Podcast 292: True Belonging with Jeffrey Brantley

 

Jeffrey-Brantley-M.D.-color-headshot-175x261I sincerely appreciate Dr. Jeff Brantley and the work that he is doing at Duke University as the director of mindfulness-based stress reduction in the Integrative Medicine department.  His new book co-authored with Wendy Millstine entitled ” True Belongings” is a simple read and a wonderful reminder of the practices we can implement into our daily lives to overcome loneliness and connect with others.

Have you ever wondered what keeps you from connecting more authentically and deeply in each moment–with yourself, with another or with the flow of your life?  Are you ever curious about the obstacles blocking you from from experiences of deep joy and unwavering contentment and belonging?

Who among us has not been affected by one or more of these challenges in our lives?  The experiences of loss and vulnerability that we all share is yet another way in which we humans are more alike than we are different.  As human beings we are part of the whole, called by us “Universe”, a part limited in time and space.  We experience, thoughts and feeling as something separate from the rest–a kind of optical delusion of consciousness.

What Jeff and Windy bring forth in “True Belongings” is how mindfulness can help us in becoming more connected not only to one another, but at a soul level to who and what we are longing to express to the world.  Mindfulness is a core human capacity, and it refers to noticing or knowing what is happening in each moment. Mindfulness is the awareness of your thoughts–mindfulness does not identify with any thoughts or feelings but is aware of them.

In this book the authors assist you in shifting your perspective and frame of reference that you are holding in any given moment.  Learning to release the personality’s grip on any narrow perspectivel on any subject-setting down and relaxing the view dictated by the rigidly held opinion of the ego-mind–immediately open each of us to a much vaster and more mysterious universe of possibilities and meanings, alive in each moment.

 

This book is filled with wonderful practices that when cultivated will bring you into a closer relationship with yourself and other.  I recommend reading and learning what truly will help one transform the loneliness and isolation feeling into happiness and belonging.  I hope you enjoy this great interview with Dr. Jeffrey Brantley.  If you would like more information about Dr. Brantley please click here to be directed to his website.

Podcast 289: Notes for the Heart with Ed McShane

Ed-McShaneWe all need an uplift from time to time, and author Ed McShane in his book “Notes For The Heart” certainly provides that positive vibe.  In his book which is a series of true stories and short essays, Ed conveys the message of hope, love and encouragement.  In these challenging times a book like Ed’s is a great resource and inspiration.  Ed confided in me that as a professional therapists his vocation is challenging, and that writing “Notes For The Heart” allowed him to tell uplifting and inspiring stories to heal the heart and soul.

In my interview with Ed we speak about many true stories taken from his life.  One story that touched my heart was about an elderly gentleman that as Ed explains was in his mid to late 80’s.  Ed would drive to work and everyday he would see this man on the street corner in his white shirt waving to the passing traffic.  Ed was amazed that not only did he attract the attention of the passersby but almost everyone would wave back including Ed.

The elderly gentleman was on the corner for a length period of time, and always brought a smile to faces of the people who he waved to.  Then one day this elderly gentleman was not present  as he usually was waving to the passerby’s.   Ed wondered what has happened.  Had he fallen ill, or had he died.  This went on for sometime, but Ed never did find what had happened to the elderly gentleman.  He to this day regrets that he did not take the time to check on him.

Knowing that the passerby’s on this corner were use to the elderly greeter, Ed being courageous and having lots of moxie Ed decided to dress up in a white shirt and play the greeter role of the elderly gentleman.  He admitted  it was scary and uncomfortable for him standing on the corner in his white shirt waving, but the response to his waving was responded to just as if the elderly gentleman had never left, he received smiles and encouraging waves back.

I don’t know about you, but I have experienced many times when a person has waved to me from the side of the street.  Most of the time I think they are crazy and should be institutionalized or need help.  If I were to shift my perspective and not judge, just maybe I could experience the moment for really what it is–a beautiful soul attempting to bring a moment of happiness into my life.
Ed’s book “Notes For The Heart” is filed with great inspiring stories just like this.  If you are down, and need to lift yourself back up–then pick up Ed’s book and read some of the inspiring stories.  For more information about Ed McShane please click here to be directed to his Facebook page.  Enjoy this great interview with author Ed McShane.

Podcast 287: Fight the Good Fight with Ben Newman

Ben NewmanIf you have a sympathetic bone in your body, then you will appreciate my interview with author Ben Newman about his new book entitled “Fight The Good Fight-A Mothers Legacy Lives On“.  His book is a tribute to his mother who died eleven days prior to Ben’s eighth birthday.   It is also about the lessons and wisdom that a mother imparts upon her sons during some very challenging years that lead up to her death as she fought a rare disease called primary amyloidosis.

Ben’s mother Janet Fisher Newman kept a journal of her personal journey  and suffering knowing she only had a short time left with her sons.  Though the journal was a personal record kept during his mother’s medical ordeal and not a memoir written to be read by Ben or his brother, it was surprisingly full of wisdom . In my interview with Ben we discuss his mothers journal and the passages that had such a significant impact on his life, and now on the lives of so many who have read “Fight the Good Fight“.

Ben starts each chapter of “Fight the Good Fight” with a paragraph out of his mothers journal then proceeds to discuss his personal life journey, insights and wisdom learned from this experience.  As Ben states ” I believe that everything we take on in life, both personally and professionally, is influenced by an unconscious internal timing.  Though we many not be aware of doing so, we instinctively scan issues that come into our realm according to our readiness to take them on. We unconsciously sense whether we have the discipline to deal with a proposed challenge, or the emotional depth to face the intense feelings it may arouse.  We might intuitively know there is a huge opportunity before us, but we may not yet have the wisdom to understand it and take it on. ”

Fight the Good Fight is a book that will not only take you on a journey, but it will encourage you to observe what  personally needs more in-depth consideration, contemplation and potentially change for the better.  Ben has very thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter designed to garner the attention of the reader.  If one would take the time to review, ponder and answer these questions I believe their life would be altered positively.
If you would like to learn more about “The Ben Newman Companies” and the workshops and seminars that Ben facilitates around the country please visit Ben’s website by clicking here.  I hope you enjoy my interview with author Ben Newman.

Podcast 286: My Joy in the Morning: Rising from the Ashes with Terrence White

Terrence WhiteI first meet Terrence White while he was working in a branch of the Chase Bank in Vista, CA where I do my business banking.  What I found exceptional about Terrence was his obvious outgoing and helpful attitude.  He sincerely wanted to help the customers solve their problems, and for many of us we know how hard it is to find this kind of service today.

Once I started speaking with Terrence I found out that he had a passion to helping people at a level of spiritual counseling and he was in the middle of writing his first book.  He asked me if I would interview him  which lead to this podcast  many months later for he had not completed “My Joy In the Morning: Rising From the Ashes“.

You will certainly experience the passion that Terrence experienced for helping people spiritually when you listen to our podcast together.  Terrence states ” Life presents the greatest benefits as a result of our struggles, pain, tears and fears.  That’s what it is all about.  In his book “My Joy In the Morning: Rising From the Ashes“Terrence quotes verses from the Bible then tells true stories that are compelling and  provide the reader with incredible insight and wisdom about how they can transmute their fears, worries, doubts and concerns.

My Joy In the Morning  started as a result of the daily messages that Terrence was sending to his students via email and text to inspire and get them thinking about and being grateful for all the good in their lives. He compiled the daily messages and story he accumulate  into this book for everyone to experience and learn from.

Terrence has thousands of faithful supporters across the country that receive his morning messages.  If you have interest in receiving his daily morning messages please click here and sign up for his emails.  Our you can learn more about Terrence by clicking here to be directed to his Facebook Page.
I hope you enjoy this podcast with a wonderful young man.

Podcast 285: Sharp: Simple Strategies to Boost Your Brainpower with Heidi Hanna

 

Heidi HannaI personally have been working with author and coach Heidi Hanna PhD over the last three months.  Her new book entitled “SHARP: Simple Strategies to Boost Your Brainpower” is a must read for all my listeners.  If you have ever wondered what are some of the things that you could be doing to assist you in having more energy, improve your focus and mental clarity then Heidi new book is the place to start.

We are all leading very busy lives, with more stimulation coming at us from every direction..cell phones, emails, instant “ON” almost all the time.  Do you ever wonder what all of this is doing to our brains?  Are you beginning to forget or you memory doesn’t seem as  SHARP.  Heidi speaks about these problems and provides practical advice on dealing with these issues.

In her book “SHARP: Simple Strategies to Boost Your Brainpower” readers will: 1) Understand how the demands on your time and energy impact your mental capacity, and learn critical components of brain health that provide a foundation for improved cognitive functioning. 2) How to utilize the power of brain training to stimulate mental energy with exercises that improve learning in areas that have the most impact on performance. 3) How to create an actionable plan for implementing a sustainable brain health training program that can be applied to your everyday life.

Our constant state of busyness has created a chronic level of stress on our brain–so toxic, in fact that experts believe more than 75% of medical visits are stress related. Heidi states that honestly most of us are too busy to notice, and will not realize the devastating impact of stress on our lives until it takes a serious toll on our health, happiness and performance.   Stress is literally making us sicker.

In Heidi’s new book “SHARP: Simple Strategies to Boost Your Brainpower” you will be guided and coached on the proper steps to take to reduce stress, eat healthier and techniques to improve your brains function.  I don’t know about you but my brain is of utmost importance to the proper functioning of my job, and I believe that this is the case with almost all workers in society today.  But just how often do you think about the fitness of your brain—you take it for granted don’t you?  If you listen to, and read what Heidi has been teaching and coaching top executives for years you will really alter many of your current habits that are effecting the functioning of your brain.
If you would like more information about author Heidi Hanna and her new book please click here to be directed to her website.  If you would like to watch a short introduction video, just click here to be directed to her book’s promotional video.  Enjoy this wonderful interview with Heidi Hanna PhD author of “SHARP: Simple Strategies to Boost Your Brainpower“.

Podcast 283: The 9 Intense Experiences with Brian Vaszily

Brian VaszilyI had a wonderful interview with author Brian Vaszily about his new book entitled ” The 9 Intense Experiences“.   Brian has a very interesting personal story of struggle and adversity, and this story allows him to convey the meaning behind the “The 9 Intense Experiences” so authentically.

Brian asks the question-” If you could abandon your fears, stresses and frustrations and finally achieve the happiness and success you know you are meant to, would you take the next steps to do so.?” This is a very powerful question, and one that deserves some deep consideration and thought, for many the next steps are what we find so challenging to determine.

The 9 Intense Experiences guides the reader into doing what Brian refers to as some very unorthodox exercises, such as host a dinner party where no utensils are allowed and serve spaghetti, talk to dead people, hug a tree and tell it a secret. These exercises are designed to get you to grow and transform, while they may seem uncomfortable at first it will get you out of old patterns so that you can receive the transformative power of the experiences.

Brian believes that the biggest issue facing the world today is a growing sense of individual insignificance and disconnect from self-awareness, true purpose, empathy, joy and wonder.  Despite endless opportunities for “Intense Experiences”, people are instead settling for success-sabotaging, health depleting, and happiness numbing pattern of mediocre to toxic experiences.  The 9 Intense Experiences is uniquely rich in providing highly transformative actions that you can take right now, using what’s around you every single day , to change your life rapidly.
I hope that you enjoy this great podcast with author Brian Vaszily.  If you would like more information about Brian and his coaching programs please visit his website by clicking here.

Podcast 281: Inside-Out Healing with Dr. Richard Moss

Richard MossThis is my second interview with Dr. Richard Moss about his new book entitled “Inside-Out Healing“.  At it’s essence Richard has written a book that is about creating awareness of our presence moment, and in so doing we access all that we need to heal from the Inside-Out.

As Richard states” All suffering, even physical suffering, has a mental component.  Inside-out healing is about learning to free yourself of that mental component: the emotional unhappiness created by your own thinking.  It is about learning how to live in the Now, where egoic thinking is witnessed and gives way to awareness.  In other words, it’s about wisdom.  Inside-out healing is for everyone because it’s ultimately about your relationship to yourself moment by moment.

If suffering is the problem and that suffering primarily comes from your thinking, then you are not going to relieve your pain or solve other problems if you remain at your current level of thinking.  It doesn’t matter that you decide to think positively; you will keep swinging like a pendulum to the negative thoughts sooner or later.  The issue is not what you think is wrong with you to someone else; you are going to have to shift levels, to move from thinking to awareness of your thinking.  This is the fundamental relationship: the relationship of your aware self to your own thoughts, emotions and feelings.

“Presence is the greatest power any of us have”.  As we learn to relax into the present moment, body and soul respond.  We spontaneously tap into our own intuitive wisdom and gain insight that can resolve even old and seemingly intractable emotional wounds.

I encourage you to listen to this great interview with Dr. Richard Moss the author of ” Inside-Out Healing“, you will learn how to access and become aware of the present moment—the most valuable tool you will need to heal and become whole.
If you would like more information about Dr. Richard Moss, and his courses and video content please click here to be directed to his website.  Enjoy the podcast.

Podcast 276: The Four Purposes of Life with Dan Millman

 

Dan Millman I first interviewed Dan Millman over three years ago when I started Inside Personal Growth.  As a matter of fact when my son Sean and I were in the Bay area we had the opportunity to meet Dan, and it was quite a treat.

His new book entitled ” The Four Purposes of Life” sets out to help the reader find meaning and direction in our ever changing world.   Dan states in the introduction ” With the pace of life accelerating, in a world of change, it’s not easy to maintain our balance and sense of direction.  Yet we strive to do so, because a sense of direction, toward a meaningful goal, may be a better part of happiness.

The Four Purposes Of Life  as Dan state are–learning life’s lessons, finding your career and calling, discovering your life path, and attending to this arising moment.  We are reminded that “lessons repeat themselves until we learn them.  If we don’t learn the easier lessons, they get harder. We learn and grow through challenges, and every adversity has hidden gifts.  Now if you believe this bit of advice that Dan is doling out is just a little to simple, I highly recommend that you read and take note of “life’s lessons” they are truly one of the areas where you can propel you life forward in a positive way if you are “learning daily from the lessons”

Dan make a distinction in the book between our career and our calling.  I like this, because our career is not our calling.  His distinction reminds us that our calling refers to a personal interest, attraction, inclination, drive or passion that is usually of higher order.  It isn’t  just something you want to do, but rather something you need to do, something that captures your imagination, touches you deeply and absorbs you, whether or not you can explain why.

So if you are seeking more clarity about your purpose and passion in life, then Dan Millman’s new book ” The Four Purposes of Life” is for you.  He has done an excellent job of guiding the reader understanding of the four purposes of life.  Also I highly recommend that you visit his website and enter you birthdate into the  “Life Purpose Caculator“.  Please look at the results, they were quite revealing for me and probably will be for you as well.
Enjoy my interview with a wonderful author and teacher, Dan Millman.

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