Podcasts about for charlie

For Charlie's annual birthday episode, his very good friend Mike has chosen Terence Young's filmed adaptation of Ian Fleming's novel Dr. No.  That's right, there's technically a James Bond movie in the Criterion Collection.  And since the birthday boy is a super-fan, eager for a soapbox upon which to blurt out decades of pent-up interpretations, criticisms, and hot takes, get ready for a wild ride.  Songs about fruit!  Solitaire in the dark!  Women's sunglasses!  It's all here. If you'd like to watch ahead for next week's film, we will be discussing and reviewing John Cassavetes' The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976).

Recording this on the "first day back at school" (returning to work after the Christmas break), which quickly became the last day of school (as Lockdown 3.0 began), we chatted about games we've been playing recently, the way we've been playing them, and what we're going to do next. For Charlie, this meant playing Pitchstorm over Zoom, and wondering how well it worked, and for Chris, this was playing Wavelength, where we chat about Zoom fatigue and trying virtual tabletops. That's not to say it's not doable - Charlie hasn't stopped talking about playing her weekly D&D game since she started, and how well this works online!For a wholly different way to play games online, had you thought about playing a game over Twitter? We discussed an article from Miniature Wargames about the turn-based method and benefits to playing a turn-based wargame online, which they added phenomenal drama to, with photographs, flyovers, and more, and consider how this ran similarities to an RPG. We also discussed solo RPGs, as Chris has been playing The Wretched, where you'll record your experiences as voice notes, creating yourself a memory of what happened. Plus, more solo games that offer us that little bit more, including Thousand Year Old Vampire, Electric Bastionland, Ironsworn, Disciples of Shadow and Bone (and it is said this way around!) and Artefact. Finally, we chat about the intricacies of Where's Wally turned detective game MicroMacro: Crime City, the release of Wingspan on Switch, and the news about Slay the Spire.There's plenty packed into this episode, so pop your headphones on and get listening – enjoy!And if you're looking where to find them, we've got some links below to a few. Pitchstorm: https://amzn.to/2XUp4N6Wavelength: https://amzn.to/3bR055xD&D Essentials Kit: https://amzn.to/3nUoycNSometimes we may include links to online retailers, from which we might receive a commission if you make a purchase. Affiliate links do not influence editorial coverage and will only be used when covering relevant products

In honor of those who inspired and guided us, whose love leads us on... For Charlie and Ann. Brian Muni (Vocals/Gtr/Piano/Violin) Produced with James "Jimbo Ro" Rohlehr (Electr Gtr/ all the rest).

Stories in this episode: Brothers Charlie and Sam start a trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro only to find that the steepest trail ahead lies in their conversations along the way; An important spiritual lesson on-stage leads Broadway performer Sandra to the surprising truth about her most challenging role off-stage. Show Notes:  To see pictures and links for this episode, go to LDSLiving.com/thisisthegospel Transcript:  KaRyn  0:03  Welcome to “This Is the Gospel” an LDS Living podcast where we feature real stories from real people who are practicing and living their faith everyday. I'm your host KaRyn Lay. Our theme today comes from an oft-repeated phrase, "What ere thou art, act well thy part," which has made its way into Latter-day Saint cultural consciousness in really interesting ways over the years, like its cousin, "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it," this phrase is often misattributed. Sometimes it's attributed to the scriptures, sometimes to Shakespeare, and sometimes to the Prophet David O McKay. But it's none of these things really. Nobody really knows where it came from. It was the life motto of President McKay, but that's because he first spotted the saying engraved on a stone in Scotland, where he was a discouraged missionary. The saying brought him comfort, and it helped him to buck up and jump back into the work of gathering Israel with his whole heart. And since then, he has shared it with all of us. And it has come to mean a lot of things to a lot of people in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.   In fact, many years later, it became a touchstone for Sister Elaine Dalton's ministry, as the General President of the Young Women's organization. And if you are old enough to listen to conference in 2013, you might actually remember her very last talk before she was released. She talked about how this phrase sustained her during a time of deep discouragement. But why? What is it about acting well our part that captures our imagination and buoys us up in the face of disruption or challenge? Well, in today's episode, we have two stories from three people who found out what Shakespeare, or Shakespeare's brothers cousin, or whoever it was, who wrote that, what they already knew, when they carved that phrase into the rock. Our first story comes from two brothers who faced a steep mountain both literally and figuratively, and came down the other side with a clear sense of their part in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We'll start with Charlie, and then you'll hear from Sam as the story develops. Here's Charlie and Sam.   Charlie Bird  2:08  So the first thing I remember thinking was, "Is this real life?" Because I'm looking at this mountain above me. And honestly, I couldn't really see much. It was just like a jungle with trees and vines, and it was just going higher and higher. And then it was just lost in the clouds. And I couldn't believe that I was actually at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. If you know anything about my family, it's that we're kind of extreme and we love physical challenges. I'm there with my dad and my little brother, Sam, and my sister, Hannah. What we decided to do for this Kilimanjaro summit was try to do an unassisted hike. So most of the time, when you're hiking the mountain, you have like porters to carry your food and your water. But we wanted to go unassisted, which means we had everything with us just on our own backs. So I hoist this bag onto my shoulders, and I was like, "Oh my gosh." This is like the first moment that it's actually hitting me that I have to take this bag to the top of the tallest freestanding mountain in the world.   We go to weigh it in, and I can't remember exactly how many kilograms it was, but I did – it was like 30 kilograms, which is roughly 65 pounds. And I'm looking at my brother Sam, and we're like, "Are we cool? . . . Or are we crazy?" And looking back, I think it was a little bit of both. And honestly, all the park rangers there thought we were definitely crazy. For about two years before that I'd become a really avid hiker around Utah. And so I would do Timpanogos on the weekends with friends just for like fun and Angels Landing was a breeze and I was hiking all over the Wasatch Front and all over southern Utah. And I felt pretty good. But about 20 minutes into this hike – Kilimanjaro with 65 pounds on my back – I realized this was not going to be like any hike I'd ever done before.   One of the most incredible things that I noticed immediately was the environment, my surroundings. I've never seen so much foliage and animals, there was monkeys jumping through the trees, the landscape was just so beautiful. And there was these mossy vines that were hanging over this dirt path, the light was coming in, in like filtered scattered bursts illuminating the floor and there were flowers on the jungle floor. This is, this is the kind of trip that you know, everyone wants to go on but I was actually living it. I was like, "I cannot believe I'm doing this." And even better, with some of the people who I loved the most.   A couple hours into the start of our hike, we're just climbing. Elevation is steep and me and my little brother Sam are just moving out. For some reason. We were just feeling good. I think we were just excited to be there. We kind of got ahead of the rest of the pack. And for a while it was just me and Sam on the trail. And it was so interesting to look over at him. And notice that, you know, he'd always been my little brother. He's five and a half years younger. It was always kind of like – he was just little, you know? But now I'm looking at him and he's the same height as me and our strides are matching and I was like, "Dang, my little brother's like – a man." You know, I'm protective of him. I've always been like a caretaker of sorts to him, but now he was an equal and that that was kind of the moment I realized that he was an equal as we're moving out on this trail.   Sam Bird  5:18  Charlie and I had always been close. He had always been my best friend, my older brother, five years older than me. So I've always looked up to him, really in everything. Just the way he's been able to interact with people. He – we always said that Charlie is so skilled and talented in so many different fields that, that he could literally do anything. And I wanted to be like that. And he coached me through a lot of things and taught me a lot of things. And I was just happy to be with him.   Charlie Bird  5:46  You know, sometimes I wish there was a word that conveyed something stronger than brother, because that's how I've always felt with Sam. Growing up, we shared a room, and we basically shared everything. We played basketball – he's a basketball star – I honestly can't remember a single time I've ever lost a pickup game at the Rec Center, when Sam's on your team, like you want Sam on your team. And we just loved adventure. And we would explore and we would sing together and try to cook together and stay up late every night talking just about our lives and what we wanted to do and our big dreams. And then now as adults, we share the same clothes and we bought the same type of car. And just everything we did, we were we were essentially like twins.   And so sometimes using the word "Brother" to describe Sam doesn't seem like it's full enough – that it's meaningful enough, because our relationship was just, was just so deep. But there was one really important part of me that Sam didn't know anything about. And as we're walking up this mountain, and I realize that he's no longer just a little brother, that he's my equal, I'm realizing that I was hiding something really important from him. The fact that I'm gay.   At this point in time, I was putting so much emotional and mental and spiritual energy into trying to figure myself out and figure out how to reconcile my faith with my orientation. And so much of my life was devoted to that. And he didn't know anything about that. And I felt that  – it almost felt like a physical barrier to our relationship. I get asked quite often, "Why do you have to come out? Like, straight people don't have to come out." And in a way, I think that's kind of the point, like, the assumption is that everyone is straight. And so everyone – at this point in time – was assuming that I was straight. And to be completely honest, for a little bit, I liked that. Because for a long time, I wanted to be straight, so bad, I really wanted to fit in. And so when people assumed I was straight, I felt like I didn't have to work so hard to prove my worth. And the paranoia of someone thinking that I was gay, would go away.   But as I became more accepting of myself, and as I started praying about the nature of my orientation, and feeling like I needed to accept it and stop trying to change, everyone else thinking I was straight got really awkward. Because – because I'm gay. And people were like, either always trying to set me up on dates with girls, or talking about my future wife and my future family. And I just felt so weird about it. And especially with Sam. I mean, we're brothers. So like, we talk about girls. And like, that was a big part of our relationship. And it was a part that I had faked my entire life. I just felt so insincere and, and awkward hiding this part of me. So there I am, on what I consider to be like one of the most exciting, beautiful, like vacation, trip, adventures of my life, and now we're three hours into the hike and I'm having this existential crisis. Because I'm like, "Sam doesn't know I'm gay. And no one knows I'm gay." Well, actually, at that point, my sisters and my cousin knew and that was it. And I was like, "I'm living a lie."   And I was trying – really what I was trying to do was just like, be mindful and be in the moment. So instead of like focusing on all of this, like anxiousness and worry, I just start thinking about the trees. Like, "I'm going to focus so much on the beauty of this landscape, that it's just going to push this out, and I can shelf it until I can figure out what to do with it." And so I'm looking at the trees and, and I'm, I'm an artistic soul, and I have a real soft spot for nature and for beauty and for beautiful things. So I'm just trying to focus all of that energy into that side of my personality so I can forget about that I can't tell Sam I'm gay.   And the reason I felt like I couldn't tell him is because I cared about him so much. And I was so, so terrified of any potential rejection. I mean, this is, this is my brother, like, he's an extension of me and, and his role in my life is paramount. And the thought of changing that relationship, or making it weird or divisive, or polarizing or just even different, filled me with such incredible fear. It was crippling. And, you know, on top of that, I'd always kind of been his mentor, you know. I, I was the older brother, he would come to me for advice and with questions, especially spiritual questions. And I – this recurring thought I keep having was, "Is he still gonna trust me if he knows I'm gay? And how am I supposed to teach him anything about life or religion or faith? When I myself am incredibly confused? like, how is he going to trust me?" The weight of that potential rejection was so heavy, and it weighed so heavy on my soul, like it was heavier than my backpack, which by the way, was incredibly heavy, if I can remind everyone it was 65 pounds. I just, I didn't know what to do.   As we're walking, we're sweating. We're breathing heavy. And it's been probably 35 – 45 minutes, where I'm just focusing on the trees, you know? And he's like, "What are you thinking about?" And I was like, "Uh oh, he caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting it." So I just kind of went along with what I was trying to do, which looking back, it was silly, but I was like, "Oh, you know, just like the trees." And so I start describing what I was trying to see in the trees. And, and you know, which is true, like, my goodness, they were beautiful. But I'm trying too hard.   Sam Bird  11:59  Everything was normal. And then all of a sudden, Charlie started talking about the trees, but like, in a really weird way. I know, Charlie, and I know he loves trees, right? And I know Charlie always loves to talk about like, the elements and everything working in sync, and blah, blah, blah. But at this point, I'm like, "Alright, Bro, I get it. The trees are nice." It's like, this is 45 minutes of us talking about trees right now. So I'm done. I'm like, "Okay, what is actually going on?"   Charlie Bird  12:29  And he's like, "Dude, like, why are you being weird? What's actually up? Because I can tell there's something up." And I got the coming out feeling. So, it's funny, people ask me a lot like, "What does it feel like to come out?" And I think coming out is one of the most courageous things anyone can do. Because it's scary, you know, like that potential rejection is a really hard thing to face, especially with someone you care about. And I compare the coming out feeling to the way someone might feel if they had to speak unprepared in front of a group of like, 100,000 people. Or, in fact, the closest thing I've ever got to it is the feeling of when the spirits telling you that you need to bear your testimony on a fast Sunday, but magnified by like, some exponential amount, because it's just so – like, it's like this release that has to happen, and you know, you have to do it. But no part of you wants to stand up and walk to the pulpit. And you're not sure that your legs will support you or you don't know if you're going to pass out or throw up.   So here I am taking that walk to the pulpit, as I'm about to speak and tell my brother that I'm gay. And I started hyperventilating. Which, it's so funny because like, I'm an athlete, and I am a gymnast, and I'm always so in control of my body and my body's reactions to things. And I started breathing so heavy and I was like, like verging on a panic attack hyperventilating, I was so nervous to tell him. And he – I remember he made this joke, he was like, "Well, for being the world's greatest mascot, you're sure not in very good shape." And he's like, taunting me because he's like, "Haha, I'm in better shape than you." And then I was like, I actually couldn't breathe. And so I got it out, I muttered out, "It's not the mountain," Between like – honestly it was like "It's . . . not. . . the. . .mountain." And I remember his face changed, like his, his brows knit together, and he got really concerned and he was like, "Oh, like, are you okay?" And he's like, afraid I'm actually going to pass out because I probably was about to. And he was like, "Hey, there's a fallen log right over there. Give me your bag, I'll take it over there and we can rest for a while and get get some food. I have a Snickers bar, you should eat it." And I'm watching my brother just have so much love for me. I was like I have to tell him. He says "If it's not the mountain, what is it?" I said "Sam," and I waited for a while. I said, "I'm gay. He said, " . . . what?"  And I said, "I'm not attracted to girls." Like I kind of defined it for him. I wanted him to understand what I was saying. I said, "I'm gay, Sam. I'm attracted to guys."   Sam Bird  15:23  At first, I thought it might have been a joke. Because I was confused. I thought Charlie was straight, totally 100% straight. So I was kind of trying to figure out how he could be gay. Because in my mind, it wasn't an option. My mind directed to just, "Okay, then what about this girlfriend? Or what about whenever you told me this or that?"   Charlie Bird  15:47  And honestly, at this point, I still wasn't sure how this conversation was going. I was like, "Is this a successful coming out or not? Because we haven't really gotten anywhere." And he was just confused.   Sam Bird  15:58  And I started asking him questions, and I asked him, I was like, "Isn't it a choice to be gay? Like, why'd you choose this?" I remember him telling me "Why would I choose this? You don't think – " and he went off on like a rant, and it was emotional. He said, "You don't think I want to get married in the temples Sam? You don't think I want all these things – that we all want?" The blow that hit me the hardest was whenever he said that he went on a mission – he served a mission, hoping that if he served well, and if he served perfectly as he said, God would take his "gayness" away from him. And that's when it really clicked for me, that he didn't choose it. Being gay is not a choice. There's so much more than what meets the eye.   And I felt horrible. I felt horrible, because I had said a lot of things very, like derogatory things about gay people. So I apologized for all the things I told him, all the things I'd said, just all my misconceptions. It was tough. I still didn't really know what to do. So I said, "But what are you gonna do? Cause I don't know what to do so like, what are you gonna do?" And when I asked him what he was gonna do, I meant it in a way of like – a futuristic way, as in like, "Okay, what are you gonna do with your life and with everything that we've been taught, and everything that we know, inside the church, even outside the church, like social norms?" So the question I asked was probably kind of a tough question to answer. And it was, and he just said, "I don't know. I don't know what I'm gonna do." And whenever someone you love, so much, doesn't know what to do. I think in any circumstance, it's hard. And so I just told him like, "Bro, I don't care what you do. Like, I'm gonna be here for you, I love you. You're my older brother. We're tight. We're, we're cut from the same cloth, nothing will change. Nothing will change between our relationship." It was an emotional moment, like we embraced. We started crying.   Charlie Bird  18:07  He explained to me that, like he had so much faith and love for me. And that whatever I chose, he knew would be the right thing for me, and that he would support me no matter what. And at this point, I'm speechless. Because I don't think there could have been possibly a better reaction. I'm coming to him with this this huge, weight. Something I was so nervous to tell him. And he said, "I love you. And I trust you." And those were my two biggest fears – that his love for me would change, and that he wouldn't trust me. And I know he was inspired to say that.   Sam Bird  18:49  So we sat on this log, we shared a Snickers bar and we just talked. And I told him I'm sorry. That's mostly what happened – was me just apologizing. Maybe for 30 minutes. I just told him I was sorry. He, you know, he forgave me really quickly said, "It's okay. You didn't know, you didn't know." But I still felt bad. I'm like, "Yeah, but . . . " The worst part was that he couldn't trust me to tell me before, when it was harder. And that's important. I'm glad he came out to me whenever he felt like he was comfortable to, but I wished I could have done something before to make him feel comfortable.   Charlie Bird  19:27  So about 20 minutes later, we're sitting on that same mossy log, and my dad and my little sister and the trail guide came up and caught up to us. Honestly, they were kind of mad. They were like, "Where have you been?" And we're like, lost in Africa, you know? And we're like, "Oh, we were just feeling it." And it was just so funny to know that me and Sam were the only ones who knew that we just had this incredible spiritual bonding experience. And my dad and my sister Hannah are like, "You're so annoying. You think like, what are you trying to prove?" And we were joking with them and we're like, "Dad, you're just, you're just mad because we're so much faster than you, you old man." And you know, Sam's words were still ringing in my head when he said, "This doesn't change anything." And I was like, "Oh my gosh, nothing changed. This feels normal." But at the same time, everything changed, because now all this weight that I was carrying up this mountain emotionally, is gone. And now we can just focus on the physical weight. How great is that? Like, that's the reason I'm here in the first place. I love a physical challenge.   And the rest of the mountain, we just hiked it with this vibrance, and this tenacity. We descended through these beautiful valleys and we walked through these fields of broken obsidian. And I was just feeling so good. And I'm kind of a peacock, and I like to show off. And so a couple of times, we'd catch up to hikers that had been doing it for days. And we – we'd you know been, we'd been skipping campsites because we just felt so good. All four of us. And I would take off my bag and I'd be like, "Hey, Dad, take a picture of me doing a backflip." Just so all the hikers could watch me do a backflip on this ledge. This I mean, like ledges that look over the earth, the whole world just fields of endless clouds.   And at night, it was so cold, the sun would go down, it was just freezing. And me and Sam were sharing a little two person tent. So we would just like get as close as possible and try to sleep. But we didn't have mattress pads or anything because it was so minimalist. You know, we took only like bare necessities. And so these rocks are cutting into our ribs and we can't sleep. So we just talked. And I was honest with him. And I noticed that as I was vulnerable and opened up, he was sharing things with me, too. Things that he'd been struggling with or dealing with or trying to figure out that he'd never really felt able to, to bring to the surface. And the love we had for each other was like gilded in a way. Because we just got so much closer.   On the morning of the fourth day – maybe it was the third day – it wasn't very many days, that's all I know, it's kind of all a blur. But we woke up at two in the morning. And after we'd been at base camp and we took the the final summit to the top of the mountain, the four of us together and it was cold and it was windy and like probably 1000 times I wanted to stop and turn back because it was just so cold. But there was no way we were going to risk missing sunrise at the top of this mountain after we worked so hard to get there. And we're waiting up there, it's it was negative three degrees Celsius. I'm not sure the conversion for that, I'm only good at kilograms. But uh, we're waiting up there shivering next to each other. And we watched the sunrise from the summit of the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. And it illuminated the glaciers and it casts beautiful pink and blue hues. And it was one of the – if not the most magical moment of my life. And I got to share it with the people I love the most.   This Kilimanjaro trip, we talk about it so much for so many reasons. You know, we got up and down in four and a half days, which was unprecedented. Honestly, we got down so fast, because we ran out of food and we were just starving. So from the summit, we just went all the way back down and just did like, I don't know, like 16 to 20 hours of like straight hiking on the way down. And in this trip for Sam and, Hannah and my dad and me, it's become like, almost a legend, you know, some sort of fable that we just love to recount and tell stories. And, "Remember when we did this . . . " and it just, we just really loved this trip. But out of everything that happened for me, and I think for Sam too, the most beautiful thing was that moment where where I came out to him. And he met me in such a wonderful, perfect way for the situation.   Sam Bird  24:03  I never really knew how important the Kilimanjaro trip was to Charlie until he published the book, until he published Without the Mask. And I'm just happy that we're so much closer now. Like now I can tell Charlie anything. And he'd love me anyway. And vice versa. He could tell me anything, and I'd love him anyway. And so we know that. And that trust that we've developed in large part because he came out to me has absolutely strengthened our relationship.   Charlie Bird  24:37  For a really long time I was acting a part that was never my part to act. It was a role. It was it was fake. But when he saw me for who I am, it helped me connect with who I am. And it solidified all the real parts of our relationship. And it kind of made all of that fakeness and that triviality – was gone. It just felt so much more real.   Sam Bird  25:03  He was made for this. I think, I think that he was made to be a leader in this, like this movement of just equality and seeing everyone as Christ would see them. So even a hater who DM's him on Instagram, he tries to see them as Christ would see them, Because that's what he hopes from them, which I've, I couldn't do it, I couldn't do it. I would want to throw hands, I would want to find somebody, I would want to say, "Don't you call my brother that! I'll. . . Ahh!!" But he just responds every time, "Sam, I will not fight hate with hate." The perspective shifts that has been that he has instilled in me has been monumental just for my ability to see people the way God sees them, and the way I should see them. And the way someone should treat someone.   To act well my part, I first need to know my part. And I think that if each person did that we could create change within our families, our communities. And that's why I'm so proud of Charlie, because within our family and our community, it has happened. And the difference has meant everything – I know it's meant everything to him, and because it has meant everything to him, it means everything to me.   Charlie Bird  26:22  When I think about the way that Sam interacted with me, in that moment, one of my most vulnerable, courageous moments, I can't help but think that that's exactly how the Savior would have acted. I believe that he would have shown love, and that he would have shown trust, and that he would have been able to do that same thing and read who I am and what I needed. And it was so beautiful to see the Savior – my Savior – Jesus Christ, emulated in my brother. And I feel like I've learned a lot about how to be Christlike, and how to actually love a human, because of the way that Sam was able to act well his part.   KaRyn  27:17  That was Sam and Charlie Bird. You may recognize Charlie's name from the years that he was celebrated as the BYU mascot Cosmo. And as Sam mentioned, Charlie wrote a book about his time as Cosmo and what it was like to come out to the world in such a public way, and why it was so important to his faith that he do it. The book is called Without the Mask: Coming out and coming into God's light. And that's where we first found the story. But like any good story, there was so much more to it. And we were really happy to be able to share both Charlie and Sam's experiences, I can feel the love that they have for one another, and even more than that I can feel the love that they have for Christ. And that love is what fuels their desire to follow him in whatever role they are asked to play.   In this story, in this moment in time, playing their part will looked different for each of them. For Charlie, stepping into his role meant bringing honesty and vulnerability and a willingness to trust his spiritual promptings to the stage. But for Sam playing it well looked like listening, offering generosity of heart and apologizing. Their roles, their part in the play of life will most likely be reversed at some point. I mean, that's true for all of us. We never step into the same stream twice. But if like Sam and Charlie, we lean into the attributes of Christ that we are so desperately trying to take on ourselves, we'll be able to show up for whatever role is next in our life with confidence. And our final story comes from Sandra, whose time on a big fancy stage prepared her well for a season of life with very little to no fanfare. Here's Sandra.   Sandra Turley  28:59  Our youngest daughter is absolute sweet and sour. She is sickeningly sweet, sometimes, actually, most of the time she's sickeningly sweet, where I feel like there's nobody more angelic than she. There just is not. The cuddles and the loves and the squeezes and the love notes are overwhelmingly loving and gorgeous. And then she comes out with these shockingly sour moments where she's just screaming because she's the youngest of four, and we have trained her to think she's the queen of the world, and that she should get everything that she wants at the moment she wants it.   So a few weeks ago, I was asking her for the millionth time – okay, fine, to be fair, probably the 14th time – to sit down and just finish her lunch. Just finish the lunch. It's been sitting there for an hour, please just finish her lunch. I leave the room I come back in, she's nowhere to be found. In fact, she's outside jumping on the trampoline. So I go outside, try to stay calm, bring her inside, and she knows what's gonna happen, because this is not a one time occurrence. We come inside and I put away her lunch and I take her upstairs and I say, "I'm sorry, you missed lunchtime, time to go take a break." And she starts kicking and screaming that she's starving, and what am I doing to her? If I don't let her eat lunch, she's probably gonna die. She's telling as she's screaming this. And so while she's screaming, I start screaming, "I can't do this anymore! You never listen to me. You really, you have to stop screaming. Right now!" Is what I'm yelling to her. "Please stop screaming" is what I'm yelling, ah. And here is the moment that I find I'm in constantly.   This is a repeat performance for the two of us. And I see a pattern that I am desperately trying to break. The pattern is, I get triggered by a single moment, then I have one initial thought from that moment. And shortly it turns into an avalanche of self loathing, where I completely closed myself off to everything else and figure that I'm the worst person in the world. Meaning in this instance, my first thought, as I shut the door and left her screaming in her room was, "You, Sandra, are so horrible for yelling at her." And then that one thought avalanches into all of these horrible thoughts that I'm a horrible mom, I need to control my temper, "Why can't you just let her be seven? She's going to be scarred for life. You haven't taught her right, it's your fault, not hers, you're never going to get better at this." And then the worst thought of that avalanche becomes, "This is because of your voice." My voice that God gave me, that I have used as a singer and a performer on stage. I've used it to actually bless thousands of people's lives in ways that I could share somewhat of His spirit, is also the same voice that I just used to crush my little daughter's heart.   So in 2003, I was performing on Broadway in Les Miserables. I was performing the role of Cosette, the daughter of Jean Valjean, the main character.  And the whole story is just gorgeous. The whole story is about this man, Jean Valjean his redemption in life and each night, as I was performing in the show, adding my voice to the voices of all the other characters on stage, I was not amiss to the fact that we were sharing the concepts of mercy, and justice and sacrifice and charity. And I heard at the end of every single show, as my character Cosette was down at the very front of the stage, I could hear the sound that was my favorite to hear, which was the passing of the tissue packages from audience member to audience member and the sniffles. Because to me that small little sound meant that lives were being changed. hearts were being touched. Maybe they were thinking, "I should have more mercy or for that person in my life, or maybe for myself." So there's no doubt in my mind that God was in the work that I was doing on stage. No doubt at all. God's spirit was there. Whatever anybody else wanted to call it. I called it the Spirit, the Holy Ghost. That's what I was feeling every night.   I also felt that just as much offstage as I did onstage with maybe a touch more nerves offstage than on because offstage, God was with me as all of my friends, all the cast members and crew members were every single day barraging me with questions about my faith. And that brought probably more nerves than singing a pretty little song in front of 1600 people up on the big stage. Questions just came at me mostly about how young I was. I was just 22 - 23 years old when I was performing. And every day it was like, "Why are you married already? That's weird. How could you have chosen somebody to be with already?" "Why don't you come out with us to party and drink?" "What's the big deal about your underwear?" "Tell me about Joseph Smith." "I want to know about temples." "Can you please explain this polygamy thing?" And, "Are you even Christian?" That was always the one that just that was a gut punch to me. If I hadn't acted in a way that people knew, without a doubt that I was Christian, then I was going to answer that one as clearly as could be.   My whole hope, in these conversations and friendships backstage, was to love the way that Christ has asked me to love. That everyone would somehow know that I would never judge them. And that rather I loved each of them so fiercely. There wasn't a day that I wondered whether I was doing this thing, right or not. This whole Christian thing, and trying to love all the people around me.   But one night, in particular, I was on stage, it was the very end of the show. And there was a man who was playing the role of Jean Valjean. And it happened to be his last night performing that role before he was going to move on to another show. And as I sat at his feet, as his character was dying at the end of the show, and I was his daughter, weeping, literally at his feet. And I couldn't help but think about my relationship with this man, not the character, but with this man. Who was a friend of mine, and who I loved, and who had had so many questions. Who had wondered, honestly, about my faith. And I wept at his feet – not as the character – but as Sandra, wondering, have I done enough? Did I say enough? Did I say the right words at the right time? Did I answer correctly? Did I speak your truth, God? Even regardless of all that, did I love this man enough? And as I wept, I just felt the words, "Well done." I felt them deeply and truly in my heart, and then I wept some more. And it's a dang good thing that my character was supposed to be crying right at that moment. Because I did, I just cried, and I felt God saying, "You're doing it. You're doing it just, just right, Sandra. Good job."   So as I come back, and try to apply a moment like that, to the life that I'm in now, about 17 years later, I'm home, I've got four kids that are not applauding me every day. Like the applause that I receive when I'm onstage. I've got an awesome husband, who shockingly, doesn't ask for my autograph at the end of every day that I perform. And I don't even take a bow after I fold a load of laundry.   But here's the deal. As I'm home with these great kids during this wild pandemic, and virtually homeschooling four kids, and I've got this hard working husband in the makeshift basement office, I think I'm starting to figure out how to break this pattern of having one thought of my own in between my own two ears, that triggers and turns into an avalanche of self-loathing thoughts. Maybe the past six years of my life has been a journey to find some self-healing. From some, you know, mental heartache. I don't know if that's even a term "mental heartache." That's two different organs in the body. But it kind of goes together.   I think that as I've been trying to study all the different ways that I can find more mental balance from depression, anxiety, and keep my body as healthy as possible. I feel like right now, I'm trying to put all of the pieces together that I've studied. And now maybe, just finally, even though God has been a part of that whole process, maybe just now I'm actually really engaging him and saying, "I've done all this work. You've guided me to all of these thoughts in this work to heal myself. And maybe I've left you out of the biggest part, which is to turn to you immediately. The second, something happens that causes me to doubt myself." This is, this is this is the real stuff, because this is this is where I'm living right now. This is that space of, "Dang it, I did it again. Here I go. Here's that first thought.” And I know if I let my brain run free right now, and don't engage with the heavens and don't call God to be with me right now, then I'm going to be in the dumps for the next few days. I am going to fuel my mind with such negative talk about myself. And that's going to be harder to get out of that side.   So what I'm trying to do is try to stop it right at that first thought, and say, "Okay, you've had your time, first thought, you can tell yourself, Sandra that 'You're being ridiculous and naughty, and you shouldn't have done that.' And that's fine. And now let's move forward. Let's invite God into these thoughts in your mind, let's invite the heavens to be part of this process, instead of trying to do this on your own."   What have I finally learned . . . I still yell at my kids. But just last week, I was sitting at our dining room table. It was at the end of a really, really long day of virtual learning gone wrong. It was a day where every child took their turn at a massive breakdown. And all of us wondering, "How on earth is this gonna work? How are we, as a family unit, going to make this pandemic work to our benefit?" And not, maybe not to our benefit, just kind of survive it on a day to day basis. How are we going to deal with the technological problems and the learning problems and teachers over Zoom, and four kids sitting around one table with headphones on, and each of them yelling at each other to be quiet when somebody does something that disrupts their, their thinking.   But at nine o'clock at night, at the end of a long day like that, it was amazing to take a breath for a second, and I looked up, got out of my own brain for a moment. And I saw my oldest daughter, helping our son with his math homework, which he desperately needed help with. I saw our third child walk in with a huge smile on her face, because she had just voluntarily folded the laundry that I had left for probably a week. I heard my husband upstairs telling a bedtime story to our sweet and sour seven year old to try to get her to go to sleep. And as I paused and I soaked in everything that I could see and hear in that moment, I felt again, a really, really soft and quiet. "Well done." We were gonna be able to do this together. And "Well done" at that moment wasn't, "Well done, you've shared the light of Christ with someone who may otherwise not have had it," it was, "Well done. You're living in the light of Christ, in your home with your husband and children who know Christ and love him and are learning more of him. And you're doing it right. You're doing this well." And that's all he ever asks of me, was just to give my best effort.   KaRyn  43:17  That was Sandra Turley. I have been blessed to love and adore Sandra for years now. And one of the things I admire most about her is her unexpected realness. And I say unexpected on purpose, because she knows how to be polished. She knows how to walk on a stage and show the world something beautiful, but her desire to walk on that same stage and show the world real beauty – her testimony of the healing gifts of a God who values progress over performance? That is a true act of discipleship. And what about that laundry, and those kids who refuse to applaud when the mountain on the couch is conquered? Like Sandra knows all too well. There are so many tough roles that will play in our lives that will go absolutely unnoticed by mere mortals. And while we're waiting in the wings for a chance to be seen, we can stop and take the breath and look around and listen. And we'll discover that those moments are not lost to Him who sees all.   The first time I heard the phrase "Act well, the part" was at my very first Youth Conference in Redding, Pennsylvania. The entire conference was centered around a stage play that we were writing and acting during the long-ish weekend, and I was in heaven. Not only because my youth group leader was a very cute 17 year old boy, but also because acting felt like my life's calling at 14. I walked away from that conference with a serious crush on said youth group leader and a basic understanding that to act well one's part, one had to commit fully to the gospel of Jesus Christ in word and in deed. And that stuck with me, although my understanding of it has evolved over the years. At first, as someone obsessed with theater I saw acting well as an outward expression. It was being seen doing the right things at the right time or not doing things so that others would know that I was a good member of the Church. Acting well was a performance directed towards other people. And then as I grew in my desire to be more connected to Christ, acting well became a pursuit, it was still a kind of outward performance, but it was now directed at a different audience.   I wanted the Savior to see my good works, and give me his approval. And I don't think either of these efforts were bad, they led me forward. In most cases. I'll admit that sometimes the approval seeking part of my performance got in the way of actual connection to Christ and His gospel, especially when it faded into perfectionism. But overall, they were both really important phases in my spiritual growth. However, these days, I find myself more drawn to the first part of that phrase, than the last part. "What ere thou art, act well thy part." "What ere thou art –"  what are you? Figure that out first, commit to that. Commit to our role as a beloved child of Heavenly Parents, a follower of Jesus Christ, and a disciple in the work of gathering. Then the acting well comes easily because now it's an act of integrity. It's a deeper promise to be who you are supposed to be, regardless of external influence. It's an inward devotion, a quiet reconciliation with your divinity that leads to a powerful outward expression of God's love for all his children. And it's no longer simply performative.   It's now authentic discipleship. And it expresses itself in the moments that we breathe in, and let God tell us that we've loved enough. Or when we step back from our own biases to meet our brother exactly where he is on his upward hike, or when we finally decide to take off the mask we've relied on for so long, and allow others to be a witness to our deepest vulnerability. I think that's why this phrase is so compelling to us, as disciples of Christ. Why it's stuck around for so many years since President McKay brought it on the scene, because it's an invitation for us to learn what we are, and to understand who's we are, who we belong to, so that we'll know what we do, and why we do it. That acting out of integrity, that changes everything. It makes doing it well or acting our part well the result and not the goal. And that's something that will give us strength and power in the most challenging times.   That's it for this episode of This Is the Gospel. Thank you to our storytellers, Sandra, Sam, and Charlie for sharing their stories and their true selves with us. We'll have a link to Charlie's book Without the Mask as well as links to both Sister Dalton's talk, which I re-read and love, and a cool little write up of President McKay's discovery of and love for this saying in our show notes at LDSliving.com/thisisthegospel. You can also get more good stuff by following us on Instagram or Facebook at This Is the Gospel_podcast.   All of the stories on this episode are true and accurate, as affirmed by our storytellers. And of course, if you have a story to share about living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, please call our pitch line and leave us a story pitch. The best pitches will be short and sweet. But they'll also have a clear sense of the focus of your story call 515-519-6179 to leave us a message.   If today's stories have touched you or made you think about your discipleship a little bit more deeply. Please share that with us. You can leave a review of the podcast on Apple, Stitcher, or whatever platform you listen on. And if you can't figure out how to leave us a review, which I totally get. They don't call me “Grandma KaRyn” for nothing. Check out our highlight on our Instagram page for some tips. Every review helps the podcast show up for more people who are looking for something to help them stay close to the source of all good things during the week. This episode was produced by me KaRyn Lay with editing and story production help from Erika free. It was scored, mixed and mastered by Mix at Six studios, and our executive producer is Erin Hallstrom. You can find past episodes of this podcast and other LDS Living podcasts at LDS living.com/podcasts.     Show Notes + Transcripts: http://ldsliving.com/thisisthegospel See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charlie Lustman did not expect life to unfold with a cancer diagnosis. He was making music, writing songs and living life on his terms and then the unexpected news came that no one wants to hear. He had cancer. It was in his jaw. Just when you think that you know how life will unfold for you, you often encounter a challenge that changes everything. For all of us now, it is Covid-19 and the lockdowns. For Charlie, it was cancer in his jaw. It isn't what happens to us that matters, it is always about how we handle the tests that come. Will they make us whither or will they make us rise? Charlie has an incredible story to tell about surviving adversity to then uncover your purpose. How can we use the setbacks we overcome to help others? How do we find the beauty in the ashes of life changing challenges? Listen to Shawn and Jen talk with Charlie Lustman to unpack his incredible story of using his own experience with cancer to come alongside hundreds of thousands of others dealing with their own cancer battles. Connect with Charlie at www.mademenuclear.com

COVID-19 devastated the travel industry. For many, it meant the end of the business. For Charlie, the ultra-marathon runner and founder of Epic Travel, it became an endurance lesson. Tune in to this episode and learn about the parallels between chaos, endurance running and business planning.

Charlie George, disgraced yoga instructress and recent prison escapee, brings the global paranormal news to The Last Post as ghoul school is out for summer. Meanwhile, a fortune teller is arrested for predicting a bank robbery she would commit in the future. For Charlie's previous appearances on the show, head to episodes 212 (Global Greetings news), 219 (Agreeableness News in Togo) and 225 (Food news). This is a Bugle Podcasts production.This episode was produced by Ped Hunter and Chris Skinner. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When he's not working with some of the outdoor industry's top brands, Charlie spends his time skiing, hiking, and enjoying time with his family. After spending time in Seattle working at Outdoor Research, Charlie moved to Colorado to bring his talents to the agency, Backbone Media. Backbone is a PR and marketing agency with 70+ clients in the greater outdoor industry. These include Patagonia, Filson, YETI, Sitka and Eddie Bauer. For Charlie, the work that gives him the most satisfaction is work that combats the effects of climate change. The outdoor industry has made strides in lobbying for Mother Earth but there is more work to be done.  

TLR’s 55 Most ReRead Books Anna’s Selection Sheena is joined by Anna to discuss the list that was released on TheLesbianReview.com - TLR’s 55 Most Reread Books. In this episode Anna talks about her selection of books.   Second Chances by MJ Duncan Publisher Indie Author Audio No Synopsis Charlie Bennett is a rising star in the world of sports journalism, but her personal life is a mess. Still hung up on her college sweetheart, a one-night-stand gone wrong convinces her that she needs to make a change. An offer for a one-year guest lecturer position from a small private university provides her the opportunity she needs to escape, and she jumps at it. All Charlie expected to find when she left Manhattan for rural New Hampshire was a little peace. Instead, she finds Mackayla Thomas. Eight years have passed since Charlie foolishly walked away from Mackayla, and Mackayla is determined to never let anyone hurt her that way again. For Charlie, their serendipitous meeting is a sign that happily ever after might finally be within her reach. First, however, she needs to find a way to convince Mackayla to let the past go, and to give her a second chance.   Get this book on Amazon US, Canada and Germany - https://amzn.to/2DFl74N UK - https://amzn.to/34HeR8A   (All the Amazon links are affiliate links, we get a small commission when you use these links and it costs you nothing extra. We cannot see any information about you when you buy and the money we get goes towards supporting this business)   Starting From Scratch by Georgia Beers Publisher Brisk Press Audio Narrated by Georgia Beers Produced by Dog Ear Publishing Synopsis What happens when your life takes an unexpected turn? What happens when you need to protect the one you love from the one you want to love? What happens when you lose something you never knew you wanted? Lambda and Golden Crown Literary Award-winning author Georgia Beers brings to you her long-awaited seventh novel, Starting from Scratch, a story where learning, laughing, loving, and baked goods are just a few of life's basic ingredients. Starting from Scratch...where life is what you make it.   Get this book on Amazon US, Canada and Germany - https://amzn.to/35RTBgA UK - https://amzn.to/2r23YzK   Find Anna Online Twitter https://twitter.com/agramlich78 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/anna.gramsound Anna’s favourite books on TLR https://www.thelesbianreview.com/category/book-review/highly-recommended-books/annas-favourites/     Find the full list of TLR’s 55 Most Reread Books here   About TLR The Lesbian Review is a website dedicated to reviewing only books movies and music that we enjoy. That way you are likely to find media that you enjoy too. We rely on advertisers, affiliate link purchases and Patrons to cover costs and keep growing. So if you do buy because of this podcast then please use our links.   You can also support us by becoming a Patron for as little as $1 a month - https://www.patreon.com/TheLesbianReview

On today’s episode, Charlie talks with Andrea Owen, author of “How to Stop Feeling Like Shit: 14 Habits That Are Holding You Back from Happiness.” She joins Charlie for a more personal episode, as they tackle topics like their fitness journeys, shame stories around needing to get help, and how communities help enable growth but can also create obstacles. Key Takeaways: [3:30] - When you’re in a position where you are helping other people work on their work, it can be really difficult to focus on and allow yourself to work on your own work. [5:10] - Andrea always had a good relationship with fitness, but eventually experienced burnout from running. After her dad passed away, she stopped working out and exercising. In the process of getting back to that, she had to change her focus to working out to take care of her health, rather than for vanity reasons. [7:20] - The perceptions surrounding physicality and social pressure can make it hard to stay true to the decision you’ve made for yourself. Charlie and Andrea both talk about how they observed other people in their circles during their fitness journeys, and feeling the weight of the “should.” [10:25] - For Charlie, his struggles came from not feeling like his body was his, and that his fitness habits weren’t congruent with who he was. On top of that, he has been focusing on writing his book which put him on a different schedule with different priorities. [14:05] - One of the big influences for Charlie to get things back on track was integrity; while sharing his book, he wanted to make sure he was portraying the reality that even though there is a lot going on, you have to prioritize your health too. Andrea had a similar shift in focusing on vitality and owning her body as it is. [17:55] - You don’t want to unintentionally shame people who are happy with their body and their habits, but you can also help influence people who aren’t happy where they are and want to take steps to change. [20:10] - Another shame story comes from being someone who helps people, but having to hire someone to help you. Andrea is part of a couple of mastermind groups, and also hired someone to discuss sex with, which can be a bit of a taboo topic in our culture. [26:30] - For women, so much of their creativity is in their womb. So much of how they show up in the world is tied to that topic. The second chakra is also tied to sexuality and creativity. [29:00] - Charlie hired a personal trainer and there was some shame around that, even though he knew it’s what he needed to hold himself accountable to getting it done. What he was most worried about was that he would love it, and it wouldn’t be sustainable. [34:00] - Even though it’s hard, it’s better if we can lean in and enjoy the process. Life is hard enough; we don’t need to make it harder if we can help it. A version of getting the help that you need is an option for a lot of people. Asking for help is a pattern that shows up across many different areas of our lives. [36:05] - Being in a community is a great way to give yourself some accountability. Doing stuff with other people makes the activities better. While virtual relationships and accountability is great, having local community and asking for local help can be especially beneficial. [42:25] - Andrea’s invitation for listeners is to think about where you can show up more in your community - it doesn’t have to be the community where you live, but the circle of people you trust. Don’t be afraid to share your feelings, and ask for what you really need in those moments. Do this in romantic relationships as well. Mentioned in This Episode: Productive Flourishing SaneBox Andrea Owen Books by Andrea Owen

World renowned, ultra-marathon runner Charlie Engle shares his journey from addiction to recovery. After a decade long addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine, Charlie hit his rock bottom in a near fatal, six day binge and dramatic police arrest. As Charlie embraced sobriety, he turned to running and this became his lifeline and his salvation. In running he found a purpose, passion and faith in the process of recovery. For Charlie, running long distances parallels the recovery journey, the highs and lows, challenges and obstacles and most importantly the desire to quit. “When I am finished with that 100 mile race, my hope is that I’ll have wanted to quit two or three times but I’ll find a way not to”. Charlie’s story is an inspirational account of one man’s path to freedom from addiction, one day and one step at a time.Charlie Engle, author of Running Man, is an endurance athlete, having won or placed in some the world’s most punishing long distance footraces. In 2007, Matt Damon produced and narrated Running the Sahara, a film about Charlie Engle and his successful bid to become the first person to run 4500 miles across the Sahara Desert. Charlie’s current project, 5.8, will see Charlie swim, free dive, run, paddle and mountain bike from the lowest on the planet, the Dead Sea, to the highest tip of the earth, Mount Everest. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rae D Magdon Gets Interviewed  The Lesbian Review Podcast  Sheena interviews Rae D Magdon about her work as an author and asks her recommend 3 books that she loves.  Sheena asks Rae: • what motivates you • what demotivates you • how often do you write and for how long • how many books are you writing every year • what is the most important lesson/tip that you can share with other authors • where can listeners find you online   Lucky Seven by Rae D Magdon  Synopsis  Elena Nevares is on the run. She’s a jacker, someone who connects to virtual reality with their brain, and everyone else on her crew was murdered during a mission gone wrong.  Sasha Young is planning a rescue. She’s a handler, a team leader whose crew has been scattered by an evil corporation: Axys Generations.  Together, they must find the rest of Sasha’s crew: Cherry, the engineer and explosives expert; Rami, the master of disguise; Doc, the wunderkind Medical Officer; and Rock, the mechanically modified muscle. But Axys Generations has bigger plans than taking down Sasha’s crew.  Elena, Sasha, and the rest of the Lucky 7 must go on their most dangerous mission yet—not for credits or tech, but to save the world.  Get this book on Amazon (link works for US, UK and CA) Rae D Magdon’s 3 Lesbian Novel Recommendations  Two Moons Stories by Krystal A Smith  Publisher BFL Press Synopsis  A splendid debut collection of speculative fiction that traverses the connections between earth and the heavens, the living and the spectral, human and animal.   In Cosmic, a former drug addict has a chance to redeem herself and restore honor to her family's name. In, Harvest, a woman tasked with providing for her community ponders her inability to bear live children. In the title story,Two Moons, a young woman falls in love with the moon, and is astonished by the moon's response. In What the Heart Wants, a rejected lover discovers that her physical and emotional desires are incongruent with the organ pumping blood through her veins.   Sensitive, ethereal, humorous, and at times, heart-breaking, Smith's collection of speculative fiction signals the arrival of a writer who understands that Black girls are indeed magic.  Get This Book On Amazon (link works for US, UK and CA)    Possessing Morgan by Erica Lawson  Publisher Affinity Ebook Press NZ  Synopsis  New York City, in the height of summer. Crime seems to have taken a holiday, and Detective Morgan O'Callaghan is bored, bored, bored. Paperwork is mating and multiplying on her desk, and even a jaywalker is starting to look good. Anything to get her out from behind her desk!  Enter Andrea Worthington, Charleston socialite and all-around rich girl, right down to the wealthy fiancé. She's also the new Assistant District Attorney assigned to Morgan's precinct. Their first meeting is like two freight trains crashing head on. Then a high profile, career make-or-break murder case throws them together again. The investigation has barely begun when Andrea becomes the target of a nearly fatal hit-and-run.  But was it really aimed at her? Can she and Morgan find the common ground they need to solve the case and stop the attacks, or are the gaps just too wide to bridge?  Get This Book On Amazon (link works for US, UK and CA)   Veritas MJ Duncan  Synopsis  Working as a chef aboard a private yacht might not seem like a vacation for most people, but to Lauren Murphy, a highly-regarded sous chef at a top New York restaurant, the opportunity to spend seventeen days in the Virgin Islands, sailing from one tropical location to the next, while having complete freedom to create her own menus is a dream come true.  Enter Grey Wells, the owner and captain of the Veritas, and the most complicated person Lauren has ever met. Cold and distant one minute and then cautiously friendly the next, Lauren is compelled to get to know her better. What happens when she does, however, is enough to change both of their lives forever.   Get This Book On Amazon (link works for US, UK and CA)    Second Chances by MJ Duncan  Synopsis  Charlie Bennett is a rising star in the world of sports journalism, but her personal life is a mess. Still hung up on her college sweetheart, a one-night-stand gone wrong convinces her that she needs to make a change. An offer for a one-year guest lecturer position from a small private university provides her the opportunity she needs to escape, and she jumps at it.  All Charlie expected to find when she left Manhattan for rural New Hampshire was a little peace. Instead, she finds Mackayla Thomas.  Eight years have passed since Charlie foolishly walked away from Mackayla, and Mackayla is determined to never let anyone hurt her that way again. For Charlie, their serendipitous meeting is a sign that happily ever after might finally be within her reach. First, however, she needs to find a way to convince Mackayla to let the past go, and to give her a second chance.  Get This Book On Amazon (link works for US, UK and CA)    About Rae D Magdon  She is a writer of queer and lesbian fiction. She believes everyone deserves to see themselves fall in love and become a hero: especially lesbians, bisexual women, trans women, and women of color. She has published over eleven novels through Desert Palm Press, spanning a wide variety of genres. She is the recipient of a 2016 Rainbow Award (Fantasy/Sci-Fi) and a twice-nominated GCLA finalist (Fantasy/Sci-Fi). In addition to her novels and short stories, she writes a sapphic supernatural mystery podcast: Room 13. When she isn't working on original projects, she spends her time writing fanfiction.  Rae D Magdon online  Website   Goodreads  Amazon Author Page Tumblr Twitter Facebook  Instagram  Patreon   Patrons Did you know that you get exclusive content when you become a patron of The Lesbian Talk Show? Find out more here.  Patrons help us grow the channel and reach more listeners, so if you want to help then consider hitting that link.  About The Lesbian Review  The Lesbian Review is a popular website that features book and movie reviews. We only review things we enjoy so you can be guaranteed to find a great read or watch.  This podcast is a spinoff of the popular website.  About Sheena  The Lesbian Review Podcast is hosted by the founder of both The Lesbian Review and The Lesbian Talk Show podcast channel.  Sheena Online You can contact Sheena via email on Twitter on Facebook come join The Lesbian Review Book Club come join The Lesbian Talk Show Chat Group

In this episode I’m blessed to be joined by Charlie Glickman, an acclaimed sexuality educator, sexual healer, and much more. His insights into both the glory and peril of sexual healing are at times heart warming and at times deeply chilling. Of all the conversations I’ve had on and off the podcast about these issues, this is one of the most raw and real. He graciously holds space for me to vent and seek his guidance and offers an exemplary demonstration of how he’s able to be a masterful healer of healers and a teacher of teachers. About Charlie: Charlie Glickman PhD is a sex & relationship coach, a certified sexuality educator, and an internationally-acclaimed speaker. He’s certified as a sexological bodyworker and has been working in this field for over 20 years. His areas of focus include sex & shame, sex-positivity, queer issues, masculinity & gender, communities of erotic affiliation, and many sexual & relationship practices. Charlie is also the co-author of The Ultimate Guide to Prostate Pleasure: Erotic Exploration for Men and Their Partners. Find out more about him on his website or on Twitter and Facebook. For Charlie’s sex coaching services, visit Make Sex Easy.

We keep on ice-road truckin' with installment 9 of our Merry Marvel Movie March when we review the 2000 film "X-Men". This may actually be the first movie that ALL the participants have actually seen before! We really dissect the TWO lines Joss Whedon has a hand in crafting, which represent the dizzying highs and cringiest lows of script. And we of course start out with a little "Chippin' FOR Charlie".

Both Charlie and Angela work as coaches. In this episode, Angela and Charlie talk about how to know when it’s time to work with a coach or a consultant. The conversation gets to the heart of some of the ways that we don’t allow ourselves to get the help and support that we might be needing. Key Takeaways: [2:28] - What Charlie and Angela often find in their work is that people will put the support they need further down the pipe. One of the common things people say is that they’ll get the help or support they need after they finish a list of certain things. Many times, this list of things is something a coach could help you do faster or more effectively. [5:23] - Angela notices that clients often express their excitement to work with her, but they say they have too much going on at the time. Again, these things are usually the exact things a coach or consultant could help with. [7:07] - It almost feels like people wait to work with a coach because they feel like they need to diagnose themselves, and heal themselves or make themselves well before they go to the doctor. Too often, Angela and Charlie cross paths with people who haven’t given themselves the permission to invest in themselves to get the support that they need. [8:46] - The busier you are, the more important it is that you have to make better decisions. When you’re busy, you’re more likely to continue to make easy decisions that don’t solve the problem, or participate in patterns that keep things going that aren’t actually conducive to making a change. Sometimes, the best time to talk with someone is during the hard parts of life - it may not be the best decision to wait for things to slow down. [11:03] - For Charlie, it’s about energy and attention. If your energies and attentions are focused on taking care of someone else or a rough situation, it may not be the best time to work with a consultant. In general though, if there’s a lot going on, chances are there will continue to be a lot going on. So that may not be the best indicator of whether you could benefit from a coach or not. [14:55] - One thing to consider is that is it more likely that you and whoever you work with will be able to co-create something to help you get out of a busy cycle, or can you figure it out faster on your own? Usually, working with a coach or consultant will allow you to figure it out faster. What would it be worth to you to have the trouble issue solved? [18:12] - Some people think they already know what they need to do to get moving in the right direction. Charlie’s question to them would be how long have you known that? If you know what you need to do, and you’re not doing it, ask yourself why. Additionally, just because you think you know what needs to be done, doesn’t mean you’re right. Having someone hold you accountable for those things can be helpful. [22:11] - It can be useful to commit to people that you’re going to do something. A good coach will ask you about these commitments, rather than just letting them go. It can be a delicate situation because you don’t want to end up in a situation where you’re frustrated to meet with your coach or consultant because they’re going to grill you about those commitments. [24:03] - Sometimes a coach will challenge you to do more than you would on your own. It’s important to make sure this is something that resonates with you. Make sure that the goals are your own, and the coach is helping you do what you already want or know you need to do. [26:26] - Angela leaves us with these thoughts: Whatever the facet of life, if there is a goal and future you see for yourself that is important to you, invest in yourself. Spend the time on yourself like you would for other people. [27:45] - Charlie leaves us with these thoughts: How is what you’re doing working for you? If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’re going to keep getting what you’re getting. At what real point in the world will you make a different decision and go about something in a new way? Mentioned in This Episode: Productive Flourishing Leave a Review

In today’s episode, Charlie and Angela discuss what it means to live away from family when they are dealing with health challenges and medical issues. Whether you are close or far from your relatives, you may have to be part of the healthcare journey of aging parents or grandparents. Charlie and Angela talk about different ways to determine your values, how to work with others in the family to come to decisions, and how to overcome the shame and guilt that may arise in these difficult situations. Key Takeaways: [3:30] - As we approach this conversation, it’s important to remember that every person’s relationship with their family is different, and their experience is going to be different. As you start making decisions about things related to family, you have to distinguish the fine line between your values, family values, and social pressures of “the way things should be.” [4:55] - The context for Charlie and Angela’s family is that both their parents and Angela’s grandparents live in Arkansas, and now they live in Portland, Oregon, and it has created a barrier in time and distance. [7:07] - For many creative people, it can be hard to find career opportunities where you’re from. Sometimes the place you’re from doesn’t resonate with you culturally, or allow you to be your most productive self. For Charlie and Angela, they’ve made the decision to stay in Portland for those reasons (and more), rather than packing up and moving closer to family. [9:20] - Almost everyone is going to have to think about decisions related to family health at some point in time. Even if you’re in the same place as your parents or family, you may still be involved. But there is a whole new set of logistics that comes into play when you are not where your family is. [11:25] - The thing Angela relies most on when determining whether an event is something she needs to be there for is her intuition - what felt right and what felt resonant in her heart. It wasn’t always the same as what her friends thought it would be or what society thought it would be. [13:35] - Both Charlie and Angela have dealt with dementia in their family. For Charlie, it’s tricky because he wants to be there for everything, but on the other hand, he knows he can’t be there for everything. In addition to this, with dementia, his dad is not always present, even when he’s there, and too many people around can be too much in his dad’s situation. [16:45] - Logical is not always what happens when it comes to our relationships with families. One of the best things we can do for ourselves and our families is to be able to have open and healthy conversations about what we’re able to do, what we want to do, and what we realistically can do in certain situations. Having this understanding is especially important in situations where maybe the family relationship isn’t the best, or there aren’t shared values. [19:40] - It is important to try to get aligned on what outcome everyone wants. Everyone may have different ideas of how to get there, but it can help make the process easier to get everyone on the same page. You can set up different conditions and agree on them, and then get into the discussion of how best to achieve them. [21:50] - Another important thing to remember is that everyone’s contribution may not look the same. Charlie talks about situations where maybe one person can’t be there, but could provide money or off-site planning to make things happen. Every contribution is important. [23:28] - If you want a condition that’s different than the rest of your family, you have to be willing to be part of the solution to make it happen. If you’re in a situation where you can’t contribute time, energy, money, etc., you may not get as much say as someone who is able to be there and do the work. [26:00] - If you are the sibling or child who is there, you may have to let go of being the martyr and ask for help or support. As the one who is with the family making the day-to-day decisions, asking for help and support can actually benefit the person you are caring for as well. Be careful not to close yourself off to people offering help as well. If you are a primary caregiver, it can be very valuable to have a therapist or a coach. [33:15] - Guilt and shame are things many people wrestle with in these family situations. It is important to distinguish what is coming from yourself, versus what is coming from what other people think. Once you identify the source, figure out what it is that is not being manifested, and figure out what you can do to change the situation. [37:37] - Identifying what is not in alignment for you (versus what other people think should be happening) is an important aspect of dealing with guilt and shame. Us developing as people is the constant awakening of ourselves - uncovering what our truths and values are. [40:22] - As a caretaker, your life matters too. You make choices based on what will benefit everybody, including yourself. Put yourself in the mix of people and things that matter. [42:15] - Whether you are the caretakee or the caretaker, Charlie is sending love. Do the best you can to take care of yourself and the people involved. At the end of the day, it’s really about the people. Mentioned in This Episode: Productive Flourishing The Rise of the Creative Class, by Richard Florida Who’s Your City, by Richard Florida Leave a Review

Ishita Gupta is a leadership and business strategist who was the head of media of the Domino Project for two years, and is a sought-after speaker. She joins Charlie today to talk about rebuilding her life and business. After a confluence of major life transitions, Ishita went home to refortify herself with her parents, only to realize her parents were in a health and business crisis that she needed to attend to. Key Takeaways: [4:20] - Ishita shares some of what she’s been challenged by in the last two years. She has been working as a business coach and publishing her online magazine for a while, but in 2015 she became very burnt out with her work - she was working a lot and feeling stressed and very tired. In addition to work stress, she was in an unhealthy relationship as well. [7:30] - This point became a big wake up call for Ishita to get away and slow down a bit. She moved back to Detroit with her parents, and realized her mom was having major health issues, which began to affect her mother’s business as well. At this point, she had to give up her own healing to focus on caring for and helping her parents. [11:55] - The last two years have given Ishita some of the biggest lessons of her life, and taught her to challenge some of the things she previously believed. These lessons include surrender, acceptance but not approval, and being okay with uncertainty. [12:53] - For the first full year, Ishita felt embarrassed by talking about her situation. This translated to the communication in her business and online presence; however, she did have her core support group to talk with, and she learned that everyone just needs someone to listen sometimes. [16:04] - In 2016, she had to stop her business for a period of time so she could take care of herself. Being real with her clients, and their understanding, was an important part of her healing process. [17:45] - Charlie shares his experience with a period of grief, and not really being able to share too much with other people. It could be helpful to just let other people know that something is going on, even if you don’t want to go into the details. [18:57] - Business stacks on life, not the other way around, and sometimes the business of life is the business. If you need someone to talk to, be careful of the people who are well-meaning fixers, when you may just need a well-meaning listener. [21:27] - One of the big lessons from Ishita’s story is that even when there were times she couldn’t perform, she still survived. If you’re at a point where your business pays the bills but you’re unable to make ends meet, let yourself off the hook for a period of time. It doesn’t always feel good, but you’ll be able to make it through. [24:21] - For the compartmentalizers, while it’s good that you can put stuff away to get through work or family issues, be aware that those things are stil there. But it is okay to give yourself permission to be going through a hard time. [27:00] - One of the challenges of entrepreneurship is when it becomes a self-aspirational label. This becomes a situation when your business is not working, and you can’t make a change as an entrepreneur. You’re not a failure if you have to get a 9-5 job for a period of time. Charlie shares four key points for people in a rut: know where you are, where you’re going, have a road map between those two places, and know what to do when your plans doesn’t match reality. Part of the challenge is accepting where you are right now, and being adaptable to change. Ishita shares some of her struggle with this, and how she was able to turn the situation around into one where she had the freedom to be herself. Moving forward, she will have all the lessons she’s learned in the last two years to add to her plan. [31:06] - Many people feel the most trapped in the areas where they have stuck their energies or minds. You have to give yourself permission to let go and focus on what other stuff needs to be done. [33:50] - Life can be good and hard at the same time. You have to learn how to hold on to the great moments in the middle of grief. Finding the people you can talk to about it, and being okay with what is, are the first steps in being okay with the shifts it could cause in your life. [36:15] - Ishita talks about struggling with finding a balance between oversharing to the point of too much information, and under-sharing where you don’t allow yourself to connect with your readers or listeners. For her personally, if she doesn’t share in some capacity, she won’t be able to show up for her clients in an authentic way. As you work through this for yourself, you’ll find what level of sharing is comfortable for you. For Charlie, the important thing is knowing how sharing can prevent you from or enable you to move forward. [40:07] - In your business or personal brand, what attracts people to you is your Achilles’ heel. If you cover up too much of your vulnerability, people might find it difficult to relate to you. The ownership of these vulnerabilities is important in sharing it with others and also claiming and taming it for yourself. [45:20] - Sometimes, it can be very helpful to escape from the reality of your hard situation and if you can, give that time to someone else. For Ishita, if she can still help someone and deliver results, she finds that it really helps her. The idea that you have to be in your perfect state to do your best work is a point worth challenging, and will be different for everyone. [48:11] - For people who may have more trouble compartmentalizing, it can help to identify the bad stuff, but then also look for the good stuff that fuels you and that you can use to anchor you throughout the day. Balancing the less favorable stuff with the nourishing parts of your life can help you navigate through the hard times. Breaking things down can help you focus on the things that are going to help you grow, and identify those that perhaps are not worth investing in anymore. [54:45] - Sometimes, it’s about making the situation suck 1% less rather than making it 1% better. Making progress on the good things as well as making progress on the bad things can provide us with additional motivation to keep moving forward. [58:10] - When you surrender in some way, that’s where solutions can start to come from. [59:00] - Ishita’s invitation for listeners: Recognize that your best work does not always have to come from perfect times. Some of Ishita’s best work has come from her messier moments. Make your mess your message - take ownership of your life, your lessons, and the way you want to share them with the world. Mentioned in This Episode: Productive Flourishing Ishita Gupta The Domino Project The Progress Principle, by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer

In today’s episode, Angela joins Charlie to talk about personal change. Most of the work that’s done at Productive Flourishing is around personal transformation and self-mastery. In Angela’s new coaching role, she’s been doing more and more of this with others. Charlie and Angela share some of the changes they’ve made in their personal lives over the last year, and how their relationship fits into how they navigated these changes. Key Takeaways: [2:05] - For Charlie, the impetus for personal change often comes from something specific that has happened in his life, and figuring out what he can do to fix it. He is constantly changing and working on things, and likes to experiment with them in his own life before he shares them with others. [3:15] - For Angela, she sometimes lets things get really painful (physically or emotionally) before she makes a decision to change and follows through with the decision. [5:32] - Charlie talks about the dynamic in their house; both Angela and Charlie are coaches and empathetic people, so they’ve had to learn how to constructively invite change dialogue into their home life outside of their work. Attentive listening, thoughtful questions, and knowing the right time and context to bring up issues of habits and change help to guide their discussions. [10:00] - One of the most counter-productive things you can do is trying to get someone to change when they aren’t ready, and they don’t want support. [12:50] - Charlie shares a time where his daily work was presenting a type of pain or discomfort. For Charlie, working too much or too long was causing him to feel more and more pain. [17:52] - The Kaizen approach encourages incremental, small changes over time that add up to a big effect. The trick is knowing whether it’s time to take an incremental step or tip over an edge with a big change. [20:25] - When Charlie began noticing pain, he started to incorporate 30 minutes of movement each day, and also invited daily writing into his practice. This spurred some adjustment to his schedule so he’s only working 8 hours a day, which has affected not only him but Angela and the team as well. [28:15] - It is important to consider how the changes will impact those around you. For Charlie, he is still uncertain and nervous about how his new practices might interfere with the relationships he has with people. Being aware of what conversations might need to happen in the face of change is important so that you can create and maintain boundaries. [34:05] - Charlie introduces the five keys to managing change, which will be the focus of the next book he’s writing: intention, awareness, boundaries, courage, and discipline. [37:50] - Angela shares some of the personal changes she has been making throughout the course of the last year. One of the main changes is centered around weight and diet. In February, she made a pretty dramatic change and went on a diet that helped change her metabolism. This was an important change because it would affect not only Angela, but Charlie as well. [42:35] - He started out on the diet with Angela out of solidarity, but also had to learn a balance between encouragement and looking out for Angela’s best interests. [47:50] - When you’re in relationships with people, some of the things that matter the most are the most awkward to talk about. [50:36] - It is important to note that everyone will experience and handle personal change differently, based on your life experiences. Not everyone’s journey is going to be the same when it comes to the difficult, but it is important to make sure you’re on the right road for you. [55:14] - Charlie’s invitation/challenge for this episode: Think about what incremental steps you could start taking today that would make your life a little easier. Starting with a small change can build the foundation for making other changes that could have a big payoff over the course of a year. Is there a big change you could make? 57:28] - Angela’s invitation for this episode: Be gentle - be kind with yourself, and make a purposeful decision about what it is that you want to change. Mentioned in This Episode: Productive Flourishing What Do You Need to Form Healthy Habits that Stick?, by Charlie Gilkey The Two Dynamics of Change, by Charlie Gilkey Leave a Review

Anal August continues with our dear friend, Charlie Glickman, PhD. Charlie is a sex & relationship coach, a sexuality educator, a sexological bodyworker, and an internationally-acclaimed speaker. He’s been working in this field for over 25 years, and some of his areas of focus include sex & shame, sex-positivity, queer issues, masculinity & gender, communities of erotic affiliation, and many sexual & relationship practices. Charlie is also the co-author of The Ultimate Guide to Prostate Pleasure: Erotic Exploration for Men and Their Partners. Find out more about him on his website (charlieglickman.com) or on Twitter (@charlieglickman) and Facebook/charlie.glickman. For Charlie’s sex coaching and sexological bodywork services, visit MakeSexEasy.com.

In this episode, Angela joins Charlie to discuss how they are balancing service work and volunteerism within their personal and professional lives. Both Charlie and Angela have taken on new commitments with various organizations, and they’ve been examining how much time they’re giving to service and volunteerism, as well as making some important decisions about what those boundaries look like. Key Takeaways: [1:38] - Charlie and Angela talk about the new commitments they’ve taken on - in many cases within organizations they had already been previously involved in. Their boundaries for what they can take on are being tested as these new commitments displace other things. They have had many conversations about how much time they’re giving to service and volunteerism, as well as taking a hard look at those boundaries. [4:18] - At the Wayfinding Academy, they are flipping the college experience on its head - it starts by focusing on students first and who they want to be in the world, and helping them cultivate themselves and their next steps needed to be that person. Charlie has recently become the board Chairman within this organization. His work with Social Ventures Partners, where he is also on the board, focuses on bridging the gap in Pre-K education for minority populations. [6:45] - Angela has also taken on a new role within the Wayfinding Academy, as Chairperson of the Wisdom Council (Charlie’s old position). In addition to this work, she is involved with the board of a women’s spiritual community in Portland, serving as the right-hand person for the spiritual leaders of that community. This commitment is twofold; in addition to the administrative commitment, there is also a spiritual commitment. [9:15] - Angela talks about why they are involved in these acts of volunteerism. In addition to it just being part of who they are and what they do, there is a big focus at Productive Flourishing on community integration. It’s a great quality to have to jump all in with the things you’re involved in, but sometimes you may get into a situation where you jump in too fast. Charlie and Angela keep this under control by checking in with each other on boundaries and making sure these commitments are aligned with the work they want to do in the world, while continuing to take care of themselves. [12:43] - Charlie talks about value (both economic and otherwise) and how that can guide our decisions about what we’re involved in and continue to do. He also talks about Proactive Activism: a strong civic involvement to help bridge the gap between the public and private spheres. Instead of just preaching, they get involved because they want to model the message as well as sharing it. For them, a big focus is education, as it is a pathway to equality. [15:55] - Finding institutions that advance your political or social priorities is really important. Charlie and Angela talk about the personal reasons they have for choosing their particular organizations to be involved in, and what it means for them to be involved in those organizations now. [21:50] - Charlie talks about their involvement on the boards of their organizations - both Charlie and Angela don’t like to be passive in an organization, and being on the board allows them to be in a high-leverage scenario to make the the most impact. These positions also fit their specific skill sets. Additionally, they both prefer greater involvement in a few organizations rather than spreading themselves too thin across several organizations. [25:55] - Integrating volunteerism and service into business: How do these organizations further Charlie’s professional and personal development? For Charlie, these organizations are a natural outgrowth of the people he’s involved with in the community and embody who he is as a person. It has been challenging to incorporate the results of his involvement professionally, because the leadership is more committee-based rather than the type of leadership he would use for a small business. Although it has challenged him, it’s been a good learning period. [28:53] - Your business can’t fuel all parts of you - volunteerism and service provide another context for leadership and taking on big goals. [31:25] - In addition, having these extra involvements has made Charlie more intentional with his business work with Productive Flourishing. It has also made him more intentional about spending his extra time to further Wayfinding Academy and Social Venture Partners (SVP), rather than killing time on Facebook or something that is not as fulfilling. Charlie has experienced a lot of personal growth. [36:00] - Angela shares her experience of how volunteerism and service have influenced her personal and professional growth. She feels that her leadership skills have been tested and challenged, and have gotten better in the past few years. She has also gotten more comfortable speaking up and using her voice to make her perspective clear. Being able to use her past experiences in her new contexts has allowed her to better show up with her work with Productive Flourishing. Her work with Productive Flourishing, Fourteenth Moon, and Wayfinding Academy seem to feed each other. [39:11] - In Angela’s work, she has been challenged by engaging in and facilitating hard questions and conversations. It has been an interesting development for Angela, but she’s been able to take the ability to facilitate tough conversations in her personal life into other areas, like Productive Flourishing and her council and board work. This is an excellent example of the benefits of being involved in civic organizations; they can help you develop skills you may not have otherwise developed. In addition, it gives you an additional avenue to cultivate and practice these skills. [44:10] - Being involved in outside organizations also allows you to keep your growing pains and strife outside of your personal relationships. Keeping those aspects in outside organizations that are in service to your community is a good way to build synergy and a good life where you are able to grow and develop in service to other people. [45:17] - There can be some downsides. Investing your emotional energy into external or volunteer organizations can decrease it in other areas. It is important to find a balance and make sure you have ways to “fill your cup” as it becomes depleted. Angela and Charlie both speak to the fact that working through these challenges themselves has allowed them to help other people with them as well. [49:44] - Charlie describes the effects of their involvement in these organizations as catalytic, both in business and in personal life. It has allowed for new growth and awareness. We don’t always realize what we can do and who we are in a lot of ways until we have the external situations that reflect those things back to us and give us a mission, trial, or opportunity to play out what we can do. [50:55] - If you’re looking for ways to thrive and flourish in the world, find places to volunteer or be of service in your local community, and align those things with the ways that you want to grow. Mentioned in This Episode: Productive Flourishing Wayfinding Academy Social Venture Partners Women of the Fourteenth Moon Democracy on Trial, by Jean Bethke Elshtain Bowling Alone, by Robert Putnam Leave a Review

In this special Father's Day episode, Connor and Jack dig into "I-74 Streetcorners of America Poem (Written on the Road Between Albany Illinois and Albany Indiana" by Charlie Rossiter. For Charlie's podcast, go here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/poetry-spoken-here/id1030829938?mt=2 Find us on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/close-talking/id1185025517?mt=2 Find us on facebook at: facebook.com/closetalking Find us on twitter at: twitter.com/closetalking You can always send us an e-mail with thoughts on this or any of our previous podcasts, as well as suggestions for future shows, at closetalkingpoetry@gmail.com.

Great Escape Radio Episode #55 - The Unconventional Photographer “Dream it. Create it. Live it.” – Charlie Bulla For more information on how you can get started selling your photos, visit: www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/photography. Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen introduce us to Charlie Bulla. “Charlie is an interesting guy,” says Lori. “He was a professional photographer with a wedding and portrait photography business but realized he just wasn’t inspired. So, he went back to photography school.” Charlie discovered Great Escape Publishing in his search to do something creative—he wanted to be who he is and create art with his photography. He certainly didn’t want to go back to doing weddings or anything that felt formal or rehearsed. Charlie’s path has led him to video and here’s what he had to say about that… “I never intended to get into videography – but just 2 hours after being introduced to it in photography school I was hooked. It changed my life. Now I love telling stories with video.” Charlie also shares stories about his unconventional life… “I have itchy feet. I get an idea, start thinking about it and the passion grows from there. Before I know it, the idea is underway.” That’s how he ended up living in a 20-year-old motorhome with his old Subaru hooked to the back of it, rambling up and down the Oregon coast. For Charlie, it’s not about the money. It’s about living life on his own terms. Charlie is passionate about the outdoors and the beauty it brings for his photography… “If I can get to the middle of nowhere, that’s about as good as it gets for me.” Listen in for Charlie’s story, his advice on following your dreams, and the importance of remaining open-minded. Charlie also shares his newest dream—living full time on a sailboat—and how that will impact his photography career. For more information on how you can get started selling your photos, visit: www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/photography.

What's worldschooling? What's a gap year family? Read on and you'll find out...and hopefully consider both for you and your kids, as well!   A Gap Year Family, a Lesson in Worldschooling Meet the Kraymoores. That's Charlie Kramer and Brenna Moore. Charlie and Brenna have two kids, they're doing what many a gap year family are doing: pulling their kids out of school for a year (or more) to travel. So far, the Kraymoores have visited multiple destinations in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and are now in Asia.   What is Worldschooling? As the name suggests, worldschooling is all about using the world as your school. You don't have to travel internationally...or travel at all to practice worldschooling. But it helps! For Charlie and Brenna's kids so far, worldschooling means learning about Anne Frank at the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam, and learning about the Massai people in Kenya. Worldschooling can also happen in conventional schools, as well, as you'll hear about in the interview. A Gap Year Family Plan Diverted The Kraymoores' gap year family plans took an unexpected turn while in France. Out for the day with a local guide, they began to talk about Kerala, India. Before having children, Charlie and Brenna had spent time in the ssouthernIndia state. They were so enamored with it that they named their first child after it. Their daughter's name is Kerala, and it so happened that this guide had friends and family in the state of Kerala. One thing led to another and the Kraymoores changed their plans and returned to Kerala. They stayed with the guide's family, and their daughter enrolled in the same school as the family's daughter. There was even room for their son Julien in the preschool! Such cultural exchanges are at the heart of worldschooling. Taco Tuesday: A Gap Year Family Routine When a family takes a gap year to travel, many old routines get thrown out the window. However, one routine this family kept is Taco Tuesday. Every Tuesday, they make tacos...or something similar. "You can find the ingredients almost anywhere," says Charlie, "If not, you can find something close to a tortilla." Worldschooling has also let this Gap Year Family have more time together for education, as well. The kids have spent some time in local schools in India, but before and after that, they are with their parents all day, every day, which allows them to get the individual attention their education — and their emotional needs — require. Funding a Family Gap Year Brenna and Charlie talk about how they leveraged their home in LA to save money for travel. Renting it out through various means, the family has saved a ton of money. They talk about it in more detail in the podcast. IN THIS EPISODE 04:33 intro 07:36 Entering school in Kerala India 16:01 Definition of worldschool 26:58 The slower the travel 27:38 Routines 36: 18 Making money from Airbnb 40:00 Hospitality schools 42:00 Gear 48:22 Kids return from school 50:24 Resources ABOUT Names: Charlie Kramer, Brenna Moore and their kids Julian (5) and Kerala (7) Hold passports from: USA Type of travel: Gap Year, Round-the-world travel A few places they've been: Kenya, Thailand, Israel, Morocco, India and much more. IN THEIR BAGS 2 Osprey Meridian backpacks 2 Eagle Creek 28-inch backpacks Ikea equipment bag GeekPro charger Canon 80D Camera 2 DJI Osmo Cameras 2 Zoom audio recorders 1 Speedster Travel Guitar 1 ukulele Eagle Creek compression bags Eagle Creek belt wallet The Travel Bra Travel underwear Skyroam Wifi Hotspot Gotennasfor mobile texting 2 HereO Children's GPS watches Flashlights 1 swiss army knife Goal Zero Portable Speaker 2 iPod Touches 1 iPad 2 Macbook Laptops 14 terabytes of portable hard drives 2 GoPro cameras 4 pollution/smog masks (never used) First Aid Kit Z-packs Sunscreen 2 Pairs (each) of Columbia Convertible Travel Pants 1 Suitcase full of common core textbooks & workbooks (XSeed, etc) Deck of playing cards 1 Travel Frisbee 1 blow-up beach ball Animal Travel Pillows (turn from stuffed animal to travel pillow) LINKS & RESOURCES The Reggio Emilia Educational Approach Airbnb VRBO / Home Away Homeexchange.com Trusted House Sitters Overdrive Letter school Reading Eggs Epic Children's eLibrary The Worldschoolers group on Facebook FIND THEM ON Worldschool 101 | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube | Instagram  

Awesome Anal Sex with Charlie Glickman PhDAired Thursday, 24 March 2016, 4:00 PM ETAnal play is becoming more popular than ever. If you want to do it right, you need to know what to do and what to not do. (Hint: don’t copy what you see in porn.) Sex & relationship coach Charlie Glickman PhD is an anal expert and he has lots of tips to share with you. Whether you want to be the giver or the receiver, he’ll make sure you have the info you need to make your anal play awesome!About the Guest Charlie Glickman PhDCharlie Glickman PhD is a sex & relationship coach, a sexuality educator, a sexological bodyworker, and an internationally-acclaimed speaker. He’s been working in this field for over 25 years, and some of his areas of focus include sex & shame, sex-positivity, queer issues, masculinity & gender, communities of erotic affiliation, and many sexual & relationship practices. Charlie is also the co-author of The Ultimate Guide to Prostate Pleasure: Erotic Exploration for Men and Their Partners. Find out more about him on his website (charlieglickman.com) or on Twitter (@charlieglickman) and Facebook/charlie.glickman. For Charlie’s sex coaching and sexological bodywork services, visit MakeSexEasy.com.

Aired Thursday, 3 December 2015, 4:00 PM ETWhat would it be like if you could have the sex you really, really want? Can you imagine making that happen? Charlie Glickman PhD is an author, a somatic sex educator and a sex relationship coach, and he wants to help you overcome shame and embarrassment, find new ways to talk with your partner(s), discover how new ways to experience pleasure, and enhance every aspect of your sex life!About the Guest Charlie Glickman PhDCharlie Glickman PhD is a sex relationship coach, a sexuality educator, a sexological bodyworker, and an internationally-acclaimed speaker. He’s been working in this field for over 25 years, and some of his areas of focus include sex shame, sex-positivity, queer issues, masculinity gender, communities of erotic affiliation, and many sexual relationship practices. Charlie is also the co-author of The Ultimate Guide to Prostate Pleasure: Erotic Exploration for Men and Their Partners. Find out more about him on his website (charlieglickman.com) or on Twitter (@charlieglickman) and Facebook/charlie.glickman. For Charlie’s sex coaching and sexological bodywork services, visit MakeSexEasy.com.

Harry Manx is best described as where East meets West musically. “Mysticsippi”. Harry plays an instrument called the Mohan Veena the invention of Vishwa Mohan Bhatt  a very unique stringed instrument with 20 strings. Charlie sits down with Harry and talks about the incredible world of busking and being a street musician. For Charlie and Harry […]