at our relationship to money. [00:15:12] Um, And the modern conception of money was created and designed by some very conscious people 250 years ago, um, around the time of the Industrial Revolution. And the industrial Revolution kind of, um, represents the extreme of the masculine end of the pathway. So there's a feminine end to the pathway, and you'd have to go back 200,000 years really to the dawn of humankind, um, in the Great River Valley in Africa, or at least that's one history you could say. [00:15:43] And that was kind of all feminine energy. So what is feminine energy? Feminine energy is, is, is being in connection. And if you've ever been in a real state of flow, you feel that you're in connection with something, something greater, um, than yourself. And somehow the energy of creativity [00:16:00] flows through you. [00:16:00] So just go to a moment like that. Maybe it was a moment you. Deeply in love with somebody in front of you, or a moment that you, you know, you created a painting and it just hours flew by or, or you finished a report at that moment. Actually the mind isn't really very active. You, you're just kind of in a state of connection or in a state of communion. [00:16:20] And then the opposite end of that is, is the industrial age. Um, and the industrial age. We've gone from kind of being connected to all of it, um, to being a cog in a wheel. Um, and the pathway, we actually talk about the pathway all the way from this to this. But, um, that takes about an hour. So, so I'm not gonna do that in this conversation. [00:16:40] Let, let me start this end. Let's work our way back. So this is the pathway of separation, moving from being connected to, disconnected from being part of all of it, to being a cog, a cove machine. And so if we, if we look at the, the industrial age, what did we say? We said, well, [00:17:00] um, life expectancy was pretty short, kind of, uh, 30 to 50 years, um, in most advanced countries in the world. [00:17:07] Um, and how do we, how do we increase, increase our health? And so some very, very conscious people actually designed a system, a financial system, in order for that to happen. And it included things like interest rates. Um, but the externalities of that, according to Peter's research, are two things. Um, one is extraction of people, extraction of the resource of people. [00:17:30] In other words, led to the idea of the cog in the wheel. And the second is the extraction of raw materials. And those two externalities, at the beginning, they were okay, because if you look at the numbers, the numbers are incredible that life expectancy went up and quality of life went up. E extraordinarily. [00:17:49] Um, and num, those numbers don't lie. It's not like somebody's faked those numbers. I was looking at the work by hands roling the mind gap. You can go, go and see it, mind gapper.org. Um, [00:18:00] incredible. It literally shows how you increase the amount of earning and the life expectancy increases. In other words, there is a direct correlation between those two, right? [00:18:10] And yet that system also divided us. So it was a system of silos. Um, think of the traditional factory and even a factory today it divides things down into silos. And so that was the system two 50 years ago. And there's some organizations that still follow it today, the un not far from where you and I are sitting right now. [00:18:29] You know, it follows a silo-based mentality. Governments, they follow a, a silo-based mentality. Education, you know, in, in class we get taught maths very separate from science, and that's very separate from, you know, art and, and languages. And yet today when we look at the challenges we face there, They're horizontal challenges, not vertical challenges. [00:18:51] Right. And so that, that kind of model started to evolve. Um, and about a hundred years ago, it evolved from the silo based system, uh, which we call the [00:19:00] control system into the, the, the compete system when compete system, not just vertical lines. You add in the horizontal lines. So you see this in big business now, everything divided from, you know, the, the factory line into departments and teams. [00:19:18] Mm-hmm. And you, you kind of had groupings in organizations. And then what we started to see about 20, 30 years ago is, is a kind of emergence, um, of something which can be traced back way before this, but the, the role of the individual in the organization, um, and the philosophy shifted and the philosophy shifted from, from over here in this model, the control and the compete model. [00:19:42] It was all about what was good for the organization, was good for the individual. It's a very paternalistic top down. And this one started to become a little bit more feminine. It said, well, actually what's good for the individual is good for the organization. We started to see that in Silicon Valley. So, you know, the growth of Silicon Valley, um, [00:20:00] w was predicated on the idea of giving people time to do what they were passionate about. [00:20:05] Think, think of Google. They said one day a week, 20% of your time, you can do whatever you're passionate about. And that led to Gmail and Google Maps and Google Calendar, and 50% of the innovation and AdWords, 50% of the innovation from Google came from that 20% time. And yet, what we are getting to see now, 20, 30 years into, you know, the, the massive rise of the internet is the limits of that system. [00:20:33] And, and a new system has been emerging for, uh, 20, 30 years. Um, Behind the scenes. And what we're now seeing is these systems, which are all a variant, a different flavored, you know, vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, let's say. And we're now seeing that actually ice cream isn't the answer. Um, [00:21:00] [00:21:00] Sarah: well I'm gonna interrupt you there then. [00:21:02] So if we continue this ice cream analogy, what is the answer though? Um, and also what does dad have to do with our money story? [00:21:15] Alexander: Yeah, great question. Um, well, I, I'm at risk of course, continuing the analogy and saying, well, we all get fat and get addicted to [00:21:24] Sarah: That's true. And if you, if, if you continue there, it's like, well, money makes you fat. [00:21:30] You know, it's like fat in terms of like too much. [00:21:34] Alexander: Well look exactly, and, and you, you are spot on because. What, what is really happening? Where is the money in the world? Mm-hmm. Well, it's in these three systems. So it's, it's in government bonds, it's in government treasury, it's in big business and it's in Silicon Valley. [00:21:53] And more money has been printed in the last 10 years than has ever been in existence [00:22:00] in the entire history of humankind. And 40% of that wealth, 40% of the world's wealth is owned by 10 men. Um, and I used to be able to get even more of my high horse in this and say 10 white men, but actually there are now two Indian gentlemen who are in the top 10 men. [00:22:19] Um, and despite that, all the other organizations in the top 10 were founded in Silicon Valley. So you've got this, you've got this lake, if you like, of wealth, and it sits. In these three systems, think of a dam, right? And you know, behind the dam you have, you have a lake and it, and it's, and it's actually held here. [00:22:41] Mm-hmm. And it's, it's being hoarded, right? Um, and, and the money is not flowing right. It's not flowing out of the dam. It's, it's jammed behind the dam. And that isn't very natural. Dams are [00:23:00] not natural things. You know, there are no natural dams in nature. There's no hoarding in nature. There's nothing in nature that actually hoards anything. [00:23:07] If you look in, okay, so bears hibernate, squirrels hibernate, but what they do is they store the food that they need to get through the winter. That's not hoarding, right? Storing is, okay, I'm gonna just keep enough that I need with me. Uh, and, and as nomads, we did the same. We, we just carried what we needed at that moment. [00:23:29] If you've ever, ever been backpacking, You know, the first day you go backpack and you're like, oh, damn, I was wondering whether I could swear that, uh, I'll, I've bought in like stuff, I don't need all this stuff. So then you kind of start throwing away stuff, right? And then you, you thin down your rug sucking like, this is what I need, this is all I need. [00:23:51] Sarah: So yeah. You're, you're saying basically the, the money is all held in behind that dam. The question I guess I have is [00:24:00] like, well, what do we, the people, um, what can we do as the people? Um, because you started to talk about this journey, right? And you showed, basically showed us history. So the question is, um, is the, is this history a linear path and things just kept, keep going worse and worse, or? [00:24:27] And I think, uh, I remember from the webinar, of course, it's not a linear path. Uh, it, it it's this shape of, um, the, the the figure eight, um, and the infinity sign. So tell us about the return of Yeah. Uh, you know, how, how it's gonna change, basically. [00:24:48] Alexander: Yeah. Well, it, it looks like it's linear. It, it really does. [00:24:51] It does. It looks like we're heading, heading towards complete collapse. And [00:24:54] Sarah: right now, uh, you know, most people are gonna tell you, well, Alexander, I don't know, [00:25:00] but right now it doesn't look like there's any return. [00:25:03] Alexander: Yeah. Yeah. It doesn't look good. I mean, you know, we are recording this, aren't we? Um, just after, you know, the second, uh, valley Bank has just collapsed, um, we're recording at the same time as, um, UBS is just made an offer to buy credit Suis. [00:25:19] Right. Um, we're recording at a time that. Uh, the Economist is saying that there's a hundred billion dollars in the US banking system missing. Wow. But that's, that's, um, an unwanted gap. And you know, I remember back in 2007, 2008, you know, the beginning of the financial crisis, um, and Lima's Brothers collapsing. [00:25:40] And, and I'm sure you do as well. And it kind of feels like we're, we're at a similar time. And yet I am less concerned about it than ever. And some people, you know, watching like, what you crazy? I'm like, no, actually thi this is, this is absolutely what is being called, uh, forward. [00:26:00] And so there is a world beyond this. [00:26:03] Um, and in fact it's incredibly exciting and amazing world. And everyone says, oh, the system's gonna collapse in Ajara Diamond's book. If you've ever read that about civilization collapse, uh, the whole thing is gonna fall down. Well, maybe, um, The dam actually, there are people standing on both sides of the dam. [00:26:25] So let's take it from the, the global to the specific. Let's take it from, from, you know, what's happening at a societal level and let's, let's focus it on an individual level because this one [00:26:37] Sarah: you are talking about. That's a great idea. Mm-hmm. Because I was just gonna say that cuz it's a bit out there, right? [00:26:43] And it's like, okay, it would be great if we can talk about, well, what does that mean to us? So yeah, take us there. [00:26:50] Alexander: Mm-hmm. So some of us are standing on this side of the dam and we've got big fat ca bank accounts and we're like, I'm scared of spending my [00:27:00] money because the collapse, you know, the collapse is coming. [00:27:04] If I read the, if I read the the papers, watch the news, read the Economist or whoever, the system's about to collapse. So I need to look after my money. In other words. We are hoarding more because we're, we're afraid. And then there are people on the other side of the dam who are, who are kind of looking at the dam going, oh, there's no money coming to me. [00:27:29] And so some of us, you know, some of us are on this side of the dam and we're like, the river's dried up. There's, there's a drought, there's no money flowing to me. Um, how do I, how do I avoid this? Well, maybe I need to climb back up and, and get this side and go back into this world. Maybe I need to go back into the world of business and get a job and just stop trying to create this new system, whatever this new system is. [00:27:58] Um, [00:28:00] and then those of us who are in it are like, am I gonna lose my job? So we've got these kind of two different mentalities going on and it, Peter puts it like this. There are someone, us who are unconsciously. Pushing money away, and some of us who are running after money unconsciously, so let me kind of unbundle that. [00:28:18] Mm-hmm. You can actually see this in your own life. Like either money's flowing, uh, there's money in your bank account or there's not money in your bank, in your bank account. You, you can literally look at it and you could diagnose what's going on by the health of your bank account. Now the secret here is about flow and you mentioned that this is an infinite loop. [00:28:40] The figure of eight turn on its side, it's actually an infinite loop. And the secret is very simple. The dam is actually a belief system held in mind. The dam is actually in our mind and it's an unconscious thing. You're like, no, no, no. It really exists. Like [00:29:00] 40% of the world's wealth help help buy 10 people. [00:29:02] They keep, you can't deny that you know that the money is all in here and it's not here. Well, actually that's not true because there are people over here I know. And we could talk about at length. And they have all the money they need flowing through them and flowing through their bank accounts, and they genuinely are creating a new world. [00:29:21] So what is the difference between those people and, and you and I now, why is the money flowing through their bank accounts and not through all of our bank accounts? And why is the money stuck here? And actually what we find is that most of us have part of ourselves here and part of ourselves here. So in fact, we're doing a little bit of both all the time. [00:29:45] We're, we're kind of hoarding onto the money that does come in, um, because we're afraid of the drought and we're looking at the money saying, when is the money gonna flow to us? And so the, a lot of the work we do is about helping people to break down [00:30:00] this, literally this mental barrier, this mental dam, um, so that the money flows again. [00:30:09] And so that ultimately prosperity flows, um, and the natural design of, of nature is everything in flow. Mm-hmm. It, it's not building downs, it's not building restrictions. [00:30:24] Sarah: Yes. I, I hear you Alexander, but my rational mind is still has a lot of questions because you just went through explaining, you know, the kind of system we are in right now. [00:30:39] Um, and you know that 10 men basically own 40% of the wealth and they are not the ones that I would say represent the feminine energy or even like dual energy. They're the patriarchical, um, kind of not the nicest people on [00:31:00] earth, I would say. And I don't care that they own, uh, that much. So the question is if you're saying, okay, it's just in our mind, well, it's not, it's a reality. [00:31:11] And so the, the thing is, what I want you to, um, talk about is, you know, kind of this concept of owning the masculine energy Yes. As well. And probably more like where we're headed, because clearly right now it's not the case, you know? Yes. Like, we're not at this point yet where we're money flows to everyone. [00:31:37] It's just Yes. You just showed it yourself. So Yes. Take us to, to owning these both energies and, and what, what that could look like. [00:31:47] Alexander: Look, that's such a good question. Um, and brilliantly put, and just to be clear, Um, I'm not saying that that the 10 white men or the eight white men and two Indian [00:32:00] men are in our mind. [00:32:01] I'm saying the dam is in our mind, right? Yes. Right. So the dam is what is in our mind. Mm-hmm. Which is blocking the flow. And you mentioned going into the fem energy. So let's look at it from this perspective. Yeah. Because it's easier to look from down here, looking up at the down. But if we go all the way into the feminine energy over here, we are not separate from the whole. [00:32:29] We are part of mother nature. We are, we are part of it. We are an integral part of it. We're not separate from it. The separation only happens in mind. So the only part of ourselves that can sense the separation is our mind, but our essence, whatever we call it, is not separate from the whole. It's an integral part of the whole. [00:32:52] Right. So if we look at it from this perspective, and then we look at these eight white men and two Indian [00:33:00] gentlemen, and we talk about the, the patriarchy as you just did. And then we, we have all this kind of stuff coming up inside ourselves and we're like, I really don't like those people. That she's the person in that system that you like the least think of that person, that leader, that that individual in that system. [00:33:22] Whether he's an entrepreneur, I'm gonna say he, because undoubtedly it's a man in, in a, in a right. So probably a, uh, a business leader, maybe a politician, but just bring to mind that person. It doesn't have to be, uh, in North America. It could be, it could be somewhere in Europe, it could be, it could be somewhere in Russia. [00:33:43] It could be somewhere in. Um, in the East, right? So just bring to mind that person, and then think of the, the, the thing that you like least about that person. What trait do you like least about that person? And is it, is it, it's, is it corruption? Is it, is it [00:34:00] bullying? Is it misogyny? Is it lying? Is it cheating? [00:34:03] Is it manipulating? Is it bullying? What is, what is it all? What is that trait All above? Yeah. Okay. All of the above. Right? And you can write a long, long list, right? Here's the scary thing. When you look at it from the feminine energy that is part of us. If we are part of the whole, they are also part of the whole, and they are part of us. [00:34:28] And this is a horrible, horrible thing, a horrible realization because mm-hmm. You're suddenly like, oh shit. What? Really? No, no, no, no. Because the mine will then go, no, no, no. That's ridiculous. I've done my work. I've done my own work. I, I, that's, that's how I got here. Don't be so ridiculous. I, I worked at my purpose five years ago, 10 years ago. [00:34:46] I've been doing spiritual development work. I've been doing personal development work. I've been doing all this work for the last 15, 20 years. My whole life has been dedicated to this work. Don't be so ridiculous as part of me stuck over here. Well, if we are on the planet right now, the bad news [00:35:00] is there is, there is an aspect of us that is holding this system in place, that's holding this dam here. [00:35:08] Mm-hmm. This dam in our mind. So what can we do about it? And this is where you're absolutely spot on, that actually we need to re-embrace this masculine energy over here. And, and, you know, Carl Young talked about this idea of the shadow. You know, what's held in the shadow. What's held in the collective consciousness of the planet right now is primarily masculinity. [00:35:35] Cuz this isn't been going on for 250 years. It's been going on for minimum 5,000 years, probably 10,000 years probably. You can trace it all the way back to the moment that, um, well, 5,000 years plus civilization in Suma, where we started to create hierarchies in cigarettes and money and all these things, or 10,000 years. [00:35:54] The moment that we settled down and we said, actually, we can cultivate crops and we can, we can [00:36:00] domestic animals, in other words, with a little bit above nature. Or you could trace it back 40,000 years and say, actually it was the moment that the prefrontal cortex, you know, mutated and gave us consciousness and the moment that the larynx gave us the ability to talk. [00:36:14] So each of these moments are kind of moments of separation along this journey. And now here we are at this, at this moment in history right now, the most amazing moment possibly ever in human history to be alive right now. And, and most of us still have this, they'll have this wall. The wall will dissolve. [00:36:36] It will, it's inevitable for some of us, and those of us who do will just go on this infinite cycle within this life. And for those of us who don't, will go on this cycle, not on this slide. Yeah, [00:36:54] Sarah: I like that. Um, I think, so you, you [00:37:00] kind of talked about the masculine energy and embracing that, um, I think in your book, but also in the webinar. [00:37:07] He also talk about the ego, right? And it's, um, it's part of that, those shadows, um, that, that we need to look at. And in some of the self-help, more self-development, uh, personal development, uh, um, things you hear while you just need to like go of the ego and you know, that's how you're coming to this feminine energy. [00:37:32] You instead say, well, don't let go of it. Uh, look at it and embrace it and, and, and, and yeah, commune with it in a way, right? And I think that's exactly what's happening now as well. Um, in, in on the bigger, um, scheme is all of that ego stuff is coming up and. And we're, yeah, we're having to look at it as a [00:38:00] society and, you know, the big, um, kind of, um, people that we talked about with all the wealth. [00:38:06] Well, that's really coming up for them, uh, specifically right now. And, and so what you're saying is not completely let go of it, but take I guess the good things from the ego with you so that you can then apply those. Let, let's kind of bring it to a business owner level because li my listeners are, are entrepreneurs, right? [00:38:30] And I do feel like a lot of, uh, you know, I'm talking to heart-centered entrepreneurs, so already that kind of says, well, there are a lot in the feminine energy, uh, which is great, right? Which is exactly what we need, uh, more of, so we're on this pathway back to the feminine energy. And what you are saying, and I'm saying it as well in different words because I talk about the doing and the being, um, the yin and the [00:39:00] yang, right? [00:39:00] We need both energies to be an entrepreneur and to, you know, stay ground and, and, and claim our worth. And, and, and yeah, do sell Right to sell. We need, uh, some of that, um, masculine energy as well. So yeah, tell us a bit more about the ego and, and what, what good parts are in the ego, right. That we can bring back to, to business. [00:39:26] Oh, [00:39:26] Alexander: beautiful. Great question. Um, well let, let's, let's take this model actually, and, and flip it up, right? So this, this figure of a, and let's flip it this way and, ok. So now [00:39:37] Sarah: let's, now standing straight, [00:39:38] Alexander: it's now standing straight, right? Yeah. And the base is the feminine and, and the, the top is, is the masculine. [00:39:45] Mm-hmm. And now let's imagine that's a tree. Right? Mm-hmm. And this is your tree and your, your business. Mm-hmm. And what you wanna do is you want to attract more trees into your forest, more trees into your community is [00:40:00] right. And the bigger, the bigger your forest grows, the more sustainable it becomes. So trees that grow in forest live far longer than trees that, um, that are isolated on their own, on hilltops. [00:40:13] So let's, let's assume that what you're trying to do is, is build a forest. A sustainable forest doesn't have to be the biggest forest in the world, but it's a sustainable forest. It's a heart-centered forest center. At the heart of this forest is the mother tree, your tree. Now if you think about that forest, and let's say, you know, it's, it's currently a cops or maybe it's a wood, but actually the potential is to grow to a forest. [00:40:36] Or maybe you are just starting out and you've literally just sewed the seed and it's, it's a seedling or a sapling. But you know, you know the potential of it is not just to grow into a tree. It's actually to grow into a forest. And of course what you go is do is you go through growing pain. So let's see if yours are sapling, you may be blown away, away, you know, around by the wind. [00:40:57] And what we often focus on is we try [00:41:00] and, you know, we try and grow the tree, right? You imagine this like you're a little seedling and you're, you're like, grow faster and you're like, let, you're trying to pull this more, more [00:41:08] Sarah: clients, more, [00:41:09] Alexander: yeah. More clients. More, more, more, more grow this way. Mm-hmm. And, and of course that doesn't work. [00:41:13] You'll literally just pull the seedling outta the ground or you'll pull the sapling outta the ground. Mm-hmm. So what stops you from doing this is, is the roots. And in fact, the height of the tree is dependent on the depth of the roots. Right? And don't worry, I'm gonna get to, to this thing about the ego, right? [00:41:28] Um, so let's assume that the roots is the feminine, the roots is in, is in connection with all of it. What, what we call the purpose. And that the, the tree is your mission. This is what you're growing towards and you want all the other trees to grow towards this, towards this mission. And that creates a microclimate underneath which sustains life because it's not too hot, it's not too cold. [00:41:52] It helps the, um, the, to conserve the water that all the trees need, the nutrients that all the trees need, the minerals [00:42:00] that all the trees need. And then they share this underneath. So the height of the tree is dependent on the depths of the roots. The sustainability of the forest is dependent on the consistency of the canopy, but what stops the roots from growing deeper are rocks. [00:42:18] Now, most people would tell you to remove rocks. When you see a block, you remove the block. When you see the dam, you take the dam out. [00:42:29] But what if the rocks had helped you to get here? See, if you were to remove all the rocks under a forest, the trees would become unstable. Mm-hmm. And then they'd fall over. But actually if, if the roots wrap around the rocks, then the tree becomes more stable. Yeah. And the whole forest becomes more stable. [00:42:53] Sarah: It reminds me of what we just said before, recording, no pain, no gain. Right? The rocks are the pain [00:43:00] here. The rocks are the dark nights of the soul. Um, so [00:43:04] Alexander: yeah. Yeah. Beautiful. And in our research we've identified all different types of, of pain. Pain around money, which we've just been talking about. We're either mentally hoarding it or we are mentally, um, you know, we're in a scarcity mindset. [00:43:23] Um, so we're pushing it away mentally or we're running after it power, relationship to power. So either we're standing at the top of the dam or we're standing at the bottom of the dam. And in order for somebody to be standing at the top, there has to be somebody standing at the door. In other words, in order for you to have, um, power over somebody, somebody unconsciously has to accept to have power over them. [00:43:46] Right. Oras, my partner, Jean Plip, puts it, um, obedience is the key to power. Mm-hmm. The third rock that we look at is, is love, because most of us were brought up in a world of fairy tales, Grims fairy [00:44:00] tales where, you know, the, the, the prince and the princess lived happily ever after. Uh, which implies that you are happy every after when you find your soulmate. [00:44:09] And so we've reinterpreted that, that modern myth is you can only be happy when you find your soulmate, which implies that love is outside of you. And of course, those of us who've done personal development work and a lot of it know that actually it's inside of us. And yet there's so remnants of that old model because it's so deeply embedded in society. [00:44:29] Mm-hmm. And then the fourth area is time. Um, that we, we constantly perceive we are running out of time and we've got to do things by this time. Um, and so these are, these are the four rocks or we procrastinate and these are the four rocks that we find underground. And what we've explored and examined is how you can embrace these different rocks. [00:44:56] Because in them is first of all the secret of how you [00:45:00] got here. Your tree grew, you grew cause the rock was there. And if you really embrace it consciously, and this is the difference, most of us are, uh, kind of embracing or resisting it unconsciously. And because we're embracing it unconsciously, we're not really embracing it. [00:45:21] We're pushing away from it. So if you take a, you know, you mentioned being very practical in business, let's say. Um, we are unconsciously pushing money, right? Let's come back to money. We are running a program around money. So we think money is bad, or money is our security, or money is our freedom. Um, and that, uh, in Carl's words is a projection. [00:45:51] So we're not seeing money as money. We're seeing money as a vehicle to something freedom or [00:46:00] away from something corruption. And when we actually embrace the freedom with or without money, we actually become truly free. Mm-hmm. [00:46:14] Sarah: But we can't, I think, I think in the book, yeah. Go on. Sorry. Yeah. I think in the book you mentioned surrender. [00:46:21] Right? And that I think is a big piece of that journey is to, you know, just surrender to. The rocks. And, and does that mean surrender to the ego as well? Because we started this track with the ego. So does that mean surrender to your ego, uh, as well? [00:46:43] Alexander: Yeah, great question. Um, I would say more surrender to the feminine. [00:46:48] Hmm. But in the surrender, what most of us forget is that the feminine to take the sea behind me. Right. [00:47:00] Um, but the canvas here, so this is a painting, it's a painting of, of, uh, M Blanc, um, painted a few years ago in black. And, um, it was pretty windy up there. Like it's what, 3000 meters? So 9,000 feet. Um, and it's pretty windy. [00:47:18] And you know, when the canvas is moving, it's very difficult for the feminine to feel like, uh, She can come out and play. So the feminine creates, mother nature creates, um, the divine. You know, a birth is normally through the feminine form, like, you know, new, new life comes onto the planet through the feminine form. [00:47:39] And so the, the, when the canvas is held, the feminine can come out to play. So the masculine is, is the easel and it's holding. And normally I tie with string from the corner so that the, the canvas is completely held. And if the canvas is held, then the feminine has the confidence to come out to play [00:48:00] so that the, the, the feminine aspect of this needs the masculine at a certain level of awareness, right? [00:48:09] It needs to be held in that way. And that's where most of us are right now. And most of us have, have observed masters and we're like, you know, look, look at Nelson Mandela or, or Mother Teresa, and we observe no ego, you know, look at, look at Eckhart. No ego. we're like, there's no ego there. Ego's gone. So we look at it and we go, oh, I know what I need to do. [00:48:33] I need to get rid of the ego. I need to get rid of the rocks. Right? But actually, that's like trying to climb a ladder by removing the runts. Mm-hmm. So if when you get to the top of the ladder, you don't need the ladder, but in order to get to the top of ladder, you needed the rungs in the ladder. So most of us look at that state and we think, well, what I need to do is I need to remove the ego in order to reach the top [00:49:00] of my mountain. [00:49:01] Actually, it's the inverse. The rungs of the ladder are embracing every aspect of ego and finding the gold in the rock, cuz there's gold in each of these rocks. And when you realize there's a benefit in, I dunno, security. And you find the conscious benefit in that, the gold dust in that you climb up a run and then you keep doing this. [00:49:27] It's, it's a, it's a very long ladder, by the way, really, really long ladder, you know? And like you, you can go on and on and on and on and on. Like, it's, it, it feels like it's infinite, right? Um, but at a certain point, you, you reach the top of the mountain, you're like, oh my God, I'm here. Then you don't need the ladder, but you do need the ladder to help other people get to the top of the mountain. [00:49:52] So this is when you build ladders for other people, right? [00:49:55] Sarah: So once you build your ladder, you can then help other people. Yeah. Yeah. [00:50:00] I, I see how you, yeah. How you tie in the, the rocks and the ego and that. The point is not to let go of the ego, but to embrace it. Because we need both of these energies, right? [00:50:15] Yes. Um, Maybe just to kind of bring it down again to the level of, uh, the individual, the entrepreneur. Um, what I see a lot in, um, uh, the entrepreneurs that I work with is that, um, and, and I think in your book, you call it the woowoo Mountain, right? And I have my WOOWOO prompts in, in, in the marketing, like we're human book. [00:50:39] So I think it's very much needed today that we can go into the woo and that we can, you know, embrace our feminine energy. But you and I both make the point also to say yes. And you do also need, uh, the masculine energy, um, to [00:51:00] build a business. There's just certain things, even in marketing, you know, you need to look at your numbers, like all of these kind of left brain things, those are the masculine energy, and we need those for building businesses, and we need those even for, um, Yeah. [00:51:17] It, it's a structure, like you said, the easel is the structure. It's kind of like, um, we need both. We need the roots, which you said was the feminine, and then we need some kind of system or, or structure. Um, I love that. Yeah. Thanks so much for, for taking on us on that journey. What I'm curious, uh, kind of to wrap up, what I'm curious, um, about is, is, is this return and. [00:51:45] You know, we, we kind of briefly touched upon it, the, the communion. Um, what you, um, mentioned also is the, you know, the, these different, um, business models. So we started with, uh, [00:52:00] industrial Revolution. Now we're kind of still in the big corporate systems. So where is this going? Uh, what do you see, uh, as a new paradigm in terms of business and, um, yeah, humans. [00:52:16] How, how are we [00:52:17] Alexander: evolving? Yeah, so the, the, the big leap beyond the dam, um, if we, if we kind of put the tree back and actually the other way around and, um, we have the infinite loop, then the big leap beyond, um, the, the dam is, is a leap into what is variously known as as a teal organization. Um, it's a kind of decentralized organization. [00:52:40] But most people have misunderstood the decentralized organization. Um, and they think we, we go into co creativity and we immediately jump to communion. There is a step in between, there's a rung in the ladder in between this current system, Silicon Valley system, which is still extracting wealth, um, and this new emergence [00:53:00] system before you get to communion. [00:53:02] So the future is communion, and that's one end of the cycle. And then there's the other. And really what you're looking for is a constant flow between them. So in order for that constant quote to happen, you'd have to reclaim these positives, as you said over here. So what's the positive of the control system? [00:53:18] Discipline structure. What's the, the positive of the, of the second system? Focus, like steely, focus on, on whatever you call that thing is your mission or the uniqueness. Your promise was the third thing. The third thing is about shifting our mindset. It's about unlocking our mindset and moving towards a mindset where things can grow. [00:53:39] But the real leap is here. This is the leap. This is the leap that's emergent. And it's, it's like it builds on all of these. We think it's linear, but actually it's like the Russian dolls. So this is an outer Russian doll, and then there's another Russian doll here. And this one, to get to this one, you have to accept all of these [00:54:00] phases. [00:54:01] And what that means is that it's not co-creation, that's delusional. Wbu Mountain stuff. That it occurs because somebody is holding the space. What my, my partner Peter calls the source, there's an easel there holding the canvas for everyone else. And so there's, there's this famous book by, uh, Fred Lulu. [00:54:22] Fred Lulu, um, called Reinventing Organization, which kicked up a whole creativity, co creativity movement, and became a cult classic in 2015. And when Peter interviewed Fred, cause he knows him very well, he said, Fred, you only interviewed sources, didn't you? And Fred's like, yes. In other words, he was observing the canvas, but not realizing the role that the sources, the people, the founders of the business were playing as the easel. [00:54:52] What does that mean? It means. The holding at this level without the, the, the masculine, strong [00:55:00] masculine energy nigro is, is a mapp like this with bubbles inside, without the arms holding the space. Without that discipline, without that focus, without that structure, the whole thing falls into a mess. And I, I launched a company, um, based on the idea of co-creation. [00:55:18] I was the source of it. I had some incredible partners, really, really impressive people. And it collapsed. We never made any money. There was never any flow in it. So in order to create this system, we have to embrace the shadow of the masculine and the shadow of the masculine is encompassed in the, in the worst of the people who we see running this system. [00:55:44] And so I am incredibly optimistic, but it's not even optimism. I know, I know that, um, some of us are already doing this. And I see what's been created and it is phenomenal. [00:56:00] Phenomenal what has been created. I mean, I was speaking with my friend Heath yesterday, what Heath is up to, unbelievable. I mean, I can't give any details out at the moment, but you can feel the energy of what he is doing. [00:56:14] I'll give you one example. So Carrie is 25 years in the un, has created a parallel organization to the UN called United Cities in Google it. She's now the source of a 13 billion fund to realize the SDGs, uh, the sustainable development goals. Her mission is 10,000 cities. By the end of decade, she will do it. [00:56:34] I know she will. She's operating from that level of awareness. That's just one example. But there are, let's [00:56:42] Sarah: go back to the, let's go back to the, uh, individuals, um, you know, the entrepreneurs who are listening, cuz that's kind of like a high level example. Um, because I, I do have to say, I'm like, well, here I am always talking about co-creation and collaboration, and you [00:57:00] just come in and say, well, that's not working. [00:57:02] So what's the alternative then? Because if the ultimate goal is communion, then what's the alternative? If not collaboration? [00:57:13] Alexander: So collaboration is key, but the key to get to the communion is to appreciate that each of us have a role in that collaboration and each of us are tapping in as a source into something greater, whatever we call that. [00:57:35] So the collaboration happens because each of us take a marriage. In a marriage, you have two people, and we talk about us as, as a, as a something, but actually each of us are independent, um, beings. And we, we used to say in the old system, we used to say, well, when you find your perfect partner, [00:58:00] you create perfect harmony, the beast with two bags. [00:58:03] But actually we know that doesn't work because when the person is not there, they miss the other person. Actually, what we're talking about here, true collaboration is this, both individuals become whole, complete and whole. And the dance between those individuals is to help each other become whole. And then what you get, of course, is an infinite loop and freedom in between. [00:58:25] Mm-hmm. And this is what true collaboration is. So each person sourcing what they're there to source and being really, really clear that one is playing the role of the easel. And holding the space, and the other is doing the creation in there. So it's a nuance of collaboration. It's not saying forget co-creation, forget collaboration. [00:58:47] It's a nuance to it that integrates the masculine world over here into the emergent world, because again, it's the matri dog. You don't embrace this world. [00:59:00] This world falls apart and it never actually grains the traction that it needs. So that's the distinction. So is it happening? Yes. What, what does practically that mean for an individual operating from this space? [00:59:14] It means practically actually looking back into the world that you might be in resistance to, and you might have rejected, and not throwing the baby out with the bathwater and seeing the gold dust in that. Um, and then accepting that gold dust, embracing that gold dust, reclaiming the strong summary, you know, that the masculine energy in you, in order to do that holding, knowing that beyond that is communion. [00:59:41] But you can't miss that rung on the ladder. You miss that rung on the ladder. You don't get to the top of the mountain, the whole thing falls apart, the tree falls over. Yeah. [00:59:50] Sarah: I, yeah, totally. I, I, I see you, you, you talk so beautifully and I just, I, it feels sometimes I'm kind of like the translator who [01:00:00] brings it down to the level of the, of, um, you know, kind of the ground 11. [01:00:05] I'm a Capricorn. Uh, and so I'm like, okay, you know, very, there's my daughter straightforward. And, and so in a way I can also make a parallel to my own journey. And, and I know you shared it in your book. Um, About your journey to the Woohoo mountain, right. And the artist and, and all of that. And then from there, coming back to the, yeah. [01:00:29] To the, the yang energy and, and, and I'm a Capricorn and a cancer rising. So I really have these both things. You know, the very, I call myself the mama bear of the, of the Humane Marketing circle. So I have this cancer energy, uh, that is very feminine, very woowoo, right? But. At the core, I'm at Capricorn, I'm very down to earth and structured and, and so it's almost like I wanted to get rid of those things and rid of the mind, and I'm like, no, no, no, I [01:01:00] have to, I don't be, you know, very meditative and in this state of Woo all the time. [01:01:05] Um, and yeah, it didn't work. Like, I'm like, no, this, you know, I need both. And that's what we're constantly talking about as well. And in humane marketing, you, you need both the doing and the being. So it's, uh, yeah, beautifully, beautifully said. You have, you have definitely a way with words and, and, and making this, uh, parallels that. [01:01:26] Yeah. It's just, it's such a journey, right? It's the journey of transformation basically, is what you're, you're talking about. And, and it's a journey of the money journey. But then of course, m you know, everything kind of goes back to money. And, and it's our journey as, as humans and as entrepreneurs. [01:01:48] Alexander: Yeah. [01:01:48] Yeah. It's exactly that. It's, it's those two being and doing. Right. And, um, the doing comes from a [01:02:00] state of being, right? [01:02:02] Sarah: Yeah. Which, which I know you, and that's why we need to start with the being. Right. We do [01:02:07] Alexander: need to start with the being. We do need to unlock this because we've been in a state of doing the way too long for too long. [01:02:13] Yeah. When we jump into the being, and it was, it was Einstein who said, let's call this the intuition, this the intellect. He said, um, you know, the, the intellect is a faithful servant, and the intuition is a sacred gift. And if we can understand that it's the gift that uses the intellect, that uses the mind, it's like a tool in the toolbox. [01:02:42] Mm-hmm. And when it uses it, Actually, you can create whatever you want, but most of the time it is the minds trying to suppress and forget this sacred gift. Yeah. And that really is the, the infinite journey [01:03:00] is realizing the gift, using the tool in order to create, and th this, this, this journey. It's, it's the journey of creation. [01:03:15] Yeah. It's the journey of humankind. It's, it's any painting, any masterpiece. That's the journey. Mm-hmm. [01:03:21] Sarah: Yeah. Thanks so much for being here and taking on us on this journey. Uh, Alexander, really appreciate it. Please do share where people, I think you run these webinars, uh, on a regular basis. So I think the best, uh, idea is probably for people to actually, uh, attend this webinar so they, they can see you in action and do share about that and the book and your website [01:03:48] Alexander: and all of that. [01:03:50] Yeah, sure. Well, um, we will be running another, uh, webinar on the 20th of April Arthur Prosperity, while we [01:04:00] begin into this little bit more detail. I dunno whether this episode comes up before then or not, but if it does, then great. Sign up and join us. Uh, you can also, uh, find my book, a free chapter of my book on, on my website, uh, Alex Alexander hable.com. [01:04:15] Um, and then, um, Yeah, there are, there, you know, we're just about to launch a community which you can join. Um, and then we'll have regular, uh, conversations on a monthly basis. And then we run a series of, of retreats, the Masterpiece retreats, which are online and offline, uh, which is up to Japan to, to run a retreat in Kyoto, which I'm pretty excited about. [01:04:38] We're doing first Men's retreat in May, um, in Morocco, which again, I'm really excited about. We'll be going up to see Kari, who I mentioned, um, earlier in, in Norway. Um, and then we'll be running something in Switzerland in October. Um, and then we do online retreats as well, um, called Masterpiece Tribes, and we're on the 11th Tribe, um, 12th Tribe [01:05:00] will be in June. [01:05:00] So lots of, lots of amazing things happening. Um, and if any of that speaks to you, then, um, you know, come along, get, get some of the free information. The, the, the, there are lots of videos on the site as well, and you can get lost in the videos and learn as much as you need to. Um, yeah. Thank you for having [01:05:19] Sarah: me. [01:05:19] Yeah, wonderful. Thanks so much for being here. I always have one last question and that is what are you grateful for today or this week? You. Thank you. I'm grateful for you too. Thank you. Thanks for creating masterpieces. [01:05:38] Alexander: Likewise. Thank you for creating your masterpiece. That's what I'm grateful for. Thank Youe marketing. [01:05:50] Sarah: I hope you enjoyed this conversation, a bit of a different approach to, uh, money and pricing, but ever so important. [01:06:00] In order to find out more about Alexander and his work, please go to alexander dash inch ball.com. Uh, the community can be found@themasterpiece.community, and Alexander also has a podcast called Insights From the at and uh, that is also on his website, alexander inal.com. [01:06:25] As I said in our conversation, I really enjoyed Alexander's. Called the Masterpiece, and you'll find out also on his website or on Amazon directly. Finally, if you're looking for others who think like you, who are deep thinkers as we demonstrated in this conversation, then why not join us in the Humane Marketing Circle? [01:06:47] You can find out more at Humane. Dot marketing slash circle. You'll find the show notes of this episode with all the links we mentioned here at Humane [01:07:00] Marketing slash H 16 two. Uh, this beautiful page also contains, uh, links to my free offers, such as my Saturday newsletter, the Humane Business Manifesto, and the free gentle Confidence mini course, as well as my two books, marketing like we're Human and Selling like we're human. [01:07:23] Uh, just a reminder also that marketing like We're human is now also available in audio format on Audible or anywhere else where you get your audiobooks. Thanks so much for listening and being part of a generation of marketers who cares for yourself, your clients, and the planet. We are change makers before we are marketers, so go be the change you want to see in the world. [01:07:49] Speak soon.[01:08:00]

Spencer Neuharth hosts MeatEater Trivia with Steven Rinella, Brody Henderson, Janis Putelis, Hayden Sammak, Dan Chumbler, Tressa Croaker, Carl Young, and Phil Taylor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spencer Neuharth hosts MeatEater Trivia with Janis Putelis, Ryan Callaghan, Brody Henderson, Carl Young, Tressa Croaker, Rick Hutton, Cory Calkins, Hayden Sammak, and Phil Taylor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Eternal Optimist, Matt Drinkhahn is joined by Alyce Dailey, author of Magic Mom. They delve into the topic of living life on our own terms and how to use that newfound knowledge to inspire others. They discuss Carl Young's quote "The greatest burden on a child is the unlived life of a parent" and its relevance to their lives. Alyce shares her personal journey of reinventing herself after feeling unfulfilled and shares how listening for the word "fine" in conversations helped her identify her core values. Join them for an insightful and inspiring conversation about family, adventure, and living life to the fullest.Topics Covered:00:00:00 Discovering Inner Strength: The Power of Self-Reflection in Life and Career00:00:28 Connect with the Eternal Optimist Podcast: A Guide to Social Media and Livestreaming00:04:33 Positivity Personified: A Chat with Alyce Dailey on Making a Difference00:08:10 Overcoming Overwhelm: Strategies for Managing Stress in the Workplace00:10:01 The Art of Stillness: Navigating a Journey of Self-Discovery00:13:47 Prioritizing Self-Care: Overcoming the Fear of Disruption00:14:57 Breaking Free: Conquering the Fear of Change and Relocating00:21:37 New Adventures Await: One Person's Journey from Austin to Seattle During Covid00:23:16 A New Life Emerges: Discovering Margin and Finding Purpose00:25:02 Overcoming Life's Challenges: Embracing Self-Discovery and Growth00:27:06 MAPS for Parenting: Harnessing the Power of Intentionality in Raising Children00:34:07 Reflect and Grow: The Importance of Self-Awareness for Personal Development00:38:27 Join the Conversation: An Overview of What's to Come on the Eternal Optimist Podcast00:43:23 Inspiring Reads: The Three Books That Have Shaped Me and My JourneyLinks and Resources Mentioned:Alyce Dailey WebsiteAlyce Dailey LinkedInAlyce Dailey InstagramAlyce Dailey TwitterThe Magic MomThanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to Eternal Optimist? Have some feedback you'd like to share? Connect with us on iTunes and leave us a review!

More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net The Social Change Leaders Podcast is 3 years old! To celebrate, some of our former podcast guests are back giving social change leaders updates, lessons learned and some inspiration. In this episode, we will hear from Carl Young, Bukata Hayes and Stacy Wells who all share updates on the work they are doing in the community around racial equity and how the equity leadership space has evolved. In this episode we referenced: Episode #5: A Community Based Approach to Mental Wellness Episode #8: Increasing a Community's Consciousness and Capacity to Address Race Episode #40: Thoughts from Minneapolis: How did we get here? Where do we go from here? Traci Warnberg-Lemm, Social Motion Stepahnie Malon-Rufi, Spark Good Is Your Business Impacting Social Change? Quiz

More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net  The Social Change Leaders Podcast is 3 years old!  To celebrate, some of our former podcast guests are back giving social change leaders updates, lessons learned and some inspiration. In this episode, we will hear from Carl Young, Bukata Hayes and Stacy Wells who all share updates on the work they are doing in the community around racial equity and how the equity leadership space has evolved. In this episode we referenced: Episode #5: A Community Based Approach to Mental Wellness Episode #8: Increasing a Community's Consciousness and Capacity to Address Race Episode #40: Thoughts from Minneapolis: How did we get here? Where do we go from here? Traci Warnberg-Lemm, Social Motion Stepahnie Malon-Rufi, Spark Good Is Your Business Impacting Social Change? Quiz  

A story about how wrong I was, and how right so many are? Is there a lesson to be learned about the truth of the shadow in all of us? Carl Young said that the majority of evil in this world can be traced to people being unconscious, but was he wrong? Are they willfully unconscious, willfully ignorant? I wonder because, as I sit here, if he was more right about the truth: what we hate in others is what we need to suppress in ourselves. The individuation process, the obscure night of the soul. We so avoid the difficult and as a result we live with exponentially worse.

Tenemos mucho entusiasmo por hacer este episodio donde tenemos el arquetipo del Tarot según Carl Young de La Torre, que describe como el desmoronamiento de las creencias limitantes y falsas ensoñaciones del ego deben derrumbarse en algún punto para crear algo mucho más evolucionado.

1888. As the hangman's noose tightens around his neck, Frank Clements, the most feared outlaw in the West, uses his last breath to invoke a generational curse on the town preacher and his descendants. 100 years later, Frank and his gang return from hell to seek their vengeance. Hampton, the great-grandson of the preacher, along with his friends Cory and Pam, all find themselves defenseless against these blood-thirsty phantom cowboys, who are impervious to weapons and seemingly cannot be stopped.Starring Bill Shaw, Jim Peters, Ricky Long, Cari Powell, Arland Bishop, Mike Ammons, Carl Young, Bill Moses, Steve Fincher, and more.Music by Frank PattersonCinematography by Thomas L. CallawayWritten by Clay McBride and James DesmaraisDirected by Alan Stewart

A few months ago, we spoke with pastor Carl Young, elder at Alamo Ranch Community Church in San Antonio, Tx., and will soon be planting Garden City Church. This week, we speak to pastor Jon Paul Dennison, another elder at ARCC who will be leaving to Brownwood, Tx. for another church plant. We discuss the issues that come with planting in the Bible Belt, breaking through people's assumptions of their own salvation via geogrophy, and what it's like to move into a community that hasn't changed in decades. Find us on all social media platforms for more videos, commentaries, and more. For comments, concerns, topic ideas, or prayer requests, email us at timeandplacepod@gmail.com

Carl Young says “You are what you do, not what you say you'll do”. Think about what you're going to do to make 1% progress today, then go do it! That and more in this edition of the Daily Job Hunt. Get The Daily Job Hunt sent to your inbox every day as well as the sign-up bonuses at https://crash.co/daily

This week we're joined by Carl Young, pastor and elder at Alamo Ranch Community Church. Carl joins us to discuss church planting. What does it entail, what are the risks, and how do you even find a place to have church when you're literally building a congregation? For information on ARCC, email at info@arcc.church For information on Garden City Church, contact Carl Young at carl.young@garden-city.church As always, we can be reached for comment, concern, suggestions, or questions at timeandplacepod@gmail.com

Want to know how to serve your clients and your business while simultaneously helping people change their lives?I am sharing five pillars of healing but at the end of the day, the secret is in doing the work. That is how we change our lives.Five Pillars of Healing:Mind - your mindset both subconscious and conscious.Soul - inner child healing, shadow work, and parts integration.Action - execution.Hearts - stored up feelings and trauma.Energy - emotions.Carl Young has this concept of four main things in psychology that make up who we are. One of them is the persona and that's that mask that we show to the world. The other one is ego, and that is ourself who we are. And then we've got the shadow, all the parts of ourselves that we feel extremely ashamed of, or that we don't want people to know about us or the parts of us that didn't receive love. And the last one is the animus and the anima is also referred to as the masculine and the feminine.My Mantra: "Move your body, connect to calm your mind, and connect to your heart."ResourcesInner Child Healing Retreat >> https://chaneemomoko.com/inner-child-healing-retreat Owaken Breathwork Facilitator Training https://owaken.com/breathworkfacilitatortrainingInstagram >> instagram.com/chaneemomokoEmail >> hello@chaneemomoko.comWebsite >> chaneemomoko.comIntuitive Blueprint Institute >> https://www.intuitiveblueprint.com/NLP-CertificationPodcast produced by The Business Podcast Editor See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net How can communities collectively heal together during traumatic events? In our conversation with Carl Young, we hear about his work on Community Healing Teams in the city of Minneapolis during the Derek Chauvin trial for the murder of George Floyd. In our conversation you will: Hear about the grassroots model used to help communities in Minneapolis grieve and heal during the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent trial of Derek Chauvin Understand the team of healers involved and the type of work they did with community members Listen to how the healers were funded to do this work. Hear Carl describe the impact of having community healing teams supporting the community Learn about the need for more nimble, creative solutions on the grassroots level to heal communities; especially for communities of color More about Carl Carl Louis Young is the founder and owner of Increasing Life Chances 4 You. Mr. Young has worked in Minnesota's mental health field for over 15 years. He currently works as a mental health practitioner and is a doctoral scholar in behavioral health at Grand Canyon University. Mr. Young meets regularly with community partners and provides a variety of mental health services and supports to Minnesota's African / African American community Increasing Life Chances 4 You, Carl Young, Increasing Life Chances 4 You Social Change Leaders Podcast Episode #40: Thoughts from Minneapolis Social Change Leaders Podcast Episode #5: A Community Based Approach to Mental Wellness

More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net How can communities collectively heal together during traumatic events?  In our conversation with Carl Young, we hear about his work on Community Healing Teams in the city of Minneapolis during the Derek Chauvin trial for the murder of George Floyd.  In our conversation you will: Hear about the grassroots model used to help communities  in Minneapolis grieve and heal during the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent trial of Derek Chauvin Understand the team of healers involved and the type of work they did with community members Listen to how the healers were funded to do this work. Hear Carl describe the impact of having community healing teams supporting the community Learn about the need for more nimble, creative solutions on the grassroots level to heal communities; especially for communities of color   More about Carl  Carl Louis Young is the founder and owner of Increasing Life Chances 4 You. Mr. Young has worked in Minnesota's mental health field for over 15 years. He currently works as a mental health practitioner and is a doctoral scholar in behavioral health at Grand Canyon University. Mr. Young meets regularly with community partners and provides a variety of mental health services and supports to Minnesota's African / African American community    Increasing Life Chances 4 You, Carl Young, Increasing Life Chances 4 You Social Change Leaders Podcast Episode #40: Thoughts from Minneapolis Social Change Leaders Podcast Episode #5: A Community Based Approach to Mental Wellness

It's time for another personality test, this time one of the big players… the Myers Briggs! DISCLAIMER Colorful words may be used. don't be alarmed. NEWSLETTER https://view.flodesk.com/pages/61525a85337f1c2aacf52f6d Etsy Shop is open! https://www.etsy.com/shop/CGBPrints FIND ME ON ALL THE THINGS Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/cindyguentertbaldo YouTube - https://youtube.com/c/CindyGuentertBaldo Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/llamaletters/ Discord - https://discord.gg/Rwpp7Ww Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/llamaletters/ Website - www.cindyguentertbaldo.com STUFF I MENTIONED Test Link - https://www.mbtionline.com/en-US/Products/For-you Myers Briggs Foundation - https://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/ Inquiries - cindy@cindyguentertbaldo.com   TRANSCRIPTION Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the uncurated life podcast, where we are always talking about our lives and how we live them on the internet. And one thing that happens on the internet is people talking about their personality types from various personality tests. I believe this is the third episode that I have done in this series.   The previous ones I've done where any. And the, uh, DIC tests I believe. And so this will be number three and it is the, um, one of the behemoths of the personality test world. And that is the Myers-Briggs test. Now a quick disclaimer, I tend to be cynical about personality tests, but I am doing my best to be open-minded when I take.   So just know that right from the start. I also have not taken it yet. That will happen during the recording of this podcast. Now, before I get further into it, I just want to let you know that if you have not already checked it out, we are heading into the new year extravaganza over on my YouTube channel with all of the bullet journal setups and planners, lineups, and stacks and goals and all the things.   So just be sure to check it out. It's linked in the description below. Now let's, let's talk a little bit about this test is also known as the M B T I test the Myers-Briggs type indicator. It's a personality test that is based on the, um, Jungian psychological type theories, Carl Young, uh, it was developed by Isabel Myers-Briggs and her mom, Catherine Myers.   They wanted to, I guess, bring the youngian theories. Into, like a place where people could use them, like make them useful. So this is an excerpt from the Myers-Brigg dot org, like the official website, it's the, uh, their explanation about Carlos. Personality type theories. The essence of the theory is that much seemingly random variation in the behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent being due to basic differences in the ways individuals prefer to use their perception and judgment and quote.   They took this idea and his theories and everything, and turn them into an instrument that can be used. You can do your self-assessment online, which is what I'm going to do today. Or you can find people that are trained in it that they can assess you and help you figure out what your personality type is.   And there are 16 different personality types, um, based on four different. Aspects of, of personality and how you, you, you judge ship. So this is also from the Myers-Briggs website about the basics of the instrument, and they excerpt this from the MTBI manual, a guide to the development and use of the Myers-Briggs type indicator.   Favorite world. Do you prefer to focus on the outer world or on your own inner world? This is called extroversion E or introversion. I sets the first letter. This is me talking the first letter of the four letters in the personality type. Next is information. Do you prefer to focus on the basic information you take in, or do you prefer to interpret an ad?   Meaning this is called sensing S or intuition and decisions when making decisions do you prefer to first look at logic and consistency or first look at the people in special circumstances. This is called thinking T or feeling F. And then structure in dealing with the outside world. Do you prefer to get things decided or do you prefer to stay open to new information and options?   This is called judging J or perceiving P your personality type. When you decide on your preferences in each category, you have your own personality type, which can be expressed as a code with four letters. And quote, and that actually lines up. A lot of people I think are inf PS or I N F J's I think in the planner world, at least I think that's what I've seen.   A whole bunch of studies have proven this is, this is important because when I said at the beginning, how cynical I am about personality tests, a lot of it feels like, like if I'm in a certain mood, I'm going to score a certain way. Right? Like, how is it actually. Well, according to the Myers-Briggs website, studies have proven this test to be both valid, meaning that it measures what it says it does, and reliable meaning that you get the same results if you're given the test more than once.   So I'm assuming that this is supposed to be one of the more like accurate personality tests, but I have no idea so far in looking at the other two tests I've done. I have had thoughts, both in terms of how it felt right. And how it didn't feel. Right. So we'll see how this one goes. If you are interested in taking the test, I'm going to link the one I am taking below.   It's the MTBI online.com test, which is the one linked from the official website. It's a $50 test. It's not cheap. I'm sure that there are. Less expensive versions, but I'm, I'm, I'm going with this one. I'm paying for it for the podcast. Thanks to my patrons who are sponsoring this episode. Uh, because I just, I feel like I want to take the one that is the most quote official.   I'm assuming. So. But you can, I'm sure Google and find other versions. So what I'm gonna do now is I'm gonna stop recording and I'm going to take the test when I'm done. I'll let you know how long it took me. And then we will talk about the results. All right. So it only took me about 15, 20 minutes to complete the assessment and I'm a speed reader and I got a phone call in the middle of it.   So. I finished. And it's taking me through a 30 minute module to learn about the personality types before it tells me what my personality type is. So I thought I would pop on and kind of bring you with me mainly because maybe this will help interpret it. So they're talking about personality type being made up of four elements, the way you direct and receive energy, the way you take in information, the way you decide and come to conclusions and the way you approach the outside world.   And they say that the, the two elements in the middle taking an information and the deciding and coming to conclusions are what make up the core of your personality, because that's what makes up all your mental activity. Right? So you, you collect information and then you have to decide what you're going to do with it.   Right. So as we move on, It's talking about basically like taking information, being the, what you are aware of, what you perceive, how you perceive it, what information you look for, what information you rely on, what information is important to you and what you tend to notice or not? No. And then coming to conclusion is how do you come to your decisions?   What process do you make? What do you rely on when you make a decision? How do you arrive at your opinions? What kind of decisions do you like to make? What consequences do you consider, how you do evaluate the opinions or decisions of others, and then the two other parts of this, the way you direct and receive energy has to do with how you get energized, how you focus your energy, what drains you and how you like to be in contact and talk to it with other people.   And how much of that. And then the other one is approaching the outside world, meaning like, how do you structure? How, how much structure do you want or need? What do you do with new information? How do you approach tasks and what information do you want before making decisions? Now they said that there's four pairs of opposites.   And we talked about this at the beginning, the outside, the energy being directed towards the outside world. Or the inner world taking an information that is real and tangible that you can perceive or seeing the big picture and patterns and interrelationships making decisions. It's either logic or personal and social values.   And then approaching the outside world is decisiveness with planning versus flexibility and spontaneity. So the terms that they're talking about, we talked about already the introversion extroversion, all of that. Now the preferences. They talk about the difference between using your preferred hand and your opposite hand.   When you use your preferred hand, it's easier. It takes less energy. It can be done faster. It feels natural, right? And your opposite hand, unless you're ambidextrous is harder, has more energy is more awkward, et cetera. So it says that you can do both, but one is easier and you prefer to do it more. Right?   So. Each of the opposites have their letters. We talked about that at the beginning, there are 16 different personality types based on the four. Like basically if you think about like a four by four square and each way is the four letters, the, um, that describe the energy, the information, the conclusions, and the outside world.   And then it said here, when you look at your type description, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Extroverted thinking is different from introverted thinking, a person who is sensing the judging preferences is someone who prefers sensing and perceiving. So the way that the elements of your personality type interact with.   Makes each of the 16 personalities different. So it's not just each letter. It's also how they interplay with each other. All right. This next section is about choosing preferences and I actually have to make some choices here, so I will stop the recording for a second, but I will reiterate what it says here on this page, which is a, this is not a test B, there are no right or wrong answers.   See, there is no way to pass her. And D everyone has a personality. So I will be back in a few once I'm done with this. All right. So I just went through and based on both what they said about each section of the personality type and they provided a shit ton of examples. I reported myself as an E N F J and the.   Answers from my questionnaire were E S F J. But the difference between the end and the S was, it said it was all the way from very likely to very, not likely, somewhat likely blah, blah, blah. And it was very soft, like very, might be likely an S. And so then, You can read this. And which do you think is more correct?   So the two types that they give the T the basic rundown is an E S F J, which is what the test gave me was warm-hearted talkative, active cooperative, and conscientious want harmony in their environment and work hard to establish it, notice what others need and try to provide it. Always trying to do something nice for someone, an E N F J was warm sociable.   and empathetic are highly attuned to the emotions needs and motivations of others seek and find the best in everyone. I want to help everyone fulfill his or her potential can act as catalysts and provide inspiring leadership and looking at those, I think E N F G. Is much more along the lines for me. I wish I was someone who would provide harmony, but I don't think I am someone who provides harmony.   So I'm going to hit continue, which means this is the one they're taking for me. And I'm amazed that cause basically the only letter that was different, everything else was like extremely likely. It was that other one that was soft. So now it says, go to your dashboard to find out select areas of interest so we can customize your experience.   Well-being personal development relationships. I'll go with personal development. One. Now that you have your result. There are a bunch of courses. There's a whole bunch of shit here. So I guess the 50 bucks does get you a lot. Um, so it's giving me a whole bunch of like mini courses that I can take because of my type.   So it says here that I am a competitor. Facilitator you are highly attuned. I mean, look at results here. Compassionate facilitator, warm, empathetic, and responsible. You tend to take notice of other people's feelings, needs and motivations. You see the potential in everyone and try to help others to grow and develop, to reach their goals.   You're loyal and sociable, and you tend to be responsive to praise or criticism from others. You're often a natural and inspirational leader. Cindy's characteristics, collaborative, expressive, friendly, and responsible work in home. Harmony is very important to you. Holy shit. Like I just finished recording a couple of other episodes.   This is going to come back to it. I did this one last because of the test, but yeah, harmony is very important to us. And then I'm seeking my guys. You'll often work hard to maintain cooperative collaborative relationships between your colleagues, friends, and family. You'll usually have a genuine interest in other people want to work towards a humanitarian vision.   Focused on helping others to achieve their goals or fulfill their potential and use your insights and curiosity to explore possibilities that support the ideas and people around you. You, my potential blind spots are that I might find it difficult to emotionally detach yourself from situations are focused on specific details.   Yes. Avoid problems or disagreements to prevent conflict. That's a big hell. Yes. And help others without giving them an opportunity to learn for their. Uh, huh. How others are likely to see you supportive nature, curiosity, empathy at your best. They see you as energetic and enthusiastic. You tend to move steadily into action.   Persuasively bringing other people along like this feels like me. This feels right. And I would suggest that I think this feels more right than the other two tests that I took. This feels very much like me, especially when it comes to the blind spots and, um, and some of the other aspects of who I am. So it says that that, uh, Some ENF Jays may have many definite sheds and should nots, which they express freely, sometimes annoying others.   Like that for me is an absolute yes. Right? And if they have not developed their feeling preference, their decisions may be inconsistent and poor, poorly formulated. And that used to be me. So that again makes, makes a lot of sense to me. It also says that. They are energized by people and are socially adept.   And all I will say with that, that's probably the one spot, but it's, I always knew this extrovert versus introvert part would be a little different because I do get energized by people until I'm not like I hit a wall and being socially adept really depends on the situation. I can be very withdrawn depending on kind of where I'm at, but I think that, that goes back to the J part, which is the.   The part of me that needs to be organized and be on a schedule and be in habits. Like I kind of flopped back and forth between like blah, blah feelings and all these things and things must be in their right place. And so I think this really expresses that well, so yeah, overall I think this is very interesting.   Um, I really want to dig into some of these. Classes and things that are on here since I've paid for them. I might do that. And if you want me to, I might report back on some of those. Let me know, just message me on Instagram or post to Instagram stories. Tag me at Lama letters. Let me know your personality type from the Myers-Briggs.   And also if you would like me to dig deeper into this and give a review on whether or not it's worth the 50 bucks. Um, but. This has been fun. I am curious to see what the next one will be. I have a list of other personality tests again, post on Instagram. Let me know if you have tests. You'd like me to check out during this cynic's guide, the personality test series.   I feel a little less cynical about this one, because this feels fairly active. Anyway, once again, thanks to my patrons for sponsoring this episode. They are rad. And if you want to be rod like them, go to www.patreon.com/cindyguentertbaldo to find out more. And until next time, my friends, I hope you have a lovely week.   Take care of yourselves until next time. Peace out.

This week I was blessed to sit with the man behind the #1 International Best Selling Book "365 Hip-Hop Daily Motivational Quotes" Mr. Young Exekutive "King" Carl Michel. Carl has also helped 33 other books become best sellers and he is the founder and owner of the Home of many Creatives and Podcaster's like myself, The Royal Communication Center. In our conversation, he shares his story on how he has been able to accomplish so many accolades. Carl also created the Youth Empowerment Program where he inspires and brings so much positivity to the next generation of Kings and Queens. It is an absolute pleasure to speak and work alongside you. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/wilfredo-cortes9/support

0 (0s): Father God, I thank you for this morning. I think you, that we are here to worship you and here to praise you. And so we just bless your name. God, we take this time and we just, we want to sing to you. Jesus. Amen. 1 (20s): he can move by God. 1 (3m 24s): He is mighty to save. He is Jesus . 2 (13m 42s): Oh, thank you, Lord. Thank you for the privilege that you've given us that new and living way. So we can enter in to the holy of Holies by the blood of our savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Or thank you that as we gather in your name, as we come near you and draw near to you, Lord, you've given us the promise that you are with us, that you are in our midst. And so we welcome you Lord. And as you are here, you've come to heal. You've come to set us free. You've come to bring salvation. You've come to deliver us from all the things in this life that would hold us down and hold us in bondage. The solar. We welcome you to bring that deliverance to our lives, Lord, to open up our hearts, to see you as you truly are lo we, we often come to you with sort of veiled, veiled, vision, not really seeing the glory and the power and the authority that you are. 2 (14m 35s): The Lord open our eyes to you today. Open our, understanding our hearts, our minds, our will, our emotion to who you are today. Lord give us that, that desire for more. We want more of you, Lord. We're not satisfied with just where we are. The status quo Lord. We desire the power of your holy spirit, working in us from glory to glory, transforming us into your image and allowing us to walk in the victory that you have provided for us. But we want to abide in Christ or that's that secret place of the most high that you referred to. And Lord, that's where we want to be today. We bless you. We thank you in Jesus name. We pray God's people said, amen. 2 (15m 17s): Amen. Go ahead and have a seat please. All right. So what I want to do this morning, I want to go ahead and welcome someone up to the podium this morning. He is, I guess you'd call him our guest speaker, although he's not a guest is he's one of us. So Stacy and Tanya Harman have been fellowship with us for, I'm going to guess maybe five years, four years, four or five years, something like that. And so what we want to do today is I'm going to invite Stacy to come on up and he's going to be sharing the word with us today. So let's give a warm welcome to Stacey Harmon. 2 (15m 57s): Okay? All right, 3 (16m 5s): Everybody it's pleasure to be here. I'm good to see you all. And I just had lunch with Steve a couple of months ago and said I wanted to preach someday. And he said, how about July 18th? And I said, okay, well that's that's real date. That's the time I got to make some efforts to get this together. And I thought about, you know, how he usually tells a joke when he gets up here. And I thought there's no way I could ever approach the quality of his jokes. So I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna tell you a joke. I would like you to turn with me. If you would, to two familiar passages in your Bibles or on your devices, John 14 six is where we're going to start. 3 (16m 50s): And we're also going to talk about Matthew 18 or it's 5 28, 18 through 20. And John 14, six is very familiar passage to us, but there's really an outrageous claim made there by Jesus. If you think about it, this is where he's talking to his disciples. He's telling them that he's going to go away. He was trying to encourage them that he's going to go prepare a mansion's for them. And they don't understand what he's talking about, where he's going. And he says, and they ask him, where's this way. What, what are you talking about this way? He says, I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the father, but through me and that's before the cross, obviously before they scatter, of course, after his crucifixion. 3 (17m 33s): And if you go to Matthew 28, 18 through 20, he says, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, son, and holy spirit teaching to deserve all that I commanded you. And lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age. So that's after the cross. Right? But those are really outrageous claims. If you think about it, he's saying he's the way. And he's also saying that all authority on heaven and earth has been given to him. So I would like to drill down a little bit on this idea about the way and the followers of the way, which are disciples and what they look like. 3 (18m 15s): But first let me ask you a question. I'll step over here. She'd get a good look at me. Do I look like an architect? Well, I'm glad that's like, you're like, what kind of question is that? Right? That's a ridiculous question. What's an architect look like it's kind of a running joke between Tonya and I. She was describing a woman's husband to me and she said, well, it looks like an architect. And I'm like, huh? I don't really know. I don't have a reference for that. I don't really know what that means. I'm not sure I could pick them out of a crowd if he looks like an architect. But what about a doctor? What's a doctor looked like actually happened to be a doctor. 3 (18m 56s): I'm an ER doctor, but maybe gray hair and old guy. Yeah, that's a doctor. But the point I'm making is you have a reference for that. You don't have a reference for an architect. You have a reference for a doctor, right? If I had a long white coat on, you might say, oh, that's a doctor. Or you could say it's a butcher, I guess, or a scientist or, or maybe it's maybe it's their cousin, someone that the cosmetic counter Macy's right with a long white coat. But if I put a stethoscope around my neck, then you're like, okay, that's looking more like a doctor. Or if I had an ID badge on that said, you know my name and I was affiliated with a hospital then, okay. That might be a doctor. And, and what about if I, as the setting that I'm in, if I've in scrubs, right? 3 (19m 38s): You come into the ER, I'm wearing scrubs, like, okay, that must be the doctor, but you don't really ask me for my credentials. Right? You don't say, let me see your diploma. Let me see your board certification. What about your license? Do you have a license? You have a framework that you understand what a doctor kind of looks like. And once you sort of figured that out, you're pretty comfortable that that's, that's the doctor so much so that you would literally trust your life with me after meeting me like two minutes within two minutes, right? If you come to the emergency department, I would have the authority, right? And I am the way I have the authority to take, to admit you to the hospital, to decide what's going to be done with you. 3 (20m 22s): And I'm the way that you get to the hospital, get the medicines you need or get what you need. Right. That's and you've decided just based on a little bit of information that that's the authority and that's who I am as a doctor. And then you have to also deal with what your impressions of doctors are. Right? You, you might think of Dr. Dr. McDreamy, right. But, or, or you might think, oh, I love my doctor was great to my kids or he delivered my babies or, or she helped my mom when, when she was in really bad straights when she was older, or you might think doctors are arrogant and condescending. And I really hate doctors. In fact, I've walked into rooms and that's the first thing someone says to me, I hate doctors. 3 (21m 5s): And I usually say, well, so do I. So let's, let's get busy, but what can I do for you so that it does it, but, but literally I have the authority and I'm the way in the ER. Right? So let's talk about spiritual thing. Let's switch to spiritual thing. So the question I have too, is what's a Christian look like, or a disciple or a Messiah, right? What's a Messiah look like, clearly it wasn't what Jesus looked like. Right? Because they said, ah, that's Joseph's son, right? Can't be a Messiah. Or he's just a carpenter, right? How about nothing good can come from Nazareth. Right? 3 (21m 45s): That was their image of a Messiah. Their idea didn't match what they were seeing with Jesus. And then he, he goes on to do miracles, right? Healed. Well, he healed on the Sabbath. He healed somebody on Saturday. That's against the law. He can't be the Messiah. Let's just forget about the miracle part. Right. But it's not fitting my little mold about what he is. He, he did work on Saturday. He can't be the Messiah. Even though he did a miracle, I'm dismissing the miracle from my fixed idea about what a Messiah represents. He was teaching with authority. He had knowledge of the scriptures. He did miracles of healings. He healed epileptics. Paralytics he raised Lazarus from the dead folks. 3 (22m 28s): Right. And they still didn't buy it. They still, still didn't work. It had such a strong bias against what it, or what it should look like. And it just didn't match. They still crucified him. Right. He didn't look like a Messiah. And they said, we want a sign. He said, well, you're going to get the sign of Jonah. And what's the sign of Jonah. Jonah was in the belly of the fish. Well, whatever you want to call it for three days, right. Jesus is saying, the sign of Jonah is all you're going to get, I'm going to be in the grave for three days. And the resurrection is what you're going to get as a sign. So that's the ultimate credential, right? 3 (23m 8s): So he says, he says, he says that he is, has all authority. And he's the way, well, what is his credentials? It's the resurrection, right? The resurrection card is the ultimate credential. Correct. Now he says, I am the way the truth. The life, no one comes to the father. Through me. All authority has been given to me on heaven on earth. So it's the, it's the, it's the way to enter heaven through him and the way to live on earth, the way to enter and the way to live all authority is his, because of his resurrection credential. 3 (23m 48s): Right? So the way back to God is through Jesus right first. So you have to ask yourself, well, what am I here for? What's the meaning of life? Why am I here? Where am I going? What's life mean? And then are these credentials good enough for you? Good enough for you to follow the way his credentials and plenty of flavor weighed in on this subject about what life's about. Right? If you ask Sigmund Freud, he'd say, life's about pleasure. If you have Carl Young, he'd say it's about power. If you have Victor Frankl who survived a concentration camp, he'd say it's about meaning. 3 (24m 29s): And you know what? Those actually, it's funny that all these experts have come up with all these ideas about what life's all about, but those are actually biblical principles. And how do I know that if you look in Genesis 1 27, God said to Adam and Eve, you subdue the earth. Awesome. Thank you very much. SI. I'm used to nurses pushing me around. Thank you. Looking out for me, actually appreciate it. So they said to subdue and rule the earth and be fruitful and multiply, right? 3 (25m 11s): That's power and pleasure. Right now, the meaning part is based on our relationship with God, they walked hand in hand with God in the garden. That was a meaning. That was meaning. That was the relationship they had. So if you think about it yet, you still can pursue power, pleasure and meaning in their life. But the, but the power and the pleasure have to be with a clear conscience, right? You can't do things that are, that are going to violate your conscience. And you have to have to realize what God has definitions of those things are there's power in weakness, right? There's pleasure in service, right? And there's meaning in relationship with God, right? 3 (25m 54s): So that leads us back to this idea of the way, the way to enter heaven, the way to live and the way back to God. Because remember, remember this in Genesis 3 24, what did God do? When he threw Adam and Eve out of the garden, he blocked away. He put cherubim at the garden so they couldn't get back in the way was blocked. Sin had separated them from God, kicked us out of the garden. The way was blocked for that meaningful relationship with God is now gone. That, that idea that we have a, we can walk with God is gone. So the way was blocked by sin. The way back is Jesus. And the way to live is through Jesus. 3 (26m 36s): This idea of the way is what is, is how the early Christians are. The disciples ran their lives. That that was how they followed Jesus. In fact, if you looked in acts nine Paul, before he was converted, it was basically a Hitman for the Sanhedrin, right? He was going out, he got permission to go out, bring Christians shackled back to face charges, basically for following the way. And he says, it says he persecuted those belonging to the way. So who are those following the way they're, they're called disciples, right? 3 (27m 17s): And here's my microphone. And if I can't drop this mic, but who's fired, they weren't Christians. This is what I mean. Wait a second. That term wasn't even used yet. Jesus never heard the term Christian Christians in acts 1126. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. That's 30 years later, 30 years. They were disciples following the way before they were ever called Christians. And some scholars even believed that that term might've been even been derogatory. Oh, that's those Christians. Right? 3 (27m 57s): Right. So there were disciples following the way, all that time. But they were first called Christians at Antioch. I had a friend of mine, a colleague of mine, call me a Chrysler one time. Are you one of those Chryslers? And I went, Hmm, well, yes I am. But I don't think I like the way you mean it. You know, I, he called me a Chrysler, which is like maybe what they were calling them Christians, right? The point I'm making is that they were disciples along the way. And then they were labeled Christians at some point in time. And what I'm, what I'm getting at is that calling yourself a Christian means something to people, just like a doctor or the Messiah. 3 (28m 38s): Right? So if you're a Christian, you might know what that means. And you have an idea of what that means, but somebody else might think, oh, you're a Catholic. Or maybe you're a Jehovah's witness or you're a TV evangelist, or a Mormon or a health and wealth gospel, or you're a boss at work who goes to church on Sundays and then acts inappropriate the whole week. That's a big umbrella to be under, as Christian. And we just have, is nothing wrong with calling yourself a Christian don't get me wrong, but we just have to understand that what it means to us, what we think it means and what, what someone else interprets that as me could be two very different things. 3 (29m 20s): So perhaps sort of getting back to our roots and calling ourselves disciples, or at least thinking like that might be helpful when we try to figure out who we are and how we should live as well as communicate to others and try to bring them to Christ. Right. And discipleship is kind of a lifelong process, correct? It's not like it's something you do your whole life. It's kind of like, like martial arts when you have a white belt and then you go progress to black belt and you can just gradually make your way through all these different stages and things become, you become better and better at this. But what's funny about martial arts is the people that are the most skilled are usually the most humble, right? 3 (30m 5s): You, you learn so much as you go along that you're actually more humble and more grounded and more rooted and, and a better person towards the end than you are in the beginning. Right? And that's a whole nother topic discipleship. We could spend hours on that. But what I like to do is get back to this idea about the way and what a few characteristics of a disciple living out the way. So the first one is under the disciples, understand worship and certainly worship involves what we're doing today is corporate worship, where we get together. And we think songs and we sing hymns and songs and spiritual songs where he preaching and teaching and prayer. And we take the Lord's supper. 3 (30m 46s): And you know, this corporate idea of worship is certainly part of what we do and who we are. But what I'd like to look at is acts 2 42 through 43. So this is after Peter is spoken on in Pentecost and there's 3000 people have been baptized. And they, it says they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship and to the breaking of bread. And to prayer, everyone kept feeling a sense of awe and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 3 (31m 27s): The part I would like to emphasis is this idea of a sense of awe. I think we need to recapture that, right? I think that this idea that we worship is something we do instead of something that comes out of us is what we have to sort of undo. As we think of ourselves, as Christians as disciples, the sense of awe is, is what motivated all that other stuff, all the other worship that came out of that. So it's easy. I mean, I get bogged down. It's easy to check boxes in your life, right? I prayed today. I contributed to that. I went to church, whatever it is, the box that you check, it's easy to do that, but I think we have to start changing our attitude about worship is something is something about who we are and not what we do. 3 (32m 17s): And if you look in Romans 12, one through 12, it says, if I went to two, rather hired you, therefore brethren by the mercies of God to present your bodies, a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship and do not be conformed the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what the will of God is. That which is good and perfect or acceptable and perfect. So it's, do you realize that when you're walking around your day-to-day life and you're trying to be a non-conformist to the world and that you are presenting your bodies, a living and holy sacrifice, you're, that's an act of worship every day, while you're walking around what you're doing, when you're trying to control what your thoughts and your actions and that's that's because you have who you are. 3 (33m 12s): You're a disciple who you're following the way. You're the path you're on Matthew 12, seven says I desire compassion and not sacrifice. That's where Jesus condemned the Pharisees for being so hung up on the law, that they forgot the meaning behind it, that it was there more, they were more concerned about religion and people are religion and ritual than they were the people he says in Matthew 5 23. If you were at the author to present your offering and you realize your brother has something against you, go make that right first, then come back. So what are the, what's the two, the two commandments that are sum up everything. 3 (33m 56s): Love. God, love your neighbor. So if you have something that's not right with your neighbor and you come to the house of God, you gotta make that right first, before you come to stand before God, he wants you to love him and love your neighbor. The relationship is more important than the ritual or the theology, the relationship with him, the, with his children and the relationship with mankind in general, that's, that's what we do as disciples James, 1 27 says this is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God and father to visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world. 3 (34m 39s): So to be in the world, but not of the world and to take care of other people and their needs, right? That's part of the way of the disciple. Next is disciples have integrity. And this is, if you, if you looked up that word in Webster, it would say adherence to a code and soundness. And if you look at Matthew five and we're not going to go on, but that's a 5, 6, 7 is the sermon on the Mount. And this is where Jesus is talking to them in the beatitudes. Initially telling them, you know, things are rough, but they're going to be a better. But then he gets into Matthew five. 3 (35m 24s): And this that's the part where you hear the, but I say, right, but I say, you've heard it said you shouldn't commit murder, but I say, don't even be angry. You've heard it said, don't commit adultery, but I don't even lust. Right? You've heard it said, don't make false vows, but I say, make no vowel at all. In other words, let your word be your word. And I for, and I versus turn the other cheek, love they neighbor and hate your enemies. But I say, love your enemies. This is all the kind of integrity or the kind of person that we're striving to become. Now it's impossible to do that without God and grace and you it's, it's always, you're always falling in and out of keeping that together. 3 (36m 9s): But the point is we have integrity. It's who we are in out there in the real world, working on your heart is what we're talking about. And then he talks about in Matthew six righteousness is between you and God. This is because he's, he's condemning the, the Pharisees for, for wanting to get all this attention, right? Wearing all these brightly colored outfits and, and calling attention to themselves. He says, you should give in secret. If you will give your arms in secret, no fanfare that's integrity, right? Pray in private, not to be seen. 3 (36m 49s): Don't pray with meaningless repetition, but with intimacy, with God, fast, with a smile on your face, store up treasure in heaven and live today without anxiety. That's all in that chapter. I've heard it said, if you consider the worst case scenario and then it happens, you've lived it twice. So that's the problem with anxiety. And the other thing I've found out in my own life is 90% of the things we worry about never happen anyway. So you've just wasted all this energy and an angst on, on this emotion, this anxiety. 3 (37m 31s): And then he goes on into Matthew seven, a one through five. And this is where disciples make judgments, but they're not judgmental. There's a subtle difference there, correct? I mean, you make a judgment. Every time you come up to a red light, you can make an, a judgment as to whether you're going to stop or not. Whether it's a good idea to weighing everything and making a judgment. But in Matthew seven one through five, Jesus says, do not judge less. You be judged for in the way you judge, you will be judged. And by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your, in your eye. 3 (38m 11s): How can you say to your brother, let me take the speck out of your eye. And behold, the log is in your own eye. You hypocrite first, take the log out of your own eye. And then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. Take the log out before the spec. He's not saying you don't make a judgment. It's taking work on yourself first, get the log out first, before you start looking other places. And he also said, he's also saying that you're not the standard. It's, you're not the standards. When you make a judgment based on righteous judgment. Cause he goes on to say, be aware of false teachers, right? You'll judge them by their fruits. So wait a minute. That's confusing. Wait, you told me not to be judgmental. Then you told me to judge them by their fruits. 3 (38m 53s): Well, it's not confusing if you think about it, it's you, it's not your standard. You're judging by God's standard. And, and it's not you saying, Hey, you know, you, you, you know, get that log out of your IRA, speck out of your eye. It's not you, it's not your own standard. I like the way that this, what does he, Dr. Phil, he'll say to somebody how's that working out for you. That's a good way to approach somebody, right? When you take the log out of your eye and you see a speck, how's that working out for you, maybe there's a better way versus, you know, you're an idiot, right? That's just not the way to do it. 3 (39m 38s): And disciples, the next point is disciples have bigger fish to fry. And what do I mean by that? I mean that, that they're not going to get bogged down on a lot of details and things to take them away from their mission. And so I want you to consider something considered this original crew that Jesus picked in Matthew ten two through four, but the 12 originals. Right? Think of these people in a room together, Peter and his brother, Andrew, we didn't know much about Andrew, right? Peter. We know a lot about from later on, but he's pretty, pretty impulsive guy. Yeah. Matthew was a tax collector. 3 (40m 19s): Now tax cokers were, were really viewed as horrible people. There, there are Jews working for the Roman government and they're skimming off the top and explain their own people. In other words, the Roman comes says, Hey, we want to 8% tax. And they sit. And so they charged 10 and get their own cut. And then they're there and they're skimming off the top to, for their own benefit. So they were hated by their own people. And then you have Simon, the zealot in the same room. Now the zealots were Jews who advocated overthrowing the Roman government by military force. So Simon, the zealot and Matthew whose work, I mean the tax collector working for the Roman government. 3 (41m 5s): He wants to kill that guy and throw overthrow the government that he's talking about. So those are two people in the same room. Then you got Judas, who's a thief, right? We know how here you have Thomas. Who's a skeptic. You have James and his brother, John, the one Jesus loved. Now, I don't know where that sort of was figured out the one that and how that he was loved more. But I'm just wondering how that would, the other guys would feel about that. Right? You got Phillip Bartholomew, James, the son of Alpheus Thaddeus. And then what about later on you have John. I mean, you think about other people like John, the Baptist, John, the Baptist wore animal skins and was a wild man eating locusts and honey. 3 (41m 51s): And then you have Paul later on, who's a persecutor of the church. And then he converts and becomes an, an impossible basically. How does that work out with the people that are, I mean, I don't get me wrong, but I think I would be a little bit like, Hmm, I'm going to sit over here. And that Paul Guy can sit over there. And then what about just Gentiles in general? Ultimately there's these, the Christianity, you start off with Jews, right? And then ultimately incorporated the whole Gentiles, which are dogs. They're viewed as dogs by the Jews. So the got this whole group together now. Right? But what happens is they put aside their differences to achieve a common goal. 3 (42m 35s): We live in a culture that thrives on just the opposite of that, that everybody that's on, it's thrives on divisiveness and conflict and individualism and hate. Our culture is just the opposite of putting aside your differences to achieve a common goal. That's how Matthew, the tax collector could be in the same room as Simon, the zealot, because they had bigger fish to fry there. They were trying to spread the gospel, right? Mark nine 40. Jesus is telling his apostles because they said, Hey, we found some people over here. They're doing some stuff in your name. Do you want us to make him stop? And he said, no. 3 (43m 16s): For he, who is not against us is for us. That's a pretty faffed call, right? If it's not against you, he's for you. There's at least some common ground there. I'm not saying we don't have standards or we should overlook sin to be inclusive. That's not what I'm saying, but I am saying that we need to have bigger fish to fry because some of the things we get upset about, or we get under our skin or cause division are really not worth sacrificing. The bigger picture, the bigger goal we have to agree on the ones. What I mean by that is in Ephesians four, four says there is one body and one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and one father, God, and father. 3 (44m 3s): We have to agree on those ones. But after that, I think we can just get a little more flexible and not so rigid and, and also, and be more committed to the ultimate goal versus our own little agendas. Right? And besides you have to have a relationship with somebody to influence them. You can't say, you know what, until you X, Y, or Z, or until you this, this or that, I'm not gonna have anything to do with you. If you don't have a relationship with somebody, there's no way you're going to influence them. So we do have bigger fish to fry. 3 (44m 44s): My next one is, oh, is that we have the disciples stay in the game. And here's what I want you think about. Think about Judas and Peter, right? So Judas betrayed Jesus for money and Peter betrayed Jesus out of fear, right? Just for him mentally. I didn't know the guy three times, do you just felt guilt and remorse. Peter felt guilt and remorse. So what's Juice's solution. He kills himself. Peter solution. He repented resolve to do better, came back and then went on to be Peter. 3 (45m 28s): Who's the rock that his confession was the rock that the church was built on two guys at the same juncture in life. Right? So no matter what you face, you have to decide whether you're going to be a Peter or a Judas. What if Judas had repented? You know, it'd be a whole different story, but do you think the Lord would have welcomed him back? Like he did Peter, you have to say yes, right? His solution was to kill himself. And so many of us do that spiritually is we just get too discouraged and we just fall away or we just stop doing what we know we should be doing. 3 (46m 9s): And, and then versus Peter, who said, you know what? I, I, I really did mess up and I feel bad, but I'm going to get back in the game. So they stay in the game, disciple, stay in the game, resolve to stay in the game and they stay in the boat. And this is a, this is the scripture acts 27, 14 through 40, where this is where Paul is being transported to Rome on a ship. And he's shackled basically to a Roman guard who is, and some of you might already know this, but if you're a Roman guard transporting a prisoner, if the prisoner escapes, then you kill yourself, right. 3 (46m 55s): You and your basically your life for that life. So Paul is on a ship. You've got a Roman guard with him there. They're sailing to Rome and there's like 200 people on the, on the boat. And they come into this storm. And this storm is like two weeks long storm. And the experts on the boat, the conventional wisdom is, wow, we got to lighten the load. We got to throw off our food. We got to throw off the, eventually they throw off the tackle and the rigging of the boat. Eventually they say lowering the lifeboats. We got our abandoned ship. We've got to get off this shit. That's, that's the experts. That's the conventional wisdom of the day. 3 (47m 35s): That's the seasoned sailors telling them what to do. And Paul says in verse 31, unless these men remain on the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved. He had been a hit. God has spoken to him, said, no, I want everybody to stay on the ship, stay in the boat. What's the first thing people do or you do, or I do either emotionally or sometimes physically when things in life aren't going so good. Well, you know, I really don't feel like going to church or man, I, I know those people they're, they're better than me. I, I shouldn't go. Or people fall away. 3 (48m 17s): They jump ship, right? You leave the stay in the boat. Don't jump ship. Because what happened is eventually this a boat runs the ground. They get off everybody's survives, but it was completely against all their thinking process, all their wisdom, all their decisions to what you do. When, when, when you're in a storm like this, you get rid of all this stuff. And this is how, this is how we do it. So stay in the boat, disciples, stay in the game and they stay in the boat. This is the boat right here. We're in the boat. We're all in the same boat, trying to work things through, go get through life together. Disciples, bear, each other's burdens, but you got to stay in the boat. 3 (48m 59s): It's so much easier for you or us to help each other. If we're in the boat versus trying to get you out of the water. The next point I would like to make is that disciples believe in miracles, but they don't rely on them. Here's what I mean. Second Corinthians 12 verses eight and nine. This is Paul speaking. He's talking about his thorn in the flesh, which is some condition. We don't really know what it is, but it's some physical ailment. He says, concerning this. I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And he has said to me, my grace is sufficient for you. For power is perfected in weakness. Paul couldn't heal himself. 3 (49m 42s): Right? He could heal other people miraculously, but he couldn't heal himself. God said his gracious, sufficient. And Paul goes on to say, I'm content with my weakness. If so, because God decides how, when, where and why the holy spirit is distributed. Here's what God guarantees us. He guarantees this Providence, but not miracles. Providence means that he's going to take care of us. He's going to make everything work out. Okay. He always will be with us. But if you're holding out for, or you require a miraculous event or a sign or a gift before you're faithful, then you're going to be disappointed. 3 (50m 26s): And maybe even bitter that might happen. But disciples believe in miracles, but they don't rely on them. Right? Romans 8 28. We've heard this scripture a lot. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God to those who are called according to his purpose. He doesn't say all things will be good, but if you're called to his purpose, he says, all things were turn out for the good, right? His Providence is guaranteed. 3 (51m 6s): Finally disciples are baptized member, go back to Matthew 28. It says by definition, that's what a disciple is. I don't want you to get hung up on this comma because in the Greek, there's actually no commas. But some people say, well, no, you have to be discipled before you're baptized now because they know you, you become a disciple when you're baptized. It doesn't really matter. The doctrine of it. The theology of it, the point of it is it's what Jesus commanded disciples are baptized. Just like Nike, just do it, right? Just do it. Every believer in the book of acts is baptized. And you can make a commitment that he was talking about reading a chapter day, read the book of acts. 3 (51m 50s): And some people were baptized more than once. Acts 2 38, 3000 people were baptized because they realized that they had been part of the crew that had crucified Jesus. And now he was in heaven because that miracle of them hearing Peter preach in their own language, right? You had different people from different cultures and different languages. They're on Pentecost. And it's like, if I was speaking to you and you only spoke Spanish right now, you'd hear Spanish and you heard English or you're here to French or whatever that was like, wait a minute. We're hearing them in our own language, hearing him in our language, how's that possible? And Peter says, well, he said that he was going to go away. 3 (52m 32s): And when he went away, he was going to send a helper and the helpers here. So that means he's where he said he was in heaven to help us here. He's in heaven. That's confirmed. And then they said, well, what should we do? And he said, repent, and be baptized. Some were baptized more than once. If they're baptized into John, they got rebaptized. Some people had received the holy spirit had not received the holy spirit and then got baptized into Jesus and received the holy spirit. Others Gentiles that were presumably left out of the whole program had received the holy spirit and the apostles go well, wait a minute. They had the holy spirit. So they must be concluded. 3 (53m 14s): Then we shouldn't withhold baptism. So they got baptized as well. The Ethiopian unique in the chariot says there's water. What hinders me from being baptized? That's what I would ask you. If you haven't been baptized, what's hindering you. What hinders you from becoming a disciple? First, Peter 3 21 says in corresponding to that, meaning Noah's Ark or the water saved people. Baptism now saves you not the removal of dirt from the flesh. It's not, it's not a bath, but an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 3 (53m 54s): Who is that? The right hand of God, having gone to heaven after angels and authorities and powers have been subjected to him. There's that all authority again, right? He has all authority. He has to the he's the way to become a disciple. The way to clear conscience, Galatians 3 27, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ. So what does this disciple look like? The disciple looks like you and me trying to live in this crazy world, clothed in Christ, holding onto the way, trying to stay in the game, staying in the boat. 3 (54m 42s): And then so maybe you've never decided to follow Jesus. Maybe you've jumped out of the boat. Maybe you have a doubt. I challenge you to go back to Matthew 28 and look at verse 17. This is right before. If you're, if you have a Bible, we'll go hook your device. Go ahead and open up that verse. This is right before Jesus says, gives the great commission. It says. And when they saw him and when they saw him means he's risen from the dead there. He's with them again. It says. And when they saw him, they worshiped him, which is appropriate, right? 3 (55m 24s): Wouldn't you do that if you just saw the risen Lord, but some were doubtful is what it says. Some there's only 11 of them, right? Some is more than one. So more than one of the 11 were doubtful. These are the guys that walked with him, thought his death, burial, and resurrection, and now see him alive. It says some were doubtful. So what I'm saying to you is doubt is normal. We all have doubt. There always be there. You cannot have faith without doubt, just like you can't have courage without fear. 3 (56m 8s): Courage is what you do when you overcome fear. Faith is what you do when you overcome doubt. So it's really okay to doubt and be insecure. The question is, what are you going to do about it? What are you going to do? Jesus says in that chapter, in that, in that passage we started with at the end of it, Jesus says, lo I am with you always. So do you believe that? Is he with you always, no matter what you face, no matter how difficult it is, no matter how much doubt you have, whether your faith is weak or do you need courage? So lesson is yours. I'd like you to just please make your needs known. We're here to, I guess I should have invited the worship team back up, right? 3 (56m 51s): Come back. Sorry. Rookie mistake. But I would like you to, to make your needs known. We're here to pray for you. Study with you. You can be baptized. You can put on, be Christ, put on Christ. If you can, you can become a disciple today. Let's stand and worship. 1 (57m 57s): beautiful. 1 (1h 4m 21s): you didn't want . 0 (1h 7m 31s): If you father, we praise you today. God, we thank you that we get to be in your house today. God, we thank you for the word, Lord, Jesus. And I pray that as we leave this place today, Lord, that we would just take something away. And when that we would hold onto it this week, Lord God. And we would find ourselves in your word. And so we thank you and we praise you and it's in your most precious name. We pray. Amen. Have a wonderful day. If you need prayer, we have a prayer team up front. So feel free to make your way forward.

Hybrid, Hybrid, Hybrid! That's one of the hot new business buzzwords these days. But, what if that is just the book dust cover to what our new world may look like? This week, Erin and Nicole dive into a new study by Microsoft that lifts that dust cover (or, more like the plastic sofa cover your Aunt Rita has had on her couch for 30 years) on what employees are really thinking and talk about more than a world where you have to empty out Jose's two-day-old Hot Pocket wrapper from your shared garbage.  Nicole and Erin leave you with lots to think about, including some inspiration as you think about your own "hybrid" - your afternoon of life. Erin tells Nicole about her preparation for two big virtual talks she is giving and how ll-consuming they can be - physically and mentally - especially for a non-binary thinker like Erin, whose brain is constantly shooting off new ideas. Erin's WTF of the week involves a story of the technical difficulties of one of those virtual talks. With the streaming service broken, Erin ended up thinking she was giving a recorded talk instead of a live talk. But at the end she realized people jumped on Webex midway through.  Minor disruption from a dirtbike outside Nicole's house tees her up for a funny story of someone who she saw plow headfirst into a traffic sign while on their moped. Then she moves on to discuss her authentic so hard of the week - when she was asked to introduce a hair show at the local arts festival. What's a hair show? Well, you'll have to listen for all the details on that, but the real story is about the troubles Nicole aced that day. As a show that was created from the traditions of black communities in America, a show commencing on Jubilee day, you can imagine some people took issue with Nicole being the host. Well, Nicole fully understands, appreciates, and accepts that...but no one told her that beforehand.  So, after days of preparing a speech that could hold up under these circumstances. Nicole threw out the speech on the walk to the stage, and instead told a funny hair story of her own, to bring everyone together with humor. And it worked. The authentic approach she took in the moment, with no preparation, could not have been a better idea.  Nicole also has a WTF of the week when she was asked to attend a planning meeting call for a pre-meeting. Yes, you read that right. A planning call, for a pre-meeting. Oh, and it was on Father's Day (a Sunday of course). This leads into a quick discussion regarding worker satisfaction, and how it's estimated that 41% of the global workforce are considering leaving their employer this year. This comes frm the recent Microsoft Work Trend Index. This 2021 report has seven key findings.  1. Flexible work is here to stay. 2. Leaders are out of touch with employees and need a wake-up call. 3. High productivity is masking an exhausted workforce. 4. Gen Z is at risk and will need to be re-energized. 5. Shrinking networks are endangering innovation. 6. Authenticity will spur productivity and wellbeing (This one won't be a surprise for our listeners!) 7. Talent is everywhere in a hybrid working world.  Erin and Nicole then talk through each of these points, interpreting them, challenging them, developing them, giving a detailed discussion on the future of the working world, the people at the heart of it, and the steps we all need to take to ensure the future is brighter and better than the past.  Finally, they leave you with this quote by Carl Young. "Thoroughly unprepared, we take the step into the afternoon of life. Worse still, we take this step with the false presupposition that our truths and our ideals will serve us as hitherto. But we cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life's morning, for what was great in the morning will be little at evening and what in the morning was true, at evening will have become a lie." If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Here are some options... Follow Nicole on LinkedIn:   Follow Erin on LinkedIn:   Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @   b Cause Podcast Facebook group @   We even share more crazy stuff here (you probably thought that was impossible). Get your own copy of Erin's book by searching "You Do You Ish" in amazon or going to   Take our simple, fun and insightful "What Kind of Dog Are You At Work?" by going to   We have so much fun stuff going on...we wouldn't want you to miss out - join the authenticity movement and our community by adding your email just about anywhere @   Check out our blog for more of our no-BS career advice @   We have fun and inspiring t-shirts @ DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsustainable for younger audiences.  Tweetable Comments: "I am delicious and delightful." "Something must have been in retrograde because I felt like breaking things all day." "Of course, it's not their fault. It's somebody else's fault. Everyone at a big company owns just one fingernail of responsability." "As I walked up to the stage, I threw my speech out and instead told an authentic story. And it worked." "I had a planning call for a pre-meeting..." "Over 40% of the global workforce are considering leaving their employer this year." "Look, I was also really busy shoving a baked potato in my face rather than reading the article." "The difference between Nicole and I: she's like 'I only skimmed it', and I'm like, 'That's all I ever do." "We might be facing the same shitstorm, but if you're in a yacht, and I'm facing a tsunami in a canoe, it feels a little f***ing different."  "How much structural change can you actually embrace to try and overcome some of this stuff." "When the pandemic hit, internal teams collaborated more, but external teams collaborated less." "Authenticity will spur productivity and wellbeing." "Be authentic, do that. But are you also encouraging a culture of authenticity?" "If you're in the wrong neighborhood, get out. But don't wait for the perfect house because you won't find it. Renovate your house with your own authenticity."

Hybrid, Hybrid, Hybrid! That's one of the hot new business buzzwords these days. But, what if that is just the book dust cover to what our new world may look like? This week, Erin and Nicole dive into a new study by Microsoft that lifts that dust cover (or, more like the plastic sofa cover your Aunt Rita has had on her couch for 30 years) on what employees are really thinking and talk about more than a world where you have to empty out Jose's two-day-old Hot Pocket wrapper from your shared garbage.  Nicole and Erin leave you with lots to think about, including some inspiration as you think about your own "hybrid" - your afternoon of life. Erin tells Nicole about her preparation for two big virtual talks she is giving and how ll-consuming they can be - physically and mentally - especially for a non-binary thinker like Erin, whose brain is constantly shooting off new ideas. Erin's WTF of the week involves a story of the technical difficulties of one of those virtual talks. With the streaming service broken, Erin ended up thinking she was giving a recorded talk instead of a live talk. But at the end she realized people jumped on Webex midway through.  Minor disruption from a dirtbike outside Nicole's house tees her up for a funny story of someone who she saw plow headfirst into a traffic sign while on their moped. Then she moves on to discuss her authentic so hard of the week - when she was asked to introduce a hair show at the local arts festival. What's a hair show? Well, you'll have to listen for all the details on that, but the real story is about the troubles Nicole aced that day. As a show that was created from the traditions of black communities in America, a show commencing on Jubilee day, you can imagine some people took issue with Nicole being the host. Well, Nicole fully understands, appreciates, and accepts that...but no one told her that beforehand.  So, after days of preparing a speech that could hold up under these circumstances. Nicole threw out the speech on the walk to the stage, and instead told a funny hair story of her own, to bring everyone together with humor. And it worked. The authentic approach she took in the moment, with no preparation, could not have been a better idea.  Nicole also has a WTF of the week when she was asked to attend a planning meeting call for a pre-meeting. Yes, you read that right. A planning call, for a pre-meeting. Oh, and it was on Father's Day (a Sunday of course). This leads into a quick discussion regarding worker satisfaction, and how it's estimated that 41% of the global workforce are considering leaving their employer this year. This comes frm the recent Microsoft Work Trend Index. This 2021 report has seven key findings.  1. Flexible work is here to stay. 2. Leaders are out of touch with employees and need a wake-up call. 3. High productivity is masking an exhausted workforce. 4. Gen Z is at risk and will need to be re-energized. 5. Shrinking networks are endangering innovation. 6. Authenticity will spur productivity and wellbeing (This one won't be a surprise for our listeners!) 7. Talent is everywhere in a hybrid working world.  Erin and Nicole then talk through each of these points, interpreting them, challenging them, developing them, giving a detailed discussion on the future of the working world, the people at the heart of it, and the steps we all need to take to ensure the future is brighter and better than the past.  Finally, they leave you with this quote by Carl Young. "Thoroughly unprepared, we take the step into the afternoon of life. Worse still, we take this step with the false presupposition that our truths and our ideals will serve us as hitherto. But we cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life's morning, for what was great in the morning will be little at evening and what in the morning was true, at evening will have become a lie." If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Here are some options... Follow Nicole on LinkedIn:   Follow Erin on LinkedIn:   Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @   b Cause Podcast Facebook group @   We even share more crazy stuff here (you probably thought that was impossible). Get your own copy of Erin's book by searching "You Do You Ish" in amazon or going to   Take our simple, fun and insightful "What Kind of Dog Are You At Work?" by going to   We have so much fun stuff going on...we wouldn't want you to miss out - join the authenticity movement and our community by adding your email just about anywhere @   Check out our blog for more of our no-BS career advice @   We have fun and inspiring t-shirts @ DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsustainable for younger audiences.  Tweetable Comments: "I am delicious and delightful." "Something must have been in retrograde because I felt like breaking things all day." "Of course, it's not their fault. It's somebody else's fault. Everyone at a big company owns just one fingernail of responsability." "As I walked up to the stage, I threw my speech out and instead told an authentic story. And it worked." "I had a planning call for a pre-meeting..." "Over 40% of the global workforce are considering leaving their employer this year." "Look, I was also really busy shoving a baked potato in my face rather than reading the article." "The difference between Nicole and I: she's like 'I only skimmed it', and I'm like, 'That's all I ever do." "We might be facing the same shitstorm, but if you're in a yacht, and I'm facing a tsunami in a canoe, it feels a little f***ing different."  "How much structural change can you actually embrace to try and overcome some of this stuff." "When the pandemic hit, internal teams collaborated more, but external teams collaborated less." "Authenticity will spur productivity and wellbeing." "Be authentic, do that. But are you also encouraging a culture of authenticity?" "If you're in the wrong neighborhood, get out. But don't wait for the perfect house because you won't find it. Renovate your house with your own authenticity."

The Plejaren Spirit Teaching Series is a new podcast series dedicated to introducing other Billy Meier studies. The transitive spiritual energies flow throughout time and space as important ingredients in Creation, unfortunately, people misuse free will and end up sleepwalking in their lives. Channeling through the fabric of matter and reality, the dynamic physics of energy triggers catalyst events that serve as the agent of Creation in the Spiritual realm in the manifestation of thoughts and latent human interaction, or in other words is VALUE your intrinsic intersubjectivity, don't be an objective creature. Picking from this juxtaposition is a great source of literature written by Carl Young that examines the contemporary humanities of man in the present world of identity crisis, disorder, and re-discovering the being within you. Again, always take FULL RESPONSIBILITY for all actions in your life. www.higherdensityliving.com

In This Episode Brought to you by CameraEasy.ca. Anyone can take great photos. Visit cameraeasy.ca and use coupon code FB30OFF to get 30% off at checkout. Guest: Peter Slack On May 31 2013 a very well forecast tornado event happened outside Oklahoma City near the community of El Reno. This day was special and tragic at the same time. Not only was this the largest tornado ever recorded, but due to its forecastability and proximity to Norman Oklahoma, it was also the most researched and documented tornado in history. Sadly, the day took a tragic turn when 9 people were killed, including 4 storm chasers. Three of these chasers were Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras and Carl Young who made up the highly respected TWISTEX team. By anyones standards Tim Samaras would have been considered as a safe and experienced chaser. NOBODY expected Tim to be among the first storm chasers killed while chasing. It was unfathomable. As mentioned, the forecast was consistent and quite scary. In fact, the Storm Prediction Center in Norman Oklahoma did such an amazing job of forecasting that when we looked at the models the day before and looked at the SPC’s forecast, we put a pin in the map at El Reno and actually spent the night prior to the tornado in a motel in the town. The tornado ended up being 2.6 miles wide at its peak and there were radar indicated winds which peaked at almost 300 MILES PER Hour. Crazy. Officially the tornado was given a hotly debated rating of EF3 since after all, the EF scale is a measure of damage and not wind speed. Either way it was intense, dangerous and a day that none of us will ever forget. For this episode, we have brought together everyone who was in our truck that day including the director of photography Peter Slack who was shooting the entire time and documenting our experience with El Reno and what could easily have been the end of our lives. Here is how this commentary is going to work. We are going to play the video that Peter shot that day from the back seat of Flash, the Tornado Truck. I will stop the video at key decision making points and we will discuss our thoughts, and share some insight as to how and why we made the decisions we did. Facilitating the process will be our good friend Nick Schenher (NicktheBody) who was watching all of this unfold on our live stream. So if you would like to watch the video and see what we are seeing during this commentary, head on over to YouTube and visit my YouTube page by searching for Greg Johnson Tornado Hunter. You will find the El Reno video and you can watch and pause when needed. Next Episode Our Next Episode: We will be Joined by Tommy Chong of Cheech and Chong Don’t forget to hit the follow/subscribe button and never miss an episode.

Meet Amy Thomas, a magnetic mind coach as she shares her story of how she used depression, anxiety, and life challenges as fuel for self-discovery, healing, and connecting to spirituality and how she used the wisdom that came from it to help others heal and let it flow.Connect with Amy below...Facebook: Amy ThomasJoin Amy's Facebook Group Here...Get Amy's FREE Impact96 Mini-Course Here...---Connect with me on...Facebook: Rodolfo De AngeliInstagram: Rodolfo De AngeliFacebook Group: Become the Artist of Your LifeGet my Resources here...Want to share your story? Email me here...---Transcript---Rodolfo De Angeli  Here we are. Good to see you Amy it's amazing to have you here. How are you today?Amy Thomas  Oh, it's a wonderful day. Thank you. There's always a lot going on in my world. But I find that if I just remember to be present in the moment. Everything usually works out.Rodolfo De Angeli  Yeah, that is. That is absolutely true. As soon as we leave where we are we go way too far forward or backward. Everything gets out of shape, right? Amy Thomas  It's like having your foot on the dock and your foot in the boat. And it starts to drift apart and you're like, Oh, well, somebody is going down.Rodolfo De Angeli  Amy, let me introduce you the way you deserve to be introduced? And then set off this journey with you and share your story. Yeah, so I'm super excited. So I'm here today with Amy Thomas, the certified magnetic mind coach, founder of impact 96, a practice established to spread the word that we don't have to fix ourselves. We can create despite our circumstances, and I'd so love that we are not here to fix ourselves. Welcome to the show, Amy Thomas.Amy Thomas  Thank you. I just love the message that we're not broken.Rodolfo De Angeli  So true. I remember myself thinking that over and over and over again. Honestly. Back in the day, so that message to me, you hooked me for sure.Amy Thomas  Well, I'll tell you what, it's just amazing. When we look at the timeline of things that we would consider setbacks or difficulties or blows, you know, earth-shattering whatever that timeline is, it's really easy to conclude that we're the common denominator where the problem and it's so easy to slide into that trap that we have to fix something about ourselves to stop this cascade of setbacks or life or whatever is happening, but it's simply not true. It's not true. It's just life happening as life happens.Rodolfo De Angeli  It isn't amazing. Let me ask you a question. How would have live been different for you, if you had this understanding? Whenever this journey started for you,Amy Thomas  oh, it's profoundly different. But I will tell you I'm a little bit special. Because when I was a very little girl, three years old, I had what was called a class to Toma and it was a tumor that was in my ears, the mastoid process of my ear and what happens if you ignore it is it starts to devastate your hearing and it can impact your brain and it can ultimately kill you if you ignore it. My mom was on the ball and she notices that I wasn't hearing or listening anymore. And she knew that that wasn't characteristic for me. So she hustled me off to the proper health care to get this checked out, they found it, they stopped that there was surgery. And then they couldn't believe it, it went into the other ear, I ended up having happened twice. So what happened was, I lost a lot of my hearing. So from the time that I was little, I was in this isolation. And everything was just so strange to me, because I had been hearing and then suddenly, you're not hearing, you're not able to communicate like you're used to. And I really didn't get trained to be a hearing child until elementary school started. And so there was that gap there. And what I found was, it was really natural for me to reach for, say, the spiritual realm of angels. And I can remember little stories like that I can even remember that ghost stories, you know because I would have ghosts and things like that. So the implication is that I kind of viewed setbacks a little bit differently from the beginning. But I will say that it was not until I was much older, probably 2000. The year 2000, is when I really started diving into this work, that I was like, oh, it just all started clicking in place. So your original question of how would your life have been different if you knew this back then is so relevant, so relevant, even knowing that I already had kind of this jumpstart on connecting with the spiritual world, my inner world, the whole thing? And it still was, it was traumatic, it can be really traumatic to go through all those things in isolation?Rodolfo De Angeli  I bet I bet. So the change then when everything, so how long did that affect you? Like, you know, mentally, your or, you know, how long did that like.Amy Thomas  So by watching your prior episodes, I noticed that you and a lot of your constituents have dealt with depression and anxiety. And that's probably the number one thing that I had to deal with was depression and anxiety, because you just, you're constantly fighting this feeling of helplessness, fighting this feeling of the world being harder for you than it really needs to be. And then if we go back to what I said a few minutes ago about, it's somehow my fault, I created this, or, you know, I did something or I'm the common denominator that just contributes to the depression and the isolation. So it just kept compounding and compounding. When I was 15 years old, I did make the decision not to be introverted, and to be extroverted, and I could really radically see how things changed. But I still was depressed and anxious. And it went from three years old and all the way through my life as an adult. And the main thing is, is the more that I came to understand what depression was, the more I realized it was only temporary, it would seem to come out of the blue sometimes there was a catalyst, you know, a setback or something that occurred or somebody was mean or, or, you know, a disappointment occurred or your rug was pulled out from under you some time. But depression has characteristically for me had a way of just dropping in to say hello. I think it was Liz Gilbert in Eat, Pray Love, where she said that it climbed into bed with her shoes and hat and coat and said, Here I am, again, you know, something loosely paraphrased like that. And that's what depression was like, for me, it would just show up uninvited unwanted. And it's like, Okay, what are you doing here? Again, I thought we had an agreement. And but the main thing up until all this work was I would remind myself, it's only temporary. And that's how I would get through those episodes. Rodolfo De Angeli  That is so powerful, and, you know, after having suffered the anxiety and the depression, and, you know, and I don't know if he was the same for you, but when it was in the middle of it, you know, I felt like there was no way out and everything was like super overwhelming, right? But eventually today, or I guess, over the last 10 years, realizing what the soul was about and how many things actually had to change in my life. That was the cause of the way I was feeling. Um, would you agree that anxiety and depression the way sometimes I explain or I use a metaphor of, it's a little dashboard, um, you know, the little red light in the dashboard of our car, that sometimes you know, you might have You might be low in oil or whatever right? light comes on and says, Hey, not to scare you hear about, you know, on your next chance, just top up a little bit of oil, you're good carries good, everything is good, just, you know, be mindful of that and keep that in mind I'm wearing at the time for me was the engine is broken already right? So would you agree that this is that you see that that way as well that is the depression anxiety is a feeling that comes up because of something that needs to be addressed or something that we need to be aware of. And if we take care of that, it will just go.Amy Thomas  So what I have noticed is as much as it can creep in. And also, like you describe that check engine light, it's a red flag, that there were being invited to look at different things in our lives. And the number one thing that I always looked at was how am I surrounding myself with, you know, what am I taking into my body? Am I drinking too much alcohol? am I eating too much sugar, you know, check all of those things. And that's akin to your analogy of the check the oil, check the gas, you know, what else? Is there enough air in the tires? And then for me, the bigger one would be to check your own thoughts. Once your self-talk, what are you telling yourself? And if you can just get into practice. And this is me almost talking to myself and now to your audience and our audience? If you can just check to see what are you thinking about? Can you move that thought to a slightly higher vibration is slightly better feeling though, because I found that if you start out at say the continuum is a one to 10 and you're deep into depression, and you're at a one or a two and a 10 would be your bliss, there's no way to really jump from a one and a two up to a 10. And if you do manage to it's not sustainable. That's what I notice. But I did find that if I say okay, what does it look like to go from this one to two or three, four, hang out at three, four for a little bit, and then go to four or five, hang out there for a little bit and then go to 561 days, I noticed that my set points in eight, which is terrific compared to that one too. And that is a lot of that mindset that we learn about that positive thinking. And I can really dive into some of this and I have a feeling it'll come up organically. But one thing that I do caution my clients about is to not trip into the hole of denial. As Debbie Ford is my original teacher and she's saved and I always an acronym for don't even notice I am lying and I love. Denial really doesn't serve us. And the analogy that I tell my clients is, you know, if you have a pile of crap over here, maybe it's your depression, maybe it's a lousy relationship that you have, maybe you're not doing well in school like you want to be whatever your pile of crap is. And you have your whipped cream over here, the good stuff, you know, the stuff that you can appreciate and have gratitude for and say, Okay, this is good. No amount of putting that whipped cream on the crap is going to make that crap edible. keep them separate, deal with the crap and enjoy the heck out of that whipped cream.Rodolfo De Angeli  Totally, I couldn't agree more. And also the way you said before, you know, go for you can't go from a one to a 10 I totally agree. And, and I usually when I hear someone saying that they can do that, or teach that I call bullshit on that. Because it's just, it's not possible. And if it was, if it was possible, you will miss out on all the lessons that are between that journey from a one to two a 10 or an eight or a nine whatever that is because every single step we take I, you know, this is what I've learned on my own skin but also a thing in working with my clients. When you take the people in yourself to this journey, the one or two and then the three, four, and then we hit the five, we might take a step back and 567 you know, towards whatever it is that we really want to go to. Um, we can then learn the lessons along the way. And that is amazing. And it's incredible.Amy Thomas  Oh, not only the lessons to us learn but you also the people that you meet, the self-awareness, the opportunity for introspection, all of that is happening as you climb up that emotional ladder and why would you want to step over all of that I agree with you. Rodolfo.Rodolfo De Angeli  Yeah, yeah, yeah. And, you know, it's honor 10 times, you know, when people go through the challenge and feel they can go from zero to 100, you know, they feel they failing, but in reality, it's the journey. It's just simply the journey. And if we learn to enjoy that journey and to try to, you know, to, to look under the rocks and go and dig, what did what is this feeling? And like you said before, you know, when, when the thoughts that come up and all of that, right? And also what, what is the meaning that you give to those thoughts, right?Amy Thomas  Oh, yes. The number one coaching question in my book, is, what did you make XYZ mean? So if XYZ happened to you, what did you make that mean? If somebody did this to you, what did you make that mean? Because in that meaning is all of that rich, juicy opportunity to get to know yourself to understand life to understand relationships? So I agree. And we were talking about turning over the rocks to see what's under there, there's, there's so many nuggets of gold, that understanding that if we've looped back to your metaphor of the check engine light, how many of us are so shut down, or have been in our lives and so numbed out that we don't even see all the flags? So I described that the depression all of a sudden just climbed in bed with me, but maybe, in reality, I missed all the warning signs, because I was so numbed out or on autopilot, or whatever. And so I think when you go on that journey, and you appreciate that journey, you have more of an opportunity to notice those red flags, those check engine lights, and it's an opportunity while it's smaller, to address it before I can wait and heavy and it's crushing your chest.Rodolfo De Angeli  Absolutely. Absolutely. Let me ask you a question. Do you believe in the thought that? Sometimes? I don't want to say often, but let me just use sometimes just to be cautious here. But do you think that sometimes we can, we can be addicted, we can get addicted to our own depression and our own anxiety as someone would get addicted to alcohol or drugs or poor nor whatever else? Right?Amy Thomas  So that was a pivotal movie for me. I don't know if you and I ever talked about this before. But have you ever heard of a movie called What the Bleep do we know?Rodolfo De Angeli  No, I never saw that.Amy Thomas  Okay. So it's documentary style. And it talks about the premise that you just gave. And they agree that it can be addictive, much like alcohol or any other substance or shopping or gambling, and how they explained it. And I'll probably do a terrible job of it. But it'll be enough to communicate. The idea is there are biochemicals going through our body. And they can be ones that feel good they can be once they feel bad, those biochemicals have to be processed. So wherever they go to be processed, and I think they might have used the words like neurotransmitters and the receptors for the neurotransmissions. Because it's almost like a landfill, it goes to get processed. This is my analogy. Now, this was not in the movie. So if you imagine all the trash being picked up from your house taken down to the landfill, they have to move it somewhere. So they make a pile over here, they make a pile over here, they make a pile over here. And so in the same way, the body will have those neuroreceptors that process that neurotransmission and if you start to overload it with a certain biochemical it needs to have a place to process that so it develops those receptors. So let's say you do have a miracle here healing maybe Reiki does it for you or some other NLP or something like that. The idea proposed in What the Bleep do we know is that all of those neuroreceptors are still there. And they're clamoring for work. And that's the thing that agitates us. And that's what can cause us to start to create drama in our lives or to pick a fight with somebody because those neuro trans neuroreceptors are clamoring for that biochemical it comes from the stress from the drama or from the fighting from whatever it is, much like they showed with alcoholism or any other drug addiction where those chemicals have to be processed, and it triggers certain places in the brain. And it just creates this cycle of wanting more and wanting more and wanting more. So I do think that there is a very real possibility we get addicted to drama, we get addicted to the biochemicals that come from the depression or the drama or the fighting or whatever it is gossip even can do. Yeah, absolutely. Spot can do You know, whenever it is nice causing the biochemicals to flow through as there has to be processed somewhere.Rodolfo De Angeli  I totally believe in that. Because, and I want to take it. Um, and I want to take it even more personally even more on a personal level where I felt like, I can now talk for myself, but I see that a lot in my clients as well. Or when I hold retreats and people that come to attend those retreats. Oftentimes, for myself, like, like, you know, I like to talk about my story as in not to use someone else's, but I remember myself when I was deep in my anxiety, and, you know, barely being able to get up in the morning and, and go out to, you know, to make a living, or be out and have, you know, the 10th, panic attack, and so on. so forth, until, you know, I got to a point where suicide was, was my only way out, I then eventually, when I turned that page, I eventually understood also the way I was using the anxiety and the depression, to make myself actually, to get what I needed, what I was so much looking for, you know, as a kid, you know, my, my, my, my, my parents gave me away when I was eight months old. So, I was always in need of love. And I always tried to fit in into this world and whatever. And I kind of never knew how to do that. Eventually, the anxiety, the feeling that would come up, and me sharing that example, even before my wife, um, she will take care of me to look after me, she will, first of all, she will take any duties or any responsibilities, she will take him away, right? And she will look after me, she will prepare me food or make a tea or coffee or whatever, you know, look up, make me, you know, go to sleep and just rest and you know, you'll feel better later, whatever. All of a sudden, I was obviously the time I didn't realize that, although I think I probably did. That's why I played that card. So over and over and over, even though I didn't want to feel anxiety or depression. But there was something that was given to me. Yeah, just leaving something right. And any made it hard for me to let go of that anxiety because I thought, well, if I get like, if tomorrow, I don't have this, how am I going to get this?Amy Thomas  If you take like the common cold, so you get a cold near your partner or your sibling, you know, brings you soup and brings you a blanket and nurtures you and takes care of you that that becomes a benefit of getting a cold, cold. Same way, nobody really wants a cold. No, but in the same way, if it happens with depression, or it happens with codependency or it happens with alcoholism or whatever, then we end up getting indulged or cared for which is totally wonderful. So my answer to myself and to you to your clients to anyone who's listening is how can you give yourself that self-care that you're looking for or craving? And to how else can you get that self-care and that love that you're looking for instead of getting depressed or instead of picking a fight or instead of getting a cold because there's a lot of people that around me say at work that would get colds all the time, and I wasn't getting colds. So what's the difference? The coats on the shopping cart handle, you know, the different environments now because of COVID. So the analogy is a little bit looser, but before COVID you know, the common cold, there was always that person in the office that always had a cold and you can look at 1000 reasons why they always got a cold. But don't you wonder if they were getting some benefit from beingRodolfo De Angeli  Totally agree with that. And you know, one of the things that I do when when when my client when I get a new client or so, and they tell me you know, what they're going through and so on so forth. I always ask them, What are you getting from that? What is it giving you? What is the anxiety giving you and I you know as I would have done back in the days, what are you nothing is gonna give you Okay, let's settle that. Yeah, you're really what it what's the transaction? You know, when you say to a person I'm feeling this way, what are you getting back? You know, I want to bring that clarity. It brings so much clarity to the person. It's like, oh my god. Oh, right.Amy Thomas  It's true. It's true. I used to get migraines and I remember I went to GP Are you familiar with them? An author named Collin tipping. He says forgiveness he called his book radical forgiveness. And if you want a really good illustration of his premise is look up Jill's story. It's out there on the web. It's a PDF jail story and it captures the whole essence of what he teaches. Well, I went away for a three-day retreat in Atlanta, and migraines set in on the first night and I remember calling my husband and I was just crying on the phone. This is such bad timing. It's so awful. I've done I call it my Amy cocktail. You know, I take so many acetaminophen, so many ibuprofen, and a big cup of coffee, and it usually nipped it. No, I couldn't get rid of it. And I was so sick and I wanted to get the most out of this workshop and I'm weeping and weeping and all of a sudden, Rodolfo. I said, you know, if I don't try, nothing happens. And if I do try, it's so hard. And right then I saw the gift of my migraine, my migraines, were telling me, Amy, you're caught between a rock and a hard space. And as soon as I got that, the headache went away. Now I still had the after blow cuz you know, you're just sweaty and nauseous, you know, I had all that. But the headache was gone. And I was like, wow, that's powerful. So there, I mean, if a migraine can serve you.Rodolfo De Angeli  And that is exactly what did you said is so powerful. And I always say, you know, they sometimes this word, a phrase that is so powerful that if you get it, everything changes, right? If you can see what something that feels negative has for you, is there to teach you or show you or whatever, man life like that. If you really allow yourself to. Nope, say I know it all I've been here before I got it. And you know, just just just just empty the cup pride. Just empty the cup and allow What is this? Feeling? Why do I feel this way? Why is this coming up? You know that Why? Question is? It's so powerful because the answer is right there, right?Amy Thomas  Yes, it is. I have something to illustrate that a story from when I was at university and I had trouble making friends. But I had cobbled together a group of girls and we were living in an apartment together, two of us in one room to one another and to one another. So there were six of us sharing the rent. And they called me into the room for a talk and I didn't know what was going on. You know, I thought a little bit like it was an intervention. I'm like, what's going on? So that was unsettling right there. And they announced that they had all joined sororities over the course of our weird juniors going into our senior year, they had all joined sororities, and I had not and they were all going to be living in their respective sorority houses their senior year. So that man, Amy would not have a roommate. And you know how hard it is to find a roommate your senior year, you know because that's cobbled together all through university. So I remember that below. I kept a poker face. And they really weren't my friends. They pretended they were my friends and I remember them doing that. Oh, Amy, what are you going to do? What are you going to do? You know, and I don't know where it came from Rodolfo. But up out of nowhere, I said, Oh, no worries, I'll just be an RA up on the hill, which an RA was a Resident Advisor for this student dormitories. And it was near too impossible to get those jobs. And they immediately all jumped on that and said, Well, nobody can get those jobs. They're like coveted and they're already assigned and I said no, don't worry, I'm gonna get one for Delphi. I have no idea where I got that hunch from I have no idea where I got the inspiration. But I think that I was able to access it for two reasons. One because I didn't go into feeling sorry for myself my girlfriend suck. But I went into being deaf as a little girl and that intuitive. I think I heard the answer right then and it was low-hanging fruit. I just took it. Rodolfo. That's exactly how it turned out. I got the RA job. Everything worked out sweetly. I didn't have to hate my girlfriends. We stayed in a strange store. We did every step backRodolfo De Angeli  If you listen right here, it's there, you know, shut down and just go in, in crazy mode, right? Yeah.Amy Thomas  If you get yourself all worked up, you really can't get that thing, right, for sure.Rodolfo De Angeli  Amy, we're talking about spirituality just earlier, when you were going, you know, were you sharing the story, as a little girl and so on, and I feel there's a lot of spirituality and also, you know, I didn't get to ask you about and wanna, you know, get it to grow the magnetic mine couch. But I do feel there's a lot of spirituality connected with you and so on so forth. I love, to hear a little bit about your take on that.Amy Thomas  Okay, if you hit a ball, I think what I'll do is share one of my earliest stories, it's a ghost story, your constituents, okay with ghost stories?Rodolfo De AngeliAbsolutely Amy Thomas  I have permission because you never know who you are. And where I'll take it, then is how that ended up serving me later and how I even remember that. Let me just reflect for a minute. Okay, I'll start here, because there are different places to pick up your story. So I'm a three-year-old little girl, I lost my hearing. And I'm playing by myself. We lived in a haunted house that was a stone mansion, and it was on an institution. My dad was a well-known psychiatrist, and he was the administrator of the school. That was for at that time, they called it mentally retarded children. I don't and girls, they don't call it that anymore. But that's what it was back then. And this house was put on the grounds for whoever ran the school and the family could live there. And that's where we live. The only problem was, it was very haunted. My dad was very much a scientist. And even he said the place was haunted. So I was on that third floor in an empty room. And back then, this was in the 60s there was a tin dollhouse that I had and it was metal and you could rattle it, you know if your knuckles if you wanted to. And I play with my dogs. I'm pretty happy. I had my little Mary Jane's on my little dress. And you know how little girls can squat while they play in their dresses. So you got the image, I have my long hair, and I'm minding my own business. And all of a sudden three ghosts came in apparitions. And they were messing with me. They weren't really harming me. And I remember doing this kind of thing. You know, like being spooked out, but not sure. And they were doing this thing where they trailed her energy across your air. And it's just giving me goosebumps now. They laughed. They turned back and one of them said, we'll be back. So it sounds a lot like the Terminator. But that didn't trigger it for me. Many, many years later, I was in my probably late 40s working at the hospital. And my physician supervisor came in I wasn't in health care. I was in administration and I worked for a vice president. He came into the room did his thing. And then he was leaving. And as he was and I love this guy, so there was no weirdness, nothing. As he was leaving, he turned around, he said, I'll be back. And then Cheryl just went through me. I felt sick to my stomach. And I'm like, What was that? And I just said, okay, you have to tell me what that was all about. And all of a sudden that memory came back. And I remember that I was like, Oh, that's it, and what it costs for me, Rodolfo was kind of a life review of my spiritual experiences. And I was able to see this timeline of where I just kept getting visited to say, don't forget about this part of you. And you often hear that about children that are intuitive or psychic as children, they lose it. Well, mine wasn't gonna let me forget. And so as I looked at that life review, I saw how it played out and I'm like, wow, is this beautiful? and it included angelic visits and included just being really super spiritual in the Christian church, which is where I was raised to eventually becoming a weapon and then letting go of the weekend. And it's just all kind of melded into just the super-spiritual check. Who knows we have heavenly helpers. And we don't have to ascribe names or titles or anything, just gratitude and know that they're willing to help us and that's what it all boiled down to for me.Rodolfo De Angeli  So true. Wow. And do you use any of these gifts that you have in your work today still?Amy Thomas   Yes. I don't do it on purpose and they laugh at me because I never know when I'm being psychic. Okay, so I'm just like, Rodolfo, remember when you told me about X, Y, and Z and a, b, and c? And you're like, me, I never told you about them. Like, did I remember when you told me? I didn't tell you? And then it comes out that you never told me, but I definitely know it. How do I know? And my clients love it about me. In fact, that's how I got into being an angel therapist, you know, somebody who flips cards for people. And because I started out with Debbie Ford's doing integrated coaching, but I was just profoundly connecting so much that I was seeing the relevant piece that they couldn't even see it. Also remember when you did this, and that you were telling me about you're like, No, I never told you about it, but you're getting more and more irritated because I'm giving you more and more details. And migrated into Angel therapy. And that's where I can curse and use the F-bomb. And so I got titled The cursing Angel lady. But apparently, my followers were calling me the first thing, Angel, Angel lady.Rodolfo De Angeli  There's nothing worse than someone that wants to pretend to be something and keep it all together. And then you find out that they do, I believe, you know, being our true selves. And yes, sometimes the F-bombs come out and whatever it is, but this is, this is how we are, this is who we are, and we are not perfect. We were just we just another reflection of someone else, it doesn't really matter. Right? This is, um, you know, I practice and in shamanism, so they said, there's a saying in engine Maya that, that says "In Lak'ech Ala K'in," which means "I am another yourself." And, and I love that term. Because, you know, so many tried to keep everything together and be you know, super polite, or they are, you know, structured and whatever. But it's actually truly not them, and actually creates a lot of stress. Because you're so away from who you truly are just to pretend to be liked or loved or seen in a certain way, I'll be putting you on a pedestal or whatever. That is, that is a downfall to come 100%Amy Thomas  especially in our work, the connection is so important to really help our clients and receiving proper you just transmissions. times when the F-bomb came out to me and it wasn't me, I could tell it was just more like, I think this is something they're going to look into, for one reason or another. Maybe it reminded them of their dad, or maybe it reminded them of themselves, or maybe they were dropping the F-bomb in their head. You just can't push it down. I call it pinching off kind of like a hose. water flow. And if you go like this to the hose, it's good. Yeah, totally get it just let it flow out of you. And trust. Absolutely.Rodolfo De Angeli  I totally agree. I, I couldn't agree more with that. Because, um, you know, and this is something that I learned. I'm actually a lesson that I received from a teacher, that one one of my teachers in Peru, where I went, I go and practice or learn my own practice over there and hold ceremonies there. But one of the things that happened was that I met this this this person, which then became truly my, my friend, my brother many times my father for sure. Um, and my teacher, you know, my sister, Don Howard. And he used to, to, to hold the retreats at spirit quest in Peru, which is quite a famous place to go. He, unfortunately, passed away a couple of years ago, but he took me on his under his wing and started to teach me the practices and, and, and I really looked up to him, you know, I was like, Oh my god, you know, this. I mean, as a human, he was absolutely incredible. Um, as a friend and everything he was just next level right? And I got myself to really literally look up to him. You know, it's like, Man, this is incredible, especially human. But then eventually something happened that showed me behind the curtain, right and I'm which is nothing Bad on nothing that would, you know, put his practice under any sort of danger or, or a bad bad kind of thought about it. Nothing bad I was a personal thing. But what he taught me is he's only human right? It's like when who was really attended to go out on the pallet bringing with him one of his servers, and that would remind him, you're on the heels. So what, that was okay? To never look up to anybody because they only human, they're gonna reveal something about them that you will be disappointed and see, you will, you will have to make them work so hard to keep up these look, right. And all of the sudden, they will fall apart. Like if we put onto a pedestal because out crying or anybody you know. And oh, I can't say this, I can't do that, eventually will fall off that pedestal by ourselves. Because there's so much pressure. Right. And that was one of the things that I that I've learned.Amy Thomas  well in it and it's what's naturally being expressed. Absolutely. That's just what's naturally emerging and what another powerful coaching question is, who are you becoming? So who are you becoming? And if I don't feel aligned with say the F-bomb, then what was going on in that moment that the F-bomb emerged or what? Where am I going with that? You know, why did it come out? Then? Where was it taking me because something is emerging here? And ironically, maybe the F-bomb at that moment was so that I could be more relatable because maybe that tendency was there to me be on a pedestal because I'm the teacher or the coach or you know the guide. And maybe my client was starting to put me higher and higher and may be as soon as I had that fallibility that's a new F word, isn't it? It is I had that fallibility I became relatable again and now it's Yes.Amy Thomas  So I think it's just truly being tuned in tapped into who we are. What are we expressing? Why are we expressing it? And where is it taking us once it guiding us towards and I think if we keep checking on those things, we're going to be just fine. That's fine.Rodolfo De Angeli  understand and embrace it, embrace it. Beautiful Highlands you know, I always say a masterpiece. You know, if you go into a gallery and you look at a masterpiece it's you know the painter the artist was brilliant with working with shadows and lights and he put them together and that's why you know people travel all around the world to watch for this specific piece right? But our life is the same I know we live in a time where people just want the light you know I want to live in the light I am light and this that the other Well, where is the shadows because there's no light without the shadow when there are no shadows without the light ray grabbingRodolfo De Angeli  them both to push you to bring on more light if there's too much shadow and you know to bring down the shadow when he's too old bring more shadows too much light because I believe and that's only my theme but you know when it's too much light it was too much hairy fairy you know usually comes out from everywhere right? So brain some shadows there because I think you you You're way too far away into you know, this thing so I think this is a great talk that we are having now because again going back to people who suffer and again it doesn't have to be always depression anxiety, but also you know, feeling not good enough for this so that whatever you allow yourself to just be you.Amy Thomas  Yes, right. Yes. And don't apologize if you feel like you're not enough don't apologize if you feel like you don't belong. Just observe it and see when it teaches you about yourself if you think you're not worthy, observe it and then realize or reach for that better feeling thought. Alright, so I believe I'm not worthy. What's the evidence that I am worthy? You ask that question, what's the evidence that I am enough? What are the things that I am capable of? Fill in the blank? It's there, I guarantee it's there. Because everybody is worthy. Everybody is enough. Everybody is capable, everybody belongs. There's nothing you can change about the core person that will make you more belonging, or more capable, or more fill in the blank. More words.Rodolfo De Angeli  challenge that thought, right. Yes. Usually, we challenge with challenges, the positive thought, which challenge? Oh, I did really well. Not really. But if we, if our thought is negative, we don't challenge we believe that Right, right.Amy Thomas  What is that? Why don't you? Why don't we challenge it?Rodolfo De Angeli  Yeah, challenging. As you can challenge the good thing, you know, if someone tells you Oh, you did really well, right there. Oh, you know, it wasn't really I did better last time just constantly shitting on yourself, right? Where instead, um, you know, when when we when something negative, you know, we just Oh, yeah, no, that wasn't good. You know, it's like, good. What about lots of that? You did? Well, you know, we forget right. So, yeah, I think this is so crucial. And, and, and reflecting everybody, pride, we all have that thing. God is is that. But when once you see that even people talking, you know, and even, you know, the work we do, and so on so forth. And I say all the time, I don't listen to me, because I'm full of shit. Right?Amy Thomas  What do I know?Rodolfo De Angeli  What do I know? I have no idea, right? I don't know. No. So I had to, you know, too, to come like, Yeah, I don't know, someone that comes to you and wants to work with you. Sometimes they might see you like Oh, this person already, you know, is like, so way ahead. Do you know what I'm saying? When I tried to crush that? I don't want to be that I'm not way ahead. I'm actually just right there.Amy Thomas  Leveling the playing field.Rodolfo De Angeli  100%. Right. And as you think, at times, that you're not good enough. Trust me. I think that too, sometimes, as you think you're not loved or whatever, you could have done better. Hey, hang on. I got that too. Right. We all have it, anybody? Well, we might have learned is to challenge that thought, rather than only challenge the good, the positive, the things that we have done,Amy Thomas  right? I agree. And the only difference really between me and the person standing next to me, is like you said, I challenged it. And I've now recognized what it was so that I could make a different choice around my thoughts or my feelings. That's the only difference. They know that they can do it too.Rodolfo De Angeli  Absolutely. I mean, right? All we need is clarity. Sometimes we just do not see it's like in Buddhism, you know, the Buddha says we have every single human has Buddha-nature. The thing is, is like we have these mirror, where it's it's like we just had to shower and the mirror is fogged. And if you go and look in the mirror, you cannot see yourself. So all the Buddha says is to start cleaning that mirror and get a glimpse, even just a tiny little glimpse of who you are, which is there in every single soul. All of a sudden everything changes. Oh, that is me, you know and embrace that. You know, I believe it's key for healing. It's key for moving forward and be the person like you said before, who do you want to become, you know, who are you when nobody's watching? Who are you? You know, these people around and all of a sudden you have to go to the restroom. Everybody has to go there, right? And we usually go by ourselvesAmy Thomas  I'm having an experience now where somebody just passed away that was really dear to me and gave us the 29th of April. So it's really rods really. The sense I get is that they're there all the time. It changed my shower experience. It changed my bathroom experience. It changed when I'm flossing. Even as I walk in. There's clutter down here. It's like Oh, it changes everything. But you know why? It had a way of just humanizing the relationship and creating this intimacy. And actually, I know from the past that it could have made me more insecure. But instead, in this ripe age that I'm experiencing, it's actually making me more secure. So that's proof that if we can find a way to be safe with our vulnerabilities, there is power there. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. so powerful. so powerful. And you know, what happens? Compassion will come up. Yes. Cooking.Amy Thomas  Talking about the mirror, I wanted to interject and say yes, but look in that mirror with compassion.Rodolfo De Angeli  Yes, absolutely. You know, we are so hard on ourselves, people are so hard on themselves. And yet, if they see someone else, they jump all over them, and they want to make them feel right and, and beautiful. But they going there with an empty cup, you know, a little bit more compassion to ourselves, and a little bit less judgmental. Do you know what I'm saying? I mean, at the end of the day, as I said, Before, we all full of shit. Never gonna be perfect. I mean, honestly, imagine a world perfect, right? Imagine, imagine a world with the same tree, the same, the same colors, the same amount of leaves the same trunk, the same everything. It will be absolutely disgusting, right? You go to the woods, because it's, it's a mess. But that mess has so much harmony and so much reconnection to yourself. Because it's the, you know, imperfection makes it perfect, right? And all of a sudden, you kind of feel like home, it's like nature from Latin. I'm home, right to be born. So it's like, yeah, to be with ourselves. We want to be perfect. You know, we want everything to have to be that way, you know, and they're idle. And yucky, you know?Amy Thomas  So I heard it coined probably by you about getting messages from our messes. Yes, you say that a lot. I thought it was. And it's so true. There really is just so much and, and I agree, we really don't want perfection. And another little thing that I reach for is if you write the word imperfection down. I am totally imperfect I am. Yes.Rodolfo De Angeli  Once we see life like that, see, even Yes, we go through challenges, right? I mean, yes, things happen. This, like you, said at the beginning, you know about Chad, let's not deny that it's right into denial. This is not happening. It is happening. I mean, I was abandoned by my parents. I was sexually abused. I was told that you did have an issue with you. That shit happens and happens. Yes, it's unfortunate, right. But it didn't happen to hold us back. It happened because he was just, you know, another way to learn something, you know, and if we can see that.Amy Thomas  So offer it to waste. Two metaphors that will seem to contradict each other. But I'll make my point. And it has to do with that resistance that you just described. So when you have a setback or something goes terribly wrong, or there's something traumatic, definitely, there's a lot of resistance around that. No question about it. But when we get down to the idea of resistance in mechanics of the world, when we want a mountain climb, we put cleats on our shoes to create that traction. So we know we can use resistance to help propel us upwards. Likewise, if you take the sport of curling, where they're trying to get that little orange to go, they're trying to smooth out the Yes, I think the differences to mindfully decide do I want the resistance? Can I use the resistance? Or is this the time to let go of the resistance? The resistance out of the way and if we're conscious and mindful of that. Life can be so much smoother, no matter what it throws at us. Oh, my God.Rodolfo De Angeli  Yeah, totally. Absolutely. Couldn't agree more. I couldn't agree more. So let me ask you... Tell me about magnetic mind coach, tell me about that.Amy Thomas  So the beautiful thing that captured me about that is I really enjoy Abraham hicks. And so I was headed into YouTube to watch Abraham hicks who know what the topic was. And I popped this, you know, redheaded guy Qt, you know, probably half my age, and he's just cute as hell. And he says, what I'm about to tell you is going to change your life forever. And I was hooked. I might have it I get hooked. It's a stupid YouTube ad. So I watch it through and the guy's premise was this, this concept of accessing the superconscious, the collective unconscious, how Carl Jung said it. And accessing that knowledge that field is Joe Dispenza calls it to govern our lives to guide our lives. And it was his promise about removing the resistance, just getting it out of the way. So what if you're depressed, create Anyway, what a great story. This is me now, what a great story. If I can say I was depressed for 50 years and look what I created anyway. Amen. Right. Amen. His main premise is don't fix yourself, you're not broken. You just wrote a book called you're not broken. It's launching tomorrow as a matter of fact. So it's out there, people want to get a real quick dive into it. It's great stuff. And I was just hooked because I was an integrated coach for 20 years. Loved it. This is Debbie Ford's take on Carl Young's and Shadow Work because you talked about the shadows. And what we would do is go in and we discover or uncover sub-personalities, so part personalities and these are the keepers of our different shadows, we can have light shadows, and we can have dark shadows. A dark shadow might be around integrity or honesty, or whatever you name it and doing well in school being pretty in school, you know, whatever it is, you know, and when it has that negative energy, it's considered a dark shadow, when it has positive energy such as she was an A student, and she has the most beautiful voice that I've ever heard. And, gosh, he's the best debater I've ever met. You know, those are the light shadows. But we tend to hide our light shadows under a basket. Like you said earlier, we discount what we're doing right. And our next dark shadows we don't even argue with we just take them for what they presented. yesterday said personality processes were all about diving in and finding out what those parts of ourselves had to teach us. So a process I did one time was I came from a family of no at all. We are just obnoxious around the table. And you know, you ask an engineering question my oldest brother takes over and will tell you everything about you know how that battery was made. You ask a psychology question, I jumped in and I know it all. It's so obnoxious, Rodolfo. So I did a process on it, to get to know it. There's no at all part of myself. And you know what the wisdom was that I heard it, just be still and listen for what you don't know. Because it will be there. So even if I think I can finish their sentences or finish their sentences better. Listen, Amy, for what you don't know. And it just changed all my relationships once I got that sub-personality. So it sounds fabulous. It's wonderful. But you know what the problem was, there was always another sub-personality that needed attention. And that was always another process that needed to be done with a magnetic mind. There isn't what you do is you just show up you say this is what I want to create. This is what seems to be standing in the way it's usually a limiting belief or it's, you know, a memory that's telling you, you can't do it or you don't want to do it because our unconscious wants to keep us safe. And then you just move that resistance out of the way and then you go and create you come out of the process with inspired action and the most important thing you do is take that action because so many people don't follow through. Yeah. And it was Campbell who said, you know that the life you ought to be living becomes the life you're living, and the doors open where you never knew they were going to be. That's what's happens when you take inspired action. When you allow your superconscious to guide you. It's just absolutely phenomenal. How I would sum up magnetic mind I just I love it. I love it. Rodolfo De Angeli  I freaking love this. All right, now in the podcast towards as we as we are getting towards the end. There's a part of the podcast where I want to share your song The song that your favorite song, right? What are we gonna do now we're gonna listen to that song. For a little bit, and then I'll get back to you.Rodolfo De Angeli  I never heard it before. But I do love it. And definitely, life is a circle. But my question to you is this, what does this mean? What does this song mean to you?Amy Thomas  Well, it definitely triggers something very sentimental into me. And what it causes me to do is really find how precious life is. And whether we believe in past lives, or we believe it's just this life that we're going through one time. I think that we revisit patterns throughout our lives, and we just keep coming back around. And at the end of the song he talks about, you know, I've met you 1000 times, I guess you've done the same because we're all in it together. And if I've met you 1000 times, you know, I've met your listeners 1000 times, right. And if we just honor what's going on in them, as we entered an honor, what's going on in the world would be so much more peaceful, there'd be so much more attractive for the lights, as we described. And I think it would just be so much more fulfilling. And the funny thing is, the song actually brings up melancholy for me, it's not necessarily uplifting, but it's so tender and so beautiful and so sincere, that I think that that's why I love it so much. And it just stirs up all this gratitude and appreciation. That is so beautiful. IRodolfo De Angeli  definitely can hear that in your voice. And you know, this is a part of when I hold my retreats, my shamanic retreats, and the people are invited to drink medicine and in medicine that comes from the end is a very, very powerful entheogen. And I know that every time I am the last person to drink, and as I lift my cup to drink before I drink I always say I drink this medicine for the good of all. Because it's not about us. Right, Amy? Learn about us. Never had. It never has been never will be. You know, it's a bad everything. It's about the good of all the good, the good of everything. Right? And that's why you do the work you do I do the work I do. It's not to be seen a different way or No. Look at me. I got it all sorted out. Man, I got so much shit. I can you know everybody does. But we still decide to push through, we still decided to instead of letting it overpower us. We tried to use it as mud to build this wall. This thing this masterpiece. That is our life. You know, so I, yeah, I totally agree with you. When you say the service and you know what the song represents? It's not just about us.Amy Thomas  Never, never will be you know, now. Now it's really not. And I don't leave self-awareness on the table by any stretch of the imagination. But I definitely my dad tells a story or told a story. He was in World War Two. And back then they at night could go off top ship. He was on some sort of carrier, he could go up and just look at the stars as the ocean. And he talked about this profound sense of significance and insignificance that occurred at the same time. And it came from looking at those stars and realizing that he was so tiny in this vast universe. Then at the same moment, he could feel that he was everything in this universe Anyway, it was really profound. I remember driving home from school one day, and he told me that story and luck, it's stuck with me. And it was the seed for this concept I have of the 100 100 theory where you're 100%, humanity, and 100% of the entity. And if you don't try to do 7030 or 5050, and you strive for that, 100 100 the service you're going to be able to provide the humanity is going to be over the top, the life that you're going to live is going to be so fulfilling the love that you're going to attract. So I just really believe in this 100 100 and it has to do with being 100% divinity 100% humanity 100% significant 100% insignificant, and just keep filling in the blank. And it's not to diminish us. It elevates us when we juxtapose the two together.Rodolfo De Angeli  This is what your dad's story 100% reflects Is this apart again? When I am during my preparation and you know about to serve the people and so on? is there's you know, speaking to spirit, I don't call it God to me, it's spirit. And I was you know, I think to show us devices as it is above it is it is within us right it's the thing you know, and yeah 100%Amy Thomas  I love the stories that I have where I experienced that are amazing because I could totally be and I fear-based experience in my human humanity and have all the symptoms sweating, shaking, heart, breathing. But then you have this overwhelming divinity that's just balancing it all out. So you have all the physiological but you have this divinity and you know, everything is okay. It's a profound experience. And I think it can deliver you the one time that it happened to me I was involved in a car accident where I should have died three times. And you know, the first part of it was well, the first part is actually me almost going off a cliff and I was talking out loud and I was terrified but I remember being really calm. I said no, no, no, we can't go over there and I'm pulling the wheel like this and then I start shooting across two-four lanes of traffic into the traffic heading on. I said that's not gonna work. I remember this fight but you know, those medians in the middle cause the car to start to roll and I can feel the client I said no, that's not gonna work either. The car clunk down, and I pulled off to the side of the road, just stood there and all my physiological emotional response, but completely calm. I got out of the car, people started pouring out coming up. One guy was ranting and raving and saying, You are all over the road. Like, I didn't know it. I put my hand on his heart. I literally touched him. I didn't say a word. And in my mind, I said, I know I was all over the road. I don't need you here. When the police come, I just need calm. And I need this to just be a miracle. I need it to be okay. So please just go. And I remember he went like this. And I didn't say any of that out loud. All I did was put my hand on his chest. He went like this. And then he turned around, gotten his truck drove away. It seemed to be a cue for everybody else. Everybody else drove away. And I was left with one woman who sort of knew me from our community. And she stood and waited till the police came and the police were completely calm. And that's what I needed was calm. I first did it. And the police were completely called. They were amazed at the cliff. They could see my wheel had gone off the cliff. They're like, how did you not like go? I'm like, I don't know. And then they could see the tire marks on the other day. How did you not I'm like, I don't know... the car was totaled. They're like, how did you I said, I don't know. Rodolfo De Angeli  This is absolutely is Wow. It's beautiful. I really appreciate you so much Amy for doing this. Now. I do this usually towards the end of the episodes of my podcast and there is a question is, if you had a question for yourself, if you could ask yourself a question and give yourself the answer. What question would that be? Amy Thomas  And as I right now, is it in the past? No. Right now, I know what question I reached for first, but I want to see if something else comes up. So let me just be quiet for a moment. Okay, now I have to listen for the answer so that computers that hold on. Okay. So the first question I heard that I automatically reach for is what I already said earlier, who are you becoming? And when I ask, Who am I becoming? I just see this magnificent person that has all of these wonderful qualities of humility, humanity, love, intelligence, ease wisdom, all of it rolled up into one. That's who I'm becoming, and I love becoming her. And that led to the real question for this particular moment is Amy, what do you love? What do you love? And it was almost beyond words, the answer that I saw because it was almost like this big, really light. And so if I had to put it into words, I would say I just love ease and lightness that lightness of beingness I love being but I also love being relatable. I love being human. I'm on the planet after all, so I don't want to be some Earth Angel. Somebody called me an earth Angel. Once I'm like, No, I'm a human being let me tell you.I'm on the planet. I wanted all that I really love all that light, all that ease all that sense of well-being but bring it baby because I'm strong enough to take it.Rodolfo De Angeli  So good. I love it. I love it. Wow. Wow.So before, before we wrap this up, Amy, anything you want to share anything more you want to add any more you want to say?Amy Thomas  Well, I'm just really dying to hear the answer view again. What question would you ask yourself and what would be your answer? Do you mind me pivoting back to you?Rodolfo De Angeli  Put me on the spot right here. The last time I worked with Don Howard Lawler in Peru. He was very, very ill he suffered from amyloidosis. And eventually, he passed away from kidney failure. He was really, really close to my heart. And when we held our last retreat together, which was in August 2018. And then he started to do chemo and went to the US because he lived in Peru and, and, and went back to the US to do some therapy. And as we finished there, he left the retreat center, but I kept on doing some more work with another teacher. Sad for another month, more or less. And before he left, he came to say goodbye. And I remember he put his hands on my shoulders. And the last words were you match on hermano! And sometimes the question is that am I matching on? You know, am I truly marching on to make no to him? not follow what he taught me in and all of that, but for me for really coming on you know full circle on my own life. Sometimes I do ask myself, am I really marching on...? The answer? The answer is I think I am. The answer, honestly, is it's not a categorical Yes. No, no, definitely not. It's not a no, but it's not a categorical Yes. And I think there's a bit of humility required on my part here, and I gotta be honest and say I think I am. Now I think there's a lot to learn still, I think there's a lot of things do to still, you know, break down and make them a little bit in smaller pieces. But I think the answer I think I am. So yeah. Thank you for putting anyone on the spot, right, there we go.Amy Thomas  He's probably with you, what do you feel? Like? That's possible?Rodolfo De Angeli  Oh, yeah. Oh my god. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Because I do, you know, I hold the retreats every four to six weeks. And we have one coming up now this weekend, the next one. And obviously, I do a lot of my own work here, you know, using those antigens and, and just learning in the practice, and I follow practices 3500 years old. So it's a very old lineage that I was taught in. So there's a lot of learning that needs to go into that. So he's always there, you know, he's always coming in, his energy is always coming through. And even when I hold my retreats, you know, there, there are times where, I mean, I'm doing a particular thing during the ceremony. And I can really feel him sometimes really, truly comes through, and I can literally see him shaking the maracas thing. We had, we had a really, really strong, strong bond, also, because I never wanted to do this work to tell you the honest truth. And he was the one that actually saw more than what I ever have seen before that, and, and it started teaching me and eventually, he eventually invited me to hold ceremonies at his center, which no one has ever done before that for 45 years before that, and then eventually, we held ceremonies together at his retreat center. So he's, he's, you know, is really close to my heart and as a person that I miss in a physical way because I used to love listening to him talk, but, but I am blessed to be able to connect with him when I need to, and, and it's, it's, it's beautiful. Absolutely.Amy Thomas  The name that I give to him. And to my friends and intimates that come through are the invisible intimates. Yeah. And there, they're only him in the flesh and bone we miss. They're so present. And I love how you describe that you could see his hand coming through. Yeah, yeah,Rodolfo De Angeli  sometimes they lead through and because they, they practice and we, we have in Mesa, which is an altar, which represents the Andean cross, and this is where the ceremony goes now. And you're, you're coming towards the front, where you drink your cup in, in also when you want to connect to the energies of the altar in the ceremony. And sometimes he, he literally is at the mesa as a walk pretty much into him. It's like this, this incredible, I get goosebumps, just talking about it, but it's, yeah, it's very special, very, very special. But I have that with my dad as well, though, my father and I never had a great connection when he was alive, whenever I was unable to repair that relationship as I did with my mother. So I wish I had done that in the human room, but we did that in the spiritual realm. And my father is, is also coming in. And I get to, you know, to, I guess, hang out with him sometimes and just talk to him, especially when things got tough. And, you know, in recent years when my you know, my wife went through cancer and, and all that stuff for us losing our company and whatever, you know, they gather around.Amy Thomas  They definitely feel them. I can't really separate their energy, but sometimes you can. I know when my dad comes, he smoked certain pipe tobacco and not be able to smell it. And nobody else can. One time though, when I was at the hospital working. I remember Lisa came into the office she was, just welled up to smell that and I was smiling because I knew what she was smelling but I was waiting. I didn't want to feed her you know, so you don't have to watch.Rodolfo De Angeli  That stuff exists for sure.Amy Thomas  Yeah, oh my god,Rodolfo De Angeli  Oh my god. Um, so we have had to wrap it up one thing you would like to share with anyone who will listen to this or watch this a tip one thing two things, what to do in case of whatever, I know you have a beautiful gift for any listeners, I will put the link in the descriptions, but also on YouTube, it will obviously the link will come up as as a banner on the bottom, which is a beautiful gift from you. But yet what is.Amy Thomas  So I think I'd circle back to one of the earlier parts of our dialogue says, no matter what you're going through, always reach for that slightly better feeling slightly better thought and allow it to guide you to the next thing and feel welcome to hang out there for a little bit to see who you meet, what thoughts you have, what realizations you have, what you come to know about yourself, and then reach for the next one because there's really no ceiling on joy and love and bliss. And as you're reaching out, I would invite you to allow it. Because a lot of times as humans, we're conditioned by our depression or we're conditioned by how people treated us. We're conditioned by circumstances. And we think that if these are the circumstances or a person's treating it this way, or we have depression, that this is how we have to be, and it's not really true. So as Rodolfo said, question it. Question it. You really have to be and who are you becoming? And as you ask that question, have the courage to hear the answer, have the courage to do something different, because you probably will be invited to do something different and it might be uncomfortable. And remember, it's okay to be imperfect. It's okay because imperfect is on perfection, I am perfect. And if you do want any shortcuts, they're out there, you know, but we don't know if they're all sustainable. But I will make a pitch that the re-codes with magnetic mines so far for me have been sustainable. I've been amazed. So keep that in mind. And I think Adolfo, you've probably noticed with your work with your shamanic work, that there are different things they do with journeying. And there are different things they do with the ancestral, I'll call them treatments that do take and they do make a difference. So if you really do feel like you want to cut through all the yuck and the muck, there

Brett Cooper is President and co-founder of Integris Performance Advisors and Evans Kerrigan who is the CEO and also co-founder of Integris. They wrote the number one bestselling book, Solving the People Problem. This show is packed with hacks and tips, you'll learn: As leaders, we don't really have as many people problems as we think When people have a different perspective, that's an opportunity, not a cost or a challenge Why 62% of employees blame negative workplace conflict on personality differences How using psychometric tools helps your build great engagements and relationships Get your free special gift – DISC EQ REPORT https://solvingthepeopleproblem.com/disc-eq/ (Access Code HACKER) Join our Tribe at https://leadership-hacker.com Music: " Upbeat Party " by Scott Holmes courtesy of the Free Music Archive FMA Transcript: Thanks to Jermaine Pinto at JRP Transcribing for being our Partner. Contact Jermaine via LinkedIn or via his site JRP Transcribing Services Find out more about Bret and Evans below: Brett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettmcooper/ Evans on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanskerrigan/ Integris Website: https://integrispa.com Solving The People Problem Website: https://solvingthepeopleproblem.com   Full Transcript Below ----more---- Introduction Steve Rush: Some call me Steve, dad, husband or friend. Others might call me boss, coach or mentor. Today you can call me The Leadership Hacker. Thanks for listening in. I really appreciate it. My job as the leadership hacker is to hack into the minds, experiences, habits and learning of great leaders, C-Suite executives, authors and development experts so that I can assist you developing your understanding and awareness of leadership. I am Steve Rush and I am your host today. I am the author of Leadership Cake. I am a transformation consultant and leadership coach. I cannot wait to start sharing all things leadership with you. Joining me on the show today is Brett Cooper and Evans Kerrigan, both co-founders of Integris Performance Advisors. They co-wrote the number one bestselling book, Solving the People Problem. And before we get a chance to speak with both Evans and Brett, it's The Leadership Hacker News.   The Leadership Hacker News Steve Rush: In the news today, we explored the characteristics that folk are looking for from their leaders, particularly the end of a pandemic. The CMI completed some research to see if the behaviors that folks are looking for have changed over time. COVID weary and locked down Fatigued. Employees are looking to their managers now to lead them through the gloom and giving the much-needed energy, inspiration, direction, and hope. So, let's dig in and find out what the CMI have told us.   In their research, they outlined what they believe to be the five key behaviors for leaders in 2021. They are charisma, resilience, empathy, and communication. So, charisma. Charismatic leaders inspire people to feel good about themselves and do great things and feel great about themselves. Managers who can do that. Not only achieve a lot more, but they achieve deeper, meaningful relationships. Yet many of us believe that charisma is something that's beyond us. Other people are charismatic. So how do we learn to be more charismatic? Well, by being authentic and more impactful in the way we present ourselves. Having a sense of purpose for the people around us and what we genuinely care with warmth and compassion. People naturally feel more charismatic towards us.   Second resilience. The pandemic has demanded resilience from everybody. And particularly for those that we manage, right? To build resilience in teams, managers need to remain positive, demonstrate positive energy and show great care for the people that they lead, doing whatever they can to help them. Go in the extra mile and making sure that we do whatever is possible in the current circumstances.   Empathy, empathy keeps it reappearing. It's a core tenant of any leader. So why is this prolific right now? Well, according to the CMI, trust is in short supply. Will I catch COVID from the person walking past me on the street? Is my boss going to make me redundant? Does the government really know what he's doing? So not only are we having this internal dialogue. Managers have to deal with this as well. Showing empathy is much harder to do when you remote working. It can be really difficult to gather that facial expression from a Zoom or an Ms Teams call. It means managers really need to ask how people are feeling and demonstrate they understand.   Communication. With so many people now working from home, in the future of work, being a co-working hybrid. Communication skills have never been more important to keeping workers engaged. Keep communicating with all colleagues, telling them what's happening, what they can expect and in return, what you'll be expecting from them. Lack of engagement amongst staff is bad for business. Finding time to stay in touch, talk through issues either as a team or one-on-one does take discipline and does take effort, but in doing so, it will mean that you reap the rewards for you and them alike. Communicating stories of hope, positivity is just what's needed right now. So, what's your key essential ingredients for leading your teams? Head over to our social media, posts on our sites and let us know exactly what you think are the most important characteristics of leadership coming out of the pandemic. That's been The Leadership Hacker News. If you have any news, stories or insights, we look forward to hearing from you.   Start of Podcast   Steve Rush: We have an awesome duo on the show today. We have Brett Cooper, who is President and co-founder of Integris Performance Advisors and Evans Kerrigan who's CEO and co-founder of Integris, and between them, they wrote the number one bestselling book, Solving the People Problem. Before we introduce them, you'll want to stick around to the end of the show because Brett and Evans have a very special gift that you can partake in, just by being part of our community, but Brett, Evans, welcome to The Leadership Hacker Podcast.   Brett Cooper: Thanks Steve, Excellent to be here.   Evans Kerrigan: Thanks, really looking forward to our conversation.   Steve Rush: Me too. So, what would be really helpful is for each of you, maybe just to give us a little sense of how you arrived at working together at Integris and a little bit about your backstory. So maybe Brett, you can kick us off.   Brett Cooper: Yeah, absolutely Steve, would be glad to do that. Evans and I have a long history together. We've been working together for almost 20 years. The first decade of our relationship was actually with a different organization. We were at the time in the early two thousand, working in the what's called the Lean Six Sigma Space. This is the process improvement methodology that was sweeping the world in late nineties and the early two thousand. And we were helping big organizations, GE, Cisco, Starwood, organizations like that implement this kind of process improvement methodology. And Evans, and I did a lot of really good projects back then, but one of the things we kept hearing from our clients was that they wanted to change the DNA of their organization. And we recognized at the time that the efforts that we were doing to train them on the skills associated with Lean and Six Sigma and process improvement, well that wasn't changing the DNA of the organization.   We realized that there was a gap in the work that we're doing, and that gap was really associated with activities related to leadership behaviors and team dynamics. And so, we started bringing a little bit more of the leadership and team dynamics into the work that we did and it started going so well that we decided that we wanted to take that on in a much larger way. So, we actually stepped out of the old organization and we launched our company, Integris Performance Advisors in 2011, with the idea of really going after the goal of expanding the existence of healthy organizations and great places to work. And we did that by continuing to do a little bit of the Lean Six Sigma process improvement work still, but we really got very focused on helping leaders be better leaders and teams be more effective. And that kind of set us up here. Evans, I'll let you take it over from there. Evans Kerrigan: Sure, Brett. So, we've been doing this work now for multiple years and we've just come more and more to the realization that if we can actually hear one another, listen to one other and understand the different perspectives we come from. It's amazing what people can do. Part of why we got into this as Brett mentioned, doing all the continuous improvement work, what we found was the limitations weren't that we would come up with bad answers to things. The limitations were on the execution, on getting buy-in from people, on the communication, on misperceptions that people had about what had been discussed and what hadn't been discussed. And it really came down to the fact that it is those relationships in those communications that are so critical. And we were fixing big business processes, but not fixing necessarily some of the underlying leadership team and individual communication issues and processes that actually drive the ship for most organization.   Steve Rush: It's an interesting philosophy, really, because for many years, folk have experienced a real kind of challenge when it comes to making change happen and efficiencies because they have a perception. You can change a process with a process. And actually, research has told us in the work that you doing has proven that's actually the behavior that changes the process.   Evans Kerrigan: Absolutely, and I can even go one step further. It's actually that mindset. It's that understanding that when people have a different perspective, that's an opportunity, not a cost or a challenge. It's actually, that's an opportunity. That's where we can learn. That's where we can move. That's where we can go forward. And all too often, that's not the normal human reaction to somebody having a different perspective or pushing back on a point. So, it's really if we can get people to actually, in our language, we talk about really honor those differences. That's really the secret sauce that enables a whole lot of challenges that have seemed really major, actually be addressed much more quickly.   Steve Rush: And talking to the secret sauce. You guys have been working together for over 20 years, lasting longer than many relationships do these years. What's the secret sauce in your relationship?   Brett Cooper: I got to say, it's largely what we write about in this book. As you will learn Steve, through this conversation, Evans and I are really different guys. We have different energy levels. We focus on different things. We have different communication styles, different personality styles. And early on in our relationship, we were able to recognize that those differences between us, those things are going to make us each stronger and they're going to make us stronger as a team. So, there are things that I bring to this relationship that Evans doesn't bring, and there are things that Evans brings to the relationship that I don't bring. And as Evans was just saying, we have learned to honor those differences and yeah, to your point 20 years later, it's just really effective in being able to create and run up a pretty successful business.   Steve Rush: What was the pivotal moment in you working together when you realize that actually it's about relationships that you need to focus on rather than process?   Brett Cooper: You know, for me, it was back, long before we started Integris, when we were really focused, almost exclusively on the process improvement kinds of methodology. And in my role with that business, I was the guy who was working with the executive teams to plan out the initiatives. And it really was one particular executive at one point used that phrase, hey, I want to change the DNA of this organization. And it doesn't seem like we're moving that needle. To me, that really held the mirror up and made me realize, you know what? We're doing some great work, but something has to change. And by having that mirror held up, it really allowed me and then through conversations with Evans, kind of say, you know what? There's a better way. Let's do this differently.   Steve Rush: Hmm. I love that. So, Evans, you collectively wrote the book, “Solving the People Problem”. So, when I read that, I thought, well, why didn't you write the book, “Creating the People Solutions?”   Evans Kerrigan: Well, there's actually kind of an interesting story around that whole title of the book. What we found was, we had people keep coming to us with what they termed people problems. And it's kind of a frequent thing in the consulting business. People come to you saying, hey, these people have a problem. At one point, the subtitle of this book was different. The subtitle of the book that we actually were thinking about using was, Solving the People Problem and the subtitle was, and You're the Problem. Because our belief is, we don't really have as many people problems as we think. People aren't the problem. Our inability to communicate, to honor one another's differences, to be able to actually see one another as individuals all the time, instead of as the issue that I have to kind of get through, that's actually the problem. It's not the people are a problem. It's that we don't necessarily communicate in the most effective way with one another. We don't work with what other well enough. And what we found is, part of why we use the people problem is because everybody thinks they have a lot of people problems. We just think they may be wrong. So, we want to redefine that a little bit. It's how do I actually work with people better, but it's not that other people are a problem.   Steve Rush: Yeah.   Brett Cooper: If I can chime in just to add to that. Steve, there was a research study on conflict in the workplace a couple of years ago that really was instrumental to do what we do. This study uncovered that 62% of employees blame negative workplace conflict on personality differences. Now, if we peel that back, it's actually a startling statistic. What's that saying is that 62% of us experienced the innate differences in the people around us as a potential source of conflict. So, we think that's a really big problem.   Steve Rush: That's huge.   Brett Cooper: That's what we call the people problem. It's not that the differences exist, but it's that far too many of us don't understand those differences. And more importantly, don't honor those differences. So, as we were naming the book, we recognize that the ideas that we were sharing really are at the heart of solving this people problem. And thus, a book title was born.   Steve Rush: Awesome. Love it. And to help peel back some of those layers and to help improve some of that, self-awareness, you've relied very much on psychometric testing to remove some of the emotion and provide some of the reality to those folks. How did you arrive at psychometric testing Evans?   Evans Kerrigan: Well, that was actually kind of really an interesting and simple way for us to go. Some of the research around emotional intelligence, which has been out their kind of over the last several decades. Show that people really kind of resonated with the general idea of if I can get better at my emotional intelligence, I'll be more effective. What people seem to struggle with though, was what were the steps I could take to actually start on that journey. And some of the research that we took a look at said that people self-identify themselves as emotionally intelligent, but those same people who identify themselves as having emotional intelligence at the same time, struggled to actually identify their own emotions unless they were relatively strong emotions. So, our ability to actually even discuss the topic and have that self-awareness most people are somewhat limited in that area. So psychometric testing gives us the ability to get us into that conversation, to provide us a language, to talk about what are our patterns, our biases, our general tendencies and strategies, and to do it in a non-judgmental way. Where emotions are bad. It's emotions just are. So how can we actually discuss them in a rational way to kind of take a look and better understand my own reactions, my own behaviors and what I might do to start to modify those. So, from a self-awareness perspective, it enables us to kind of pull back layers of the onion so that we can actually see how we are interacting with the world around us.   Steve Rush: And therefore, it becomes much more thoughtful in the conversations you have and less subjective, I guess?   Evans Kerrigan: Yeah. It's really helped us move from the almost natural human reaction of I'm right? So, others must be wrong. To say, no, there's actually a bunch of different perspectives. All of which may have some value, but if I start with that I'm right, so others must be wrong. I can't even hear the value on the other side. So, how do we kind of lift that conversation up a little bit? So, we can say, hmm, you know what? Those differences are opportunities for me, not stressors. And how the human brain works, we don't differentiate physical threat from social threat. So, if I look at somebody having a different perspective as a threat, I had that same fight or flight response that I might, if I were being chased by a wild animal. So, I've got to do something to interrupt that practice so that I can actually slow down a little bit, actually hear what the other perspective is and see what's there to learn, what's there to gain from and how can we move forward?   Steve Rush: Now, there are a number of different psychometric tests available in the marketplace. Many of which have been born from the work of Carl Young. You arrived at DISC and I just wondered how this helps you provided that language to help people better understand themselves, right?   Brett Cooper: Yeah, you're absolutely right. There are a number of tools out there and we believe that all of those tools have their place. Some of them are really good at helping you really understand yourself. Others are perhaps something you might use during the hiring process. What we have found is that DISC is a framework that works very, very well in the space that we're talking about here. The space of team dynamics, of getting people to understand what drives themselves and what drives other people. What allows people to communicate more effectively with each other. So, I can give a quick little understanding, explanation here of DISC. Steve Rush: That would be great.   Brett Cooper: DISC is actually an acronym. It's D-I-S-C and it's an acronym that stands for dominance, influence, steadiness and conscientiousness. And the thing that we love about this, DISC model is it's something that's very simple for people to understand and utilize in the workplace, because what it does is it uses two spectrums of observable behavior. The first spectrum is how fast paced and outspoken are you versus how cautious and reflective are you. And now most of us can think about our own pace and view others. And we can kind of say, hey, you're know what? That person is a little more fast paced. That person's a little more cautious, a little more reflective. So, it's something we can observe. The other spectrum looks at. Are you more questioning and skeptical when it comes to new ideas and new people, or are you more warm and accepting?   And again, this is something that we can essentially observe as we interact with people. So, what DISC does is, it takes those two spectrums and puts them together in a cross and essentially creates four quadrants. So, when we talk about the D the I, the S the C. Each one of those quadrants essentially is identified by this spectrum. So, taking it to the next step, D the dominance personality style, these are the people that are fast paced and outspoken, and they're questioning and skeptical. These style people are results driven, they're action driven. And they're going to challenge your thoughts. If we look at the, I quadrant. The I quadrant is people who are fast paced than outspoken, but they're warm and accepting. So, these are people that are moving really fast, but they're really focused on enthusiasm, collaboration. They're kind of life of the party, kind of people.   If we keep going around this DISC circle, we can get to the S, the steadiness quadrant. The steadiness people are warm and accepting of new ideas of new people, but they're a little more cautious, a little more reflective, right? There not speaking up. They're not the first to speak up in meetings. They really care about supporting other people, but they like things a little bit more on the stable side, and then rounding it out. The final quadrant C, conscientiousness. These are the people that are questioning and skeptical and more cautious and reflective. These are the people that really focus on accuracy and getting the job done, right. They're typically more private people. So, they're not likely to share their whole life story right out of the gates, but they're really get focus on how do we get the job done.   So, there's a little overview of the DISC kind of circumplex there. Steve Rush: Like it.   Brett Cooper: I actually have a story from the books. Steve one of the things that we did in this book is, as we were writing, we reached out to a whole bunch of people to have them tell us basically their stories about the people problem. And we got a number of really fantastic stories back of people getting the aha moment. And I have one short story in here that I'd love to read.   Steve Rush: Please do, yeah.   Brett Cooper: It highlights an aha moment. So, it's titled saying good morning. And it's by a woman named Megan who is a performance and learning consultant. And so, this is what Megan told us. She said, my boss and I get to work early every morning. We're the only two people in the office. For a long time, I would be at my desk and he would just blow past me. After barely saying, good morning, he would close his door. And I was left thinking, why does he hate me? What did I do? So that right there, Steve gets back to that 62% of people blaming differences on conflict.   Steve Rush: Yeah, it does, doesn't it?   Brett Cooper: So, she continues. It was very frustrating and my feelings were hurt every day. Then our department began increasing our DISC understanding, and I discovered that I'm a relationship-oriented S and my boss is a results-oriented D. The next day, when he blew past my desk, again, I was hurt. But then I started thinking about the characteristics of a D style person. When he was walking into his office, he was probably thinking about all of his tasks for the day. He is in business mode and his decision not to stop and chat, isn't a reflection on me. As soon as I embrace this way of thinking, I no longer took his behavior so personally, because I realized it had nothing to do with me. She concludes by saying, I still don't understand why he shuts the door. And I chuckle when he does, but it doesn't hurt my feelings. I understand that we are different and neither one of us is right or wrong. We just are different in how we approach the day.   Steve Rush: Love it. Difference makes a difference.   Brett Cooper: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And we have story after story, both in the book and just that we've experienced on our own over the last, you know, 10, 20 years that uncovered exactly that kind of thing, where people explain that. Yeah, the personality differences used to be a source of negative conflict in my workplace, but as soon as we started to understand them and then embrace and honor them, things changed for us.   Steve Rush: Yeah, absolutely. And that Evans, you also overlay EQ and you talked about emotional intelligence earlier on top of that psychometric testing. Can you maybe just describe how that EQ has a relationship with DISC?   Evans Kerrigan: Oh, absolutely. So, if you think about an emotional intelligence is, more and more studies are coming out about how important it is for our long-term success and our ability to work together. And in reality, when we are called in to work with senior leaders, it's most frequently actually an EQ type of issue. It's not about their business skills, it's about their relationships, their personal skills. So, we know this stuff is really important. And as I mentioned earlier, part of the challenge for people is I know I need to do it, but what are the steps I can take? What are the things I can do? So, we found that DISC provides us a language to actually start to talk about kind of a very simple model of EQ that says there's really kind of four elements that we need to really build.   The first is about looking at ourselves and actually being aware of, who we are? And how we interact with the world? How we make decisions? How we move forward? So that self-awareness, we call it, know your style, is really all about that. And DISC is a wonderful way for people to kind of better understand themselves. We've had people who will take a look at what they get in a DISC report and realize, oh yeah, boy, this really describes me very well, occasionally a little bit too well. I honestly, the first time I did it, I was pretty sure somebody had been following me for the last several weeks to write the report. So, people get a little bit of self-awareness. They understand how they are interacting with the world around them. They also need to have awareness of others, right?   So, I build that awareness of myself. I build that awareness of others. And in this case, we talk about no other styles as a way of kind of shorthand. So, in those four styles that Brett talked about, there's still a great deal of variation in there, right? In any one of those styles, you're looking at a quarter of all people. So, there's a lot of variation, but there are some similarities. Those similarities, let us get into conversation to better understand other people. Better understand other people's needs. The things that make them uncomfortable, the things that get them really excited. So, it's helpful for us to build that. So, awareness is one piece of that, both self and others. And then we take it to the application of it, because just having knowledge, doesn't actually make anything move. It's really about how we apply that. And when I better understand my style, I start to understand what are the things that I do that are helpful and what are some of the things that I do that I need to be a little bit more aware of and a little bit, I need to adapt to my behavior a little bit. So, we talk about making our decisions wisely and actually deciding to behave in a certain way. I am an S style. I tend to be a little bit slower to respond. I tend to be a pretty good peacemaker. So, when things get a little bit tense, I might have a natural tendency to kind of pull back from that conversation. I'm a CEO, that's not a great idea for me to do, right? I've got to step up and spend some more energy to modify my behavior, modify my natural style in situations where that's called for.   And then the fourth of those elements is that we have to adapt our behavior for mutual benefit. So, my style is knowing other styles in a team situation, in a leadership situation, in an organizational situation saying, what can we do to be positive for all? It's not about how do I win a conversation? It's about understanding, oh, there needs enough that we can make sure that their needs are getting met along the way as well. So, those skills of self-awareness, other awareness and self-application and other application fit really nicely into using this DISC language as a roadmap for deepening my understanding of each of those four elements and moving forward in ways that we can be more effective in those elements. So, the beauty is that EQ unlike IQ. I can continue to develop and I can grow. So, we all take a look at where we are now, but figure out what are some steps along the way to getting better.   I was just having a conversation last week with a team that's been working together for several years. And we started talking about styles and about who we were as people. And I had them share just a couple of things. And it was really remarkable. And this happens all too often in the work world, as they shared a little bit about childhood and a couple of other things that I asked them to share about. Every person on the team, said they learned something about every other member of the team. These are people who have been working together for a while, the fact that we work together and we don't actually know the other people we're working with creates a lot of opportunity for us to have friction where we could have understanding.   Steve Rush: Yeah, really interesting overlay, isn't it?   Evans Kerrigan: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I mean, we look at it. If you can build relationship, understanding and caring and honor those differences, it's amazing what problems just melt away.   Steve Rush: So, here's the thing. With all your experience and knowledge of psychometric testing and people behavior, is there a trend or a zone or a sweet spot within the psychometric tests that you've completed that creates that high-performance leader?   Brett Cooper: You know, there's a number of tools out there Steve, that we found effective. There are two that we actually use quite frequently. The, the first is an EQ survey that connects up with the model that Evans was just talking about. So, this is a survey that we can actually let all of your listeners take as soon as they want to for free. It's associated with the book, but the EQ survey is something that we designed to give people that opportunity to kind of self-reflect on those four areas that Evans was talking about of knowing your style, choosing your actions wisely, knowing other styles and adapting your behavior for mutual benefit. So, if any of your listeners want to take that EQ survey, they just go to solvingthepeopleproblem.com, look for the what's my DISK EQ link? And when they click on that, they enter the access code, “HACKER”.   Steve Rush: Brilliant.   Brett Cooper: For Leadership Hacker Podcast, of course, but if you enter “HACKER”, they're going to be able to take that survey. And as soon as they're done with the survey, which takes most people about 5-10 minutes to do. They're going to get a personalized report that is going to give them not only a high, medium, low kind of a score in those four areas, but more importantly, it's going to include some very specific tips, things that they can do right now, either on their own or with their team to help improve their own emotional intelligence and try to get themselves to that next level. So that's kind of the first tool that we have for folks. It's really a mirror for people to kind of hold up and get an idea of where they sit on this framework of emotional intelligence. And then the other tool that we use quite broadly is a tool called Catalyst.   Catalyst, it's essentially a DISC oriented assessment that creates a directory across an organization of every employee and what is their DISC style. So, this is a fantastic interactive platform that an organization can embrace, get all of their people on it. And what it allows them to do is it allows any employee to double-click on another employee's profile, learn what their DISC style is. Learn what are some of the things that really energize them? What are some of the things that stresses that person out? And it even does a direct comparison between your own DISC style and that other person's DISC style and gives you very specific tips on, you know, how do you connect better together, if you're working together on a project? Here's some ideas for how you can be more effective. So those are the two tools that we find are really powerful for organizations who are really trying to drive metrics like employee engagement and team dynamics, team cohesion. You want to increase those two things? Use the EQ survey, use the Catalyst platform.   Steve Rush: We'll make sure that the link to the EQ surveys in our show notes, and we'll make sure that anybody who listens to this has the opportunity to get out there. So, thank you for allowing that as part of your gift to us for being with us.   Brett Cooper: Absolutely.   Steve Rush: So, this is part of the show where I get to flip the lens a little bit and look at you as individual leaders in your own right, and I'm going to ask you a number of questions and hack into that to great minds of yours. So, first thing I'd like to ask Evans, what would be your top three leadership hacks Evans, if you had to distill them?   Evans Kerrigan: Sure, oh, I love this question because it actually made me think a little bit to get it down to three. I've heard so many over the years but here are the three that really jumped out at me. The first is for a good leader is work on your questions. There's great power in questions. And in keeping that curiosity alive and making sure that we're asking the question so that people can find answers themselves rather than us supplying them answers. I think a good leader helps grow the people around them by asking those questions, by bringing people up by helping them to look at the world and continue to grow their competence as well as their confidence in the fact that they can solve problems going forward. So that's my first one, work on the questions cause that's where the power is.   The second I've already been talking about this one, a bunch, but it really is important, which is to honor the differences. When I view somebody coming with a different perspective, as risk, as a challenge, I tend to get little bit locked up. I get defensive. I'm not hearing as well. And in the real growth opportunity for me as an individual and for our organizations is when we can actually hear one another. And we were kind of specific around. It's not even just understanding the differences or hearing the difference. It's really honoring those differences because other styles, other preferences in ways, people kind look at things, they all have value. It's actually really about honoring that value so that I can really truly listen and learn and understand. And then the third is for me, almost the definition of leadership, which is always focused on the success of those around you. It's not actually about focusing on your success. Leadership is a service job. It's about making everybody around me successful and I'm going to accidentally end up being successful if they all are. So, as long as my focus is on making sure that the people around me get great things done and are growing as individuals, I can't help but be successful. And the other fun part of that is, if you can actually really celebrate the success of those around you, that's the fun part of the job anyway.   Steve Rush: Yeah. It is. Isn't it? And celebrating the differences that created that success is even better, right?   Evans Kerrigan: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.   Steve Rush: So, Brett what would be your top three?   Brett Cooper: Yeah, my top three, not surprisingly similar to Evans there. And I would say they're all rooted in the concept that leadership is a relationship. So, any relationship takes two to tango. So, the first hack really is to know yourself. And I think a lot of leaders really have a good understanding of their strengths, but they have blind spots. You know, as leaders, we sometimes think that, hey, everything we're doing is so great. And we don't really recognize how we're coming across to the world on the negative side. We all have strengths, but there is a truism that very frequently is, strength overused can become a weakness? So, the first hack I would say is know yourself, take an honest look at yourself and really try to understand how you come across the world, too the world, both in the good and in the perhaps less good.   The second is kind of the opposite of that. If leadership is a relationship, you need to understand other people. And we like to talk about the platinum rule, I guess, as everybody has heard the golden rule, right? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. We actually abide by the platinum rule and the platinum rule is to treat others as they would have you treat them, right? It's a nod to the fact that we all have our own preferences. And if your leadership philosophy is to treat everybody the way that you want to be treated, you're going to be missing out on a ton of opportunity to build relationship. You want to be treating other people as they want to be treated. And the only way to do that is to really get to understand the preferences and the styles of other people. And so, my final leadership hack really would be the combination of those two things. And as a leader, you need to go first and as a leader, it's your job to help everyone on your team and everyone in your organization to do those two things, to understand themselves and to understand others. So, you know, don't keep these ideas to yourself, get out there and embrace them with your team. And everybody is going to learn more about themselves and more about each other when you do it together.   Steve Rush: Definitely. I think they are great. And the great news of having you both on this, we get double hacks, so that's awesome.   Brett Cooper: Nice.   Steve Rush: The next part of the show, we've affectionately called Hack to Attack, and this is just simply a time in your life or your work where something hasn't worked out well, it may be gone wrong, but the experience has taught you a positive outcome. And you use that now as a force of good. So, Evans, what would be your Hack to Attack?   Evans Kerrigan: So, this really made me think a lot. Partially I created a long list. And then, kind of trimmed it down because I think those things that don't go well, those are the fantastic learning opportunities. That's where you make the jump forward. But one that really sticks out to me is very early in my career. After I got out of the air force, first started working in corporate America. I did a project; I been involved with quality stuff for a long time. And so, I did a project. I did an analysis around something our organization was doing that I didn't think was really the right way to approach that situation. And I did a really good set of analysis and really kind of ran through it and came up with, you know, what we should do moving forward and then went to present my findings.   Very proud of my analysis. I had missed an aspect of my analysis that I think I probably should have known. I mean, I call this a BFL, a blinding flash of the obvious. I looked at the details. I looked at the data. I did not look at the context and history of what I was now challenging. Had I looked at the context in history, I would have realized that most of leadership in the organization had a hand in putting that policy into place for the organization. And I might've had discussions with them ahead of time because to this day, I still think it might've been a good idea to move, but I didn't do any of that groundwork. I didn't do any of that change management. I didn't have any of those conversations. I rested on the pure data, the logic of the situation. And the reality is change never happens just by logic. Change happens by being able to approach people and being able to talk with people about the logos, ethos, pathos, all of the matter, right? I can't spreadsheet my way into change. And so that was a really good lesson for me. And actually, kind of has changed my career a great deal in that. That's really the part of quality that we talk about first now is know who your people are, know what are the things that are important to them, et cetera, because that's going to enable you to actually make change happen, not just activities,   Steve Rush: Such an important lesson, thanks for sharing it. So, Brett you're Hack to Attack?   Brett Cooper: Yeah, my Hack to Attack actually came from an exercise that we did with our team a number of years ago, it's something that we use with clients and it's something we use internally. And it turned out to be a major aha for me, it's an exercise that we call the appreciation seat and what the appreciation seat simply does is something that your listeners can actually use with their team. But we get everybody on the team. And one at a time, one person on the team sits on what we call the appreciation seat. Now this is a figurative thing, and you can do this over Zoom, so you don't have to have it in a chair. But what happens is when the person is sitting in the appreciation seat, everybody else on the team goes around the circle and gives two pieces of feedback. The first is, here's something that you do that really helps move the team forward, keep doing it, thanks for doing it, we appreciate it. And then the other thing that each team member will give is some kind of a tip or a piece of feedback around something that you do that might slow down the team a little bit. You might be a little more productive if you don't do that quite as much. And so, when we were doing this exercise, a number of years ago, one of my colleagues, Renee, I was on the appreciation seat. She came to me and she said, all right, first of all, Brett, the thing that you do that really moves our team forward is you're always ideating. You know, you're always thinking about the future.   What's next? where are we going? And, you know, you get the projects on the list for us, and that's fantastic. Thanks for doing that. Then she said, and you know, Brett, the thing that you do that slows us down a little bit is you're always ideating and everybody starts laughing. And I mean, almost immediately, I recognized what she meant, but she continued. She said, you know, after you've created these ideas and after you gotten us engaged in pursuing the idea, we're now getting to work and we're rolling up our sleeves, we're going through the details of, okay, how do we implement this? Well, you, in your ideation, you're always onto the next thing. And you don't give us time to focus on making a reality out of the first idea that we all agree we were going to work on. And for me, the reason that this is a Hack to Attack is that, all of my ideating going back, as far as I can think of, I was always looking at it as productivity. I was being productive. I was being effective. I was helping my team. And because of this experience, by having one of my team members kind of hold up that mirror and say, that's good, but there's another side to it. It has made me realize that I need to check myself. And it really has driven me to change some of my behaviors. So, Evans might not believe this, but even though I still come up with a lot of ideas, there are so many more that I don't mention for this exact reason.   Steve Rush: Just in case.   Brett Cooper: Just in case.   Steve Rush: It's funny though. I think one of you talked a little earlier about that whole strengths and overdrive becomes a development, that's an example of it, right?   Brett Cooper: Right on.   Evans Kerrigan: And I would say this is a work in progress.   Brett Cooper: (Laughing)   Steve Rush: Moving swiftly on, I don't want the 20 years of relationship to start breaking down live on air. The last thing that we're going to do is metaphorically, hold the mirror up for you once more and just ask you to do a little bit of time travel and you each independently get an opportunity to go back and bump into yourselves when you're 21 and you get to give yourself some advice. So, what would your advice be at 21 to you Evans then?   Evans Kerrigan: And so, I think my advice to myself at 21 would be to own each challenge. By that, I mean, when things aren't going well, to own that problem in the perspective of taking a look at what I've done and saying, how have I potentially contributed to this? How might I have been part of this so that I actually give myself agency to say, what can I do to improve it or to make it better? If I look back at my younger self, I'm sure there are times when, you know, blamed people around me for things that happened that I probably have at least a partial hand in. And I think it's so easy, especially in a team, if other people agree with you, for us to commiserate around what leadership has done or around what another group has done or something like that. But as soon as I do that, I've given away my agency to actually make a difference in those situations. So, if I look back and I look at the things that I've regretted at times in my career, it's probably times when I may not have stepped up, at least not early enough in a process to say, you know, how am I part of this?   Steve Rush: Like it.   Evans Kerrigan: Because if I wasn't part of it, I can't actually fix it either. I think too often we separate those two.   Steve Rush: Yeah, you're right. So, Brett, how about you? 21, what's your advice to Brett then? Yeah,   Brett Cooper: Yeah, 21, I actually have an 18 and a 19-year-old daughter right now. So, the advice that I would give to myself at 21 is pretty similar to the advice that I'm trying to give them right now, as they're entering college and trying to figure out their next steps. And that really is to be conscious about what you really want out of life, what you value. And don't be afraid to make adjustments along the way. My dad used to tell me that there are three types of people in this world. Those that make it happen. Those that let things happen. And those that just wonder what happened. So, I I'd tell my 21-year-old self, as I'm telling my 18- and 19-year-old daughters, be the first kind, be the type of person that makes things happen and be proactive in making your life what you want it to be. And again, don't be afraid to make adjustments along the way. You are going to be learning and being exposed to so many new things. As you go through this life, that if something comes across your life. You get an opportunity or you learn something new, don't be afraid to embrace that. If you find a you know, a change to your path, embrace it and live your best life.   Steve Rush: Awesome. I don't think I know anybody actually, who still does, 20 years later, what they were doing at 21. I'm sure there are many people who are, but you know, often our paths will take a different route and a different perspective, right?   Brett Cooper: Yeah, gone are the days of, hey, I'm getting a job with a company and I'm going to retire with that company, to your point. See, some people do that, but it's the vast minority of people that have that kind of career path any more. Steve Rush: Absolutely. So, time has whizzed by, I would love to spend another hour talking to you, but I'm not sure our listeners would subscribe to that episode. Albeit we could have version two next time around for sure. So, for folks who have been listening to us talk today and wanting to a little bit more about the work that you do, where's the best place for us to send them   Brett Cooper: Best place for them to go is to solvingthepeopleproblem.com. If they go to solvingthepeopleproblem.com, they'll be able to connect with us directly from that website. Importantly, they'd be able to take that EQ survey that we talked about. Again, they just need to look for the what's my discount DISC link and enter the access code hacker, and they can learn more about the work we do. They can learn more about that catalyst platform. And we also share some of our ongoing ideas and observations about the world through that website.   Steve Rush: We'll make sure it's in the show notes, along with any of the social media links that you are frequenting so that there are a multitude of ways people can connect with you.   Brett Cooper: Fantastic.   Evans Kerrigan: Thank you.   Steve Rush: So, I just wanted to say it's been great talking. I've really enjoyed the way that you approach what you do and how systematic you make something that is really complex, become really transparent and easy for people to understand and allows us all to embrace the differences in our world. So, for being on our show, thank you ever so much, Brett and Evans.   Evans Kerrigan: Thank you. This has been a lot of fun.   Brett Cooper: Thank you, Steve. This has been really fun.   Evans Kerrigan: This has been a lot of fun. So, thanks a lot.   Steve Rush: Thank you both.   Closing   Steve Rush: I genuinely want to say heartfelt thanks for taking time out of your day to listen in too. We do this in the service of helping others, and spreading the word of leadership. Without you listening in, there would be no show. So please subscribe now if you have not done so already. Share this podcast with your communities, network, and help us develop a community and a tribe of leadership hackers.   Finally, if you would like me to work with your senior team, your leadership community, keynote an event, or you would like to sponsor an episode. Please connect with us, by our social media. And you can do that by following and liking our pages on Twitter and Facebook our handler there @leadershiphacker. Instagram you can find us there @the_leadership_hacker and at YouTube, we are just Leadership Hacker, so that is me signing off. I am Steve Rush and I have been the leadership hacker.    

Monday, December 21, 2020 - The Bee Better Certification program is a collaborative effort involving the USDA, farmers and the food industry to create a more pollinator-friendly environment. Joining us to discuss the program is Erik Mader, with the Xerces Society, which developed and manages the program. ~~~ Mark Trahant comments on the Interior Department and the nomination of Deb Haaland as secretary of the department. ~~~ A touching Postcard from the Prairie for Christmas from Eliza Blue. ~~~ The death of Carl Young’s mother inspired him to start a Covid memorial project. With the plan originally focused on North Dakota, the vision is now expanding to the rest of the nation.

Larry P. Arnn and Carl Young join Hugh Hewitt to discuss Polybius.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Larry P. Arnn and Carl Young join Hugh Hewitt to discuss Polybius.

Alright, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of the mind to George show and you'd figure the podcast name like that. I would know what episode it is, but I have no fricking clue because that's not important. It's the content that's important. And today. I might've done an intro on this episode. I don't know, but I'll just pretend I did it today.We have the man, the myth, the legend, my soul brother, my work husband, my life husband, the only relationship I'm allowed to go pursue actively. My wife's like you go do whatever you want with him. I don't want to know about it. Uh, a business partner, a mentor, a friend, uh, someone who shares in the work with me, someone who guides me and lights me every day.And I am honored. Exuberant to two, realistically excited introduce my boy Stefano. So Steph, welcome to the show. My friend, it's been a long time coming. It's an honor to be here. I know. And just so everybody knows the only time I can pin, like one of my best friends down to get on a call is to get them on a fricking podcast.So I have to preschedule interviews like six weeks out in advance. Like, Hey man, catch up. Like, it's good to see you. How are things. It's been crazy lady, man. I was training this morning and I was thinking to myself, I need to re I need to read that I need to revamp my whole schedule because I'm just not, I'm just compressing my days too much.I actually thought this was fucking funny. He said this, what would George do? I legitimately thinking, what would, how would George, if he felt that he was being compressed in his days and on the I'm efficient and effective? Yeah. I just feel too compressed. And I just literally said to myself, pause is about to do some presses kettlebell prisons.What would George do? So I'll be hitting you up for that. I, you know what, like it's, so it's such a prevalent thing, but like really one of the things I'm on day, whenever you're listening to this, that might be on day 1000 of this thing, but I'm on day 35 actively of Andy Frisella 75 heart. There's nothing in the challenge.That's hard. It's the discipline to carve out the time and protect the time that I've had the biggest, biggest breakthroughs with. Then it's like in the beginning, I'm like, well, I'll just do a two hour workout in the morning. Right. And then I get both 45 minutes, but it's like, no, it's two separate. 45 minutes.And so like having that level of intentionality is carved out some crazy, crazy space clarity, but also the ability in which like, I really do schedule my day and I'm able to get more done and last, because I have these breaks and these pockets of like, just fill my tank, come recharge. And so I get more done in three hours than I was doing like seven before, because I forced myself to split it up in the middle.It's been really, really interesting, which by the way, everybody wondering, um, Stefanos has been monumental for me and many other men. We were on a men's group together too. But one of the things that we talk about a lot is like space containers, you know, protecting that stuff. But before we get into that, I want to know how you learn to protect it.So the first question I ask everybody is what is the biggest mistake that you've ever made in business or life? And what was the lesson and takeaway. The biggest mistake that I've made in business and in life sometimes you're I don't want to say it the biggest, I shouldn't say the big one. Yeah. It's it's, it's, it's a massive one is not assuming responsibility for my role, you know, in, so the example in businesses, I would be in businesses that would just.Succeed than fail, succeed and fallible. That burn build mentality right on month, I'd be making a shit ton of money and the next three months would be nothing. And the next two months and maybe something and the next full months and not much. And it was just, but, but I was never, I was the common denominator in that.And. I would just, instead of remaining with the business, being persistent and evaluating it from a place of what can I do differently? How can I show up differently? It, my attitude is, do I need a skill up? Do I need educate myself more? Do I need to surround myself with different people? Do I need to raise money or created a flux of income in a different way?Instead of asking those questions, I would just blame my business partners or blame the market timing or blame someone else. Yeah. Wasn't showing up in the business and then I would just move on to something else. And that's what I was doing in my personal life. I was not taking responsibility for how I was showing up.I wasn't taking responsibility or ownership for the actions that I was taking, the thoughts that I was having, the belief systems that supported all that, the unattended to history and trauma and unresolved wounding that I had. And it was just easy to blame my partner or easier to blame someone else as well.That's one of the biggest issues that I've found in life and taking responsibility which is. an ego check and it requires a lot of work and effort, and it means working with people like psychologists or counselors or Shaman, healers, and all of that coaches and getting a new perspective on how I was  being and stepping into all, what could I do differently that started changing my path.George:  I asked you to answer for you, not diagnose me and give everybody a synopsis of my, not that different. This is why we get along so well, by the way, because we speak the same language on multiple levels. I think I want to unpack this a little bit staff because we, you and I talk about this all the time and wheneveI get you on a call, but I will give him credit. He responds to my text messages all the time. So I will say that I am the initiator in this relationship, but we'll work on that one.  Stefano: I want to say though, it's not an it's it's I don't think it's as steep as what you may think. I think I initiate, but I'm gonna give it to you. I'm going to give it to you, definitely in the shed and took it. Cause I don't love you. No, because I don't care for you.  George: No, it's cause I'm more insecure than you. That's all check on the ownership. I'm like, we want to talk about ownership. I'm like, I am feeling lonely and empty today. Where's my husband who is going to tell me how amazing I am while also kicking me in the balls if I need it today. And so, no, I love it, but I think, you know what, like. When we think about business, we think about entrepreneurship, right? Like you and I talk all the time. We don't separate into compartments. We're not like, Oh, today at work and today in my marriage. And today when I chunked that workout or today when I got really angry and I dropped all my Australian cuss words, that sound attractive when I say them, but dirty when George says them, you know, when that happens, we don't. Differentiate the compartments and the pockets. And I think what's, so imperatively important about what you said, and you're more eloquent about this stuff than me. Cause I just bulldoze through it is that there are no compartments, but you talked about the ownership of it. Like not advocating our responsibility in it. And like there's check here that comes up everywhere in business. I don't care who you are in business. Like we're entrepreneurs. It's going to go awry. Every day. And even when shit's working perfectly check by check by check, there's going to be something there's going to be a pocket. And what you said is that like learning to take responsibility or step into that ownership, like what does that look like? Tangibly? Like I know, like, right. Like we run it out, it doesn't work. Right. And I'm like, well, it's the ad guy. It's the boom. The boom. But if I hit pause and I go for a walk, I'm like, well, I set them up to fail. I was missing the plan. I advocated the vision. I expected somebody else to do the work. I put a half-ass effort into it.But it took me. You know, 15 years to get there. And so like, what does that process look like for your, like, what are some of the tools or modalities that you use or you would advise somebody on if they're sitting here, like yeah. Like the state of the world is shit right now. I feel like it's all crashing down. I have no clue what to do. And it's like this getting stuck moment. Like, what's your advice for that?  Stafanos: What was things simple as best. And sometimes  we live in a world where we want razzle dazzle, or we want short gratification and we want razzle dazzle. We want it to be dressed up. Yeah.Sometimes the boring, simple things are often the best way to do it. Yeah. I would have tackle a pain point that we're experiencing. So for me, having a very big, because you know what we, what we created well, in terms of practices and habits, they become us. And so having a practice of daily introspection and respect and reflection, but simply at the end of every day ,or at the beginning of every day, And did you do this two times in our days where we generally are a little more quiet and in that silence, we can hear a lot more.And, you know, before you go to sleep and you have a practice of shutting down your devices and I don't always hit the Mark on this, you know, sometimes I'm up late working and I'm on computer and on my phone and dealing with clients and I'd have to do that to me, just having loose boundaries. Right. But now here's me taking ownership of something that I want to step into a little deeper.That I'm able to do because I have a diligent practice where I self reflect. And so, because I self-reflect and I practice it and I get quote, unquote, more proficient at it and better at it. I, in that time of five, 10, 15, 20, 30 minutes, whatever it is, where I'm, self-reflecting, I'm asking questions. Cause quality questions lead to a quality life.How did I behave today in my interactions with them? I compassionate to the, to the spec, to the place that I pointed I wanted to be. Did I hurt people today? Did I honor myself and my needs today? Whatever the questions are, they're important to you. And I reflect on that and that gives me an opportunity to step into ownership, but leads to greater levels of responsibility.It leads to mitigating risk or being. To being able to be effectively responsive to something, as opposed to emotionally charged and reactive, when something goes, quote, unquote, wrong. In other words, we had an idea of how it needs to be, and it doesn't go that way. And then all of a sudden we get so upset and we were, we don't know what to do with ourselves, but when we're more grounded in who we are, we have an ability to say, okay, what's my role here?Cause that's essentially what we have control of. We didn't have control of what other people do. We can influence other people, but we don't have control of them. So we can step into a place of, this is what I'm actually able to control, which is me and how I react bond. And I practice that on a daily basis.Thinking about these things, thinking about the way I've been feeling into any emotions that are attached to that and anything that arises to the service of my awareness and then dealing with that in real time with them. Different tools, whether it's breath, practice, again, simple stuff, whether it's a journaling practice, whether it's, I'm sharing that with someone like I may, I may send you a message and say, Hey, what do you think about this?And having that different perspective in that trains me and it trains the mind, the body and. The entire being to be more reflective and to, to be able to step into ownership, to respond quickly and effectively to when life doesn't often go the way we want it to go. Now, the parallel to that is when we look at what it's happening in the world, I'm not going to make this a geopolitical or socioeconomic conversation.But when we look at what's happening in the world, I think one thing we can all agree on is a lot of confusion, irrespective of what you think is happening or not. There's there's. A fair amount of confusion and unknown, and that sends people into tailspins because people are grounded in their own sense of self.And hi, my I'm the first person to put my hand up when the world started reacting. To what is happening. Um, I was the first ones to get very defensive and give, become very reactive myself. Not in the sense that I got scared for some virus or I was reactive in the sense that Whoa, we're overreacting be like this.And I was getting angry at institutions and people being sheep, and I was being very judgmental and that's not fair and that's not fair on people and that's not fair on me. And all I'm doing is feeding the reactive nature. So it took me a minute to get and B be more. And so I went back to that, that daily reflective practice of how could I be doing loft a little better right now for me and for others? I think when we get accustomed to that, it really helps us. Just granting a different sense of self.  George: Yeah. Yeah. You know, one of the things that you said that stuck out, literally, as you're speaking three bucks, like popped into my brain, but I'm not even gonna go there, but like one of the things that I love and by the way, just so everybody wanders, you finally met somebody that talks just as fast as I do. This is why we also cadence the same, which is why we pace and get along. So yeah, we don't even have to hear the words coming out. We just of each other. Cause we can speak that language. But when, when you said I'll be the first to admit that I missed the Mark. Right. And what I love about that is that like Jim Kwik says this, it's not about striving for perfection.It's striving for progress, like striving for progress. Right. And like in that one flow two and a half minutes of you speaking, there were five, six times where you owned it, like, Oh, I'll be the first to own it. And then I fall back into my practice, I ground back into my practice. And so my question for you is like, when you're in these, you have your routines, you have your days, like you're in flow, right? Like you're comfortable, you're doing it. And then boom, pattern interrupt, right. Trigger response, or. I ditched it today, right? Like I had expectation hangover as your beautiful bride calls it expectation, hangover. And I missed my journaling session. I didn't do it. What's the process like, like how do you catch that? When do you catch that? And then. What do you do to get back on track? Because you know, it smacks me hard when you're like it, it's not about the big things, right? Like, you know, the old me that was like glitz, glam, like Hollywood, Charlie chaplain on the stage of everything I do. And then really. The me that I'm focused on every day is like, I put a lot of work in that nobody sees anymore.And it's really simple for me, like how effective it's been to like, write my thoughts on a sticky note once a day, or read 10 pages of a book or spend 10 minutes in silence, but there's time staff that like, it feels impossible to get there. Like, it feels like the pressure, the weight of the world. Where's the next paycheck coming from? Where's the next sale coming from? How am I going to pay that employee to where like, It almost consumes my body and I'm like, what do I do? Like, you know what I mean? Like every part of me wants to run in freeze at the same time, if you know that feeling. .How do you, how do you get back into that? How do you flow through that? Like what are some of the things that you recommend or, or what you do?  Stefano: So for me, I'm quite a vocal person in terms of expression. Right. And so I, I generally don't, I generally don't keep it inside. And so if there is the times where I'm being reactive often for me, all I need is a very short, emotional outburst of something.And then calibrate it, reflect on, uh, uh, recognize that that's not really the path I want to take. And then move into behaving in different. And honestly, when I said, well, what can we do different next time? And so when I meet that part of me that is quote, unquote ugly or not attractive when I'll meet that part of myself with compassion and deepest sense of empathy.And non-judgment. Unable to move through it in a quicker way, but knowing in a quicker way, in a way that doesn't have me repeating the same old patterns, again, something that's also very useful that most people don't take advantage of is having a partner in their lawful, someone intimate that they share with, because that can be a miracle.That can be a perspective. The thing is our ego gets in the way and we become very quickly offended or we become personally a little boy, a little girl comes out at wounded aspects of self come out. That exiled part of us, that the protector within us, one of our protectors is trying to literally just protect and we become very defensive hopper, defensive,  almost always.So for example, you know, W w we, you know, everyone, to me, everyone's an influencer, everyone's a thought leader that doesn't, you know, every single one was with you have a social media platform or a website or not. You're a thought leader, and you're an influencer you're influencing either your own path at the very least, or you're influencing your environment, whether that's their animals, trees, plants, people, whatever, whether you're the president of a large company or whether you.Have a small family and you live in a country town with a population of 500 people you're influencing what's around you. Right? And so often we come into relationship and intimate relationships to help us heal those parts of us that we haven't really healed. Growing up and that have been quote unquote, emotionally injured.And so with that said, the example I was going to give is, do something on social media and we get a negative comment or a comment it's not even negative. Comment that someone disagrees with us. And in the past for me, I would take it personally. I would get upset. They're attacking me that aren't knowing me. They wouldn't talk like that. If they were in front of me, like I get into this. Yeah. Fucking keyboard warrior. I'd love to see if they were in front of me, what they'd say. Whatever I'm going into my stories. And the reality is I'm just insecure and I don't back myself. I'm not trusting myself.I'm not, I'm not in at a, at a stage of deepened. Self-worth where I can say, Hey, I respect your opinion. You know, a good friend of mine once said to me, You may notice, God, I know you may not have may not. Well, you may not recognize him these days. I don't know. You may, you may or may not use it to me, Steph, what a fucking blessing it is that someone actually comments on what, you know, what, maybe you heard it, but why didn't you just say it instead of insane? Cause you just say it's so much better.  George: Yeah, that was, that was me. I did, I did. I said what a, what? A blessing that somebody trusts you enough would their deepest fears and insecurities to project them in front of you to help them break through them. And it, uh, it's such a, I, you know, I'll be the first owner cause you and I talk about this stuff a lot.And I think it's so powerful. Um, and I think it's so easy to hide in entrepreneurship. It's so easy to hide in business. It's so easy to, to advocate that. Yeah. And there should be, Oh, Oh, Oh, of course. Everything's working. Right. Everything's working. Hence why. You know, it's never enough, right? There's always another finish line.And I think it's so, so imperative, like recently what I've noticed, cause this is the, you know, the full disclosure. So cause nobody would pull this out of me, but Stef cause nobody knows me like this. Now the game is like, Hey, I know I'm about to project on you and I'm choosing to do it anyways. Cause I'm that insecure and triggering this moment.And I don't, I don't put it out there. Right. But I, I noticed that that levels of depth really. Challenge the levels of depth that I have in that self security, right. In that self love in that cell phone or ship, like I was talking to staff before this podcast, like when I go to the gym in the morning, like I've been getting up early, cause it's important to me to be there when my son wakes up.And if my son wakes up at five 45 and I have to get two workouts in every day, well guess what? Three 30 is the only option. That's what works for me. And, well, it doesn't feel like it fucking works, but it works. But I normally wake up at about seven 30 and like, Oh, I already worked out today. Wow. Um, but that, that time that I get in the gym, like I'm modulating a thousand emotions in an hour and a half, and I can tell.Like how I slept, how my day was before based on how solid I feel. And there's times like I'm talking to weights, nobody's at the gym at this time. It's just me. It's a private gym. And I'm like having conversations with myself through the weights of like, I can't believe you feel this way. Like, what is this?Why do you feel this way? I can't even sit here alone. Like, it's, it's so imperative and so important. And I love that you lobbied that back me. I just think it's a reminder. Yeah. You know, for everybody and. You know, I would normally ask you the question. Like, if you could look at social media, like, what would you change about it?Right. I think for me, it's looking at it for what it is, and it's a connection tool to other human beings, right? It's a place for people that, you know, we know from a marketing perspective, why they share on social, right. But we forget when it's opposing to us or it's challenging us, or we're holding a fragile belief that it challenges to its core, that that's our mother, our sister, our brother, our husband, or father on the other side, that's also just as afraid as we are.Yeah, just as afraid as we are. So like, what are your thoughts it's on, on that? Like if you looked at social media, if you could change, like how people see it or this tool we have in the world, given the state of the world, but even the state of just our industry and marketing and digital marketing, like what, what would you change about it?Like what would you want people to see about it? Well, I suppose what I would change at the moment is the censorship that is apparently occurring. I say apparently because I don't have complete quote unquote proof of that, but it seems that there seems to be censorship occurring from the governing institutions that.That owned these social media companies. Yep. That'd be the first thing I would change is I think in that censorship and I get it like the reason or excuse for it, whichever way you want to look at it is that it's, it's misinformation. That's being put out there. So we're removing it. But that doesn't make sense to me when we're talking about human evolution and expansion synonymous with expansion is freedom.And that there is something that's really deeply embedded in freedom of expression, freedom of communication, freedom of being seen, where I just don't think that those platforms have the right to do that. So I would definitely shift that if we could, if that would be possible. And honestly, men. What do you think?What shifts much of anything else I'll tell you? Why? Whilst I see a lot of information lost in translation through the written word. And again, there are many reasons for this. When we look at the development of globalization technology and the way we process and absorb information, we have a very short attention span, like.These things here, these phones, I mean, we're scrolling where we're not able to be fixated generally on one thing for period of Tom Hensville. Our reading is actually a really important practice to have in your day because it allows you to walk out a lot of infants and input and century because it's just coming into your environment.You're sitting in stillness and silence, hearing your own breath is very important. And so that there it's. That's an issue. So take, take, take aside that, take aside out inability to, you know, I might put a post up and in that post, I do my absolute best to convey a message. But if someone is really, really triggered on the other side, And they already have a predisposition towards a particular belief system.The way that message may be interpreted, it's not exactly how was intended now. That's going to happen in any form of communication, but it's accelerated through social media because we're piecemealing information together. Like I have a certain belief and I'm happy to share that if you wish, but other, certain belief or understanding around what's happening in the world today.Now, and I'll actually share it very briefly. How I feel we as a global society reacting to this pandemic of, of this particular virus, I don't think it's healthy. I don't think we've, we've taken the quote unquote right path with it. I'll leave it at that for now. And I can go real deep. We'll do it. We'll do a full other episode on that one.And I'd love to yeah. Now, however, when I see someone that posts a statistic or PO again, I'm not, I understand posting singular. You asked me about social media. What I'll tell you that people post that we piecemeal information together. I do it. You do it. We all do it to some extent. It's part of the culture of social media.And so you put a single study out there, first of all let's study needs to be longer and it needs to be cross-cultural. There needs to be enough of a sample size. It needs to be replicable people. So many people don't understand science, and it's not our fault per se, it's that it's not taught adequately in school.It's another atria education system. And so how we. Perceive connect to information express, et cetera. So what I was getting at was if I see a piece of information that shows us a statistic that says we've absolutely done the right, um, you know, locking everything down. I made it with curiosity, George used to, and sometimes even now, if I have to be real honest, I'd say, ah, well, this spot, but the vast majority of the time, I'm curious because I want to understand what is this person seeing that perhaps I'm not, or could be seen deeper, but we just don't do that, man.We're so fucking reactive because we have a disposition and our identity and everything that we're associated with is attached to that disposition that we can't shift it. Totally. And that's one of the issues with social media, right?  George: Well, I think too, and this might be a very unpopular belief, but I agree, except I agree with like the lack of censorship, everything should be free. Except we were complicit in allowing it. We didn't, we didn't stand for, we loved it. We loved, and you might not have loved it with words of like, yeah. Sensor may ride, but like, you sure show it with the algorithm, like, Oh, let's post on the cars. Let's click on the bikini photos. Let's look at the social media life.Let's not engage with the real let's pretend it doesn't exist. Let's live vicariously through it. And, you know, we're living in an ecosystem that we've created. Right? And like, here's the thing algorithms now are so smart and AI is so smart. Most humans don't train them. Like it is literally delivering to us.What we told it, we wanted now of course, there's human interaction. And I think there's, you know, things suppressed that I agree with you across the board, but there's also this thing that everybody misses that from day one, we gave up our right to privacy and we didn't join a platform. Creative. We said, Hey, we're giving you our data.Give us whatever you want. It's you a world we're living in it. We've been using these platforms for free. For free for years. And we're like, Oh yeah, make it better. Like, give me more info. Like let me connect with more people. And I don't want to pay you a dollar. And then I'm gonna get really pissed that you, my data to fund all of this and do something with it.And so I think I both sides, I think, need to be looked at because just like anything. You know, we've said for years in business, you vote with your dollars and everyone's like, don't support them. Don't vote with your dollar as well in the game of social media, you vote with your attention.  Steafano: So it's an intention to economy. Bicycle is, is in a free, it's a free platform, you know, voting. We did. Y'all you voting with your attention? He's an interesting thing. What if we, okay. And again, this would be tough. What if we will just stop using social media for one month? Every single user that was on social media, across the main platforms, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, tic talk.Now Twitter. What else? LinkedIn. Maybe what it was. We stopped using. So it's become a crux though, right? So I know it would be very difficult to do, but what if the thought experiment we stopped using every single person stopped using it for a month? We could rally to stop using it for a month. What would happen total? Go to experiment question. Yeah, totally.  George: Somehow, somehow before algorithms existed, Martin Luther King had 276,000 people show up. Out a public address, right? Somehow the Dalai Lama and quite a few others had literally a million people travel across countries by foot to get there, by the way, word of mouth marketing is the most powerful marketing that exists on the planet. And it's been proven for, you know, millennia. But yeah, I think when we look at it, one of the lessons I'm learning and I think this is critical for everybody. And you said like, I'm still learning how to check my barometer to be inquisitive versus reactive. Right? So there are certain pieces of information.There's things that come across my desk where my zone of acceptance to my belief system is enough that it fits in without making me uncomfortable. Right. So if I'm at the zero, I have out until about the 20 yard line. Right. And I'm like, if it falls somewhere within there, it's in my zone of acceptance and I'm like, Oh yeah, I can play with that.But the moment you're at the 25 and out it falls into my zone rejection and I I'm working on when it falls into my zone of rejection, not allowing it to run me, knock me off course, being there. And, it's a practice and I think it's a practice everywhere and you nailed it, like one of the things and like you want to tie this to business and marketing.Yeah. I actually wrote an email about this the other day. We have problems that come up. Not because there's a problem, but because we suck at asking questions. Well, you get problems when you don't ask the right questions, you get problems. When you don't give yourself the space to find the clarity and allow wisdom, intuition, and things to flow to process.And so I think, you know, systematically across the board, there's a lot that we get to do. And the inverse of this, though. Is that once you understand, like, in my opinion, and this is me speaking, once you understand that this is what's happening, that we're on platforms that are going to be censored, that we're in an economy and a society that votes with their attention.And it's kind of a crux that also gives you the field. To play on, and then you choose what ethics and morals you bring to that field to either contribute to the problem or to create a solution and something different.  Stefano: Another way of being, yeah, I completely resonate with that. And I think what you're saying effectively is awareness is the first stage and the first step towards transformation, something we talk about every day.And I really liked what you said about. The zero to 20 yard Mark is, you know, within your field of acceptance and anything above that, it's immediately reacting. And so my practice is, uh, you know, how do I maybe extend the 20 or 25? And here's what outside of that I think. And this is where I think people get confused.Cause some people, particularly people that are really stuck in their belief systems say, well, I don't want to. Go beyond my 20 odd month. You know what, maybe you don't actually have to, maybe you can get really clear that you'll zero to 20, right. And we just call it then anything outside of that for you, it doesn't align with who you are.It's not so much making that 20 yards, 30 yards or 50 yards or a hundred yards and compromising yourself and appeasing others. It's just, how are you choosing to be with what's outside of your scope of belief? Because the fucking problem that we have it's. People that, so whenever information is presented to us that doesn't resonate with us, instead of again, either I being curious or standing in our parents say, you know what, bro, that doesn't resonate with me, but here's what I'm going to do. Here's how I'm going to receive it. I'm not going to receive a violently. I'm not going to receive it by abusing you. I'm not going to, I'm not going to get my little wounded boy to come out and get all scared.And then I'm going to attack you and be defensive. I'm going to hide. I'm going to receive that in a healthy way. We're going to have a mature conversation about it. I'm going to present to you, my disposition. I'm going to present you, my vantage points, my perspectives, and maybe we're going to learn something from each other.But instead of doing that, instead of saying, and then having that conversation and it could go for a minute, an hour, a year, whatever, and then say, Oh, wow. Yeah. I'm actually, now that you presented that and I've delved into it a little deeper, I'm going to look into that now. Let's just extend that for a moment to what's happening collectively.Let's just for a moment. Imagine that the pals of be governmental institutions and large corporations and industries that basically lead and govern the way we do life in the world in many different ways. Big tech, big pharma, agribusiness, petrochemical, industry, government, so forth. Let's assume they just said, you know what?We probably do things a little ineffectively and literally, and efficiently we own it. We'll take it. And, uh, let's maybe do things a little differently. Chances of that happening are about zero to fuck-all. Right? Because, because we're so addicted to our way of being, having to be right, because we're so wrapped up in it.And not only are we wrapped up in it, bro. Well, there's so much riding on it. It's, it's, uh, we've created a rod for our own backs in our society, you know, and without getting on a massive tangent, but just while you're flipping through a book there, um, you know, people talk about renewable energy technology and non-renewal energy and so forth.And he was saying, well, we need more wind farms. We need solar and we need this and fantastic. I agree. We need more nonrenewable energy solutions. Or I agree with that. And we can't just go from zero to a hundred. It's the same conversation with defunding the police. Again, another conversation, but we can't just go from there.All of a sudden being in a society, that's basically, it claims to be capitalist, nothing wrong with capitalism, but really essentially is almost a socialist. Communist integrated version of something, right. And then being a nanny state slash police state going to let's just defund the police or, or going from non renewable energy use to renewable energy use.Firstly, you're going to require non renewable energy. These are two to instill the renewable energy tech. There's just so much that we don't think about. Because we reactive. Well, why don't we just step back? I was that rule 80% prep, 20% execution. You use a lot of that in there in the middle can measure five times caught once, right?George: The there's so many decisions perpetuated like metaphors and the military. They're like, I'm ready, fire aim. And I was like, no, no. The Marine Corps is one shot, one kill one, right. Like intention, right? Like success comes at the, at the intersection of intentionality and discipline.Right. Or clarity, intentionality and discipline. And so, you know, like for everybody listening to this, like, This, this conversation like the, the wickets and the, the pillars of this conversation are everywhere in our lives. They're everywhere. They're in our interpersonal relationship. They're in our close relationships or in our business.They literally show themselves in our business, in our marketing, in our media, in our, in our stuff. And I would say that like, you know, one of the best lessons I've ever learned about even one that. That you've helped me immensely with, you know, Scott Carney, the wedge has new book on it's awesome. But like how I do it hold therapy.And you said it earlier and I want to bring it back. You said, when you're falling into your practice, it's about training your mind. And like the analogies that I come up with, it's like, you know, there's such a thing as like muscle maturity. Like if you train every day, your muscles, 20 years later, they respond to very, very differently.But you also. Can't go to the gym after not going to the gym for 12, 12 years or 12 months or even two months, and be like, I'm going to pick up the heaviest weight and not tear a bicep or get rhabdo or something along those lines. And like, I think one of the biggest takeaways that like I always learned from you is that your meticulous.You're meticulous in your practice and not what your practice looks like, the commitment to your practice, the commitment to the small things. And so, you know, you taught me this, so you're like the brain fucking guy. You're the smart one, right? I'm the bull in the China shop. You're the smart pretty one.And we somehow mis matched together. When you start talking about brain chemistry and consciousness and relational alchemy and all this. Um, you know, like I get just as googly out as everybody else does. Right. So, but, but I think in everything that you shared, like my, yeah, it feels like Whoa stuff with, what do I do?What the fuck do I do? Like, okay. I'm aware of staff. I'm aware now. Great. Like, I don't know what's going, Oh, I know you do. I'm getting like, he's like Lucky's clearing your throat. You can take a sip of water. Lot of guns. Huh? People wouldn't like the answer. Oh, I will though. What? They're they're my people.So they probably will, but yeah, but I would go like, go, just go.  Stefano: And it's simple and it's sit with it being a, what does that mean? Literally, literally sit with it. Sit in the fucking middle of your room, your bedroom, your study, lounge room, your wherever you're living. Just sit. And just be in that feeling, don't know numb don't watch TV, don't scroll on your phone.Don't drink booze. Don't work hard to make another hundred thousand dollars that week. Just sit with it. That's it. Just sit with it. And the rest will reveal itself when people say, but I've been sitting with it for a month or three months or six months or 12 months, or. Well, are you sitting with it with non-judgment or you sitting with you sitting with it with simple observation, or are you saying this is good and that's bad because if you're saying this is good and that's bad, and you're segregating what you're experiencing and you're compartmentalizing, which the brain does very well.But if you apply that to here, the monkey mind takes over. And th the, the, the. Juxtaposition paradox oxymoron is that you think you're sitting with it. You think you're processing it, but you're not because there's an undertone of judgment and this is an easy to do. Here's the answer, sit with it. Right.And I've elaborated on it, but it's not pretty. It's not nice. It's not attractive. It's not plated in gold. It's just, you gotta see, you gotta get messy with it and you've gotta allow the messy to come through. You got to allow the joy to come through the revealing, the revelation, the understanding, the awareness, the sadness.Despair. I can get a lot. You've got to welcome it all. And just sit with yeah, one. Just so you guys wonder, like staff has had me say I've actually we do it both. I've had steps that were stuffed too. Um, But like his favorite thing is like, he's a go beat the shit out of a pillow. Like, go get it out, get it out, get it out.And you can only get it out when you felt it. Like, and, and I think about this, like, I think about now, like I look at and like full disclosure, like I'm in one of the toughest situations I've ever been in, in business financially everywhere in my life. And I am the happiest I've ever fucking been like ever, like ever, like, I've just like, let's go.Right. But you went back three years before we knew each other and it was like, Oh, that didn't work panic attack. Don't feel it, go do something else. Don't feel it, go do something else. Call somebody, pretend it didn't happen. Someone at my favorite one. Hey man, how are you? Things are amazing. Yep. Right.Let's go for those of, you're not watching the video. I did like the pop line arm. Right. And so. Um, I think the two things that I, we talk about a lot, but for everybody listening this, like the steps to this are easy. You can't have clarity on something, you can't process something and you can't get through something unless you fully experience it.And like you look at it like it's, um, I actually did a podcast of the day with a Tibet and monk and, uh, it was amazing. And he was on retreat for eight and a half years, like out of the world. And, uh, you know, it basically the same thing. He's like all this bullshit about meditation. Like none of them can teach it.Cause I took a course. He's like, do me a favor. Just try to sit down. And concentrate and see if you can count to 10. Without getting distracted and he's like, watch, you'll get to three. And he's like, your practice is to count to 10. And he's like, and then 15. And he's like, it'll take you a year to get to a hundred.And he's like, and then you can start growing and going. But really what it is, it's that. Presence. It's that sitting with it. It's that absence of distraction. And one thing that you always say, and I'm going to have you elaborate on this, cause this, this is something you've he said to me that I've ripped a hundred times and I give you credit every time, but I've, I've made it pretty, but you just that accent of yours.Right? So the one thing that I always catch you saying, we say these two are men that we help. Every time we talk. Right now there's a whole lot of like, what do I do to help my team? What do I do to help my family? What do I do to help the world? What do I do to help those? And you always say, if you want to deepen your service, you have to deepen your practice.What is that? Does that mean? Can you unpack that for everybody? Like what that looks like and any thoughts on that? Most of the time people want to help others because it's a wound for them. They gain their value outside of themselves. So when they are of service to others, so there's a shadow aspect of this.And most, most of us are in the shadow aspect of it. So serving others or creating something in the world or status or titles or material wealth or whatever it may be, or accumulation of something or being seen in a particular way. Is less for other people and more for our own fragility of ego or the wounded parts of ourselves.And so what it looks like is the people pleasing or appeasing or, um, trying to be seen in a particular way or codependency in other words. Yeah. My self worth is predicated on how you treat me or how you see me or what you say to me or what you give me what you do for me. Yeah. If I do really nice things for you, if I serve the world, why you see me in a particular way, you give me accolades, you shower me with attention, et cetera, et cetera.So you want to deepen your service team in your practice. And what that really means is deepening commitment to yourself, to your own resolve, to healing, those parts of you that are wounded, that maybe you haven't neglected that maybe that attention that you wanted from your dad when you were younger.Um, and you didn't get that and that still playing at you and in your relationships, in your, I don't lie if in terms of you being hyper competitive or you striving and can you keep up making that goal on more and more and more and further away from you because enough is enough ever enough or you've experienced physical abuse as a kid, from someone that you really cared about and that you trusted and you can't trust at the moment.So you paint this. You place, you wear this mask and you paint this facade of your life, where you are at, and it's all about what you're doing for the world, but really you're trying to give yourself something, but you never really giving it to yourself because it's always done through the expression of the means of something else.And that just wears us down, man. It's fucking tiring. It's draining. We build and cultivate resentment for ourselves and for others, we isolate ourselves. We, we, we go back into those stories of I'm meant to be alone. I can't trust anyone. I can never get close. Intimacy, love, and vulnerability is risky. Well guess what?Yes, it fucking is risky. Yes, these relationships are risky facing our stuff. It comes with risk being real with who we are and not pretending it comes with risk. It comes with a risk of rejection and abandonment and humiliation. You know, we talk a lot about. The Maslow's hierarchy of needs. And we focus a lot on the physical, which is we absolutely need that.We need the, the, the shelter, the food, the water, the oxygen we need, but, you know, we need the clothing, but we forget that the human touch to being seen, being heard, being understood, accepted, respected, appreciated, and that being reciprocal. And the only way that can truly authentically be reciprocated is when we're working on our own stuff and we've cleared our past.So that. Present version of ourselves is not a repeat as Joe Dispenza would say, we're just living our past lives in the present moment, but paraphrase that, but we're actually, well, you know, neurologically behaviorally, emotionally, but we're actually choosing for the first time ever. To be real and be ourselves because practice with choosing to be real and choosing to not live in fear and pain.Cause that's what we're essentially, we're doing the, the aspects of the protector within us, a coming out it's time to change the yeah, because what happens is how we behave as adults. Is what we expect is based on what we experienced as children and as children, most of us have experienced some pretty gnarly stuff, you know, in terms of disconnection, abuse, neglect, um, Trauma of some sort in different ways.And we would for the psyche to protect itself and for the psyche to protect the physical body, we would come up with very creative way strategies, protective strategies to ensure our safety emotionally, psychologically, and physically, sometimes it was going numb if we were being physically abused so that our nervous system would not feel the intense pain of being hit.Or sexually abused. Sometimes if it was, if we were told we weren't good enough, we were bullied. Um, we would go to TV or eating to feel better about ourselves. We would want to replace those, those stress hormones of cortisol and adrenaline with dopamine and serotonin and oxytocin and so forth. And if we didn't have the people in our lives to get that from, we would go to other means.So those protective strategies, we carry them on as adults. But the thing is we're lost safer as adults. We just don't think we are. We don't know that we are. And so we keep bringing out these old protective strategies that give us a particular experience. It's very, that resembles that one of childhood, but what it does is it oscillates us and distances us because it actually pushes people away to keep us safe.And so we have to change the God. So that soldier that's our protective soldier. We have to say, Hey, you've been around for 20, 30 years. You need to sit down and have a break. I'm going to bring a new protective soldier in and he's your predecessor. And he's just going to do a little different job. But the only way we can do that is when we start really processing and expressing and moving through that pain that we've experienced.However you do that, whether you join a men's group, whether you are with a soccer, whether you use your own practice, when he disappeared, I work with a monk and you, you know, whatever it is, however you do that. And in all the different ways, we have to clear out the clutter so that we can actually just be free to live.Cause right now we're not free to live. If we're coming from the past, we're dictated to. Deep neurological grooves that have been laid down from when we were young, the hydro patterns, emotional patterns in relationship dynamics that were just, there are just on repeat. Yep. We're gonna change the type men.I got them. I got super emotional. When you said change the guard like that hit me for whatever reason, right? Like in the process of it. And I think too, you said like we're not free to live because of. Acts, but also thinking about what we started this conversation with and looking at social media and looking at our consumption, right?Like I think one of the biggest takeaways here is like, when a gap between you and external stimulus, like wedging it hard and power pause, always like, always like it's okay. Like, and you, some people look at me and like, I used to be the hustler. Like I was, I was 20 hours a day, 22 hours a day. Like, and I could outwork anybody, but.I was basically disconnecting myself to death. That's what it was. And you pick which way you interpret that either I was going to stay that disconnected till I died, or I was going to die because I was that disconnected. There was nothing except work, nothing like my value, my worth, my, my energy, my purpose.And like, it's taken a long time that own ingrained, you know, military stuff on top of childhood stuff. But. You know, for everybody listening to this, like when you, when you think about this, like, I get asked all the time stuff, like, what are the secrets to being happy? What are the secrets to building a bigger business?What are the secrets to having good culture in your team? What are the secrets to having your customers are songs and shit. And I'm like, you, you are the fucking secret. You like, there is no other you and, and leadership. Like, we talk a lot about leadership. We talk a lot, like everybody listening to this as a leader, like you're an influencer, you're a leader.You do it. Yep. Leadership is not words like it has nothing to do. Only 8% of communication is verbal. The rest of it is nonverbal. And most of the time when you're leading effectively, people don't even hear a fucking word that's coming out of your mouth. You could be talking jibberish and they're going toI love you. I'll do whatever I'll ever you say. Right. And it's yeah. It's that? And like something that you embody so well, but I want to like, Hit this in it's like when you think about it, one of my former mastermind members who I love to death Kayvon, like one of the best sales guys in the world, he said, sales is just a transference of energy, right?So is marketing. So is business. So is relationships. It's, it's literally being as grounded in yourself as you can be, which I'm going to ask you a question about that. And then that is the, the transference that attracts and leads and brings people in. And for me, Stephan, I think this is going to be important to hit.Um, I always thought that that meant it had to look a certain way. Right? Like I couldn't share if it wasn't an order or if it didn't look this way, or I couldn't write that email unless I had it all done or I couldn't tell people I had a business or I couldn't, you know, that toxic thinking and that for me, Was probably, and I think for a lot of entrepreneurs, cause we, we do this because there's parts of us that are attracted to ambiguity and uncertainty.That's the only reason that you would be intelligent enough to become an entrepreneur. But we live, we jump into ambiguity and then there's this part where I feel like there's this gray area of like, yes, I made this commitment, but then to fully embody it, it's like it had to look a certain way. And so, I don't know if that's just a, what are your thoughts on that?Like, I don't even know how to frame that as a question. I don't even know what am I thoughts on the whole like, like, yeah. So, okay. I can unpack it now. So when I think about like, what I struggled with so much was okay, I got it. I'm aware. Right? I got it. I'm going to lead. Right. But I can't lead until. It looks a certain way until I've achieved this until I have that number in the bank account until I have that many followers who am I to give a keynote until that many people who am I to launch a podcast?No one wants to hear that, you know, we call it shadows. And for anybody unfamiliar with shadows, we can unpack that somewhere else. But look up Carl Young shadow work, you know, loving those parts yourself. But yeah, for me staff, it was, um, Even when I met you. Like, even when I met you, which by the way it goes, when we met, it was hilarious.Cause we both knew of each other. We ended up having lunch, doing an exercise together, crying together, talking about our dads together. And then we're like, that's you? And I'm like, that's you? Wow. That's awesome. It was, it was, it was serendipitous. But even then I remember telling you. I even remember telling you, like, verbatim, I wouldn't tell you now and be like, yeah, fuck her.I've move in friends for 40 years. Yeah. Um, but I remember telling him like, yeah, man, I'd love to, but like, do I belong here? Can I do this with you? Like, can I run a men's group with you? Can I facilitate with you? Like it even came up after I'd done this work. And I think it's such a prevalent thing that.Cause it's freezing. So I would compress the syndrome basically. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh yeah. Oh, well there's your fucking intelligence. Yeah. So no, no, it's essentially, you know, how do we move through imposter syndrome? There's a few different ways where we just do it. Go Knocky, just do it. Knock however you want to pronounce it.But, um, don't know how proud they are coming from Oregon Portland at the moment. But even like, I hear it's kind of slick, but, um, Just do it. So imposter syndrome again is so we judge imposter syndrome, but it's a protective strategy. It's something that it's a technique that we use to keep us playing safe because extending ourselves or showing upon ourselves that may be susceptible to more judgment or critique or possibility of rejection or humiliation or abandonment.That's, that's heavy. That can be heavy. And so. The mind starts chattering. Well, maybe you deserve to do this. Should you really be here? Have you done enough? Just research a little more SIFA, just keep learning, keep growing, keep understanding your ideas. Don't you express them just yet. And that's a very convincing conversation and argument within oneself.So part of it is just doing it and having that, making that first step is really tough. So what can help is being surrounded by people that see you? That support you that are nonjudgmental, whether it's a group in alignment, like a support group in an alignment with your ideals and philosophies. Um, and obviously there's dangers with that as well.Of course, cause you can get stuck in a vortex or of not of being niched in, in what we think and not being exposed to new nuances of being. You know, working with a, uh, again, a coach or psychologist, a therapist, someone that can give you a new perspective, whatever it may be talking to your friends, people that you trust, respect, and Revere that I'm going to judge you harshly for your quote unquote crazy idea that you may have.Right. Right. And that's one of the ways that we can step out of that imposter syndrome. Showing people, the work that you want to do in the world with the ideas that you have that are going to go, wow. And if they are going to, you know, critique it or say, Hey, could you do this better? They're going to do it in a compassionate way.They're going to do it in a way that's actually going to pull you forward. It's constructive. It's not, you're a worthless piece of shit, which reinforces an idea of I'm worthless. I won't even try this. Yeah. I would think there are so many. Fucking grand ideas out there and solutions. Not that we would necessarily implement them because society is so scared of change.But so many of mine, in fact, I'm not even going to say what I'm going to say, because there are already so many amazing solutions out there to collective problems that we have that aren't being utilized for that reason. But I will say I'm lying again. Um, there are so many, there are so many know ideas out there that probably aren't even proposed.Because people are so afraid of being ridiculed because I have that, um, imposter syndrome, they have that lack of belief in themselves. So getting to the core of where that belief comes from and working with that in a psychodynamic emotional place can really help individuals move beyond that. You know what?I'm not going to take action. Cause I'm too scared to. Yeah, I'm scared, but I'm still going to take action. And I'm deserving of this and find examples like finding, you know, we're very good. So, so I just say, well, we really, really great at finding evidence as to why we can't do something to keep us in that safe zone.But how about actively, intentionally looking for evidence as to why your idea or your new way of being, or your thought or whatever it is absolutely needed in the world? Yeah. Yeah. There's always. Both sides of that Evans, just like the state of the world. You can go find a supporting argument for whatever your belief and whatever side you're on.We have the same thing. It's just gotta be checked in and plugged in. Yeah, you you're sitting here lying and I'm over here. Blabbing trying to figure out like, Hey, can you talk about imposter syndrome? It's going to take me two minutes of stuttering to get there, but I'll get there and we'll be there. Oh, man, we're going to have to, and I'm just telling everybody right now, I'm going to schedule like a three hour block with staff when he doesn't have hard stops.And we're going to go in, it's going to be the, I'm going to give a disclaimer at the beginning of the episode because Steph and I have a really deep relationship and what's going to get uncovered in the next one is probably going to be a little. Yeah. If you have me again, legitimately put a three hour block.No, I mean, I'm game. I'm like Joe, Joe, Rogan's going to get tired listening to our podcast. Um, but before, and I have, I have some, one more question for you, but before we do, and I forgot to do this in the beginning, guys, like full disclosure Stephanos is literally like my best friend and it's soul brothers.I was like, Let's talk. Oh, and normally in the beginning, I tell everybody where to find you, but now you want to find him even more. Um, but we made it really easy because good luck spelling Stefano Stephanos right. It took me a year to be able to even put his name in my contacts the right way. Um, so it's really easy for all of you that want to find out more.And staff is a master. He has so much free content and valuable resources for you on his website. And it's www dot grow with staff. S T E f.com. I actually helped put together a breathwork course, if you ever wanted to, like you guys hear me talk about breath all the time, which by the way, if you haven't read breath by James nester, it's such a good read.It's brand new. It's like mind blowing. I haven't read that. You add it right away to your compressed schedule, make some time. Um, and so for those of you wondering, find them it's www.growwithstaff.com and then he is on social he's on my social. You'll see me tag them occasionally it's Stefano Stephanos, but.Um, I want to respect your time, cause I know we have a hard stop, but there's one thing and I wanted to ask you to close with. And so, you know, one of the things here is I think it's really easy right now, and it doesn't matter when you listen to this podcast that there's uncertainty in the world all the time.Right. And I think that uncertainty personally from the growth I've had is coming from how we choose to. How we choose to see it. Right. Cause my wife is like, why are you so stressed? It's just opportunity. I'm like, yep. I'm getting there. I love it. Thanks. Thanks for making me feel insecure, wounded and loved at the same time.Like I just, Oh yeah. But I think it's super, super common right now. And so I just would love like your parting wisdom on like we talked about, you know, self-awareness we talked about. Getting committed to the small things every single day that create momentum and give us kind of like a, a barometer in the water.We talked about deepening our practice to deepen our service. We talked about having a hundred percent ownership of everything that we do. Like we wrote four books in this podcast, right? Jesse. Yeah, Jesse, it's coming actually talk to Jesse about you this morning. Um, and so, um, now that we have that, but like what would be your parting wisdom tying that all together?What are some things that people can do right now? Like, as they listen to this, this is the end of the episode. Like put it into practice, practice this, make a commitment to this and really get these things in momentum in their life. No matter where they are. Yeah, look definitely. I'm a big advocate of physical movement, exercise, training, whatever that looks out for you.Boxing lifting weights, going for a walk on for a run, swimming, walking the dog, whatever it is for you, you know, like definitely. Move your body, not only for perspective, but for reprieve, but also for health and vitality. Um, yeah. And also physiologically, just circle. There's very healthy hormones through your body is going to give you more energy, more power, clarity perspective, all of that.And other thing I would say is, yeah, you hit the nail on the head, man. We live in very unsafe. Right. And you know what. We've lived in uncertain times before I just did a post earlier on what was happening in great Britain in world war two in 1939, children were wearing masks fucking gas masks. So we're, so we're basically everyone in Britain, it was wearing gas masks all the time, just in case, um, Germany would throw tear gas and bombs and like, you know, We we've lived through that.We're going to live through this and this isn't a dig on master or anything like that. It's just a cultural shift that we're experiencing temporarily. So my advice around that is, and in look, I'm really giving myself advice here is look at all the different perspectives. Don't overwhelm yourself because you can go really deep down the rabbit hole.And you've just got to know what to do. Pull yourself out, but just be willing and open to look at the different perspectives you can hold strong in yours. You can be diligent in your perspective. You can say, Hey, I'm really clear. This is my perspective. And these are my boundaries around that. Awesome.And if you want to strengthen your perspective, Get a new perspective because that will actually strengthen your perspective or it may dissolve it or parts of it. And if it does that, it's not a bad thing because it means you're evolving and shifting as well. And so don't get bullied down in everything's.Okay. And don't get bogged down in we're all going to die because there were both extremes one's dystopia, one's complete ignorance and somewhere in the middle there. And maybe not even in the middle, but on another fucking line, another barometer, another spectrum is some, a different level of truth that can expose your own shortcomings and the areas of life that you need to work on, where you can actually feel better.And this is how sum it up. Every state that we experienced is necessary, whether it's sadness, anger, joy, bliss, whatever you name it. We, we kind of one without the other they're opposing forces, we live in a world of polarity. Right. But we do have, this are blue and undesirable States. If we lined up a thousand people and we said, hands up, if you would prefer happiness over sadness, I'm pretty sure unless some of those people have a pathology, not 199 of them are going to put their hand up and say, yes, happiness.No, because sadness has no value though, because it's quote unquote bad because it's just not a desirable state. Allie Shu is in societies that we don't meet. The spectrum of, of experience. We don't embrace it. We don't meet it with openness. So what I would say is, can you experience what you're experiencing with observation and no judgment?That's about as simple as that. And it's actually really hard to do. Okay. What he, what he said. I love it. No, I absolutely love it. It's been an absolute gift. Um, having you for everybody listening, we're doing probably rounds two through 10, the gets isn't going away. I still want to launch a podcast with him, but one of the ways is I'm probably just going to keep him on as a recurring guest.And so you guys better get ready to get woke as

Life has been different for all of us. GraceLife is no different and has had to adjust and trim some travel, but this hasn't stopped how GraceLife reaches the lost. Life goes on and there are many things to find joy in.But there are many people in this world who are just miserable. Carl Young once said many people live a life of quiet desperation. Many have wealth, power, popularity, but they can't enjoy what they have because they desire what they don't have. So what would it take to make you happy in life today?  Are you enjoying life the way God intended you to enjoy it?  Solomon, a wealthy king, reflects on his life in Ecclesiastes from a human perspective. In it he asks the tough questions we've all had and what we find is that the rest of the Bible answers them.But the fact is, we can enjoy life and enjoy it abundantly. Listen to this snippet from a series as Charlie walks through Ecclesiastes chapter 6.

Unknown Speaker 0:01 What is going on? What's going on man? We are taking a quick walk that's you and I right now Unknown Speaker 0:08 through Unknown Speaker 0:10 local park. Unknown Speaker 0:12 Just kidding, just gonna walk in the afternoon Unknown Speaker 0:15 just taking some Unknown Speaker 0:17 fresh air change of scenery. We have been inside of Unknown Speaker 0:24 the quarantine zone right? Unknown Speaker 0:26 of 2020 and Unknown Speaker 0:29 sometimes just need to get out everything's fine. Unknown Speaker 0:32 And everything's great. Unknown Speaker 0:34 Except for you know, you're in the same place all the time. And I think I think that we all love I love change of scenery, right? I don't know about you, but I love change of scenery. But as as I've been doing this quarantine bit and spinning up spiritual dope, having some just just awesome. Really awesome. Some conversations with all kinds of people in the spirituality space Unknown Speaker 1:08 in all spaces in general, really. And Unknown Speaker 1:13 a couple conversations popped up one of them that popped up Unknown Speaker 1:17 was this conversation of Unknown Speaker 1:21 kind of Unknown Speaker 1:22 knowing that you're gifted, Unknown Speaker 1:24 right? And having that gift Unknown Speaker 1:32 seemingly always be right out of Unknown Speaker 1:33 reach. Unknown Speaker 1:36 And I can I can relate to that one. Somebody had mentioned that one to me and, and I get it. There's this piece of you, that you are. You're always being told, hey, you know, you've got this specialness about you or perhaps one day, you know, you were like this and kind of as a child I always saw, you know, we're, we're in this kind of star seed, indigo child thing. I'm not sure how many of you guys are into that. But, you know, Unknown Speaker 2:11 I'll throw this out there. We're kind of like in a hippie 2.0 Unknown Speaker 2:15 scenario here, right? And there's many of us that were, Unknown Speaker 2:18 that grew up Unknown Speaker 2:21 as a, you know, kind of us original Star seeds as it were, right? This is kind of where everybody ended up getting like sky or rain and meadow and, and, you know, some child or Unknown Speaker 2:35 whatever. Unknown Speaker 2:38 But Unknown Speaker 2:40 you were always told that there was something special about you, and it's like, it's killing you because Unknown Speaker 2:45 it's right there. You know, it's just, Unknown Speaker 2:48 it's just on the other side, and it's like the outside of what you know. And if you've listened to Unknown Speaker 2:55 the doors, Unknown Speaker 2:57 I think that that's what he's talking about. Go ahead and bring onto the other side. And even then, you have this kind of experience where you touch on that greatness of kind of who you are and, and and what you're about. And Unknown Speaker 3:19 it's fleeting Unknown Speaker 3:21 for a moment because that's been Unknown Speaker 3:24 my experience anyways. And you know, the second conversation that kind of came up was was kind of about Unknown Speaker 3:31 psychedelics. Unknown Speaker 3:35 Let me see if I saved the picture of the specific on the psychedelics piece, as I'm kind of trotting around out here, because I want to make sure that I touch on it. It was like was it psychedelics as just psychedelics, or was a psychedelics in certain use cases and so So for me, that was kind of like an interesting one because I just written something Unknown Speaker 4:06 about Unknown Speaker 4:09 psychedelics myself, right? Unknown Speaker 4:11 And the deal is, Unknown Speaker 4:13 I'm gonna, I'm gonna come at it from the perspective of can't find the piece right now. Um, you know, Unknown Speaker 4:26 this is a, it's kind of like, Unknown Speaker 4:29 it's kind of like anything else, right? anytime that you Unknown Speaker 4:33 you take any drug for example, you know, you maybe use steroids to bolster up and bulk up, but like, you know, you stop taking them and then that kind of goes away or you use steroids or some other kind of, you know, enhancement drug. But then when it goes away, you know, you can't you can't function without it. Right or when you are on it, you know, you mute Or you kind of destroy other pieces about yourself? Unknown Speaker 5:05 So it's, it's like, Unknown Speaker 5:08 yes, it works for something. But it takes away from something else. And to me, you know, that kind of disrupts what kind of, you know, spiritual dope would be about right spiritual dope would be about Unknown Speaker 5:24 how do you Unknown Speaker 5:27 how do you access you know that? That kind of thing Unknown Speaker 5:31 all the time. Unknown Speaker 5:33 Right? How do you how do you access that the greatest parts of yourself without needing to rely on some type of external inducement, as it were, which is, and that's where kind of meditation comes into play, but the biggest, the biggest part about it is I'm just scoping out this weird little Unknown Speaker 5:58 place here. Unknown Speaker 6:05 So how do you how do you access the best of who you are, and bring that with you everywhere that you go Unknown Speaker 6:14 without having to rely on something Unknown Speaker 6:17 from the external, that's drugs, that's somebody else doing something because you said they needed to do it. That's, you know, in all times in all places, right? And to me, that's your inner self. That's your inner being. That is bringing all that you are being present in every moment. And sometimes that's hard, right? Like I said before, like, I've access parts of it, but not in all the time. state of mind. Right. I access it through meditation and And, you know, through through one kind of long term Unknown Speaker 7:06 as a as a spoke about numinous experience Unknown Speaker 7:09 and as far as you know as it relates Unknown Speaker 7:13 to Unknown Speaker 7:16 drugs and psychological Unknown Speaker 7:20 pharmaceuticals, LSD, mushrooms, mescaline. weed, I mean, you know, of ecstasy, you know, any one of those, right? Any one of those that you touch on can bring you real similar experience. However, unless you're using it, quote unquote responsibly, you're generally using it just kind of like a as a as a place to go escape. And, and, to me, it also shows this just kind of like you're relying on something outside of you. Right and and when you when you do that when you when when the only way that you can feel that way comes with its own set of dangers, right? least I was listening to Terence McKenna give a speech the other day about smell st and how it restricts the blood flow to your brain and you know has potential to cause seizures and like, make sense. Go What do you say? Have I experienced that? Yes. You know, and you know, what is the risk worth it? It's a risk versus you know, worth the reward is at the time you say, Sure. Yeah, man, this is great. This is amazing. Whoo. But then there's other times too. So it's like if you use it responsibly in a responsible space, you're in the quote unquote right headspace because imagine you Unknown Speaker 9:00 You already are Unknown Speaker 9:02 in your own fucking head 10 2100 X that Unknown Speaker 9:08 in your own head and then you're you're you're not in the right place mentally or you're not with the right people who can support your your trip, Unknown Speaker 9:21 right your, your psychological Unknown Speaker 9:26 assistance trip man like I mean, you want to call it expansion and you want to, you know, say this all these other things that are expansive, but really, you're just in your own fucking head Unknown Speaker 9:36 and you're in real deep Unknown Speaker 9:39 and you can have some bad experiences and they suck. Unknown Speaker 9:43 They make like, you know, Unknown Speaker 9:46 you know, imagine, you know, several hours of just feeling at your worst times 10 Okay, now, I'm not saying that you can't have these other experiences. They're super awesome and super nifty and and really just life life memorable, right you know things that you totally change perspectives and, and knit all these really cool blankets and covers i don't i don't know what the fuck you knit, but you knit them together tapestries of, you know, things that are woven. But it's still pales in total comparison Unknown Speaker 10:35 to what is possible Unknown Speaker 10:39 by Unknown Speaker 10:39 your own creation Unknown Speaker 10:43 without those drugs without the need for pharmaceuticals without I mean, now listen, I don't have a I don't have an iOS experience to give you. I don't have a pod experience to give, you know, I don't have you know, look, those maybe those are the ones that you dropped through the fog. So you're And you're Unknown Speaker 11:02 right. And you hear stories like that? Unknown Speaker 11:06 Is that an experience that you want to have? Unknown Speaker 11:10 Is that an experience you want to have? You want to be dropped from the center of the earth? Do you want to be dropped from the center here? That's a great question. So a mom walking here, I've got a picture of just some amazing Unknown Speaker 11:29 mushrooms, and this Unknown Speaker 11:31 great, kind of Unknown Speaker 11:33 three of them in a row here, spot. So, you know, what does it all mean? And how's that all break down? Those are just a couple of conversations that I've had this week that I thought that I would share with you as it relates to you know, spiritual dope. Unknown Speaker 11:51 And then, and then finally, Unknown Speaker 11:54 one of the other conversations got got me into listening to Carl Young's read book and it's really just a you know, I think a him Unknown Speaker 12:05 you know, Unknown Speaker 12:07 going through kind of I haven't finished it yet I don't I don't Unknown Speaker 12:10 have any super Unknown Speaker 12:14 deep knowledge about kind of where he was when he did it or what he was about. But Unknown Speaker 12:21 you know, I Unknown Speaker 12:23 recognize a lot of what he's saying. And and and and what he's talking about the mental space that he is Unknown Speaker 12:32 the mental space that he is occupying and Unknown Speaker 12:39 in that mental space Unknown Speaker 12:42 he's uh Unknown Speaker 12:45 you know, he talked he goes through his midlife crisis he goes through like his midlife and and what's funny is is he had done he finds it very similar way that I did is like you either kind of accept it and you dive fucking i mean do into it. And there's a lot of power in there or you resist it or you shut it down and you're like, Nah, that ain't for me. All right, and who does some people that's the way it is, right? You know, they get out it's literally the red, blue, red pill, blue pill. And then you know, once you take once you make a choice, there's really no kind of no going back as it were. So he goes, he goes deep in it. And the thing that I recognize with him is that he's coming through a mostly Western culture, right? I mean, look, he's in psychology, which is just brand fucking new. Listen, guys. I mean, for those of you who who have been to a psychologist, psychiatrist or anybody like that, let's let's, let's be honest, this is a this is a quote unquote, science of the mind. This hasn't existed for that long. 100 hundred years and change as you know, from young and, you know, Nietzsche and those guys and, and we put a lot of stock into something that that hasn't been around for a long time. And what happens is that, uh, you know, when you're developing something like that, your mind frame you can only you can only comment something from your own personal experience No matter how much you read, right and your own perception of something else, no matter what you read. So, you know, those spots and time that these guys make make their ascertain motions and, and claims, you know, they're based off of certain experiences and sometimes those don't always get revised. Right. You know, 20 years goes by and like on, like Madonna, for example, when she talks about how she was in her 20s and 30s versus when she grew up and got older. She's like, I don't know what I was thinking. I was just saying some stupid shit because I thought that's why I was supposed Unknown Speaker 14:59 to Be right. Unknown Speaker 15:03 And so young talks a little bit about like, just just being in a new space, just kind of handling the space from his own perceptions and experiences and from Western civilization. And as he is going through, he gets exposed Unknown Speaker 15:19 to Unknown Speaker 15:20 the the eaching I think he calls it like the yellow flower as well, which is one that I'm not familiar with, but he's also exposed to Kundalini and you know, the these spaces which which most Western society hadn't been exposed to, before and, and so when we, Unknown Speaker 15:45 from society at large make these transitions Unknown Speaker 15:49 into Unknown Speaker 15:50 you know, this midlife crisis, crisis of identity and all this other stuff. And Wayne Dyer calls it like the the Unknown Speaker 15:56 shift Unknown Speaker 15:58 and we don't have a framework For we lose, you lose your fucking mind, right? Yeah. And if you lose your mind because you nobody talks about it because they're afraid to share it because they're afraid they're gonna be looked at in in with some side eye which is one of the reasons why it took so long for the red book to be published and share it out. Right there wasn't a space that the family was comfortable in was sharing, sharing it. And to me that's a great detriment because you know, the opportunity been there for so long. Unknown Speaker 16:37 To let others know Unknown Speaker 16:40 that it was okay to have these experiences. It was okay to be that lost in your own mind to have those. Unknown Speaker 16:52 I don't know I'm not done with the book yet. Unknown Speaker 16:54 But to go through that mental space to explore All of who you are, and and you know not necessarily just be trapped in the body in the in the vessel that you you know you kind of plod along in but you know, understanding and being deep in the mind deep in the psychosis and and understanding that once you you know dip your toe into that pool, it is infinite it is infinite, right it's a it's a pool, an infinite pool. Unknown Speaker 17:28 I'm sure there's like, you know, some trademark and shit in there. But Unknown Speaker 17:33 the thing is, Unknown Speaker 17:35 I guess what I'm trying to share here is Unknown Speaker 17:38 if you find yourself in that space Unknown Speaker 17:41 you're not the first one. Unknown Speaker 17:44 You won't be the last one. Unknown Speaker 17:47 And if you find yourself in that space and you find yourself listen to this podcast and chances are you're in the right space. Unknown Speaker 17:56 We're all kind of going you know that what's the what's the line? Right? Right. was fighting dragons or whatever? I'm trying to tame mine. I don't know, I don't know that right. I don't have the right terminology for it. Because it's all newer to me. And I'm still looking for the right language for myself to to share this out with but that being said, I wanted to share those pieces of conversations with a few of the people that I talked with, as it related to the podcast, you know, for if you are, if you're out there looking for your gift, and you can't seem to find it, stop looking outside. It definitely resides on the inside and you've already got it. It's just how do you want to use it? What does that look like for you? And you know, imagine that that gift that you've been told about has fully developed? What are you gonna do with it? And what's housing and what's So I kind of look like when it shows up in the world if you're if you're again if you're the beginning of this space and you're wondering if you should take the leap into it or away from it say fucking take the leap take the leap and do it there's there's kind of like the last frontier to this space is not the last frontier we are here living as human beings and we have no fucking clue how we got here we have no fucking clue you know, we know that the the bits and pieces that pump our blood and do all these other things, but Unknown Speaker 19:37 where does that come from? Unknown Speaker 19:40 Yeah, who what is that life that's making that happen for you. And you know, if you want that's something worth exploring to me. And that's something that we will continue to explore in this podcast and that's what we're going to continue to do is how do we once we find these bits and pieces within a How do we leverage them in our daily lives to to just, you know, have a more fulfilling, more powerful, more impactful life. Alright, that's it. We'll talk to you later. Transcribed by https://otter.ai

  Brandon Handley 0:00 What is going on? How are you? How are you I figured we would do a little podcast from nature. Don't get out to too many awesome natural surroundings too often. But today I'm kind of ridge climbing and spider webs and gone through brushes seeing cool scenery awesome gorge here stream and you know took the time to just come and spend some time with it Unknown Speaker 0:50 today Brandon Handley 0:52 it's available right it was available it is available spiders in my face part of nature. And, you know, what can we what can we kind of take a take a look at today today was one of the things that I thought of while I was walking around here was the idea that the path kind of always opens up the path is always available. And it always opens up for you. Yeah, there's always that option. And how does it open up? I mean, so first you got to you got to kind of look got to be on the lookout. And you've got to want to go somewhere, right? You got to kind of have some kind of destination in mind, in order for the path to open up. Right, so maybe, as we've talked to you before, once you make that decision Where do you want to go? What do you Who do you want to see? Who do you want to be? And, you know, sometimes it's making that decision on who it is you want to be or where you want to be today. For me, it was simple. I just wanted to get to a Oh, that's so simple. I guess I want to get to the perfect place to meditate today. I wanted to find a place that was in the streams that I could sit down and meditate. And as I will continue to walk, there would be openings in the path that just continue to kind of unfold as as I continue to look for the right spot for me to be And everywhere that I stepped that was something underneath and needed support it every every time I went forward the footing was sure. And I think that oftentimes we were afraid to take those steps we're afraid to make those decisions. We've been told that you know, you're not old enough I mean, there's customer comes from definitely comes from youth could come from could come from bosses could come from people who who just don't come to never believed in you and then, you know, so Unknown Speaker 3:46 or Brandon Handley 3:49 didn't kind of lend themselves to allowing for a belief in you. I guess I'll give you an idea. Example. I remember I was working with one boss at a restaurant and you know, at some point he, man, beautiful Hawk. At one point, I forget why he was giving me read me the riot act. And, you know, he asked me, he says, How many people do you think there are? Just like you come in and take this position, it was like a bartender position. As a man, I guess, you know, plenty and you know, it's just to that degree, you know, he was like, you're replaceable. And, you know, it was a super shitty feeling. Obviously, right, it's just still sticking with me. After all these years, even though even though I know differently today But but it's still but it's still kind of holding me back in some places Oh my god, you know that well anybody can do what I'm doing and fill whatever role that I'm doing and and you know what that that that that's what seizes up the path, right so you gotta you can't hold on to those things. You can't let those be the things that that hold you back because I mean those you've got a story like that i'm sure you've got somebody that's just Yeah, they push it so much they put you in your place they put you down. They're trying to anchor you to that spot. They want you to believe that whatever, whatever it is that they're giving you in that situation is a gift from them. And the gift really, from them is your ability to uh, to step up, step out of step away from that that's, you know, toxic it's It's, uh, you know, that's what the paths are open up. Past are so open up when you step away from that. And you find that there's so much more that's greater for you out there. You know, and it'll be years later and that person but yeah, I knew you were too good for this place. And, you know, I was just trying to force you out so that you could find out who you really were. And yeah, sure, yeah. But the path will open up for you. path will open up for you and you'll find yourself just loving life that much more when you allow for the for the belief in yourself to occur for it to happen. And when you take that moment of courage in your life, and that's what it is. It's just a moment. All right. I think I made a post yesterday with Matt Damon saying it only takes 20 seconds of crazy Crazy courage and for the world to open up for you. And when you make that decision to embrace that for just 20 seconds, right? The whole world can open up the path will open up for you. Each step you take will be firm underneath your feet. And who knows even if even if it's not and you slip and you fall, it's what you find on the ground that on your path, it's just there's so much available for you. That if you just let go of all the things that you think that are not it's it's it's when that it opens up right, that's when you will see so much more and start looking for ways that is possible and Books, bugs and spider webs then then your path right your path that becomes something beautiful. And, and in reading you know, Carl Young's Red Book, you know, he talks about he goes, he talks about his own path. And how it can't be like anybody else's it wouldn't be like anybody else's and, and you how you need to find your own path. And it can't be anybody else's you can find someone who started the clearing for you. Maybe you can establish that with somebody but your path is your path is your own. So sorry for meandering this morning, but we can look we covered we covered this finding your own path and being on it and having the courage to take steps to go to go on that journey. Alright, so establish that to make the decision to believe in yourself to let go of the story. Is that have that have held you back then have hold held you down and understand that when you take that opportunity and you take that one step encouraged you'll find that everything just opens up for you. Alright, well that's been it from the little, little nature. Nature climb here. Take it easy Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Connect with Michael and BobThe Climb on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-climb-podcast/Bob Wierema: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-wierema/Michael Moore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpmoore/Connect with Brett KaufmanBrett Kaufmanhttps://brett-kaufman.com/  Twitter: @bkaufman125IG: @brettkaufmanLinkedIn: @Brett-KaufmanFounder, Kaufman Development https://livekaufman.com/IG: @livekaufmanhttps://gravityproject.com/  IG: @gravityprojectHost, Gravity Podcasthttps://brett-kaufman.com/podcast/ IG: @thegravitypodcast [00:00:00] Brett Kaufman: [00:00:00] You know, I think you said that this kind of defining, letting your past to find you, you know, to me, that's really a choice and it's not an easy one. I mean, these are very, very complex things, but it is a choice to rewire. Repattern kind of how you think, how you act and how you create your life and your future.[00:00:23] And most people are unconsciously just recreating their past over and over again. And. You know, at a certain point, I just decided I didn't want to do that. And it wasn't without hell [00:00:36] Bob Wierema: [00:00:36] today on the climb, crossroads and [00:00:39] defining moments, we had mr. Brett Kaufman and join us. Brett joined us and  shared with Michael myself, so many good nuggets and takeaways. We have, I think you could write a book with the quotes that we have taken away from this one. He talks about his passion for sharing and giving back and where he started coming from his childhood to where he is [00:01:00] today. And just a great conversation around. Who he is as a person and how he's continuously striving to be better each day and talks a lot about just being a work in progress and what that means to him and how he's going to continue moving forward.[00:01:25] Well, well, Brett, welcome to the climb podcast with myself and Michael. We appreciate you joining us this morning. [00:01:33] Brett Kaufman: [00:01:33] Yeah, thanks for having me happy to be here with you. [00:01:35] Bob Wierema: [00:01:35] Well, your know, a, you're no stranger to [00:01:38] podcasts yourself, [00:01:39] so, you know, let's make sure we get you a plug for your gravity [00:01:42] podcast [00:01:43] and maybe share a little bit, let's start there with what you're looking to accomplish [00:01:46] there so we can let everybody [00:01:48] know, about your podcasts as well.[00:01:51] Brett Kaufman: [00:01:51] Sure. Yeah. We, launched our podcast last year and have recorded. I think we're over 40 episodes. They're kind of getting released once [00:02:00] a week and really the purpose behind the podcast is really to get people, to tell their life journey, their full life. Journey all the kind of childhood experiences good, bad or otherwise, and how that's shaped their lives.[00:02:18] As they've gone on to have varying levels of success in different areas. And really the point is the hope that the listener will see themselves in these people and in their journeys and take some comfort and get some inspiration to continue forward in their own in their own lives. [00:02:38] I [00:02:38] Bob Wierema: [00:02:38] know when we talked kind of the first time when I was thinking about launching the podcast with Michael and what we were looking to [00:02:45] accomplish [00:02:46] a little bit of a different bend to it, but, but not too dissimilar, which is, I think there's a lot of different points within your life that are, you know, as we say, the crossroads, the defining moments of [00:02:56] when you make a [00:02:57] certain decision or certain things that, that make you go [00:03:00] left instead of right.[00:03:01] So it's kind of cool to see how those, you know, your piece and ours intertwined a little bit. [00:03:07] Brett Kaufman: [00:03:07] Yeah, I think it's great what you guys are doing. And, there's definitely some similarities there. I think, you know, these kind of stories need to be told and, you know, at the end of the day, we're all the same.[00:03:18] We're all kind of grappling with the same things in bearing degrees. And, it's really helpful for people to kind of be together and learn from each other. [00:03:29] Bob Wierema: [00:03:29] Yeah, absolutely. So what's Brett's story, like where does that [00:03:33] start? And maybe bring us [00:03:34] to [00:03:35] today and then [00:03:36] Michael, and I'll pepper you with some questions in between.[00:03:39] Brett Kaufman: [00:03:39] All right. Well, yeah, that's a, could be a really long answer. So I'll try to condense that, you know, as it is with most people, you know, our lives are full and that's been the case for me. I grew up in Akron, Ohio for the first 10 years of my life. my parents had [00:04:00] kind of a, a pretty chaotic, marriage.[00:04:03] My father was, an addict and, abusive and, and struggling quite a bit. And, that led to a divorce and eventually, moved to Columbus where I live today. Live most of my life. And, you know, I like to kind of tell the first part of that story because you know, it really did eventually end up informing who I am in a very positive way.[00:04:27] I have a lot of gratitude for that time, despite how difficult it really was. I got to learn a lot about me. I got to kind of do that in a challenging way. As I went into high school and college, I maybe rebelled and acted out and, you know, did some stuff that was just part of my healing. but it also led me to some interesting people, to some interesting experiences, to things like art and music and design and psychology and stuff that I [00:05:00] really wasn't programmed to.[00:05:01] To really, you know, my father was a big kind of business business business, you know, manlihood be tough, be strong, be a man, go make money, be successful. You know, art music, the kind of softer, sensitive sides of me were not things that were really revered. So. You know, kind of finding that in my rebellion really ultimately ends up leading to, you know, my work today and being able to merge all of that together.[00:05:30]and even that journey, my professional journey was one that wasn't a straight line, you know, my. Patterning and programming from childhood had me fall into a traditional path early in my career in banking and in kind of more corporate settings until about 10 years ago, I started my own business and that business was really the kind of, first of several, that really started to bring me back to that kind of more authentic self.[00:05:58] I'm really [00:06:00] trying to incorporate all of those things. The things that I used to see were outside of work, things that you did on the weekends or on vacation or retirement in that, that could really be my work and my life. And as you know, I'm built to lead, which we have in common as well, was a big part of helping me figure that out.[00:06:21] Bob Wierema: [00:06:21] Well, we, we would be, in a little bit of trouble if we didn't [00:06:23] give a Chet [00:06:24] Scott, a shout out at built to lead because, [00:06:27] that's [00:06:27] how we got connected. I know he's been a big part of my life as well for the last, [00:06:32] I think [00:06:32] almost four years now, one of the things that you said. That I think is really interesting.[00:06:38] As you talked about your parents and taking that situation, I want to go back to it is you said, you know, eventually shaped who you are and you actually have [00:06:46] gratitude [00:06:48] for some of those, you know, probably what [00:06:50] maybe can, I'll say it and you can redefine it, but like [00:06:53] challenges you had in your life. [00:06:55] How did you get your mindset to go [00:06:57] there?[00:06:57] Because I think that's a [00:06:58] really challenging [00:07:00] ship to make. [00:07:02] Brett Kaufman: [00:07:02] Yeah, it is. I mean, you know, I will tell you that candidly, you know, transparently, vulnerably, you know, I've learned to kind of share these things, even though they're still not easy, but, you know, my father was out of my life for probably about.[00:07:17] 10 12 years. He was, eventually, you know, went to jail, found himself really in demise and done some things that, were kind of hurtful and concerning for my family as I had young kids. And so there was a long period of time where, you know, I was not in the place that I am today, this place of gratitude.[00:07:39] And really, it took a lot of work to get there. On my end and on his end and not just, it's not just about him, it's about every body and every thing, you know, and for me, that's a lot of things, you know, I'm a big believer in meditation. I'm a big believer in therapy, you know, coaching, physical health.[00:08:00] [00:07:59] There's a, I think a lot of different modalities that go into really working on yourself, truly working on yourself and, and, you know, at the end of the day, You know, it was a combination of a lot of different things that got me to this state. And it really is a state. It's not something that you can kind of intellectually understand.[00:08:21] You can read a book, you can listen to a podcast, you can hear this idea of gratitude. But for me, it was an embodiment that, that ultimately led me there. It was an understanding of kind of what happened. And in my case, and I think in most cases, what happens is generational. My father did not set out to hurt me and his family and everybody that he loved.[00:08:46] That was not his goal in life. It's generally not people's goal in life to ruin everything around them. It comes to them through their own experience, usually their own childhood [00:09:00] upbringing. And these are generational things. My grandfather, my father's father was a very. A well-intended person. He grew up poor.[00:09:10] They used to say like holes in his shoes kind of for never went to college, started a business with his brother, just selling stuff, door to door, hustling. It turned into be successful. He gave his kids and everything. They never had thinking he was just doing well. And that turns out to spoil them rotten.[00:09:31] So, you know, here we go. Right. You know, and when you start to kind of unpack it and realize it, like, Hey, you know, Everybody was trying to do their best. It's really not their fault. You know, these are generationally inherited and body traumas, and all I can actually do is look at well, how did it, how did it shape me now?[00:09:51] What do I want to do with it? And what kind of life do I want to create from here? When you start to look at it like, well, you know, He was really up my ass. He was really difficult. [00:10:00] Is it okay if I cuss on your show? Sorry, it's just kinda like another just happens, but you know, I look at that as like, all right, well, you know, that did actually give me a lot of drive it actually, you know, this idea of like success and money and business, like, you know, That's that is part of me.[00:10:21] And that part of me actually, you know, led me to things that I'm really happy about. What is problematic is when you don't honor the other parts of you. And when you start to kind of live into this like aligned really authentic way of being, which by the way, I am still, you know, As we say, built to lead a work in progress.[00:10:42] This is an ongoing process. But when you start to do that, you start to be able to look back and say, you know, boy, I'm pretty grateful for kind of all of it. [00:10:51] Michael Moore: [00:10:51] You know, Brett to have that kind of insight and reflection this early in your life. it's something that I [00:11:00] work on too. And thank you for, for sharing all that.[00:11:03] It's you talked about sort of the generational aspect. You know, your, your great grandparents did it one way, your grandparents did it. Another, your parents may have done it another, and those all sort of impact you. I mean that, that's the purpose. And you know, one of the, the leading desires behind our podcast is that those stories get told because we live in this world today where it's so fast paced.[00:11:29] It's 24 hour news. It's Twitter feeds, and the time to really slow down and reflect. And understand that the past can define you. If you don't learn from it, then maybe you're going to repeat it, or you've got a missed opportunity there. So now I really appreciate you sharing that. And my parents went through a divorce, later on in life.[00:11:52] I was in high school, but. To your point. I mean, he, you just kind of pissed off and I'll learn really [00:12:00] early on though, that you pushed too hard on the world and it's going to push back and that can be a pretty uncomfortable place to be. So thank you for sharing that. Anything, anything else you want to share on sort of that, that journey to get to the point where your ability to be so reflective now?[00:12:17] Brett Kaufman: [00:12:17] Yeah. You know, it's an interesting thing. I think, you know, it's, it's kind of a part of my DNA to some extent, you know, it's part of my kind of wiring to want to be reflective and to be in a growth mindset, you know? And I was like, I don't know, 15, 16 years old. I was listening to Wayne Dyer books on tape.[00:12:37] And you know, when I, when my parents got divorced, when I was 10 and my mom took my sister and I to therapy and. And, and I walked out, same when can I go back? And my sister never went back. You know, it's kind of part of me just to, I am. And then, you know, I think it's, it's a lot of work too. I mean, it's not fun to kind of like, really look at your shit and, you know, own it and decide like, [00:13:00] not only do I kind of see it, know it, but like, I'm gonna really like.[00:13:04] Change this behavior. Cause you know, I think you said that this kind of defining, letting your past to find you, you know, to, to me, that's really a choice and it's not an easy one. I mean, these are very, very complex things, but, it is a choice. To rewire re pattern kind of how you think, how you act and how you create your life and your future.[00:13:29] And most people are unconsciously just recreating their past over and over again. And, you know, at a certain point, I just decided I didn't want to do that. And it wasn't without help. Again, you know, coaching, you know, and really, you know, not just the plug chat built lead, like built the lead, changed my life.[00:13:49] No question about it. I didn't know what a co coach was when I met Chad. And that changed my life. You know, I went to landmark forum if you're familiar with landmark, but that was another big, [00:14:00] you know, kind of game changer, understanding, learning about how to create my future and, you know, in the spirit of kind of like the gratitude thing, you know, my.[00:14:10] There's a lot of blessings that I think had nothing to do with me. And maybe, you know, my belief system, which is about, you know, the universe, God, you know, I was, I was blessed with a mother who did everything humanly possible to get our lives on track, a stepfather who came into our lives and, and really, you know, blessed us with a healthy home.[00:14:31] There was a lot of like, unbelievable. Kind of unexplainable blessings that showed up in my life and, and really, you know, helped support me in making that transition. Yeah, [00:14:42] Bob Wierema: [00:14:42] I, I laughed when you, you talk about, look at looking at your shit. I've been having this conversation with a friend and we were talking about just like therapy in general, right?[00:14:50] It's [00:14:50] it's it always just had this like [00:14:52] negative connotation of, well, you gotta do this. You have a problem [00:14:56] and [00:14:56] why should I go therapy? I'm good. I've been doing [00:15:00] therapy and, or coaching for nine years now. And [00:15:04] I can definitely say it's completely [00:15:06] changed my life. And you know, when I kind of share, and when you look at, [00:15:11] when you go down, you start to examine [00:15:13] who you are and you realize like, so [00:15:15] for me, you [00:15:16] look at like looking at my father and I'm [00:15:18] going, [00:15:18] man, my dad is this hero.[00:15:20] You start to go down and you go, [00:15:22] okay. Some of these things [00:15:23] I actually don't [00:15:23] believe. And then you start to get like [00:15:26] a little upset [00:15:26] with yourself and going [00:15:29] well, My dad's my hero. This can't be right. [00:15:31] Like he can't be wrong. [00:15:32] And to your point, like, I love that comment. I'm like, [00:15:36] don't just recreate your past because of all these things that are just built in you in your, your unconscious over the years when you're young and built in.[00:15:44] And they might, if, [00:15:45] unless you examine them, [00:15:47] you're never going to know. [00:15:49] Brett Kaufman: [00:15:49] Yeah. I mean, I'm, I'm kind of starting to. Understand this idea that we're all on our own path and our own journey and that the idea of being [00:16:00] perfect and, and, you know, I have, I have three boys they're 18, 17, and 14. And, you know, I have kind of over their lives wanting to put up my best.[00:16:15] Foot forward, you know, really kind of show them the best of me. And I think that's been really good cause you know, I'm intentionally trying to role model something for them that, you know, will be helpful for them in their lives. But as they've gotten older, I've started to really learn that it's equally as important.[00:16:37] Maybe more important for me to show them what I'm not. And, and own my mistakes. there was a kind of a big shift in me probably, you know, seven, I dunno, eight years ago where, you know, I started to really say like, when I, when I would get angry with them or something like, you know, I didn't handle that.[00:16:57] Right. I'm sorry. You know, I, [00:17:00] I kind of lost my cool on that and, and I'm working on that and I, and I'm going to, I'm going to try not to do that, even call me out on it next time I do it. Because I had, you know, my father and I grew up in a household where he was angry all the time. So, so that's what I started to do when the kids were little.[00:17:18] And even though I was sober and happy and, you know, in a very different state, I still had some of that patterning. And so, you know, when I started to kind of like bring the shadow into the light and own it, I think that it was more important for them to see me change. And being perfect because we all are, we all are it's, it's unrealistic to kind of set the expectation as a man, as a father.[00:17:45] That you're perfect. So, you know, that's a lot for a kid to carry. And so anyway, I think there's a, we could talk all day and I'm real passionate about kind of the subject of fatherhood and manlihood and kind of redefining, you know, what that [00:18:00] means. [00:18:01] Michael Moore: [00:18:01] No, we need more fathers like you out there, Brett. I mean, I think about that all the time.[00:18:05] I've got, I've got two daughters. So keep your three boys [00:18:09] up [00:18:09] North of Texas here for a little while, but it's the same.[00:18:17] Brett Kaufman: [00:18:17] Okay. I'm gonna have to rethink a few things, great school by the way. But, no, I mean, I think about that all the time. Like. What am I doing today? If, if, instead of telling my kids what to do, you know, I'm really a mirror to them to see what to do. Right. Big, different way of thinking about it. You know, what am I doing every day to instill in my daughters, hopefully what they're looking for, you know, in, in a, in a husband many, many, many, many years from now, And I work on that every day.[00:18:56] And, you know, going through some of the information that Bob [00:19:00] sent over in your website, you know, I love there was a, I don't know if it was a quote or where I saw it on there, but it said, you know, the way things have always been done is a perfect opportunity to disrupt. And I think, you know, whether it's in life and just repeating the way that our parents were our grandparents and not having this time to self reflect and figure it out, bleeds over to the business world.[00:19:26] And it seems like that's the way you've gone about setting up your company is like doing it differently. And then, you know, in this world, Hilly's growing up and like reading business books about like crushing the competition and being completely relentless. And you know, not only putting your knee on the neck, but just never letting up you're, you're creating like love and happiness and this just amazing environment.[00:19:57] So talk to [00:19:57] us about that. [00:20:00] Yeah, well, you know, I don't subscribe and this is something that again has kind of evolved for me over time, but I really don't subscribe to the idea of disruption. I don't know where you saw that quote and if it was me, I gotta, I gotta refresh it because what I believe happens when you set out to disrupt something and it's a little nuance, but I think it's important.[00:20:24] Is is that, you know, it's kind of like you're punching somebody in the gut and then when you get hit in the gut, then you know, you don't just roll over, you punch somebody back in the face and then now you have a fight and that's not really the goal. So I like to use the word expansion and really that's what I've tried to do with our business is take.[00:20:46] A model early on when we were singularly focused on building real estate, you know, the idea was let's take these communities that have really strong fundamentals. They're there. They're built, [00:21:00] constructed in a way that people are going to be happy to live in them for a long period of time in good locations, we're going to service them appropriately.[00:21:10] You know, we're going to make sure that our staff. Treats people in a way that is of a certain kind of level of experience and creating community. But what if we turn that on the side and made the design something that really uplifted them? And what if we provided amenities and programs and content. And experiences for them to actually connect to their passions, the things that they love and to each other, well, what would happen then?[00:21:40] And so to me, that's just an expansion of something that was there before, and, and that's kind of, you know, the way that I like to look at it, you know, the other thing, you know, regarding the competition piece is. To me if, and this is like a mindset thing, you know? And, and, and I, and I [00:22:00] try, I'm not always there, but I try to have an abundance mindset.[00:22:04] And, and to me it's like, if, if everybody, if everybody in my space starts to build communities that are. Fundamentally built on the things that we value collaboration, connection, passion, love, expression, impact wellbeing. If everybody started doing that well, that would be pretty damn good for society. And I'm not so worried that there's not enough for me.[00:22:37] In that then even if there's not enough for me, I'm so confident now in my ability to just go solve another problem, I'll just go do something else. If that problem solved, there's plenty of problems to start solving. And when you start to think about it, that way you don't really care about your competition anymore, you're not focused on winning.[00:22:59] You're [00:23:00] focused on. On connecting to human beings and changing the world. And that's all you care about. And that's like, there's plenty of work to do in this lifetime there. [00:23:09] Amen to that brother. Yeah, I think, [00:23:13] when you [00:23:14] talk through all that, [00:23:15] talk about maybe how you build that into the culture [00:23:18] Michael Moore: [00:23:18] you have at your company, as well as like, I mean, you have a whole group that's feeling the same way.[00:23:25] Like how do you kind of get your passion and love for what you're doing spread throughout the rest of the company and even just other people around you? [00:23:34] Brett Kaufman: [00:23:34] Yeah, it's an, it's a great question. You know, the thing I did when I started my company was I. Decided, and we're still doing this. It's actually a pretty interesting thing as we're kind of looking at the racial tension and kind of how we can continue to lean into doing the right thing.[00:23:53] But, but you know, from the start, the idea was throw out all the rules, [00:24:00] throw out all the societal. Programming, all of the industry norms just pretend like it doesn't exist. What would we create? If we could create anything? Because we were at a point where it was just me. It's one person I can create anything I wanted to create.[00:24:22] And it was really important to me after spending 15 years in corporate America to Curry a culture. That I wanted to show up and go to work in every day. You know, again, coming back to the gratitude thing, I spent 15 years in jobs that I was not that inspired by, but boy, did I learn a ton? Boy was I so grateful to have that experience?[00:24:50] Boy, I learned what I did not want. And that was really more important, not just like intellectually, like we talked about before, but like I got to [00:25:00] experience it in my body. What it was like to work at a bank where they didn't give you a holiday off, you had to take a vacation day. If you, for me, you know, the Jewish holiday was a one time, a year thing that I observed, and that was a vacation day for me.[00:25:15] And it was like, wow. You know that welcome to the world. I mean, I was 22 years old when I'm learning this lesson, you know? Thank you. Thank you. Fast forward to today, you know, Juneteenth, like it's off. Take it off, that's it that's, you know, I don't care. What do whatever you want on that day, we're taking it off.[00:25:35] And I learned that lesson through those experiences. So for me, culture kind of getting back to your question and culture was about, about who I put on my team. It's kinda similar to the comment you made about, you know, role modeling for your daughters. You know, for me, It's a matter of culture will be built by the example of the people that are there.[00:25:58] It's not me. You [00:26:00] know, I I'm the visionary right in the EOS world. That's my role. I'm the visionary, the implementer, the, the rest of the team. They're the ones that are making it happen and they make it happen by just being who they are. So we look, we look for skill, passion effort, and you've got to have the passion for the things we believe in.[00:26:24] So that our culture can really be something more than just words written on the wall or some idea in my head. [00:26:32] Bob Wierema: [00:26:32] Yeah. It's so great to, to think through how you do that. I think [00:26:37] one of the things I want to [00:26:38] come back to, and then I want to actually come back to what you were just talking about is like, So you're 15 years in corporate America, and you're, you're doing what I'll call like paid training, basically.[00:26:50] Like [00:26:50] you're getting paid to learn all these lessons before you [00:26:53] go to do your own thing. Did you always [00:26:56] know you wanted to do your own [00:26:57] thing? Did you always know it was real estate? [00:27:00] And then like also what made you finally just go. I'm done with this. Like I'm going out on my own. [00:27:07] Brett Kaufman: [00:27:07] Yeah, no, I really didn't know.[00:27:08] I wanted to do my own thing. I think that I was too unconscious, you know, kind of early in my career to really know what I wanted. And, and, and when I did have some kind of thread of, of something that I thought I would want, I didn't have the confidence or courage or capabilities to actually go do it. So, I mean, I can go back to.[00:27:33] I was a lousy student. I just kind of like, this is all again, kind of connected to my childhood. You know, I learned to disassociate from, you know, kind of the chaos. So that meant I didn't ever pay attention in school. And the way school was taught was not like catered to, you know, how I learned. So I was allows the student, but I remember sitting in a, in a class in college, one of the few I attended.[00:27:59] You know, I, I [00:28:00] graduated, but I, I really learned I was on like a, more of a, a life learning track than, the academic one, but I sat in a psychology class where I thought, wow. This is interesting. I could do this, but, but again, like immediately programming comes in business success, looking good, you know, work hard.[00:28:20] Right. So I'm in banking because I wanted to impress my girlfriend's parents, you know, which turns out to work because we've been married for 20 years now. Like, you know, but like, you know, I mean, I'm not lousy banker. Like I'm not, you know, so I'm spending most of my career just going like. How can I impress my girlfriend's parents?[00:28:41] How can I now provide a living for my wife? How can I make enough money to take that vacation? And that's kind of where my mind is and what happens is. I'm about maybe, I don't know, six, seven, eight years into my prior job to starting [00:29:00] this company. And I start to get a little bit of an itch to go really.[00:29:05] I think just make some money. I thought, you know, I'm not making enough money doing this. I'm going to make some extra money. And I did what, like, they kind of tell you. In real estate in today know real estate schools. They didn't have that when I was in college and they say, you know, go, just buy a duplex.[00:29:23] That's like a thing, you know, like, do you want to get into the industry? You know, you've got three ways to do it. You can work for a developer, which is really hard to get a job with no experience. You can go into banking or appraisals or finance, some kind of surrounding industry. Or you just go buy a duplex, you know, and most people go, well, how do you do that?[00:29:46] I don't have any money. You know, I don't know how to do that. And that's kind of where I was. I just used an old banking tie. I had no money. I found a duplex, I bought it and I [00:30:00] started to. Go to work on an idea that I had about how I could turn these kind of inner city duplexes into kind of high design units at an affordable price point.[00:30:14] And that just started to really put me on a path where I did it. It worked, I made some money. I'll never forget cashing that check going. Wow. I did that like that, that was like, that was pretty cool. That was fun. And I, it took me still, you know, probably another five years to make the jump from that point.[00:30:38] But that was the beginning of me being an entrepreneur thinking, you know, now I did, you know, I'm in strategic coach and they talked about the four seats commitment. Courage capability and confidence. And they go in that order. So when I, when I bought the duplex, I made a commitment, then came all the fear.[00:30:59] Am I going to [00:31:00] fail? Is this going to work? And as I started to go through it, you know, I got the courage to go through it. Then I started to realize like, Hey, I actually know what I'm doing here, capable. And then I was confident. And, you know, you keep kinda jumping back in on that. I brought all that learning back to my company.[00:31:17] We started to rehab. All of our old units started to work there. I started to use that confidence, those capabilities to keep kind of going through that cycle to the point where I was ready to make a jump. And, and it wasn't just the kind of four CS. It was also at the same time. there was, there was three.[00:31:39] Key events. And I know this is maybe a long answer, but I think these are kind of important things to touch on. And we talked about it a little bit before, but all within a three month period, I went to landmark forum. I started working with Chet. They built a lead. Landmark taught me that I could [00:32:00] create anything.[00:32:00] I wanted to create that my past was not defining my future. Built. The league, taught me how to have a world view and an Opus and really kind of write what I wanted to do with my work and my life. And then I went to something called summit series, which was a, it was a, it was actually on a cruise ship. and it was a big kind of.[00:32:23] A conference of sorts, but it was all these young entrepreneurs that were like doing super cool shit. It was like the founders of, or like Google and PayPal, early days of those guys, charity water, wasn't just tech. It was philanthropy, environmental stuff. I mean, all these super creative entrepreneurs.[00:32:45] Gary V was there. I'd never heard Gary V before. This is 2009. I actually ended up at a dinner with just Gary V and two other people, which was like totally random, but it just blew my mind. And I [00:33:00] came home. I'm like, wait a minute. I can create my future. This is what I believe. And I just saw a whole boat full of people doing it.[00:33:08] I'm taking the jump really, you know, kind of the combination of all those things that got me to start my own [00:33:14] Michael Moore: [00:33:14] business. Hey, Brett, you talked about skill, passion, and effort. How do you know for, for our other business owners, entrepreneurs, C-level listeners, how do you go about identifying talent and then retaining [00:33:33] Brett Kaufman: [00:33:33] the talent?[00:33:35] Well, you know, it's a bit of an art. It takes some work and some experience to do that. You know, when we, when we first started a company, I was a little too. Focused on the passion piece of that equation. I was so, so convicted that we had to have a culture of a certain time that we were go out and hire people out of industry that had no experience.[00:34:00] [00:34:00] And in some cases that was good for our leasing people. I didn't want the industry normal kind of typical salesy approach. You know, this is in 2011, we were kind of one of the first to make sure everybody was working on iPads and, you know, doing all the cool techie stuff. So I was hiring people out of retail, people that had brand experience.[00:34:25] And in that case, you know, the lack of skill was really. A benefit. But when it comes to maintenance, when it comes to accounting, when it comes to finance comes to operations, you need people with skill, right? So, you know, we've had kind of calibrate that and try to find people that have all three, they can demonstrate all three.[00:34:49] And you know, what happens when you have that kind of a high bar is it's much harder. To attract talent, but it's worth it because you [00:35:00] can retain people and it makes your life easier. If you've got really a players, top talent, people that have all three of those things, it frees you up to do the things that you're really good at passionate love that love to do.[00:35:16] And so it's just a discipline of ours that we really stick to. [00:35:20] Bob Wierema: [00:35:20] Brett talk about too, [00:35:22] you know, I know that you guys are using built [00:35:24] to lead it, Kauffman. Talk about that investment in your [00:35:28] people [00:35:29] and how important that is. You know, when you talk about training development and building culture, [00:35:35] Brett Kaufman: [00:35:35] Yeah. I mean, it comes back to kind of the comment around expansion and kind of why we do what we do purpose for me.[00:35:43] And, and, you know, this is much easier for me to say now that we're, you know, almost 10 years into this and I've had a lot of success, but for me, All along. I have always gotten the most pleasure out of seeing [00:36:00] people grow in their lives, but it really probably goes back to that psychology class. It's probably what I was meant to do and work that I'm actually coming around to now.[00:36:12] But I, I started to really do it through my company and built the lead was. I'm one of, it's not the biggest vehicle that we utilize to really help. Other human beings, which is ultimately the most important part of everything that I do now, I am super focused on creating new companies, new products, new organizations, investing, coaching, speaking, the podcast.[00:36:43] It's all about how do we improve the human experience? How do we make. A difference in other people's lives and built the lead does that. So, you know, when, when I have somebody that comes to me and says, and this has happened to me, actually a couple of times recently [00:37:00] they've turned to me and said, Hey, I'm leaving.[00:37:02] I'm going to do X. I've always wanted to do that. And I learned that here. I learned that I should go follow my dreams. I wrote my Opus. I know that I believe. And I'm going to taking the job. That's to me like high five, like, I don't care. What kind of hole you just left in my company who I'll fill it, but like high five.[00:37:26] That's why we're here. When somebody, you know, we say, we want you on fire either here or there. Right. It's built lead thing. So, you know, to me, Not only has it been incredibly impactful in my own life to be on fire, but it also gives people that opportunity, in their lives. And, you know, that's just like a triple bottom line.[00:37:52] Cause I've got people that are on fire, share my passion here. And then I've got some that are going out into the world [00:38:00] and sharing their passion in the world, you know? And I think because. We have that mind step because we have that kind of built into the company. I think it also hits our bottom line. I mean, I think it's part of the reason we're we're successful.[00:38:16] And I actually don't know if that's true, but that's what I tell myself. And I've never really cared enough to find out cause the other parts are just too important to really care. [00:38:29] Michael Moore: [00:38:29] No bread. I really appreciate that mindset because I've left. Jobs before knowing that, you know, and understanding who I am and where I'm going and the things I want to accomplish, you know, maybe I had done all that I could do there.[00:38:43] And it was time to branch out in a different direction and have that previous person not be excited about that is just not, I don't think that's truly leading from the front, like you're talking about. And you know, if, if, if that's your, your goal to have [00:39:00] that. Have them have that deep understanding of themselves.[00:39:03] Although I was reading an article you were quoted in this morning that Carl Young quote, the privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are. I mean, that's what you're talking about, right? [00:39:15] Brett Kaufman: [00:39:15] Yeah. Yeah, it is. And, you know, you know, coming back to the, to the role modeling, you know, the other, young quote that I love along those lines is I won't get the exact quote, but it basically talks about the, the life of the unlived parents and that, you know, and that, that one was really one of the big ones that got me that.[00:39:39] Take the jump that I needed to show my kids what it meant to really live and to not be filled with regret and resentment and worry and doubt, you know, that the taking a jump and an investment in my life, you know, really would be the most important thing I can do for me [00:40:00] and for them and for others. And you know, I'll never forget Chet once said this to me, and I've heard this kind of in strategic coach now, I think Chet said.[00:40:08] At the time, you know, whatever it was going to cost was about the price of like an administrative assistant. And he said, you know, You could have that and that's going to like, get you, whatever it gets you, right. Or, you know, you can invest in this and it'll maybe change your life forever. And boy, has that been kind of the cheapest investment I've ever made?[00:40:32]when I think about, you know, kind of how it's changed me, My relationships with my wife, my kids, my family, and my business. I mean, you know, cause some people, you know, want to talk about, you know, the bottom line, you know, I've made way more money because of bill to lead and you know, the other kind of way to look at it.[00:40:53] You know, Dan Sullivan from strategic coach talks about it's an investment, you know, it's not, it's not an expense, [00:41:00] it's an investment. And you get to decide, is the investment paying off or is it not. And in my case, you know, I've found the more that I engage in learning, the more I engaged in networks, the more I surround myself by other really smart people that also have the same mindset, the same abundance growth mindset that investment pays off over and over and over again.[00:41:27] Brett. [00:41:27] Bob Wierema: [00:41:27] How do you, how do you separate chasing the dollar versus chasing and living like your life and your living, your, you know, as we talk about and built to lead your Opus or what your, your dream is like, how do you separate those two? Because what, what I realized, sometimes you talk to some folks it's like, Hey, if I just get to this point, [00:41:46] I'll be good.[00:41:48] And then you get there. And that next milestone is, is [00:41:52] up in front of you. [00:41:53] And what I've tried to do is separate [00:41:55] those out. Cause [00:41:56] if I keep doing that, like my fiance is always like, [00:41:59] yeah, but if you do [00:42:00] that, you're just going to find something else [00:42:01] to go to, which is what built the leads got me to do is [00:42:04] realize more that it's not just about the dollar.[00:42:07] So how do you think about that? [00:42:09] Brett Kaufman: [00:42:09] Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of different kind of threads to pull on there. You know, one is that. I, I, I learned not to look at them as separate. That's the, that's the thing, like I'm a for profit business, but I'm also trying to really make my difference in the world. And, and I don't think those two things are separate.[00:42:31] And in fact, I actually think that the key to me making. Money is really the passion for, for trying to change the world. And the more I understand that, the more that I experience that the more I realized how wide open that is. Like, for example, Headspace, you know, the meditation app, it's got like a billion dollar valuation.[00:42:57] No, I don't know how the, I don't know the origin [00:43:00] story of that, but I sure as hell know, 20 years ago when I started meditating that had, I had the confidence. And the, and the courage to go, Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute. If you could kind of bring this to the masses, I can make a billion dollars. You know, I didn't, I didn't know that then, but that is the way forward.[00:43:19] That is how I think money is made is finding those things that you really, really are passionate about and connecting the two. And then, you know, the kind of. You know, Chateau, Brianne quote, from bill to lead that, you know, you can't tell the difference if you're, you know, playing or working, you know that right.[00:43:37] So that's kind of the goal, but there's, there's also, you know, kind of some mixed feelings that I still grapple with on the kind of throwing the stick out. You know, part of me thinks that's really good. Part of me thinks that you, you should have really, you know, big dreamy. Aspirational goals and you [00:44:00] should hit him.[00:44:01] And when you hit him, you should throw it back out. And that's part of, kind of, you know, what drives you forward. I think you have to though at the same time, kind of check in with yourself and decide, well, you know, what's really running here. most commonly and for me, I had. Something that I call not enough.[00:44:26] Right. And that was part of my childhood again, that, you know, there was this big, big, you gotta be perfect. You gotta look the part, you gotta sit up straight, shake a hand, look in the eye and make money. Be successful. Big, big, big wealth, wealth, wealth. Well, That was fine. Cause it's served me to get to where I am.[00:44:48] But at a certain point I realized, no, wait a minute, why am I continuing to do this? I have enough, I am enough, but why, why do I throw the stick back out? And [00:45:00] when you, when you kind of make that shift, you're like, alright, well I'm throwing it out because. Here's what I'll do with the money. You know, I can continue to invest in other people.[00:45:09] I can continue to give back. I can continue to create a life for myself. That's joyful and fun and full and whatever. Right. It's not that you got to say, you know, I got to stop making money. Money's bad. You just need to kind of be aware of what you're doing and realize why you're doing it and make sure my case, you know, in this quarantine has been really amazing for this, that you're not on that treadmill.[00:45:40] And like in that rat race and unconsciously, you know, trying to get more and more and more and missing. That kind of very thing that you're actually after, which is like love and connection and time with your family and, you know, things that, you know, I find to be more fulfilling than a dollar. [00:46:01] [00:46:00] Michael Moore: [00:46:01] Do you think the 20 years of focus on meditation helps keep all that clear?[00:46:08] I think so many of us have ideas like that, but then you get sidetracked you're over here, you just, you miss that, that ability to truly focus on the important things and his meditation helped with that. [00:46:23] Brett Kaufman: [00:46:23] Absolutely. It has helped. With that. And, you know, I want to also kind of just say, like, it's not like a silver bullet.[00:46:32] A lot of people feel like they struggle with meditation. And I did for probably 10 years, you know, I was. Thoughts thoughts, thoughts, monkey burning monkey brain, you know, is it working? I don't know if I'm doing it right. You know, and, and wherever you start and wherever, whatever experience you have, it's perfect.[00:46:51] That's exactly what you need. You know, they say, if you fall asleep, great, you were tired. It's fine. You know, if you have thoughts the whole time, perfect, you [00:47:00] needed to move your thoughts. And so, you know, I'm a huge fan and proponent yet, you know, as time has gone on and in more recent years, my routine has expanded beyond meditation.[00:47:16] You know, so like a morning for me is I woke up this morning. I meditated, I have kind of like an affirmation prayer that I use that I just repeat every morning. I write in a journal every day and I've started this new thing about kind of like one life lesson that I, have, learned in a story. And I write that out every day I worked out, I sat in my sauna, you know, went downstairs.[00:47:44] Returned to me, email, grab a cup of coffee and here I am. And you know, at nine 30, you know, and I'm usually getting go on nine, nine 30, which is, which is also a new discipline for me, you know? And, and by the way, before that, I, I made sure I got, you [00:48:00] know, seven to eight and a half hours sleep. That's also a key part of it.[00:48:05] You know, I'm feeling like I've, I am really ready to go. You hit that point. Cause you know, I've, I've moved a lot in energy. I've gotten a lot of stuff kind of out of me that has me showing up clear and conscious and energized and focused and you know, Happy. So it's not just meditation, you know, it's, it's, it's a number of things and, and that continues on throughout the day.[00:48:33] I mean, I, you know, I now, you know, have lunch with my son every day. I'm working from home right now. I, you know, we'll, you know, go for a run or play tennis at the end of the day, before we have dinner. And. You know, I'll, I'll take some time to read, you know, later in the evening, spend time with family, take a walk with my wife.[00:48:54] I mean, all of those things really, really add up to how you [00:49:00] can go. You know, the idea is that you, you don't wait until your, your battery on your car dies. before you start driving, you know, and before you charge it, you charge the car and then you drive, you know? And so that's kind of the philosophy I have is you gotta constantly be charging your batteries so you can drive [00:49:22] Michael Moore: [00:49:22] great perspective.[00:49:23] Bob Wierema: [00:49:23] Right. I was, I was looking for you this morning on the Peloton, but I didn't see us. So [00:49:27] we'll [00:49:27] have to find another one for that. [00:49:30] Brett Kaufman: [00:49:30] Yeah. Well, that was fun. I, I, you know, and then that group got me going and, you know, there is something about, you know, being with other people and I've not been on the bike since, it's too nice for me to be riding indoors.[00:49:46] So I go out and run or do something else outside, but, that was fun. You know, there was a lot of learning in there that group, the motivation that trash talking, you know, dot me going. I'll tell you, I, I really [00:50:00] enjoyed that. [00:50:00] Bob Wierema: [00:50:00] So Michael Chet, the mutual coach we work with during when this whole isolation thing started, right?[00:50:07] He's like, we're going to do this tour de isolation [00:50:12] for all these people that have Peloton. And he, [00:50:15] he was, you know, we had all get on the bike at seven [00:50:18] 46 in the morning and or whatever the time was in, in we'd have what part? We had 22 people on there, something like that. Yeah. It was a good group. And. I mean the, the [00:50:28] personal records [00:50:29] that were set, the people pushing, I mean, it was like [00:50:31] you would get on.[00:50:32] And usually when you do a 45 minute ride, the first five minutes, [00:50:36] it's like a warmup, but [00:50:37] everybody's getting nine, 10 minutes before. So that when we start, they're just going full go. And it was like, I remember getting off at the one and [00:50:46] Chad actually calls me after [00:50:48] and I [00:50:48] Brett Kaufman: [00:50:48] had been laying on the [00:50:49] ground for like 30 minutes.[00:50:51] Cause I just had [00:50:52] nothing left in me and I'm like, [00:50:54] I'm riding it. Stationary bike and just put in, lay in everything on the table. But like, [00:51:00] it was like, how do you [00:51:00] create that? And that's what Chad's been taught. We've been targeted. How do you create that Peloton with your team? How do you create that [00:51:07] thing?[00:51:07] That people are always [00:51:08] pushing each other and, you know, a healthy amount of shit talking in there too, and, [00:51:13] and bust in each [00:51:14] other, which is fine. I think. I like to think of myself as a rather athletic person. Right. And I'm like at the bottom of this group [00:51:21] and Chet has not [00:51:22] let me forget that, you know? So like [00:51:25] if you're at the bottom, I'm pretty sure I was, I was beneath you.[00:51:30] And you know, it's a funny thing because what happened was I really thought I was, you know, at the bottom. but, but there's another guy here in Columbus is a good friend of mine. Also a client. And we were kind of debating, which one of us was at the bottom, which is Chad had that power in a weight ratio thing.[00:51:48] And I was just focused on output. I'd win on output, but I lose on powered away. And so we would, we would argue over that, but, but what I ended up doing [00:52:00] was what motivated me was the personal best. And so to me, that was kind of an interesting learning is like, if I just go out. And beat my best every time what happens and, and, you know, I ended up putting up numbers.[00:52:16] You know, I, I never thought I could do. just watching that little, you know, number and my staying above it, you know, how far above it can I get and, you know, just kind of, you know, learning that, you know, maybe that's all you need to do is go out and do your best every day. I know [00:52:34] Michael Moore: [00:52:34] that's no, that's great.[00:52:36] Well, Brett. [00:52:37] The one thing I wanted to touch on too, that you've mentioned throughout this whole thing was you talked about then constantly kind of going back to this passion you have for sharing and giving back. [00:52:47] What does that mean for you going [00:52:48] forward? [00:52:49] Like, what are some things that you're doing in that world [00:52:51] that are, that are giving you the opportunity to share and give back?[00:52:56] Brett Kaufman: [00:52:56] Yeah. You know, it's a lot of things and it's kind of continuing [00:53:00] to evolve. So w you know, we do a lot of engagement with community, a lot of nonprofit work. I'm a big believer in collaboration. So we, we're an early investor and do a idea that, you know, it was really nothing more than an idea at the time, but it turns out that now it serves as a portal for.[00:53:22] The corporate community of Columbus to access, volunteer philanthropic opportunities in the city. We had just wanted to make that a big part of our business. We were trying to do it ourselves and. somebody came into my office and had kind of this technology to do it. And, and so we invested in, so now every kind of big corporate company in the city has hundreds of people volunteering around the community, that kind of stuff.[00:53:52] You know, we, we love to do, I do a lot of mentoring and investing in entrepreneurs, [00:54:00] supporting people in their work in life. I'm, you know, kind of learning. Coaching I've been doing it kind of casually and informally, but I'm starting to kind of learn how Chet does things, how other coaches work and, and start to do some more coaching.[00:54:18] I think things like the podcast are my way of giving back. As, you know, not everybody has the Joe Rogan deal. So mine is kind of falling into the investment category at the moment. And, and, and, you know, but I love it. And I think that, you know, when I'm out walking around and somebody stops me and says, Hey, you know, I really got a lot out of that podcast, you know, to me, that's how I'm giving back.[00:54:46] I'm speaking, I'm sharing this story. I hope it means something to people. you know, again, we'll, we'll do a lot in the kind of charitable volunteer serving on boards, that kind of thing. But, you know, [00:55:00] mostly I think it's about really, being with other individuals and supporting them in their journey is.[00:55:07] Directly as you can, either with your time or your money, you know, trying to do that full capacity. [00:55:15] Michael Moore: [00:55:15] So, Brett, one of the things that we talk about on this podcast a lot is, you know, there's that saying? You heard probably when you were growing up of, it's not what, you know, it's who, you know, and then Bob and I talk about it's, maybe it's not so much who, you know, it's, who knows you.[00:55:33] And so with, with this platform, What else do you want to share with our audience about the true breadth and where you're headed? [00:55:43] Brett Kaufman: [00:55:43] You know, the true bread? That's a, that's a good question. I mean, it's, it's still emerging. I think, like I said, it's a work in progress, but you know, I think what I'm learning is what I'm starting to land on is that, You know, the, the true bread is, is both [00:56:00] kind of, this, paradox of, of, you know, kind of creating, really making things happen, but doing it from a place of full expression from vulnerability, from the sharing myself, and my experience in life with people in its entirety, honoring the things that, you know, really, I think are oftentimes.[00:56:24] Not as broadly accepted, you know, that continues to be a theme, that kind of story about meditation. Well, what kept me from really doing the Headspace kind of thing. And I, that wasn't my idea, but you know, when I, when I started meditating, I was hiding in my car doing it, not telling me, telling anybody I was doing it 20 years ago.[00:56:47] It wasn't really. Cool to meditate. Right? So the more that I can kind of buck the, the, the kind of societal programming and not worry what's accepted and what's [00:57:00] not. And just honor those things that feel really true to me, to me, that's where the true Brett is emerging. And, you know, this idea of really kind of trying to.[00:57:14] Elevate consciousness to optimize the human experience to kind of aim towards this oneness, you know, with, with what's going on in the world right now. You know, my belief is that it is our target goal purpose. In life to aim for oneness. And that's really what I'm after. I'm trying to figure out how to can constantly do my part, to bring people together, to put our differences aside, to not let the separation, you know, really kill us.[00:57:47] Cause I think that's, that's the biggest. Issue that we face. and, and how to do that, you know, in a variety of ways through starting businesses, you know, supporting [00:58:00] entrepreneurs, coaching individuals, and work in life and working on myself above all else, constantly, you know, continuing to improve myself, loving my family, and friends, you know, that's, that's really, you know, kind of what I'm, committed to.[00:58:18] Michael Moore: [00:58:18] That's great. Yeah. As we talk about, you made the comment of being on fire, I can definitely see that with you. I love the passion and, and like this whole, [00:58:27] Brett Kaufman: [00:58:27] your whole thing [00:58:28] Michael Moore: [00:58:28] about optimizing the homey experience. And I love, [00:58:31] Brett Kaufman: [00:58:31] love [00:58:32] Michael Moore: [00:58:32] getting to know you better and talk to you more, and we really appreciate you spending some time with Michael and I today that to share your story and your words, wisdom.[00:58:40] I know I took a lot away from our conversation today, just personally. So we appreciate you sharing everything. [00:58:46] Brett Kaufman: [00:58:46] Yeah, no, it's my pleasure. And, you know, it's always a pleasure to be with other built to lead clients who, you know, are, are focused on trying to, live their best life and, and, [00:59:00] you know, On purpose and, and that's always fun.[00:59:03] And I really am appreciative of what you guys are doing. I think, you know, the idea of sharing these stories is really important. It will make a difference in people's lives and, you know, it's, it's, somebody said, you know, when. When one teaches two learn. So, you know, for me, I've found that, you know, as I'm, you know, listening to people's stories, I'm learning a ton.[00:59:25] So yeah, it's for other people, but it keeps giving to me over and over again. So, I'm sure that'll be your experience too. And, yeah. Thanks. Thanks for having me. [00:59:36] Michael Moore: [00:59:36] But if your son needs another tour of. The UT campus down there in Austin. I'm happy to oblige hookah. [00:59:45] All right. That's great. I'll be there in August so far.[00:59:49] They're planning on going back on time. So we'll be, we'll be moving in and the heat. but we're excited for him. We we've spent some time there and [01:00:00] it's a great city and an awesome school and he's, he's all fired up. So it should be fun. Well, we'll [01:00:06] make sure that everybody gets to know to visit your [01:00:08] podcast.[01:00:09] We'll tack that. And then [01:00:10] the, the notes, the gravity podcast and, and, you know, if they move to Columbus, make sure you're moving into a coffin, development. So thanks again, Brett. We appreciate the time. [01:00:20] Brett Kaufman: [01:00:20] Yeah. Thank you guys. I appreciate it. Thanks for having me.[01:00:30] Michael Moore: [01:00:30] thanks so much for tuning into this episode of the client. If you enjoyed the episode, please consider subscribing. And if you know someone who you would think would enjoy the podcast, Feel free to share this with them. Thanks again. And we'll see you on the next episode. [01:01:00] . 

Unknown Speaker 0:01 What is going on? What's going on man? We are taking a quick walk that's you and I right now Unknown Speaker 0:08 through Unknown Speaker 0:10 local park. Unknown Speaker 0:12 Just kidding, just gonna walk in the afternoon Unknown Speaker 0:15 just taking some Unknown Speaker 0:17 fresh air change of scenery. We have been inside of Unknown Speaker 0:24 the quarantine zone right? Unknown Speaker 0:26 of 2020 and Unknown Speaker 0:29 sometimes just need to get out everything's fine. Unknown Speaker 0:32 And everything's great. Unknown Speaker 0:34 Except for you know, you're in the same place all the time. And I think I think that we all love I love change of scenery, right? I don't know about you, but I love change of scenery. But as as I've been doing this quarantine bit and spinning up spiritual dope, having some just just awesome. Really awesome. Some conversations with all kinds of people in the spirituality space Unknown Speaker 1:08 in all spaces in general, really. And Unknown Speaker 1:13 a couple conversations popped up one of them that popped up Unknown Speaker 1:17 was this conversation of Unknown Speaker 1:21 kind of Unknown Speaker 1:22 knowing that you're gifted, Unknown Speaker 1:24 right? And having that gift Unknown Speaker 1:32 seemingly always be right out of Unknown Speaker 1:33 reach. Unknown Speaker 1:36 And I can I can relate to that one. Somebody had mentioned that one to me and, and I get it. There's this piece of you, that you are. You're always being told, hey, you know, you've got this specialness about you or perhaps one day, you know, you were like this and kind of as a child I always saw, you know, we're, we're in this kind of star seed, indigo child thing. I'm not sure how many of you guys are into that. But, you know, Unknown Speaker 2:11 I'll throw this out there. We're kind of like in a hippie 2.0 Unknown Speaker 2:15 scenario here, right? And there's many of us that were, Unknown Speaker 2:18 that grew up Unknown Speaker 2:21 as a, you know, kind of us original Star seeds as it were, right? This is kind of where everybody ended up getting like sky or rain and meadow and, and, you know, some child or Unknown Speaker 2:35 whatever. Unknown Speaker 2:38 But Unknown Speaker 2:40 you were always told that there was something special about you, and it's like, it's killing you because Unknown Speaker 2:45 it's right there. You know, it's just, Unknown Speaker 2:48 it's just on the other side, and it's like the outside of what you know. And if you've listened to Unknown Speaker 2:55 the doors, Unknown Speaker 2:57 I think that that's what he's talking about. Go ahead and bring onto the other side. And even then, you have this kind of experience where you touch on that greatness of kind of who you are and, and and what you're about. And Unknown Speaker 3:19 it's fleeting Unknown Speaker 3:21 for a moment because that's been Unknown Speaker 3:24 my experience anyways. And you know, the second conversation that kind of came up was was kind of about Unknown Speaker 3:31 psychedelics. Unknown Speaker 3:35 Let me see if I saved the picture of the specific on the psychedelics piece, as I'm kind of trotting around out here, because I want to make sure that I touch on it. It was like was it psychedelics as just psychedelics, or was a psychedelics in certain use cases and so So for me, that was kind of like an interesting one because I just written something Unknown Speaker 4:06 about Unknown Speaker 4:09 psychedelics myself, right? Unknown Speaker 4:11 And the deal is, Unknown Speaker 4:13 I'm gonna, I'm gonna come at it from the perspective of can't find the piece right now. Um, you know, Unknown Speaker 4:26 this is a, it's kind of like, Unknown Speaker 4:29 it's kind of like anything else, right? anytime that you Unknown Speaker 4:33 you take any drug for example, you know, you maybe use steroids to bolster up and bulk up, but like, you know, you stop taking them and then that kind of goes away or you use steroids or some other kind of, you know, enhancement drug. But then when it goes away, you know, you can't you can't function without it. Right or when you are on it, you know, you mute Or you kind of destroy other pieces about yourself? Unknown Speaker 5:05 So it's, it's like, Unknown Speaker 5:08 yes, it works for something. But it takes away from something else. And to me, you know, that kind of disrupts what kind of, you know, spiritual dope would be about right spiritual dope would be about Unknown Speaker 5:24 how do you Unknown Speaker 5:27 how do you access you know that? That kind of thing Unknown Speaker 5:31 all the time. Unknown Speaker 5:33 Right? How do you how do you access that the greatest parts of yourself without needing to rely on some type of external inducement, as it were, which is, and that's where kind of meditation comes into play, but the biggest, the biggest part about it is I'm just scoping out this weird little Unknown Speaker 5:58 place here. Unknown Speaker 6:05 So how do you how do you access the best of who you are, and bring that with you everywhere that you go Unknown Speaker 6:14 without having to rely on something Unknown Speaker 6:17 from the external, that's drugs, that's somebody else doing something because you said they needed to do it. That's, you know, in all times in all places, right? And to me, that's your inner self. That's your inner being. That is bringing all that you are being present in every moment. And sometimes that's hard, right? Like I said before, like, I've access parts of it, but not in all the time. state of mind. Right. I access it through meditation and And, you know, through through one kind of long term Unknown Speaker 7:06 as a as a spoke about numinous experience Unknown Speaker 7:09 and as far as you know as it relates Unknown Speaker 7:13 to Unknown Speaker 7:16 drugs and psychological Unknown Speaker 7:20 pharmaceuticals, LSD, mushrooms, mescaline. weed, I mean, you know, of ecstasy, you know, any one of those, right? Any one of those that you touch on can bring you real similar experience. However, unless you're using it, quote unquote responsibly, you're generally using it just kind of like a as a as a place to go escape. And, and, to me, it also shows this just kind of like you're relying on something outside of you. Right and and when you when you do that when you when when the only way that you can feel that way comes with its own set of dangers, right? least I was listening to Terence McKenna give a speech the other day about smell st and how it restricts the blood flow to your brain and you know has potential to cause seizures and like, make sense. Go What do you say? Have I experienced that? Yes. You know, and you know, what is the risk worth it? It's a risk versus you know, worth the reward is at the time you say, Sure. Yeah, man, this is great. This is amazing. Whoo. But then there's other times too. So it's like if you use it responsibly in a responsible space, you're in the quote unquote right headspace because imagine you Unknown Speaker 9:00 You already are Unknown Speaker 9:02 in your own fucking head 10 2100 X that Unknown Speaker 9:08 in your own head and then you're you're you're not in the right place mentally or you're not with the right people who can support your your trip, Unknown Speaker 9:21 right your, your psychological Unknown Speaker 9:26 assistance trip man like I mean, you want to call it expansion and you want to, you know, say this all these other things that are expansive, but really, you're just in your own fucking head Unknown Speaker 9:36 and you're in real deep Unknown Speaker 9:39 and you can have some bad experiences and they suck. Unknown Speaker 9:43 They make like, you know, Unknown Speaker 9:46 you know, imagine, you know, several hours of just feeling at your worst times 10 Okay, now, I'm not saying that you can't have these other experiences. They're super awesome and super nifty and and really just life life memorable, right you know things that you totally change perspectives and, and knit all these really cool blankets and covers i don't i don't know what the fuck you knit, but you knit them together tapestries of, you know, things that are woven. But it's still pales in total comparison Unknown Speaker 10:35 to what is possible Unknown Speaker 10:39 by Unknown Speaker 10:39 your own creation Unknown Speaker 10:43 without those drugs without the need for pharmaceuticals without I mean, now listen, I don't have a I don't have an iOS experience to give you. I don't have a pod experience to give, you know, I don't have you know, look, those maybe those are the ones that you dropped through the fog. So you're And you're Unknown Speaker 11:02 right. And you hear stories like that? Unknown Speaker 11:06 Is that an experience that you want to have? Unknown Speaker 11:10 Is that an experience you want to have? You want to be dropped from the center of the earth? Do you want to be dropped from the center here? That's a great question. So a mom walking here, I've got a picture of just some amazing Unknown Speaker 11:29 mushrooms, and this Unknown Speaker 11:31 great, kind of Unknown Speaker 11:33 three of them in a row here, spot. So, you know, what does it all mean? And how's that all break down? Those are just a couple of conversations that I've had this week that I thought that I would share with you as it relates to you know, spiritual dope. Unknown Speaker 11:51 And then, and then finally, Unknown Speaker 11:54 one of the other conversations got got me into listening to Carl Young's read book and it's really just a you know, I think a him Unknown Speaker 12:05 you know, Unknown Speaker 12:07 going through kind of I haven't finished it yet I don't I don't Unknown Speaker 12:10 have any super Unknown Speaker 12:14 deep knowledge about kind of where he was when he did it or what he was about. But Unknown Speaker 12:21 you know, I Unknown Speaker 12:23 recognize a lot of what he's saying. And and and and what he's talking about the mental space that he is Unknown Speaker 12:32 the mental space that he is occupying and Unknown Speaker 12:39 in that mental space Unknown Speaker 12:42 he's uh Unknown Speaker 12:45 you know, he talked he goes through his midlife crisis he goes through like his midlife and and what's funny is is he had done he finds it very similar way that I did is like you either kind of accept it and you dive fucking i mean do into it. And there's a lot of power in there or you resist it or you shut it down and you're like, Nah, that ain't for me. All right, and who does some people that's the way it is, right? You know, they get out it's literally the red, blue, red pill, blue pill. And then you know, once you take once you make a choice, there's really no kind of no going back as it were. So he goes, he goes deep in it. And the thing that I recognize with him is that he's coming through a mostly Western culture, right? I mean, look, he's in psychology, which is just brand fucking new. Listen, guys. I mean, for those of you who who have been to a psychologist, psychiatrist or anybody like that, let's let's, let's be honest, this is a this is a quote unquote, science of the mind. This hasn't existed for that long. 100 hundred years and change as you know, from young and, you know, Nietzsche and those guys and, and we put a lot of stock into something that that hasn't been around for a long time. And what happens is that, uh, you know, when you're developing something like that, your mind frame you can only you can only comment something from your own personal experience No matter how much you read, right and your own perception of something else, no matter what you read. So, you know, those spots and time that these guys make make their ascertain motions and, and claims, you know, they're based off of certain experiences and sometimes those don't always get revised. Right. You know, 20 years goes by and like on, like Madonna, for example, when she talks about how she was in her 20s and 30s versus when she grew up and got older. She's like, I don't know what I was thinking. I was just saying some stupid shit because I thought that's why I was supposed Unknown Speaker 14:59 to Be right. Unknown Speaker 15:03 And so young talks a little bit about like, just just being in a new space, just kind of handling the space from his own perceptions and experiences and from Western civilization. And as he is going through, he gets exposed Unknown Speaker 15:19 to Unknown Speaker 15:20 the the eaching I think he calls it like the yellow flower as well, which is one that I'm not familiar with, but he's also exposed to Kundalini and you know, the these spaces which which most Western society hadn't been exposed to, before and, and so when we, Unknown Speaker 15:45 from society at large make these transitions Unknown Speaker 15:49 into Unknown Speaker 15:50 you know, this midlife crisis, crisis of identity and all this other stuff. And Wayne Dyer calls it like the the Unknown Speaker 15:56 shift Unknown Speaker 15:58 and we don't have a framework For we lose, you lose your fucking mind, right? Yeah. And if you lose your mind because you nobody talks about it because they're afraid to share it because they're afraid they're gonna be looked at in in with some side eye which is one of the reasons why it took so long for the red book to be published and share it out. Right there wasn't a space that the family was comfortable in was sharing, sharing it. And to me that's a great detriment because you know, the opportunity been there for so long. Unknown Speaker 16:37 To let others know Unknown Speaker 16:40 that it was okay to have these experiences. It was okay to be that lost in your own mind to have those. Unknown Speaker 16:52 I don't know I'm not done with the book yet. Unknown Speaker 16:54 But to go through that mental space to explore All of who you are, and and you know not necessarily just be trapped in the body in the in the vessel that you you know you kind of plod along in but you know, understanding and being deep in the mind deep in the psychosis and and understanding that once you you know dip your toe into that pool, it is infinite it is infinite, right it's a it's a pool, an infinite pool. Unknown Speaker 17:28 I'm sure there's like, you know, some trademark and shit in there. But Unknown Speaker 17:33 the thing is, Unknown Speaker 17:35 I guess what I'm trying to share here is Unknown Speaker 17:38 if you find yourself in that space Unknown Speaker 17:41 you're not the first one. Unknown Speaker 17:44 You won't be the last one. Unknown Speaker 17:47 And if you find yourself in that space and you find yourself listen to this podcast and chances are you're in the right space. Unknown Speaker 17:56 We're all kind of going you know that what's the what's the line? Right? Right. was fighting dragons or whatever? I'm trying to tame mine. I don't know, I don't know that right. I don't have the right terminology for it. Because it's all newer to me. And I'm still looking for the right language for myself to to share this out with but that being said, I wanted to share those pieces of conversations with a few of the people that I talked with, as it related to the podcast, you know, for if you are, if you're out there looking for your gift, and you can't seem to find it, stop looking outside. It definitely resides on the inside and you've already got it. It's just how do you want to use it? What does that look like for you? And you know, imagine that that gift that you've been told about has fully developed? What are you gonna do with it? And what's housing and what's So I kind of look like when it shows up in the world if you're if you're again if you're the beginning of this space and you're wondering if you should take the leap into it or away from it say fucking take the leap take the leap and do it there's there's kind of like the last frontier to this space is not the last frontier we are here living as human beings and we have no fucking clue how we got here we have no fucking clue you know, we know that the the bits and pieces that pump our blood and do all these other things, but Unknown Speaker 19:37 where does that come from? Unknown Speaker 19:40 Yeah, who what is that life that's making that happen for you. And you know, if you want that's something worth exploring to me. And that's something that we will continue to explore in this podcast and that's what we're going to continue to do is how do we once we find these bits and pieces within a How do we leverage them in our daily lives to to just, you know, have a more fulfilling, more powerful, more impactful life. Alright, that's it. We'll talk to you later. Transcribed by https://otter.ai

More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net In the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests and reactions in the Twin Cities and around the world, we wanted to invite Carl Young back to the podcast. Carl is a social change leader, a mental wellness professional who does a lot of community-based work and a black man living in Minneapolis. In this episode with Carl we talk about: Carl's experience growing up as a black man in the south contrasted with living in Minnesota for over several decades The historical context of the relationship between black people with the Minneapolis police department and the U.S. police force in general Why Carl believes the George Floyd incident was different than former police murders and why it ignited a global response? What Carl thinks about the increase in white people joining in the antiracist movement Carl's advice for our listeners who want to bring about positive social change. What needs to be done on a personal, micro and macro level? More about Carl Young: Carl Young, MS, co-founder of ILC4Y,Increasing Life Chances 4 You Connect with Carl on Facebook and catch some of his live videos where he shares his thoughts and perspectives Carl Young, MS, is the founder of Increasing Life Chances 4 You. Carl specializes in working with survivors of trauma, PTSD, substance abuse, neglect, mental/physical abuse, domestic abuse, those struggling with life transitions, anxiety and depression, and those needing just that little "push and guidance" to help them move forward toward accomplishing their personal and professional goals. Carl is dedicated to addressing issues of diversity and equity in the mental health system and advocates for individuals who may need culturally competent life coaching and mental health support. His passion is to improve individuals' success professionally, personally, in school and at home; thereby increasing their life chances. ******** Do you want to live a life of impact that allows your work to align with your values, fit into your lifestyle, generate revenue and create social changes? But, just like so many people, you struggle with worrying about taking that leap? Will I have enough time? Can I make money? What do I do first? This is exactly why we created our Turn Your Passion Into Impact course for you. Our passion is supporting social change leaders just like you. We know that unleashing the creativity, skills and talents of people like you we are making our contribution to a better world for our kids. The course is designed for you to take at your own pace. Video lessons and worksheets will be released weekly for the five weeks of the course. Lessons launch June 29, 2020. Learn more here and sign up today! About Social Motion: Social Motion helps leaders to have greater impact in their professional and personal lives so they can have greater impact on our community and world. www.socialmotion.co About Genuine Impact: Genuine Impact Consulting and Coaching works with social entrepreneurs and social enterprises to bring clarity and focus so they can make a greater impact. www.genuineimpact.net

More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net In the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests and reactions in the Twin Cities and around the world, we wanted to invite Carl Young back to the podcast. Carl is a social change leader, a mental wellness professional who does a lot of community-based work and a black man living in Minneapolis.  In this episode with Carl we talk about: Carl’s experience growing up as a black man in the south contrasted with living in Minnesota for over several decades The historical context of the relationship between black people with the Minneapolis police department and the U.S. police force in general Why Carl believes the George Floyd incident was different than former police murders and why it ignited a global response? What Carl thinks about the increase in white people joining in the antiracist movement  Carl’s advice for our listeners who want to bring about positive social change.  What needs to be done on a personal, micro and macro level? More about Carl Young: Carl Young, MS, co-founder of ILC4Y,Increasing Life Chances 4 You  Connect with Carl on Facebook and catch some of his live videos where he shares his thoughts and perspectives  Carl Young, MS, is the founder of Increasing Life Chances 4 You.   Carl specializes in working with survivors of trauma, PTSD, substance abuse, neglect, mental/physical abuse, domestic abuse, those struggling with life transitions, anxiety and depression, and those needing just that little "push and guidance" to help them move forward toward accomplishing their personal and professional goals.  Carl is dedicated to addressing issues of diversity and equity in the mental health system and advocates for individuals who may need culturally competent life coaching and mental health support.  His passion is to improve individuals’ success professionally, personally, in school and at home; thereby increasing their life chances.    ******** Do you want to live a life of impact that allows your work to align with your values, fit into your lifestyle, generate revenue and create social changes?  But, just like so many people, you struggle with worrying about taking that leap?  Will I have enough time?  Can I make money?  What do I do first? This is exactly why we created our Turn Your Passion Into Impact course for you. Our passion is supporting social change leaders just like you. We know that unleashing the creativity, skills and talents of people like you we are making our contribution to a better world for our kids.  The course is designed for you to take at your own pace.  Video lessons and worksheets will be released weekly for the five weeks of the course.  Lessons launch June 29, 2020. Learn more here and sign up today! About Social Motion:  Social Motion helps leaders to have greater impact in their professional and personal lives so they can have greater impact on our community and world.  www.socialmotion.co About Genuine Impact:  Genuine Impact Consulting and Coaching works with social entrepreneurs and social enterprises to bring clarity and focus so they can make a greater impact.  www.genuineimpact.net

“A Journey of a Thousand Miles begins with a Single Step.” - Lao Tzu More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Have you wondered why your idea for that social enterprise, nonprofit or social impact business is still inside your head? On today's episode, Stephanie and Traci talk about the most important part of launching that idea to earn money by doing good things for people and the planet - GETTING STARTED! Stephanie and Traci are going to share their launch stories as well as a few stories of fellow social entrepreneurs and innovators that have been guests on the Social Change Leaders Podcast. We hope you are inspired and take courage from some of these stories! In our conversation we: Discuss how being an entrepreneur / social entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart, but how it can be a great career option Hear how Stephanie launched her social-based business by reframing her work and lifestyle as an entrepreneur Learn about Traci's launch story and why she feels it has allowed her to have more impact Discuss how social enterprises, nonprofits or social impact businesses can be started as a ‘side hustle' and why you may want to consider this option Hear a recap of how LaPorsche Jymi left a steady job and turned her revolutionary head ware business into a social enterprise that helps mentor youth and combat cycles of poverty Get inspired by a recap of how Alysha Price followed her passion, secured a fellowship and developed her own social enterprise Understand how Carl Young and a business partner are using their business to address health disparities from many angles We also talk about our upcoming course, Turning Your Passion into Impact: 5 Steps to Generate Revenue and Make a Difference. This course is a 5-lesson, step-by-step, video-based curriculum that will give you clarity, direction and momentum to turn your passion into social impact and revenue. UPDATE: The course begins June 29, 2020. Learn more here: https://www.socialmotion.co/turn-passion-into-impact In this episode we reference: Link to Register for May 26 Virtual Workshop Turn Your Passion into Impact Course SCL Podcast #5 Carl Young SCL Podcast Episode #9 - Alysha Price SCL Podcast #22 - LaPorche Jymi Social Change Leaders Podcast Episode #34: Why now is the time to start Social Change Leaders Podcast Episode #35: Can I really make money while doing good? Stephanie website - Genuine Impact Traci website - Social Motion

“A Journey of a Thousand Miles begins with a Single Step.”   - Lao Tzu More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaders.net Have you wondered why your idea for that social enterprise, nonprofit or social impact business is still inside your head? On today’s episode, Stephanie and Traci talk about the most important part of launching that idea to earn money by doing good things for people and the planet - GETTING STARTED!  Stephanie and Traci are going to share their launch stories as well as a few stories of fellow social entrepreneurs and innovators that have been guests on the Social Change Leaders Podcast. We hope you are inspired and take courage from some of these stories!   In our conversation we: Discuss how being an entrepreneur / social entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart, but how it can be a great career option Hear how Stephanie launched her social-based business by reframing her work and lifestyle as an entrepreneur Learn about Traci’s launch story and why she feels it has allowed her to have more impact  Discuss how social enterprises, nonprofits or social impact businesses can be started as a ‘side hustle’ and why you may want to consider this option Hear a recap of how LaPorsche Jymi left a steady job and turned her revolutionary head ware business into a social enterprise that helps mentor youth and combat cycles of poverty Get  inspired by a recap of how Alysha Price followed her passion, secured a fellowship and developed her own social enterprise   Understand how Carl Young and a business partner are using their business to address health disparities from many angles  We also talk about our upcoming course, Turning Your Passion into Impact: 5 Steps to Generate Revenue and Make a Difference. This course is a 5-lesson, step-by-step, video-based curriculum that will give you clarity, direction and momentum to turn your passion into social impact and revenue.   In this episode we reference:  Link to Register for May 26 Virtual Workshop Turn Your Passion into Impact Course SCL Podcast #5 Carl Young SCL Podcast Episode #9 - Alysha Price SCL Podcast #22 - LaPorche Jymi Social Change Leaders Podcast Episode #34: Why now is the time to start Social Change Leaders Podcast Episode #35: Can I really make money while doing good? Stephanie website - Genuine Impact Traci website - Social Motion

Interview with Carl Young CFRE (AUS) - Philanthropy and Fundraising Director at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Carl is one of Australia's most successful fundraising leaders and has been the Philanthropy and Fundraising Director at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre for almost ten years. Carl and his team have achieved some of Australia's most notable fundraising awards over the years as well personally being awarded a FIA Fellowship for contribution and service to the fundraising sector. A few of Carl's most notable achievements include: 2019 Fundraising team of the year - Winner 2018 National Awards for Fundraising Excellence (Donor Acquisition, Major Gifts) - Winner 2017 Donor Renewal (charities over $5m) - FIA Fundraising Award for Excellence Winner Included in this episode: Section 1: Reflecting on Carl's early years of fundraising career including his success stories and lessons learnt. Section 2: Planning for a success fundraising appeal - budgets, cost of fundraising and measuring your ROI Section 3: Being successful with Face-to-Face Fundraising (F2F) Section 4: Fundraising leadership and recruiting the right fundraising talent Section 5: Using best practice fundraising fundamentals and what the future holds Section 6: Carl's final advise to inspire and fulfil fundraisers and nonprofits --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/fulfilled-fundraisers/message

More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaderspodcast.net In this episode, you will: Meet Carl Young and learn about his journey into the mental health field and why he started Increasing Life Chances 4 You (ILC4Y) Learn about the unique, community-based approach ILC4Y is taking to reduce mental health stigma, support individuals, families and the community in order to address health disparities Have an opportunity to walk through a worksheet Carl uses to support mental wellness in our communities - worksheet available here: https://mailchi.mp/cc401ade8491/episode5 Hear about some of the challenges Carl has encountered as he innovates a solution to health inequities in Minnesota “You don't owe your past an apology, You owe yourself a future.” - Carl Young, MS, co-founder of ILC4Y www.ilc4y.com More about Social Change Leaders Podcast: The Social Change Leaders podcast explores the intersection of social change leadership, in the public, private and non profit sectors. . Packed with tips, actionable ideas and stories to inspire, this podcast will energize you to maximize your impact. The Social Change Leaders Podcast is a collaboration between Stephanie Malon-Rufi, Genuine Impact Consulting and Coaching, and Traci Warnberg-Lemm, Social Motion.

More information can be found at www.socialchangeleaderspodcast.net  In this episode, you will: Meet Carl Young and learn about his journey into the mental health field and why he started Increasing Life Chances 4 You (ILC4Y) Learn about the unique, community-based approach ILC4Y is taking to reduce mental health stigma, support individuals, families and the community in order to address health disparities Have an opportunity to walk through a worksheet Carl uses to support mental wellness in our communities - worksheet available here: https://mailchi.mp/cc401ade8491/episode5 Hear about some of the challenges Carl has encountered as he innovates a solution to health inequities in Minnesota “You don't owe your past an apology, You owe yourself a future.” - Carl Young, MS, co-founder of ILC4Y  www.ilc4y.com More about Social Change Leaders Podcast: The Social Change Leaders podcast explores the intersection of social change leadership, in the public, private and non profit sectors. . Packed with tips, actionable ideas and stories to inspire, this podcast will energize you to maximize your impact. The Social Change Leaders Podcast is a collaboration between Stephanie Malon-Rufi, Genuine Impact Consulting and Coaching, and Traci Warnberg-Lemm, Social Motion.

Progressive/indie rock band Panda House joins us on the show this week to discuss their new album “Explorers”, how they decided to change direction with their sound, and the fluidity of art! Then, United States Socialist Revolutionary Carl Young hops in to discuss his rhetoric, but something is a bit fishy about him. Also, we showcase this year's annual Paper Plane Rodeo! Credits: Robert Johnson, James Dunstan, Tom Stineman Attributions: “Reach In” by Panda House “Stranger Than” by Panda House “Droplet Do” by Panda House Find Panda House on the Web: Bandcamp: https://pandahousedetroit.bandcamp.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PandaHouseDetroit/ Find MDVH on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaeldupreyvh/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichaelDupreyVH “Paper Plane Rodeo” Credits: Written by: Lauren Duprey Performed by: Ray Duprey, Michael Duprey, Lauren Duprey Sound Attributions: "Ambience, Food Court, B.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org “Eating human.wav” via Freesound.org Country Cue 1 by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Artist: http://audionautix.com/ The Michael Duprey Variety Hour is a member of the Planet Ant Podcast Network: Find Planet Ant Podcasts on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlanetAntPodcasts/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlanetAntPods Or at the website: https://planetantpodcasts.com/ Intro Theme: “Don't Weigh Me Down” by Broadcast 2000 This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Do you the Buddha statue behind me? Do you see the light bulb find me on the other side? Today I have no tips to stop binge eating or how to stop emotionally eating, I just wanted to share with you about my love for symbology and spirituality. Right now I'm reading books by Joseph Campbell and other writers like Carl Young, who talk about archetypes and patterns on humans. I find this stuff absolutely fascinating. I dig it. I love it! And... I've also had an attraction to light which I'll explain more in a moment. But for me, the symbol of the Buddha stands for so many different things. From exploration and discovery to independence and freedom, to practice and discipline, to compassion and kindness, this simple is central to who I am. In fact the other day I was following Carl Young's advice and writing in my dream journal and interpreting my dreams. I actually had a vivid and powerful dream of a Buddha statue. I've never experienced this before. So that's why I wanted to make this post - because I had my first Buddha Dream!

00:47                                     This is Stephanie Cunningham and Changing the Face of Yoga. And I have a great guest today. This is Kistine Kaoverri Weber. Christine has agreed to be part of the subtle aspects theme to talk about more of the subtle aspects of yoga. And Christine will be talking about Chakras and what chakras are, what system she uses and how you might use it when you're teaching. Welcome Christine and Cristine is  committed to the widespread adoption of yoga as a population health strategy. She has been studying yoga and holistic healing for nearly 30 years advocating, speaking and teaching about yoga since 1995 and training educators since 2003. Her organization Subtle Yoga provides holistic mind and body trainings, education and clinical services with the mission of enhancing community health infrastructure. She is the director of the Subtle Yoga teacher training for behavioral health professionals program at Mahec at Asheville North Carolina, presents workshops and trains internationally and is frequently invited to talk about yoga at health conferences. And is there anything else you'd like to add to that introduction? 02:27                                     Oh, thank you. It's so nice to be here, Stephanie and no, I mean I've got a lot of stuff going on. One of the things that I'm doing right now is called, I call it the subtle yoga revolution. And I'm really trying to help empower teachers who love teaching slow mindful practices to feel really not like second class citizens because we don't necessarily want to do the sweaty fitness stuff, and are more kind of committed to the internal practices. And what I see is that there's a lot of science behind the validity of these practices that has begun to emerge in the past 10 years or so. And that's something that I'm really passionate about right now. So I have some online programs about the subtle yoga revolution. I'm happy to share some of that information if your listeners are interested later. 03:26                                     We'll be sure to get into the contact details so that people can explore that. So let's start really basic and to explain the Chakras, and I believe in an earlier conversation we talked about that there's the traditional look at Chakras. And there may be another version of it. So first of all, define and contrast those two things. 03:55                                     So first of all, I would request, my Sanskrit teacher would be very happy, if we would use the word Chuck Gra Not Chalk Gra. And that's a really common pronunciation issue. Just remember it's like chocolate chip cookies that'll help you remember. And also it's not French, it's Sanskrit. It's not like charkra^] it's a Sanskrit word. So the Sanskrit, the c sound is always the hard cha and if you spell it properly with the International Sanskrit spelling, it would be c, a, k, r a , believe it or not C h, but it has really become a western word really like over the past hundred, 100 years or so.  Because it is the hundredth anniversary when Chakras, became known in the West which was 1919. So let's pronounce it Chuck Gra. And because we know we have sh sounds in Sanskrit? We have Shiva, Shakti, and Shavasana. And so we have a lot of sh sounds, but it's the ch sound is Chakra.                                                 And then the second part of the question was like, define Chakras. Oh my gosh, that's going to take me a couple of days. So I'm going to give you a really simple; that Chakras are basically these energy centers that in the subtle body that have a physical ontological correlates. I would suggest, I know that there are certain people in this tradition who say they don't have ontological correlates. There are Buddhists who say that they do. What that means is like they really exist. That's all that means. Like they really are there. I believe they're really there. I think the tools of science are not quite subtle enough to measure them a yet, although there have been some attempts at measuring these centers by different people, I don't want to get into that too much, but there have been some sciencey , quasi-sciencey attempts at measuring these energy centers in the body. Even if you don't believe that, one of the things that I think almost every human being can agree upon is that on the midline of the body from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. And typically in the center of the chest, typically in the center of the belly, most of us experience some kind of emotional experiences there. Whether it's we say I have butterflies in my stomach, or I loved him with all of my heart, or I was so upset I was choked up or that really gives me a headache trying to think about it. So we have emotional reactions that often happen along the mid-line. And so if we can't agree on the models, and by the way, the Yogis tended to not agree on them either. They had many different systems. So if we can't agree on them, that's okay. But one thing we can agree on is that there are these emotional expressions and science hasn't necessarily explained them adequately yet. But the subtle body does give us a frame of reference that maybe is a little more subtle and more explicit. And the Yogis left us these beautiful maps of the system that I think are worth looking into more deeply. 07:54                                     So what are Chakras? There are energetic centers in the body where we tend to process some kind of mental, emotional tendencies. You know, we tend to have mental, emotional tendency processes happening in those centers. And the other piece is that many of the Hatha yoga practices that emerged within the past six to 800 years, many of them were actually originally intended to help create a better control over these centers. And that was the original purpose of Asana. So why not work with them? You know, why not continue with that tradition and see what we can do with Asana? You know, the other thing I always like to say is people come to yoga class a lot of times because we live in the 21st crazy century. People come to yoga class and they're like, I don't feel good and I'm going to go to yoga. And then at the end of Yoga class, pretty much, most of the time, people tend to feel more balanced. And often that's mental, emotional or mood shifts that happens. Why is that happening? You know, it's, yes, it's happening because of parasympathetic activation for sure. It's happening because of shifts that are made via the vagus nerve, of changes in Acetylcholine and all that stuff is happening. I would suggest that tha happens because of breathing and movement practices and these things I don't think are just random. I think that Asana is as they've been delivered to us and yes, some of them were developed very recently and others are much older. Asana is a way that we create more balance in the mental, emotional parts of ourselves or the mental, emotional body if you like, or the subtle body. Therefore we can be more intentional about how we use the practices to create better psychological balance. 10:05                                     Chakras, how many are you working with? There's seems to be different numbers of them. 10:20                                     Yes, there are different systems., I would call it the traditional seven chakras system, which comes from the Bengali tantrics. A lot of my teachers were from Bengali, so I work with that Bengali system. There are systems that predate that system. And of course there are systems that postdate that system because everything basically that happened after 1977 is a whole different ball of wax. I mean there was a whole movement, a new age Chakra movement that happened in the '70s. Largely from writers in California and other places that defined a whole new system. I don't want to say a whole new system, I would say a revamping of the system. So let me back up. I hope this is okay to go into the history because without it it's very difficult for me to talk about the system and what I do.                                                 So a brief history of the Chakras. We have to look at texts in a scholarly way. What do the texts say? What were the texts showing us? And, and you do have mention of this system as far back as the Bhagavad Gita so it goes, it goes pretty far, 2,500 years or so. You have some mentions of these points in the body and the Charak Samhita, which is the original book of Ayurveda. You have some mentions of the system that go into antiquity but then you really don't have the definition of the system as we know it today, until a book that was written in 1544 called the such Ṣaṭ-chakra-nirūpaṇa . And that was a Bengali text. It's from the Shiva worshippers in that part of India, that northeast part of India. That text gets translated in 1919 into English. And really that's the introduction of the Chakra system to the west.                                                 I always tell people that you have to go back a hundred years and think about what was happening socio-politically in India, what was happening in the world at that time. We're still in the middle of the occupation of India by the British, of the 300 plus year occupation. You still have a tremendous amount of both superiority complex of the west over the Indians, and then inferiority complex of the Indians towards the West because they'd been dominated, politically dominated, and there's all the racism and all that stuff that goes with it.                                                 So what you have at this time in 1919 is sort of the revelation by Sir John Woodruff, who was very well regarded by both the Indians as well as by Westerners. He was a judge in Kolkata. And he started studying Tantra. And, and by the way, the Chakras come from the Tantric system of yoga. He's studying about the chakra system. He translates this text with the help of some Indian Sanskrit scholars, and then he presents the subtle body to the west. What happens from there is you have people like Alister Crawley and people like Charles Leadbeater from the theosophy society and many others who pick up on this notion of the Chakras and without immersing themselves in Indian culture and Indian history and Indian philosophy, which is as you know extremely complex and, and varied. It's an incredibly sophisticated system. So without immersing themselves in that they pluck the subtle body out of it and they plop it into their own worldview. This is going to necessarily render that system different than what the Indians understood and so Leadbeater comes out in 1927 with a book called the Chakras. And it remains to this day, one of the most widely read and the most widely sold book of the Theosophical Society by far. So that book, the Chakras, is the first place where someone suggests Oh, you can see somebody else's Chakras. You can manipulate somebody else's Chakras. There's colors in the Chakras. Leadbeater says anybody with a modicum of intuitive capacity can see somebody else's Chakras, so you get all this sort of new-agey, proto new-age stuff. That's not what the Indians were talking to.                                                 John Woodruff writes his book, his second edition of his book, which was that first translation of the system. He says, as much in that book, and he says, look, there are people that are talking about Chakras but that's not really what the Indians were talking about. You have the west with its biases against the east and it's orientalism and it's racism plucking this very sublime system out and saying, I can interpret it better than the Indians can.                                                 And from that, then we have to fast forward to the 70s and the Esalen Institute in California where they start putting together all these charts about Chakras and stuff. Again, very little reference to the Indian system. It's still kind of carrying forth this orientalism or this bias against the east. And then you get that in the 70s. And then the 80s is when all of the books come out. Like Anodea Judith, the Wheels of Life. And um, Hiroshima Motoyama's book comes out. If you go to Amazon, you will see hundreds of books about the Chakras based on an amalgamated system that's primarily from new age thinkers. That really doesn't go deep. It doesn't have any scholarly, deep or, experiential deep look into the yoga system. Anodea Judith, bless her heart, she did a service by bringing Chakras to the world, but she's not a yoga practitioner and wasn't writing as a yoga practitioner. She was writing as sort of an intuitive person or you know, a new age person. And that's the Chakra system that we get taught frequently in yoga teacher trainings. You get these laminated charts and that stuff comes from the Esalen Institute in California. It's not coming from the traditional system. 17:38                                     I didn't know that. And that's a bit scary, isn't it? Because we're learning something different. It's certainly not the Indian tradition. I think that bothers me. 17:52                                     Yes, definitely. I totally relate. And in my humble opinion, Carl Jung said it best. He said, we, we've done such a tremendous of violence against the East. He was talking about the world wars. You can also talk about colonialism. Tremendous violence has been done against the east and he said, we owe it to those cultures to look deeply into them and try to understand them. And I'm paraphrasing, but you know what I mean? l I'm so grateful for this tradition that has helped me so much personally and that I've dedicated my life to, and that I teach about. It's my life and, and I feel like it's a tremendous affront to not go deep into these topics. It's an affront to the system and it's a manifestation of that colonialist mentality and a basically a racist mentality to not look into it and to really see the deeper value beyond the color coded charts. I remember walking into Barnes and noble a bookstore here about, it was like 20 years ago. I walked in, I was like really getting into Chakras and I walked into Barnes and Nobel and I saw this little kit on the table and it said, Chakra Balancing Kit, $12.99 on sale. I've been studying the Chakras and I was like, really? So I could just get like a color card thing to meditate on and a little essential oil in a gemstone and I'm going to balance my chakras. That's a really good deal for $12.99 considering that from what I understood, it's really hard to balance your chakras. It's pretty much a life's journey to do this?                                                 I think we have taken it too lightly and I think there's a lot more to it. And the other piece is that a lot of people won't listen to this podcast and the reason they won't is because they're going to see the word Chakra and go, oh yeah, that's that fluffy garbage. They're going to be like, yeah, whatever. There's no science behind it. It's not real. It's just a laugh, essential oils and some kind of a gemstone thing or, I swear a rainbow, that whole thing. The rainbow, by the way is not traditional. That just comes from the human tendency to want to see things in seven and put them all together. There's no reality in the rainbow according to the Indian system. Maybe some new age intuitive people have seen rainbows with the Chakras I don't know, but I'm a yoga teacher and I wanted to know what the yoga tradition said about the Chakras and that's where I operate from and that's what I teach from. 20:57                                     It's been trivialized. 21:01                                     I think so. I think it's been trivialised. It doesn't mean that we can't be creative . I'm not a rigid person and not a rigid yoga teacher. I'm all about innovation and creativity and I mean, that's what Tantra has always been about The Tantrics were really innovative. I think it's okay to be creative and innovative, but I also think it's really important to not just make stuff up, but to really situate it in the tradition and what the Indians were talking about and why it's important and how it's different. if I can do one thing that may be helpful here because I don't want to belittle the new age system, a lot of people benefit from it. That's not my point.                                                 I've always thought this is so useful, is to look at western versus eastern worldviews. You know, so if you look at the West, the eastern Worldview, it tends to at least traditionally that worldview tends to be like inner technology. Like what is inside of me. Some of my history teachers have talked about how the ancient name for India is Mahabharata - the land that feeds everyone. Mahabharata. In India you have the development of civilization and lots of food and people had time to sort of contemplate the meaning of life and the mysteries of the universe. And that's why you have this development of such a sublime philosophy, Such sublime philosophies emerging from the subcontinent. In the west, what we have really dominated and focused on is like mastering the external so in India there's this focus on mastering the internal, the internal technology, and the word technology in, in Sanskrit is Tantra, by the way. And then you have the west with the external technology you just go to yoga class and you're like, okay, so we're going to do some meditation. And most of you who are yoga teachers have heard this comment before. Like, I've got an APP for that. 23:21                                     There's an APP for that because that's our western worldview. We're focused on the external. So when the Chakras came west, what happened was they became the technology of personal development and self-actualization, like the transpersonal psychology stuff. They were about individual achievement in the external world. Then you get that whole thing of the first Chakra is about survival. The second Chakra is creativity and the third Chakra is about power. I'm not suggesting that that's completely erroneous. I think there's a lot of power in that map but the eastern map doesn't do that. The eastern map is, these are the powers of the elements. These are the powers of the universe, and you're going to internalize them and then you're going to become one with the universe? "Sanskrit saying" which means everything that exists outside of you exists within you. And you're going to discover that through this process of working with your Chakras, you're going to become the universe - a totally different goal than like self. It's a totally different goal. I think those worldviews are related and so my approach has been like I'm a westerner. I liked that self actualization stuff and I'm going to really give lots of value and lots of time to the study of the Indian system so that I can use the best of both of those paradigms in my personal work and also in my teaching. I do combine some things.                                                 I think Carl Jung's teachings on the Chakras have been super helpful. Some people diminish them, but he was the one who helped me to understand what do the gods and goddesses and the traditional Chakras mean and how are they relevant to a western person. Carl Young said, don't practice yoga as a Westerner because you're going to fail. He's an interesting dude for sure. By the time he gets to the throat Chakra, he's just not interested anymore cause it's not psychology, It's not as psychological as the lower chakras.                                                 That's something interesting that we can break down and is practical. I'm been talking about all this theory stuff, so maybe practical for your listeners. We kind of have to fight through some of our animal tendencies like tendencies to get distracted and our tendencies to be jealous and our tendencies to just kind of be lazy. All sorts of stuff that we move through on the way to the heart Chakra, where we start to become really a lot more human, we start to kind of have a sense of ourselves, our individualization and how we're different and what is important to us and what's not important to us. We start to get boundaries in the heart Chakra. The lower chakras are really useful for us in understanding where we've come from in terms of our evolutionary tendencies.                                                 And then as we start moving into the upper Chakras, the heart, the throat, and then the third eye and the Crown Chakra, we really start to become more of our potential. Like the potential for being a spiritually connected and expanded human being; that's what those Chakras were used for. You meditate on your third eye or you meditate on the crown. Those are typical meditations or you meditate on the heart center. Those are typical meditation places. What that means is fixing your awareness interoceptively at those points. You're typically repeating some kind of mantra. Those are traditional practices that can be very valuable to modern people.                                                  I had some clients going through really difficult surgery, heart surgery a few weeks ago and asked me for a meditation and they were Christian. I said meditate on Jesus with his hands, how he does that Mudra where he holds two fingers up and then he opens his heart, the sacred heart. So meditate on that image of Jesus, say your prayer in the heart Chakra and let that be a way to help you feel more centered before going in for the surgery. And they loved that. That kind of creativity with the practices I think is I think is super useful for people, particularly if you're basing them on the traditional tantra practices. I'm basing it on what I've learned from, from my teachers that can be really useful and that's a way to create balance in the heart. That's a way to really harness the power of the heart Chakra. 28:54                                     Let's talk a bit about, now you've got me very nervous, chakras and the individual ones that you're using. Like you said, the lower ones are kind of understanding where we came from. The upper ones are our potential, which is really nice way to think about it I think. How have you developed what you either train other teachers in or that you teach in your classes? 29:30                                     How have you developed it; which is a very eastern tradition that is not fitting well on top of the western tradition in our minds because we don't quite think that way. How do you use it so that it becomes very, you obviously like the example that you just gave about the heart Chakra. You've obviously worked it around so that it can fit into both systems. 30:01                                     I think it's fair to say that these tantric practices have always been adapted to the belief system. You have tantra that's showing up in Buddhism a couple thousand years ago and Tantra that comes in the form of Shivaism. It started really with Shivaism I would suggest. But history scholars may have some different opinions about that and then Tantra, by the way, gets adapted through the trade routes into alchemy. I mean, what do you think Harry Potter is? That's Tantra. That's external esoteric Tantra. So making things happen in the external world. Esoteric Tantra - alchemy came through the trade routes. So that's why you see so much similarities. You know, Hermione Granger with her wand saying Wingardium Leviosa you know, the mantra in Latin, but it's a mantra. The stick is the Donata, Gurus often had a stick and they would do stuff with it. 31:29                                     The stuff is deep and it was coming through the trade routes probably before the Middle Ages. It goes out into Persia and becomes Persian alchemy. It goes into China and becomes Chinese alchemy, you see roots of it in African shamanism, perhaps African shamanism is proto-tantra, becomes the Tantra in the south, south India. This is not exclusive to India. In fact, I would suggest that it's simply the Indians who really got into it and refined it. But we find it in all cultures. I do think these practices are largely universal.                                                 When I'm working with a client one on one, which is a lot easier to help develop the Chakra practices, I will be using mantras and the mantras often are not just Indian or Sanskrit mantras. They may be something that's more appropriate for somebodys belief system. I'm going to use Asana because Asana we have four places that we get into with Asanas? So we get into the lower abdomen with forward bends, we get into the abdomen. And so the second Chakra with forward bends and then the third Chakra, which by the way the position is traditionally at the navel, not the solar plexus. A lot of people peg it at the solar plexus , which is the new age thing. And I don't think it's not the solar plexus, it's just that the root of it is typically the navel. So we get forward bends, we get twists that get into those Chakras and get the back bend. And that also will work those Chakras, but also really get into the heart center. And then we get inversions, like Shoulder Stand, but where we get some activation in the throat center.                                                  And I do think that there is something happening regionally, like when you do an Asana and there's something like this, just say Cobra, there's something happening at the location of the Chakra, but there's also things that are happening globally in the autonomic nervous system that have to do with parasympathetic activation, That have to do with a vagal tone, that have to do with the release of neurochemicals. All sorts of things are going on that I think we're just beginning to understand. There are things that are not happening at the location. And there's also things that happen in the whole body that create a greater neuroendocrine, Neuro - immune response to the practice. And there's a body of research that's emerging that's validating that.                                                 Now I'm not saying there's a body of research emerging, validating existence of the subtle body that is still really nascent. There's a couple of studies, but we still don't really have subtle enough tools, I don't think, to measure the subtle body. But I think when we do have those tools, I think we'll start to see a seven brain model emerge that there are seven sub brains. They're talking about the gut brain now and they're talking about the heart brain. But I think there probably will come up with something like five, six, seven areas that are remarkably similar to the subtle body. so I use Asana as focus on the area.                                                  I also want to say one thing for your listeners because I think it's great to be creative and, and spend time on this, but don't get hung up on feelings of like, I have a second Chakra imbalance so I'm just going to focus all my time and energy on my second Chakra and do poses for the second Chakra. The yogis didn't prescribe that necessarily. I think it's great to spend time there, particularly if you've had sexual trauma or c-section or something where you're feeling cut off from that area. I think great to spend interoceptive time there and build the maps in your brain by spending time there. However, what the yogis would say is don't doubt the healing potential, the healing possibilities of the heart Chakra, that bringing your awareness to that center after whatever other work you're doing is a really simple and powerful way to bring a sense of peace to the nervous system and a sense of completion to whatever work you're doing. So I like to bring attention back to the heart. Not everybody practices like that. That was one of the things that I find tends to be really helpful. And you know, most of my students are women. I don't want to make any kind of generalizations, but there sometimes is this stereotype of the ascetic Yogi male focusing on the third eye. And third eye is . powerful stuff for sure. But it's not the whole of who we are as human beings. And I think coming back to the heart really can provide a very powerful healing center focus for many people, not just women, but for many people. 36:55                                     You would do probably asanas for all seven Chakras and then bring it back to the heart? Is that what you're saying? 37:09                                     Well, it kinda depends on what you're working on. Plenty of times I do classes that we're just going to get into the third Chakra today., Because so many Asanas are really great for your third Chakra. And the third Chakra is the place where so many of us have problems - digestive problems, but also the problems that the yogis outline. You know, the yogis actually gave a a whole map of the system. The word that the Yogis, the tantrics used is vritti. The Yogis gave a map of the subtle body and in that map what they did was they showed where different mental-emotional tendencies reside in the body. I think it's a fascinating thing to look at that somehow through these deep interoceptive practices where they were spending hours and hours and weeks and months focusing on these centers of the body for meditation They came up with a map essentially that said there are different emotions that are located in different parts of the system. You find this map in some of the Upanishads. It's sort of a later addition to the system.                                                 Some of the tendencies in the Third Chakra are challenging. For example shame is in the third Chakra and jealousy and some depression. There's actually two different depressions one's in the heart Chakra, one's in the third Chakra. Irritability infatuation, fear, hatred. Those are all third Chakra Vritti according to the tradition. I think it's very useful to do Asana with the intent, holding that intention. I'm working through this jealousy vritti or whatever it is, and I'm working through this fear vritti and then to do a practice that's really third Chakra focused. And then as you said, maybe at the end of the practice, bring your awareness back to the heart with the idea of the heart is the center and I'm practicing for the highest good, and I let go of my whatever vritti, my jealousy vritti or whatever it is. Then spend some time doing that practice over some weeks and months and notice if there's a shift that happens for you. That can be really powerful. I've worked with many people like that in that way over the years. I think there's some beauty in looking at what the tradition offered and then working with the mental, emotional tendencies in a way that can create a better sense of self regulation and mental balance.                                                 But just to finish up what I was talking about with the Chakras and the practice and stuff, I would suggest that if you're working with the Chakras, if you want to work with the Chakras, would want to know more about the Chakra. It's totally lovely to experiment because yoga is an experiential practice. Doing postures and noticing how that feels in your body and noticing, is there an effect on my mood? Is there a shift in certain tendencies when I do certain practices, like my original Indian teachers would say, you should be the scientist and be the experiment. Go for it in yourself. I think it's great. And I also think it's great to read and learn more about the traditional system. And as Carl Jung said: it's respect for the culture that's quite different than western culture. That the culture that this information comes from and, and making the attempt to understand a little more deeply. 41:30                                     So thank you so much for having me. It's been really nice to be here. 42:24                                     Thank you, Christine. That was a really interesting and cohesive description of what chakras are and how you use them. Thank you so much for coming on the podcast. I really appreciate your expertise and time, so it was great to hear from you.                                                 Resources:                                                 The Rainbow Body by Kurt Leland and it's a history of the western Chakra system. That's a really interesting read to kind of see the difference between the western and the eastern system. So I recommend that.                                                 Chakra and Subtle Yoga Courses: I do have some online chakra courses where I talk more about the I talk more about the um, system from the Indian perspective and then some of the work of Carl Young and other psychologists I think have been helpful. And um, and I also have practices that go with them. So those are on yoga. U Subtle Yoga also has other courses about teaching Subtle yoga and other topics from Kristine.                                                 Contacts:                                                 Email: subtleyoga@gmail.com                                                 Website: www.subtleyoga.com                                                 FB and Insta: subtleyoga  

Shelley Hofberg is a Clairvoyant, Psychic Medium, Tarot Reader, Pet Psychic and Healer. Her multi-faceted gifts are reflected in her multi-faceted psychic career. Shelley has appeared on NBC television, the Discover Channel and is included in feature articles of newspapers such as the Hollywood Independent and Ventura Star. As a staff member of the West Coast Well Being metaphysical publication, Shelley was responsible for writing a pet psychic column and as a pet psychic, was mentioned in Lisa Barretta’s published book, ‘The Street Smart Psychic Guide to Getting a Good Reading.’http://www.psychichorizon.comSpecial Guest: Carl YoungCarl is a multi-generational psychic/medium and Tarot reader. He has 20 years experience in the field of mental health both in counseling and nursing, where he worked with adolescents, trauma survivors, people recovering from sex addictions, chemical dependencies and developmental delays. He has also taught special education with both gifted and remedial students.He has a degree in History from California State University Long Beach and extensive knowledge and practice of spiritual and metaphysical traditions, both east and west. He also has a deep knowledge and experience with psychology, Jungian analysis, dream interpretation and philosophy. He has worked successfully with many private clients not only as a psychic reader, but as a private intuitive counselor for clients who have found traditional psychotherapy ineffective.Carl’s Email: cyoung1890@gmail.com

Few natural phenomena are more difficult to study than tornadoes. They’re short-lived, their locations are notoriously hard to predict, and getting close enough to observe them is both challenging and extremely dangerous. In this episode, Ohio University meteorologist Jana Houser describes what it’s like to chase these monster storms. Listen to Jana describe the terror and excitement of her first chase and hear her first-hand account of the 2013 El Reno, Oklahoma tornado, the widest tornado ever recorded. Learn how chasing this behemoth storm taught meteorologists that tornadoes form from the ground up – not the other way around – and hear just how much of the 1996 action movie Twister was based on real life. A special thanks to storm chasers Jeff Snyder and Skip Talbot for providing footage of their chases to Third Pod for this episode. Watch Skip’s original footage here and see Jeff’s videos on his YouTube channel. This episode is dedicated to the memory of Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras, and Carl Young, the three storm chasers killed by the El Reno tornado, and the first chasers to die while actively chasing a storm in the 50-year history of storm chasing. This episode was produced by Lauren Lipuma and mixed by Adell Coleman.

Carl Young - Mental Health In The African American Community

Carl Young - Mental Health In The African American Community

Carl Young - Mental Health In The African American Community

Carl Young - Mental Health In The African American Community

Shelley Hofberg is a Clairvoyant, Medium, Tarot Reader, Pet Psychic and Healer. Her multi-faceted gifts are reflected in her multi-faceted psychic career. Shelley has appeared on NBC television, the Discover Channel and is included in feature articles of newspapers such as the Hollywood Independent and Ventura Star. As a staff member of the West Coast Well Being metaphysical publication, Shelley was responsible for writing a pet psychic column and as a pet psychic, was mentioned in Lisa Barretta’s published book, ‘The Street Smart Psychic Guide to Getting a Good Reading.’http://www.psychichorizon.comSpecial Guest: Carl YoungCarl is a multi-generational psychic/medium and Tarot reader. He has 20 years experience in the field of mental health both in counseling and nursing, where he worked with adolescents, trauma survivors, people recovering from sex addictions, chemical dependencies and developmental delays. He has also taught special education with both gifted and remedial students.He has a degree in History from California State University Long Beach and extensive knowledge and practice of spiritual and metaphysical traditions, both east and west. He also has a deep knowledge and experience with psychology, Jungian analysis, dream interpretation and philosophy. He has worked successfully with many private clients not only as a psychic reader, but as a private intuitive counselor for clients who have found traditional psychotherapy ineffective.Carl’s Email: cyoung1890@gmail.com

Shelley Hofberg is a Clairvoyant, Medium, Tarot Reader, Pet Psychic and Healer. Her multi-faceted gifts are reflected in her multi-faceted psychic career. Shelley has appeared on NBC television, the Discover Channel and is included in feature articles of newspapers such as the Hollywood Independent and Ventura Star. As a staff member of the West Coast Well Being metaphysical publication, Shelley was responsible for writing a pet psychic column and as a pet psychic, was mentioned in Lisa Barretta’s published book, ‘The Street Smart Psychic Guide to Getting a Good Reading.’http://www.psychichorizon.comSpecial Guest: Carl YoungCarl is a multi-generational psychic/medium and Tarot reader. He has 20 years experience in the field of mental health both in counseling and nursing, where he worked with adolescents, trauma survivors, people recovering from sex addictions, chemical dependencies and developmental delays. He has also taught special education with both gifted and remedial students.He has a degree in History from California State University Long Beach and extensive knowledge and practice of spiritual and metaphysical traditions, both east and west. He also has a deep knowledge and experience with psychology, Jungian analysis, dream interpretation and philosophy. He has worked successfully with many private clients not only as a psychic reader, but as a private intuitive counselor for clients who have found traditional psychotherapy ineffective.Carl’s Email: cyoung1890@gmail.com

Shelley Hofberg is a Clairvoyant, Medium, Tarot Reader, Pet Psychic and Healer. Her multi-faceted gifts are reflected in her multi-faceted psychic career. Shelley has appeared on NBC television, the Discover Channel and is included in feature articles of newspapers such as the Hollywood Independent and Ventura Star. As a staff member of the West Coast Well Being metaphysical publication, Shelley was responsible for writing a pet psychic column and as a pet psychic, was mentioned in Lisa Barretta’s published book, ‘The Street Smart Psychic Guide to Getting a Good Reading.’http://www.psychichorizon.comSpecial Guest: Carl YoungCarl is a multi-generational psychic/medium and Tarot reader. He has 20 years experience in the field of mental health both in counseling and nursing, where he worked with adolescents, trauma survivors, people recovering from sex addictions, chemical dependencies and developmental delays. He has also taught special education with both gifted and remedial students.He has a degree in History from California State University Long Beach and extensive knowledge and practice of spiritual and metaphysical traditions, both east and west. He also has a deep knowledge and experience with psychology, Jungian analysis, dream interpretation and philosophy. He has worked successfully with many private clients not only as a psychic reader, but as a private intuitive counselor for clients who have found traditional psychotherapy ineffective.Carl’s Email: cyoung1890@gmail.com

Shelley Hofberg is a Clairvoyant, Medium, Tarot Reader, Pet Psychic and Healer. Her multi-faceted gifts are reflected in her multi-faceted psychic career. Shelley has appeared on NBC television, the Discover Channel and is included in feature articles of newspapers such as the Hollywood Independent and Ventura Star. As a staff member of the West Coast Well Being metaphysical publication, Shelley was responsible for writing a pet psychic column and as a pet psychic, was mentioned in Lisa Barretta’s published book, ‘The Street Smart Psychic Guide to Getting a Good Reading.’http://www.psychichorizon.comSpecial Guest: Carl YoungCarl is a multi-generational psychic/medium and Tarot reader. He has 20 years experience in the field of mental health both in counseling and nursing, where he worked with adolescents, trauma survivors, people recovering from sex addictions, chemical dependencies and developmental delays. He has also taught special education with both gifted and remedial students.He has a degree in History from California State University Long Beach and extensive knowledge and practice of spiritual and metaphysical traditions, both east and west. He also has a deep knowledge and experience with psychology, Jungian analysis, dream interpretation and philosophy. He has worked successfully with many private clients not only as a psychic reader, but as a private intuitive counselor for clients who have found traditional psychotherapy ineffective.Carl’s Email: cyoung1890@gmail.com

Shelley Hofberg is a Clairvoyant, Medium, Tarot Reader, Pet Psychic and Healer. Her multi-faceted gifts are reflected in her multi-faceted psychic career. Shelley has appeared on NBC television, the Discover Channel and is included in feature articles of newspapers such as the Hollywood Independent and Ventura Star. As a staff member of the West Coast Well Being metaphysical publication, Shelley was responsible for writing a pet psychic column and as a pet psychic, was mentioned in Lisa Barretta’s published book, ‘The Street Smart Psychic Guide to Getting a Good Reading.’http://www.psychichorizon.comSpecial Guest: Carl YoungCarl is a multi-generational psychic/medium and Tarot reader. He has 20 years experience in the field of mental health both in counseling and nursing, where he worked with adolescents, trauma survivors, people recovering from sex addictions, chemical dependencies and developmental delays. He has also taught special education with both gifted and remedial students.He has a degree in History from California State University Long Beach and extensive knowledge and practice of spiritual and metaphysical traditions, both east and west. He also has a deep knowledge and experience with psychology, Jungian analysis, dream interpretation and philosophy. He has worked successfully with many private clients not only as a psychic reader, but as a private intuitive counselor for clients who have found traditional psychotherapy ineffective.Carl’s Email: cyoung1890@gmail.com

Skip Talbot had a powerful tornado strike his hometown as a child, and it ignited a passion for life. We talk about the movie "Twister", his early chases, and his experiences in the Great Planes. We also talk about the day Storm Chasing lost it's innocence after the deaths of Storm Chasing Legends Tim Samaras, Carl Young, and Paul Samaras died chasing an F5 Tornado near El Reno, OK. We also have some fun, talk about how you can get started, and ways to follow him virtually into the field! https://www.facebook.com/SkipTalbotsStormChasingChronicles/ http://skip.cc stormassist.org

Shelley Hofberg is a Clairvoyant, Medium, Tarot Reader, Pet Psychic and Healer. Her multi-faceted gifts are reflected in her multi-faceted psychic career. Shelley has appeared on NBC television, the Discover Channel and is included in feature articles of newspapers such as the Hollywood Independent and Ventura Star. As a staff member of the West Coast Well Being metaphysical publication, Shelley was responsible for writing a pet psychic column and as a pet psychic, was mentioned in Lisa Barretta’s published book, ‘The Street Smart Psychic Guide to Getting a Good Reading.’http://www.psychichorizon.comSpecial Guest: Carl YoungCarl is a multi-generational psychic/medium and Tarot reader. He has 20 years experience in the field of mental health both in counseling and nursing, where he worked with adolescents, trauma survivors, people recovering from sex addictions, chemical dependencies and developmental delays. He has also taught special education with both gifted and remedial students.He has a degree in History from California State University Long Beach and extensive knowledge and practice of spiritual and metaphysical traditions, both east and west. He also has a deep knowledge and experience with psychology, Jungian analysis, dream interpretation and philosophy. He has worked successfully with many private clients not only as a psychic reader, but as a private intuitive counselor for clients who have found traditional psychotherapy ineffective.Carl’s Email: cyoung1890@gmail.com

Shelley Hofberg is a Clairvoyant, Medium, Tarot Reader, Pet Psychic and Healer. Her multi-faceted gifts are reflected in her multi-faceted psychic career. Shelley has appeared on NBC television, the Discover Channel and is included in feature articles of newspapers such as the Hollywood Independent and Ventura Star. As a staff member of the West Coast Well Being metaphysical publication, Shelley was responsible for writing a pet psychic column and as a pet psychic, was mentioned in Lisa Barretta’s published book, ‘The Street Smart Psychic Guide to Getting a Good Reading.’http://www.psychichorizon.com Special Guest: Carl YoungCarl is a multi-generational psychic/medium and Tarot reader. He has 20 years experience in the field of mental health both in counseling and nursing, where he worked with adolescents, trauma survivors, people recovering from sex addictions, chemical dependencies and developmental delays. He has also taught special education with both gifted and remedial students.He has a degree in History from California State University Long Beach and extensive knowledge and practice of spiritual and metaphysical traditions, both east and west. He also has a deep knowledge and experience with psychology, Jungian analysis, dream interpretation and philosophy. He has worked successfully with many private clients not only as a psychic reader, but as a private intuitive counselor for clients who have found traditional psychotherapy ineffective.Carl’s Email: cyoung1890@gmail.com

The Catastrophe Vortex with TC Kirkham #04 - March 15 2017 COMMUNICATE WITH US! We want to hear from YOU! Email - cv@pnrnetworks.com Speakpipe - https://www.speakpipe.com/SubjectCINEMA Patreon Friends -join up now! We Need YOU! http://patreon.com/PNRNetworks THIS WEEK: A classic in tribute to the awesome Bill Paxton, television sort of related to the that film, the second of our nuclear diamonds, and a truly awful TV movie from Irwin Allen...among other things CATASTROPHE CLASSICS – "TWISTER" (1996) VIDEO VORTEX – "STORM CHASERS" (2007) DISASTER DIAMONDS – "COUNTDOWN TO LOOKING GLASS (1984) NOT YET CATASTRO-PHIZED - HARTFORD CIRCUS FIRE MISFORTUNATE MELODIES -  "POMPEII" BY BASTILLE (2015) CRAPTASTIC CATACLYSMS - "FLOOD" (1976) DEVESTATION DEPOSITORY – BOOKS ON THE HARTFORD CIRCUS FIRE SHOW NOTES: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twister_(1996_film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_Chasers_(TV_series) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countdown_to_Looking_Glass https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartford_circus_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeii_(song) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood!   Tribute to "Storm Chasers" Matt Hughes http://ecinemaone.pnrnetworks.com/2010/11/04/i-guess-this-is-why-they-call-it-reality-tvand-reality-sucks/#.WMmqa38au4E   Tribute to Tim Samaras, Carl Young, and Paul Samaras http://ecinemaone.pnrnetworks.com/2013/06/02/discovery-channel-stormchasers-co-stars-tim-samaras-carl-young-killed-tornado-friday/#.WMmrK38au4E   See the chaser tribute to Tim, Carl, and Paul: http://www.businessinsider.com/tim-samaras-tributes-begin-2013-6   See the chaser tribute to Bill Paxton: https://www.buzzfeed.com/talalansari/this-is-how-storm-chasers-are-honoring-the-memory-of-bill-pa?utm_term=.ts2b9Pd7x#.toD45129W   SPECIAL REQUEST FOR MARCH Libsyn is counting on our partipation in their March Twitter campaign. Whenever you listen to a PNRNetwork show, please Tweet about it using the hashtag #Trypod – the idea is to encourage new listeners. Also, we’re asking you to add a second hashtag corresponding to the show you’re listening to as follows: Subject:CINEMA #trypodSC Front Row Five And Ten #trypodFR Catastrophe Vortex #TrypodCV Cavebabble #trypodCB Platinum Roses’ Garden #trypodPRG Tuesday Digidex #trypodTD Three Minute Weekend #trypodTMW If you do this, Libsyn will keep track of how many hashtag hits we get, so be sure to include these hashtags everywhere! And also, don’t forget to post about listening on Facebook, Pinterest, and everywhere else you normally post – help us spread the word! About our Patreon - guys, it's more vital than ever that you become a Patreon sponsor now;  please become a Patreon sponsor and help us out! Check out the full info at http://patreon.com/PNRNetworks - remember, a $2/month donation is all you need to do -but more is available and we've got some great perks too! PNRNetworks Shows Subject:CINEMA Platinum Roses’ Garden (seasonal) Cavebabble Three Minute Weekend Front Row Five And Ten Tuesday Digidex Catastrophe Vortex PNRNetworks sites eCinemaOne eCinemaBoston Platinum Roses' Garden Cavebabble Catastrophe Vortex The Kirkham Report Planet BiblioMusica

Confidence comes from the Latin word confide, which means to entrust. Self-confidence, then, is about learning to trust yourself with yourself. Just as it takes experiences over time to trust others, trusting in your own experience of life requires that same kind of intention and attention.   Remember the first time you sat behind the steering wheel of a car to drive? With your heart pumping, you tried to remember all the critical elements of driving, like gas! Too focused on adjusting the mirrors, getting your seat just right and thinking through all the rules of the road, you completely forgot to look at the gas gauge.   Caught up in the busyness of traffic five minutes into your lesson, your instructor asks, “Without looking at the gauge, how much gas do we have?”   Clueless, you add check gas gauge to your mental checklist for your next excursion. After several months, you start getting the hang of this driving thing, pass your test and venture out on the road alone for the first time, loving the freedom. Before you know it, you’re flying down the road, blaring music, while eating a burger and joking with friends.   How did you go from gripping the steering wheel to grabbing a bite, while effortlessly shifting in and out of lanes? The obvious answer is intendaware.   Intendaware: To intentionally become aware of the beliefs and behaviors that enable results you want. (I’ll be sure to add the word to Wikipedia soon.)   By intentionally becoming aware of the various elements of driving, you shifted your critical checklist over to automatic behaviors.   Gaining self-confidence works the same way. By intentionally becoming aware of your behaviors and results, you increase self-awareness. Such awareness, along with a heavy dose of compassion, leads to an increase in self-confidence.   The better you understand and like yourself, the greater your self-confidence will be. The challenge comes in when you discover behaviors or beliefs you dislike, which almost always leads to criticism—self-inflicted, mostly.   Just as you quickly discovered that you forgot to look at the gas gauge, you will undoubtedly begin finding areas for improvement in your own behaviors. While such mistakes are acceptable (expected, really) when learning to drive, we do not naturally grant ourselves permission to not know in most areas of life, ourselves included.   It’s actually this lack of permission that leads to defending the very behaviors that produce results we don’t want. Thus, as Carl Young once said, “What you resist persists.”   By giving yourself permission to not know yourself, you give yourself a chance to discover. The great news is that discovery (awareness) itself is the most important element to shifting behaviors, and therefore results. Once you are aware of the fact, for example, that your opinions are not being taken seriously in the boardroom, you can begin investigating the beliefs and behaviors that may be causing this result.   With such authentic curiosity, you may quickly find that you have unintentionally avoided taking a seat at the table while simultaneously increasing your pitch when sharing ideas. Without recognizing it, you may have set yourself up for being glossed over or ignored. By remaining focused on discovery (awareness), you can gain insights without fighting (resisting) and begin experimenting with new behaviors and beliefs.   You may find that certain behaviors challenge your belief system and then need time to sort out what beliefs will most closely support the evolution of your spirit, along with the attainment of your goals.   While this is not the easiest work on the planet, it is the most reliable way to systematically increase your confidence.   Confidence comes with knowing, knowing comes with discovery and discovery is a lifelong process that commands heaps of humor, hugs and hustle. So sit back, grab a cup of tea, open your notebook and get ready to begin incorporating the top 10 daily habits to increased confidence—up next week.   Here’s to your greatness,   Misti Burmeister      

Carl Young, the Artistic Director of Stooged Theatre joins Pointy and the Moose to talk about his love for video games and his game show wins on Wheel of Fortune and The Price Is Right.  To keep up to date with Stooged Theatre go to facebook.com/stoogedtheatre. Keep in touch with Pointy and Moose by liking us on facebook.com/splittingcases and if you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review on iTunes.

Thanks for tuning in Subject:CINEMA, closing in on beginning our EIGHTH Year of podcast fun....(gasp!) One more week to 400 shows! EMAIL: subjectcinema@popcornnroses.com TOLL FREE HOTLINE 1-888-214-9311 (US and Canada) THIS WEEK: Sorry we missed last week - the heat wave made it too hot to record - but we're making it up to you with a HUGE THREE HOUR OPUS this week - listen in spurts if you want, or tackle the whole thing at once, but either way, you're gonna LOVE IT!  In this episode:A look at the incredibly innovative (some might say completely bugsnit crazy) view of the world through the eyes of one of our favorite auteurs, Canada's very own Guy Maddin! PLUS: A debate on the impending casting job on Doctor Who now that Matt Smith has announced his regeneration, er, departure from the seriesThis weeks' Bonehead of the WeekWe pay our respects to Jean Stapleton and Esther WilliamsWe pay tribute to three respected members of the storm chasing community who lost their lives in the line of dutyWe outline the war launched this week between old nemesises (is that even a word?) Nikki Finke and Sharon Waxmanand full reviews of TRIUMPH OF THE WALL, THE KINGS OF SUMMER, and NOW YOU SEE ME!Oh, and there's also an unintentional recording we shared - we left the recorder on while watching TV this week, and happened to catch a very interesting TV show we know S:C Fans will love, because, well, they were talking about US!  Be sure to catch it, right smack dab in the center of this weeks' show! We had intended to review two other movies this week, but our Maddin discussion got out of hand, and so reviews of PAVILION and CITIZEN HEARST will have to wait until next weekend. Next Weekend, we will have a DOUBLE FEATURE Weekend - Saturday it's "The Complete TITANIC!" and Sunday is OUR 400th SHOW and also our SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY - join us as we count up our top 30 films we watch over and over and over again... This week's Subject:CINEMA is dedicated to three people who gave their lives so that others may have a chance to live in the future - storm chasers Tim Samaras, Carl Young, and Paul Samaras. We've been talking about our Boston Springs A Fethival PDF for a while now - and you're gonna have to wait until early July for this, because instead of being a separate PDF, it has been decided to incorporate our Boston festival coverage as part of a project that is coming on Sunday, July 7th. Please stay tuned to Subject:CINEMA in future weeks for more information...and trust me you're gonna love it! Also, we've had a few listeners write in to let us know that something weird has been happening in our podcasts the last two weeks; we appear to be getting messages from something called "The 2.0" forced into our show...not sure how it's happening yet - Mevio sez it's not them - but I'm working hard to try and find the cause and the problem, and hopefully we'll figure out where it's coming from...and keep writing if you hear it again... Subject:CINEMA is brought to you by:     eMusic Now with  over TEN MILLION choices for great tunes - and by visiting http://emusic.com/cinema , you will get 35 FREE DOWNLOADS during your 14 day trial! Check it out today! Check out all our great deals in one central spot, right here at MevioCoupons.Com Wanna hear us anywhere? Now you CAN! Subject:CINEMA Mobile for iPhone is now here! Get it at iTunes! Keep checking us out at our home website at http://subjectcinema.com in the coming days - we have six weeks of cool new features and columns coming ...so don't you dare miss any of it!