Alison Martin: Hi, Jean.

Jean Trebek: Hi, Alison.

Alison Martin: How are you?

Alison Martin: I’m great. Oh, great. We saw a movie last night and it was really fun just to. I haven’t gone to a movie in, like, an a theater in a while. You go pretty regularly, right?

Jean Trebek: I go, like, maybe once a month. Yeah.

Alison Martin: Yeah, I love movies.

Jean Trebek: Me too.

Alison Martin: I just love it. And I loved being in the big theater, and I just loved it. It was really fun. Yeah. Go see a movie.

Jean Trebek: Go see a movie.

Alison Martin: And that’s it for today. Thanks for tuning in today. Actually, no. We even have the most special of guests today, Lorna Byrne.

Jean Trebek: Yes, she communicates with angels and she’s had this, I want to say gift, but it’s just an extension of her, her beingness. She communicates with angels ever since she was a little girl.

Alison Martin: She sees them and talks with them. And she’s so peaceful and beautiful. And she was talking to us from Ireland.

Jean Trebek: Which was fun because I just came back from Ireland and I was on cloud nine.

Alison Martin: There  you go. And you’re wearing your Irish sweater.

Jean Trebek: I am.

Alison Martin: So she was just so lovely and I had not been familiar with her. And now I love her.

Jean Trebek: Yeah, I have been familiar with her. She wrote a book back in 2009 which really put her on the map called Angels in My Hair, and she just gives so many fascinating stories about the truth of angels and their existence and their big desire to help.

Alison Martin: Yeah, it really just was, so… It brought me to tears a little bit. Speaking with her, she’s so sweet. We know you’re going to love her. So here’s here’s Lorna Byrne.

Lorna Byrne: Hi, Alice. And Alison. Is it Alison?

Alison Martin: Yes hi, Lorna!

Lorna Byrne: And Jean. I’m very bad with names.

Alison Martin: That’s okay.

Jean Trebek: You’re in good company.

Lorna Byrne: Good, good. So I’m looking forward to chatting with you. So whatever’s going to happen.

Jean Trebek: Yes.

Alison Martin: Well, we’re so happy that you’re taking this time to talk with us because your books and just you are so, so interesting and fascinating, actually.

Jean Trebek: And I want to just say right off in the beginning here. How much, I think the angels, their presence now is being recognized more and more. Do you do you sense that?

Lorna Byrne: Yes I do. You know, it’s like, more and more people of all ages are recognizing that. Maybe they will say, sometimes, maybe I have a guardian angel. Maybe that’s why I got out of that situation with that help, you know. So it’s lovely. And I just love the way God uses the angels.

Jean Trebek: Yes.

Alison Martin: And you’ve always seen angels. That’s always right?

Lorna Byrne: Always. Um, I didn’t know now they were angels. You have to remember, when I was very tiny, I didn’t know it was only when I was older. So I don’t know what it’s like for you. Like, to me, I couldn’t imagine if you were in this room with me not seeing your guardian angel there as well, or any other angel or a soul of a loved one, or something fleeting by in that sense, you know. So it’s normal for me. Just like it’s normal for you – sitting there with each other and and what you feel and see around you.

Alison Martin: So right now, when you’re looking at us, are you seeing angels around us?

Lorna Byrne: No, no, that seldom happens. That seldom happens on very rare occasions. And that would happen. Um, but sometimes I don’t know how they do the communication. But sometimes if you ask something, your guardian angel may answer it. It’s passed. I don’t know how they do it, how I can, so I can’t explain everything, but I try.

Alison Martin: That’s beautiful.

Jean Trebek: You know, personally, I have felt very connected to the angels and have listened to a lot of sound healing from the angelic realms. And can you tell us the difference between an archangel and a guardian angel?

Lorna Byrne: It’s a lovely question. Um, well, for a start, your guardian angel was appointed to you before your soul even came – before you were conceived, and it can’t leave you for one second. You know, and it just loves you unconditionally, no matter what. And I love that personally myself. You know, in that, that there’s someone there that loves me unconditionally. You know, no matter what I’ve done or what I’ve gone through in my life, they see me as unique and beautiful and that goes for everyone. And it’s the gatekeeper of your soul. But an archangel, an archangel can be with hundreds and thousands of people, as far as I can make out, all at the same time. They can be here with me and yet be all over the world at the same time. And I can’t explain that.

Alison Martin: Right. Could you tell us a little bit about in your book what you call -Unemployed Angels?

Lorna Byrne: Oh, I love the Unemployed Angels. I suppose I’ve never told this before, but, um, you know, one time when I was in Ballymun and we were living in our aunt’s house at the time because the roof had fallen in and everything like that, so we became homeless and, um, I was up at the top of the road kind of was like a T junction. And I was standing there and giving out, and then just my guardian angel and angel hostess just said, look up, and I could see these angels tumbling down. And the only way I can describe them, if you can imagine this enormous angel curled up in a ball like. And then just as they come down to the earth, just quite close, they start to straighten up. And it’s like they land perfectly, but their feet don’t touch the ground. And I call them unemployed angels, because on that particular evening and there was a neighbor, you know, up the road a bit, and he was struggling with, I don’t know exactly what he was struggling with, but he was pulling things in and out of his garden, you know, and I just remember saying saying, you know. Angel hostess the man could do with a helping hand. And I was just asked, well, what would you like to call these angels? And because they have nothing to do and I just said unemployed. So they have been called the unemployed angels.

Alison Martin: I like that term unemployed angels because it makes me feel there’s angels all around just waiting to help.

Lorna Byrne: Oh, yeah. Like even your guardian angel. Like even the archangels, you know, so many different angels that are called in to help us all of the time. But the unemployed angels, I love them because I would often see them. You know, I could be walking down, like here in Kilkenny. You know, the back streets are real tiny. So, you know, even if it’s not busy, it’s busy. And yet, you know, just watching the unemployed angels moving in and out between people. And I would know that they’re hoping that someone in their mind or, you know, God could do with a helping hand or this is really heavy because I would often see, you know, the angels, all of a sudden an unemployed angel go straight to a person. And I know that person – something must have gone through their mind and called on them, even if they didn’t know. And I love that.

Alison Martin: It’s beautiful.

Jean Trebek: Lorna, so you say several times in your books that one must ask for help. Can you talk about that?

Lorna Byrne: I say that because it’s like as if – how can I say it? It’s like as if the whatever help you ask for, you have empowered your guardian angel and all the angels. You have empowered even the souls of loved ones. The question I haven’t really been asked before in the way you’ve asked it. And that seems to, you know, you’ve asked for it, so you’ve given permission. You have to remember no angel can overstep your choice or your free will in any way. And I love that. That’s why, you know, ask! Pester them! It doesn’t mean you’ll get it either. Like I’ll say that as well.

Jean Trebek: That’s true.

Lorna Byrne: You know, the most important thing is that if you’re striding down an area or a road and you’re heading for something and you believe it’s for you, at least you’re trying, and if it’s to be, it will turn out that way, you know? But if it’s not to be, they will turn you in another direction for something better. And I love that. Like, you know, I’ve heard that from so many, especially women, by the way, more so than men and all around the world – They say they were so focused on something and asking God and asking their guardian angel and the archangels, every angel they could call in, you know, for some particular thing to work out for them because they believed it was for them and they could do it and it would be greatly successful. And then say, Lorna, we’re so glad we didn’t get it. I’m so glad it didn’t happen, because look at what I have now is a million times better. And that’s the important thing to try and not be so disappointed. And when something doesn’t succeed for you because you have learned a lot, you know, and that learning is probably for something else, you need it. You need it.

Alison Martin: That’s right.

Jean Trebek: There’s that great quote that says, be careful what you wish for.

Alison Martin: Could you just for our listeners – what is an angel?

Lorna Byrne: And that’s a lovely question. An angel is light. You know, they’re like a beam of light. But I think this is the part of the question you’re asking. But they give a human appearance within that beam of light not just within it… It’s like the whole beam of light takes the human appearance on. And I love the way their clothing can change. And they’re neither male nor female either, but their clothing is not like ours. You know, we take off our clothing. Their clothing is part of them. I think that is very beautiful because many a time when I’d be looking at an angel, it’s… I have spoken a little bit about the depth of an angel. It’s like you could step into them, you could go through one, you know, one fold on the clothing and you’re somewhere else in that sense, it’s like as if it’s never ending. But they are very beautiful. I have never seen an ugly angel as humans say, use that word. And I have never seen an angel be angry or, you know, they’re always so kind and so loving. Their love for us is unconditional. Like your guardian angel’s love for you and everyone’s guardian angel out there, their love for them is unconditional. And to your guardian angel, you are…it’s number one and it only has eyes for you. It’s not interested in Alice. They’re sitting beside you, you know. Or I’m bad with names or Jean’s? Your guardian angel is not interested in Alice sitting there beside you.

Alison Martin: Alison

Lorna Byrne: Alison. Alison. Right.

Alison Martin: It’s okay.

Lorna Byrne: Well, this is part of being dyslexic as well, so… It just happens.

Alison Martin: Totally. Doesn’t matter.

Lorna Byrne: I just love that the way your guardian angel loves you unconditionally. And it’s there for you and you’re it’s number one. And it only has eyes for you. And you’re perfect and unique to your guardian angel. And you’re absolutely beautiful, you know, and it’s the gatekeeper of your soul. So you know that spark of light, your soul is, you know, that spark of light of God. So your guardian angel is in the presence of a human being, but of God as well. And I think that is so powerful.

Alison Martin: So, what you just said brings almost tears to my eyes. So it’s a part of God. An angel is because we’re all really maybe like a part of God. But they are created to solely help us and be present for us.

Lorna Byrne: Yeah. And I would agree definitely with that. Um, I’m severely dyslexic, so I don’t read… Don’t send me off somewhere because, you know, the angels don’t help me anymore because I had to learn myself, you know? But if you tell me, you go left and right, I have to figure or that code out before I even head off. Then I’m trying to figure out the code and if a sign changes, forget it – like even if the ladies and gents bathrooms and I’m in another country and I don’t recognize the sign. I have so many gone into gents because I was so sure that was the ladies, you know, so sure, so positive in that, in that way. Um, so, you know, it’s it’s to believe in yourself as well. You know, that’s what your guardian angel wants you to do is to believe in you as it as it believes in you. You know, you believe in yourself. And I’m all the time saying to so many people of all ages, men and women and children and teenagers, you know. Do your best to love yourself like your guardian angel loves you. You know, your guardian angel sees you as unique and beautiful. Why not see you yourself that way? Why not believe in yourself as your guardian angel believes in you? And I know it’s so important for us to love ourselves so we can love others as well. More. And but I love the way sometimes when I’d see someone sad or down, you know, and the guardian angel holding a light or having other guardian other not guardian angels, other angels, you know, come and hold a light in front of someone that is beautiful to see.

Jean Trebek:  Lorna, is there a specific way to connect with your guardian angel? But since they’re with us all the time, is it just asking them?

Lorna Byrne: And I would say there’s no specific way, you know, just ask. Just give yourself a chance. If you don’t believe, you know, if you’re suspicious and all that kind of thing, give yourself a chance. Say to yourself, you know, what have I got to lose? You’ve actually nothing to lose, only to gain, you know, and ask for that help, you know. And lots of times people will ask for a sign. Now, sometimes people might ask for, you know, a brand new house to come along or a car to come along or, you know, crazy things that won’t happen because signs are very hard for the angels to do. But when you get to know your guardian angel, the signs become easier because you start to recognize them. And maybe your guardian angel in the future knows that you know you want this house or this car, and maybe it will happen. And you have to then smile at yourself and say, well, 20 years ago I just laughed at the idea, saying, and now I know I have it, but a lot of things would have had to happen in order for that to happen. But most people will ask for, you know, a feather. Or a phone call. And some some people now are asking just for a smile.

Lorna Byrne: Someone to smile at me. And I think that’s very, very beautiful. And I often hear the strangest stories of people saying, you know, they never believed when they asked for a feather. They thought it was, you know, crazy. It would never happen. And, you know, they said it didn’t happen straight away. You know, it could be six months down the road. And at a time when they were kind of saying, I could do with that sign now because of where I am. And you’d hear people telling you, you know, they picked up the tablecloth and a feather came from under it, or, you know, they opened a drawer and there was never feathers at all. And then or a book, something like that. Or always remember a lady, you know, with her shoe, like she says. But Lorna, there has never been feathers in my home, not even in the pillows, you know, in that, in that way. But the other one is a flower. And a lot of people would ask for a bouquet of flowers or something like that. Um, but I bet now if it came into your head to give someone a bouquet of flowers, you’d probably put it off…

Lorna Byrne: So the angels work really, really hard. They put the thought into your head to do something for someone else. That’s a sign, because they can’t hand them the flowers. But children are very good at listening to their guardian angel. You know, and have often seen witnessed it happening loads of times where a child will pick a wild flower and run over to a stranger and hand it to them. Yes, you know that’s your flower or your bouquet of flowers that’s it all wrapped up. But sometimes I have seen where someone said thanks to the child, gave them a smile and walked off, and then threw it away. So they threw away their sign in that sense. So I’m always trying to just make people help them to just be aware. It’s to be aware to see the good things in your life, the blessings in your life, not to be seen all the time, the negative.

Alison Martin: With so much going on in the world right now, and when you describe, your whole presence gives off the love that you’re talking about. And there’s so much going on in the world right now. And I was wondering when something like a war happens or something like that, do angels cry because they love us so much?

Lorna Byrne: Um, I have never seen them cry as in the way we cry, but I have seen and know what’s happening even now and millions of angels have, what would you say? Flocks to that area, to those areas. Even to places where you don’t know where there’s trouble, but you haven’t heard about it in that way. And the unemployed angels, I always ask people, you know, you don’t have to send an unemployed angel to a friend or someone who believes. How about sending it to a stranger? How about asking for the unemployed angels? More of them, you know, to go to the places where horrific things are happening, you know, and people are doing that. I think that is that’s those who are not in a bad area as such in the world. You know, we’re sending love, we’re caring, we’re praying and we’re doing anything else we can. Because I did watch a bit of the news just a little while ago, and I was just praying and asking, God, send all the angels there, all the comfort that can be given. And, somehow, peace to come somehow, because it’s not simple. You know, we all think it’s simple, but it’s not simple, you know, and especially when you see a child on the TV, on the news and they say, but I did nothing wrong…That’s heart rendering. You know, when a child says something like that.

Speaker4: We’re really living through a time of where I think faith is so, so important. And it sounds like when you talk about like the feather or they send daily miracles we can see.

Lorna Byrne: Yeah. Miracles happen all the time. Like the three of us talking is a miracle, you know? How did it happen? Nothing happens in the sense of I know God and the angels are working very, very hard, you know, to soften our hearts. You know, regardless of the pain and hurt we have gone through and and even our loved ones that have gone ahead of us, they’re touching our hearts, as well. And we need our hearts touched. We need our soul touched. We’re human beings and we’re a spiritual being as well. And that’s the spark of light of God. That’s the spiritual part. But the human part has great difficulty. If someone says something nasty to you, you will take it personally or if somebody runs somebody else down and that makes them then feel very down and depressed within themselves – that’s the human part. But the angels and the souls of loved ones are all the time reaching out to us to get us to have a bigger heart. And one thing the angels always said to me from the time I was very small, Lorna – and they use big words and I could never pronounce the word Lorna – Don’t take it personal. They know no better. Give them a hug. And I still do that today.

Alison Martin: That’s wonderful. What do you think? What do you. What do you think heaven is?

Lorna Byrne: Oh, that’s a lovely question to be asked as well. Well, heaven is beyond your comprehension completely. And again, that’s a word the angels and God always use to me, you know. And I could never say it, by the way, until maybe I was getting the hang of it. Maybe ten years ago. And now I can say it.

Jean Trebek: Very good.

Lorna Byrne: It has taken all my life. But heaven is a place that when you go there, when it’s your time, when your guardian angel – how can I say this? – But it’s like your guardian angel reaches in. And sometimes, even before that, I would see the guardian angel already holding on to the soul of someone. But the soul is beautiful, you know? And the soul doesn’t have any pain or hurt. Nothing at all. And it’s only the human body that’s suffering, not the soul. And, you know, I’ve seen so many times have witnessed, you know, the soul being lifted from the body and it is going with the guardian angel and it hesitating and looking at the loved ones and, and then it’s gone. But what I love is, time doesn’t exist. So it’s like the next moment the soul of your loved one can be right back there helping to comfort you. Helping you to get through the loss and the pain and the grief can be so hard for some people that it’s like an ice block in your chest, a hole, just this big hole, you know? But they’re gone to heaven and they are perfect. Heaven is incredible. I can’t describe it. It’s like when you get there, like loads of times God has sent me back, you know, and I have often refused, but it didn’t work, you know, it didn’t work. I was told I had to go back and that was it. And but you don’t want to go back, not even for your loved ones. Like, because your loved one can do more for those they have left behind. Because they can intercede, they can ask for more. And the one thing I love about a loved one – depending on how close you were to them, okay- you can even smell them when they’re in the room. You know they’re there.

Alison Martin: Yes.

Lorna Byrne: And and they give us loads of signs. Loads of memories. You know, someone, a stranger could say something and it brings tears to your eyes because it’s reminding you of your loved one. So I always say how the soul in your guardian angel and the other angels got that person into that area to say those words so you could hear them, you know? And I met a mother there recently and her grief is horrific. She lost her daughter and she just said it’s very hard, but now I’m getting comfort. But the grief never goes. It’s just that you can cope with it. Live life. But the hurt and the pain is still there. The loss is still there. I know that myself. Even with Joe, like, I still miss him. Right. You know, at times I’d say, well, I’m glad you’re not here, you know? And then other times I’d say, I wish you were here, you know, give your children and your grandchildren now a helping hand as well. And you know, and I would even give out to him and many times I have seen him as well and that can happen for people. One way is it can happen for people is sometimes when you’re walking down the street and it’s crowded, you might spot someone in the distance and they look so like your loved one, but when they come up you realize, no, they don’t even look like them. But that’s where the soul has. How would I? The only human way I can describe is kind of stepped in front of them for you to see. You know, giving you a glimpse in that in that way.

Alison Martin: That’s a beautiful way of putting it.

Jean Trebek: Well said.

Lorna Byrne: Because I know it’s so hard for everyone. And you know, grief is… I was explaining at a workshop that this lady was at and I was saying, grief can be so different for others. You know, it depends on how connected you were to that person. And the more connected you were, the more you loved them…It’s like a how would I call a string being cut, something being cut, and suddenly, you know, they’re not here physically and anymore. And that pain is horrific. I hope I didn’t say too much now.

Speaker4: Oh, no.

Alison Martin: We’re just taking it all in. And we’re bathing in your words.

Jean Trebek: It’s so beautiful. I too lost my husband three years ago, actually, on today. This would be his third year anniversary.

Lorna Byrne: Oh, I’m so sorry.

Jean Trebek: Thank you. And I actually feel he helped orchestrate our time together because he knew how much I loved the angels. And so it’s really a treat to have you talk with us today.

Alison Martin: So it’s beautiful. Can I just ask another question? Do you feel as though when someone passes away, can they become an angel? Is there like a system of angels?

Lorna Byrne: I have to smile and laugh because God and the angels told me no. But they love when someone says my husband is an angel in heaven, or my child is an angel in heaven. Now it’s an expression of love, and the angels love that. And God loves that too, you know? Um, but every soul is more than any angel ever could be.

Lorna Byrne: I think again, that’s very, very powerful. But the angels do love when we say my loved one is an angel. They they smile and it’s expression of love. Because we look on angels as good, protective, loving, caring, you know, compassionate in that way. And that’s the way we want our loved one to be. That’s the way your loved one is. They’re perfect. Right? They are that spark of light of God. And they’re there for you. You can call on them. You can give out to them, you know, you can write a letter to them. You can say, come on, pull your socks up and help me here with this, because they hear you. And just say, you know. Um, a few months or a few weeks passed and you said to yourself, oh, I haven’t even thought of my loved one over these past few short period because I’ve been so engrossed in other things. But your loved one has been coming and going all the time, keeping an eye on you. But that coming and going is, again, I would say it’s there’s no such thing as time. So for you that can be forever, you know? Or sometimes someone would say, I could feel my loved one in and around me all day. But for your loved one, it was a fleeting moment. But for us humans, it was a whole day. Right?

Alison Martin: I like the idea that there’s no time. That it’s all… it’s all possible right now.

Jean Trebek: Yeah. Me too.

Jean Trebek: So, Lorna, you’re working on a sanctuary that you’re building in Ireland?

Lorna Byrne: Yeah. And that’s a miracle.

Jean Trebek: Can you tell us a little bit about the sanctuary?

Lorna Byrne: Well, the sanctuary is something that God had shown me when I was a child. And through my life, just the same as when God had said I would write books and archangel and the angels kept reminding me, you know. And I thought God and the angels were crazy because I couldn’t even write my name. Never mind even pronounce it properly. And just like the time Archangel Michael when I was wheeling my daughter home in her pram, you know, saying, I have a message for you. And I getting so annoyed with them because I was a busy mum, you know. What are you doing pestering me for? I haven’t time for this. And just stopping and turning and looking at them, you know. And he just said, you will write soon. And I remember saying to him that day, you know, how on earth does God expect me to write even one book when I can’t even read or write? And he just said help would be sent. And it’s the same thing with the sanctuary. Um, and it’s here in Ireland, and it has been a huge miracle, and people have been responding and helping in so many different ways. It’s cutting the story short… So here I’m trying to say what part of the story will cut short? And I’ve been in the house. Been in the sanctuary. And during my life and not knowing but being there spiritually and holding God’s hand and looking out the these enormous windows, onto a lake, everything you know, and then skipping again. And one day, when Joe was still alive and we were heading down here to a friend’s house, and for me, it was like as if everything went in slow motion. And Archangel Michael was standing at these two pillars, this old gate. And Joe just said, Lorna, are you okay? He knew something was wrong. And I said to Archangel Michael without speaking out, you know. That’s crazy. No way. Because you could only over the wall see this tiny little roof. And he said, you will live here one day. And Joe was already pretty sick – like there was no way. Like definitely crazy. And then time passed. And this family in America got Angels in My Hair and. How would I say this? And miracles happened in their lives because of it, you know. And life was saved as well. And the couple somehow managed to find me, and they came to visit. And he just said, here at the farmhouse, you know, we’ll add on rooms because I was telling him all the things we were doing that we don’t advertise like we do loads, we don’t advertise at all.

Lorna Byrne: And he said, well, I’ll build on rooms onto your house because no money like, you know, and, um, applied for planning permission. Didn’t get it. Wasn’t God’s plan. And then, one of the girls that my son knows, he said to her, look for some place that mom can give talks, you know, and it’s not too expensive a hall or something like that. And while she was looking online, she came across this place that was for sale, the Sanctuary, and she just sent it to my son as a joke, you know, with a ha ha ha on it, like, you know. And then my son sent it to me and said, mom, he was on the phone to me- now touch the link because he had to guide me and I touched the link. What do you think the first thing I saw? The pillars and the gate. I nearly crumbled and I said, God, what are you up to? And the video held on the gate for a minute or two. You know? I like that I could still see this little roof, you know, falling asunder, collapsing. Said, What’s God up to? But then the video started to move down this windy, just a little tiny road, a very tiny, not road like, um. And then came out at this big house.

Lorna Byrne: The same house that I stood in with God on umpteen occasions and the lake was there. Except the lake was filled with silt now. I just said, God, what are you up to? And just that, that couple bought it and gave it like there’s the miracle. Like I don’t have money as such, you know, and gave it and then gave some money towards repair because they said in another year the seven roofs would have fallen in. So we’re doing a lot of work there at the sanctuary and doing workshops and all that, and we grow our own food. So it’s purely organic and we have a forest, so we do nature, you know, we’re doing umpteen things because that’s one thing God and the angels taught me everything out in nature, you know. So I even have teachers and professors coming, you know, ordinary people coming like myself, you know, and a few times it has been said, but we didn’t know that. And here I am looking at them. But how come you didn’t know that.

Lorna Byrne: You went to Oxford or whatever, and you can read books and you can go on the internet and get information, and I can’t do it that way. It’s just to me, it’s just incredible. And I know it’s expensive probably to come because people have to fly and tickets and everything like that. But one day I know one day will come when we won’t have to charge anybody. Somehow it will be funded or somebody will fund it where we could just say to people, if you want to leave a donation, you can leave a donation. But then we would be able to do an awful lot more of extreme cases, as I call them, those that, you know, it’s like having a 14 year old little girl and she’s standing in front of me and she came into a workshop with her granny, and she’s telling the story, you know, and showing her wrists where she’s already harmed herself because she’s been bullied. So we’d look on her as an extreme case. How can we help her to give her encouragement, confidence and belief in herself? And we’ve done that loads of times, you know, so even a mom coming who might be like your husband terminal, you know, or a child, and they’re coming and staying for a while with us. You know, there’s so many things we do without advertising it. You know, it’s separate from those that come for a workshop. You know that that’s at the moment has to offer. You say pay the expenses.

Lorna Byrne: I’m no good at that part. As soon as somebody comes in the gate, they just say they feel so much peace and so much love. And it’s like, as if, you know, they’re hundreds of miles away from the world. It’s like, where do they put it? Even though the the road is not that far away, but it’s like as if they are that God has, you know, put this bubble over it in that way

Lorna Byrne: And they just say they feel so much peace. And they, in a sense, don’t feel like going back to the world, but they have to because they have families and work and everything like that. But I would say always remember – bring that peace and love with you to the way you have changed here. Now bring that home with you. Because that’s the important part. You know, to open our hearts and to have that love and that compassion and understanding and, you know, to enjoy life. You know, to enjoy life. So the sanctuary is an absolute miracle. And the miracles are still unfolding there. But I know we need lots more miracles to unfold. It’s in God’s hand and kilfane is an Irish word, but to translate it, it means sacred place.

Lorna Byrne: We didn’t know that now till a year later. And someone said to us, do you know what Kilfane means? Translate it. Sacred place. And it definitely is.

Alison Martin: Well, you. You are like an angel on earth, Lorna.

Jean Trebek: Absolutely. Yes you are.

Alison Martin: Thank you for sharing all that with us. You’re just so. I hope we can speak again. You really are just so. I feel so wonderful right now. Thank you.

Lorna Byrne: Yeah, well, I love the way it is it’s like, as if we’re in our kitchen. You know, I love the way your room is there. It’s kind of, you know, you’re just sitting on chairs, you know, and just relaxed. And we’re in conversation and the conversation has been absolutely wonderful. So I ask for blessings for you. Both of you.

Jean Trebek: Thank you,

Alison Martin: Thank you,

Lorna Byrne: And your families and all your listeners as well.

Jean Trebek: Thank you. And we bless the continuation of the sanctuary becoming a place that people are healed and restored to great joy and health.

Alison Martin: Thank you so much, Lorna, for everything you’re doing.

Alison Martin: I well, first my biggest feeling was just her gentleness and the way she spoke with us was so peaceful. And her energy is so different than mine because I’m like… And she’s she was just so lovely. Isn’t that amazing that we’re surrounded by entities and energies that just want to help us?

Jean Trebek: Exactly. And that we’re never alone and that we do have to call on them for help and somehow some way they work with the energy to assist us. Right. And I definitely have been even in my past, calling on my angels for help. And I could talk to you all afternoon about stories where the angels have shown up in my life and just kind of smooth the certain situation or given me ideas. And as she says, you know, the angels sometimes place an idea in someone else’s mind to go bring someone flowers or go give that person a hug. And so it was so beautiful.

Alison Martin: I totally do those things now. I think when I was younger, I’d say I could do that tomorrow or no, that seems silly. now I totally act. If I have an urge to call someone or or drop them a line or send them soup or bring them flowers, I act on it.

Jean Trebek: You do, you know.

Alison Martin: And I think sometimes it doesn’t even come from me. And I’m very aware that if I’m really thinking of someone, I somehow get a call from them.

Jean Trebek: Right? I think a lot of people are starting to see that synchronicity, and that there is this subtle energy field that shows us that we are innately connected to each other. So call on your angels. That’s right. If there’s anything that you’re concerned about or fear or worry or, you know, whatever or…

Alison Martin: Just to say thank you.

Jean Trebek: Just to say thank you, like a friend of mine does this evidence journal and she writes down everything in the day that she deemed to be a miracle. And you know, she looks back and goes look at all these beautiful things that occurred, right?

Alison Martin: So our takeaway is take your angel to a movie.

Jean Trebek: Right. Exactly. Yes. You have guardian angels that are just standing by waiting for your command to help out, right.

Alison Martin: Thank you so much. And we’ll see you next time.

Jean Trebek: Yeah. Have a beautiful day.

Alison Martin: Hi, Jean.

Jean Trebek: Hi, Alison.

Alison Martin: How are you?

Jean Trebek: I’m great. How are you?

Alison Martin: I’m pretty good. I had a very, very busy week, and.

Jean Trebek: We both did.

Today we’re going to introduce you to Rebecca Heiss. And we loved her. I thought she was just great. She wrote a book called Instinct: Rewire Your Brain with Science Backed Solutions to Increase Productivity and Achieve Success. And I literally could not put this book down. She shows you a lot of what evolution has left us with, like fear or gender roles or things like this, and how you can overcome that to really benefit yourself, your work environment and your family. It’s amazing.

Jean Trebek: She she also offers, which I was doing online, this Fear(less) modules. It’s a class she gives you every day. She presents new things to consider. And it’s about eight minutes every day. And it’s brilliant. You know, she talks about that the brain does not know the difference between something that’s real and something that’s imaginary.

Alison Martin: Right… which is so interesting because then you’re really in control. You are really in control.

Jean Trebek: And staying present…Staying present. She gives tips on a healthy brain and I think everyone we’ve ever spoken to, everyone that talks about healthy brain always talks about the importance of sleep.

Alison Martin: Yes. So I’m going to lay down. You shall finish this interview. Well, here she is. We think you’re going to love her. Here’s Rebecca.

Rebecca Heiss: It’s so nice to meet you all.

Jean Trebek: It’s so great to meet you.

Alison Martin: We’re chatting about your book and your modules.

Rebecca Heiss: Get out of here. Oh, my gosh, that makes me feel so good. Are you enjoying it so far?

Alison Martin: I well, I love this book. I read a lot of books. And the way we get through them is, I say 50 pages a day. You know, but I couldn’t put this one down.

Rebecca Heiss: Oh. Thank you. That means so much. Gosh.

Alison Martin: You’re exactly my type of person. Because you’re based in science. And I find it fascinating that then you talk about your personal things and make it be, from my point of view, a little more spiritual.

Rebecca Heiss: I’m with you on that. I’m with you on that. This is my first book. I learned a lot, including sometimes we have some compromises that we need to make when we go with a publisher. Love them. Don’t want to speak poorly of them, but yeah, for the next one, think… Think they’ll be a little more, as I like to call it, the woo woo is slipping in.

Alison Martin: That’s good.

Jean Trebek: You know, I think, Rebecca, and I’m Jean by the way.

Alison Martin: I’m Alison. Hi.

Rebecca Heiss: Hi, Jean. Hi, Alison. It’s nice to meet you all. Well, I was on at 9:00 this morning because dum dum here could not figure out time zones. And then I was like, no, no, this is this is not right. We got to figure it out.

Alison Martin: Where are you?

Rebecca Heiss: Well, I was on the West coast yesterday and then flew home today. I’m in Greenville, South Carolina today, so I’m back home with my sleeping dog.

Jean Trebek: So cute.

Rebecca Heiss: That’s goodness. Always at my side.

Jean Trebek: Well, what I wanted to say is that I’m noticing that science and spirituality are really showing up more and more together that they’re honoring each other. So I love that.

Rebecca Heiss: I couldn’t agree more. I don’t know where you are in the book or don’t even remember if I put this in the book, but one of my spiritual awakenings was recognizing, like, how little we see until we start paying attention to it. And, you know, I studied birds and taking the bird under UV light for the first time. And I was like, oh my gosh, there’s so many patterns and colors that we just don’t see and that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist or it’s not real. It’s that we don’t have the tools to measure it or the ability to see it as humans. And so often I think, you know, science and spirituality are this are this magical mystery of going, okay, we don’t have the tools, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not happening or that it’s not out there. And so as a scientist, like that’s part of the fun for me. It’s like, that’s exciting. Like, can we find a tool? Can we find a way? And if we can’t, okay. It still can be real. So yeah.

Alison Martin: In your modules online you share about going, I think it was to San Juan and not knowing what to do. And I was like, yes. And I still don’t even know if I know what my therapist said, “well, what what’s fun for you?” And I’m like, me alone? I don’t know. Jean has this thing where she can be doing something in a city alone, and I’m always like, wow, look at that. What do you think?

Rebecca Heiss: Yeah. Alison, that’s fascinating because my sister and I had this same conversation today. This Is still something I struggle with of like, okay, I, I’m super, super lucky. I’ve been incredibly lucky in my life and don’t have to work. Right. So. Well, what do I want? What do I want to do? Like what brings me joy? And I think for so long, you know, and no fault of our parents or anybody trying to nurture us, but it’s like, okay, you need to survive. You need to achieve this. You need to get this. You need to get the house. You need to get the things so that you’re secure. But we’re never coached on like, then what? Like, well, now I’ve got the things so….? It is really hard to tap into that self.

Alison Martin: How did you how did you solve that for yourself. Have you found your stuff that brings you joy?

Rebecca Heiss: Yeah, it’s an ongoing journey, honestly. I’ll tell you, Alison, I’m still not there. Every day I wake up and I’m like, all right, how does it feel today? And I think so much of it is tapping back into that intuition, not having to be science led, not having to have the exact answer and just going – this feels good. Let me do more of that. And then when it stops feeling good – okay, back off. You don’t have to. You know, again, I think, we live in a society where if it’s good, then more is obviously better. And, um, and that’s not the case. So, less and less and less and less has been my secret. The less stuff I have, the less I travel, the less I do, the more I find peace. That’s been and being able to tap back into – Oh right, this is what brings me joy. Right. Yeah. It’s hard though I think.

Alison Martin: Is it the should?

Rebecca Heiss: Those shoulds? Yeah.

Alison Martin: I know like for me, I live with a lot of shoulds. Do you?

Jean Trebek: I’m really trying not to. Like being aware of when when I say to myself- Am I doing this out of inspiration, obligation or desperation?

Rebecca Heiss: Oh, that is so good. Yeah, he says. Wait, inspiration… desperation… Or what was the other one?

Jean Trebek: Obligation.

Rebecca Heiss: Obligation. I’m writing that down. That’s good.

Jean Trebek: And if you’re doing something out of obligation, just own it.

Rebecca Heiss: Yeah..

Jean Trebek: Okay, I’m going to take my mom to the dentist. I’m not wired, but I’m not desperate.

Alison Martin: Do you still live by shoulds at all, Rebecca?

Rebecca Heiss: Oh, sure. Yeah. Listen, I’d love to say I’m completely free of it, but I’m not. That wouldn’t be honest. I hear a lot of shoulds now. I think the difference is I’ve become very conscious of them. And so now it’s more of my choice. And I’m going, you should. Well, should you? Do you have to? Is it obligation? Right? And then it becomes actually I really like this framework. Well it’s an obligation. It’s an obligation. You know, it’s not it’s nothing inspired about, you know, having to go to the gym and having to lift weights. But I do feel better and I know that I will. And so tricking my brain into remembering the feeling that I’ll have when I’m done. That is kind of the inspiration to do the shoulds that feel like obligations to me.

Jean Trebek: Right, yeah.

Alison Martin: Otherwise we might just all stay in bed all day.

Rebecca Heiss: I mean, honestly, when people say like they don’t want any stress in their life, I’m like, well, that’s literally what’s going to happen because you won’t get out of bed, right? And don’t think it leads to a very fulfilling life. But. Yeah, that’s that’s an option. Actually there’s really there’s been really interesting research that I came across recently about the most purposeful, fulfilled lives. And this was like a massive (you probably have seen this), but it was a massive study across like a large swath of Americans. And the number one correlate to a meaningful, purposeful life was stress. So like stressful events that happened in the past, stressful moments in the present and even like future worry and anxiety were predictors of a fulfilled, purposeful life. And I was like, oh, all right. That’s something to keep in mind as I’m in that, you know, distress zone.

Jean Trebek: Right.

Jean Trebek: That’s really interesting. And what I thought was interesting, I have a child who’s non-binary. So the gender sex thing was… it’s amazing because it’s so insidious like the, you know, like women not promoting women or like just the numbers you gave of the amount of women, that’s amazing to me.

Rebecca Heiss: Yeah. It’s funny. So I’m giving a TEDx on Wednesday. Um, oh gosh.But specifically on gender and and power and how culturally we’ve defined power as achievement. Right? Success is money and finance and politics and power. And we’ve neglected to cheerlead, I think, men or non-binary people into feminine power, into vulnerability, into connection, into all of these. These, these superpowers of women that don’t have monetary value. And so they’ve not been seen as as powerful. There’s a really interesting, uh, approach there. I think we’ll see. We’ll see how it goes.

Alison Martin: Good luck.

Jean Trebek: Yeah.

Rebecca Heiss: Thanks. You may hear about it, but you probably won’t remember.

Alison Martin: Remember stress makes you have a better life. You just told us that. So there you go.

Rebecca Heiss: That’s right. Increases my performance. I got this.

Jean Trebek: You know, one of, Rebecca, one of the modules on that amazing course that you’ve developed. I mean, there’s so much packed in there. I was telling Alison, I really think that course should be a mandatory class taken.

Rebecca Heiss: Thank you.

Alison Martin: Truly,

Jean Trebek: It should a required class like as a senior in high school.

Rebecca Heiss: Thank you. That means so much. We were just talking when you got up there about purpose and what drives you and the shoulds. And I feel like one of my biggest drivers is trying to get something like this into high schools, because when I’m asked my favorite talk that I’ve ever given, I’ll tell you a very quick story. I was giving a talk in in Charlotte, and this gentleman overheard me and he wasn’t part of the talk. He kind of like walked in at the end and he pulled me aside afterwards. He’s like, you know, my kid is playing basketball. He’s on this elite basketball team for 15 and under, you know, like ranked in the nation. And their team is just sucking. They’re just really playing poorly this tournament. Would you give them ten minutes of your time? I was like, yeah, of course. Like I’ll go and give a little… listen, it’s been a minute since I’ve talked to 15 year old boys. And I was like, you know, I’m giving a terrible, terrible presentation. They are just completely zoned out. I saved it a little bit at the end, and I gave them a couple little things to try. And the the coaches invited me to the game, and I watched them start to implement these things as they played. And it felt like I was watching Disney movie, like they should have gotten creamed. And then the fourth quarter, you know, they’re up by eight points. There’s 30s left and this kid comes off the bench who’s been playing just he’s been lighting it up all night. And he finds me in the stands and he just whispers. He mouths to me. – THANK YOU  And I’m just like.

Alison Martin: Oh my gosh.

Jean Trebek: Yeah.

Rebecca Heiss: I’m just like, losing my mind because you think about the power of stuff like this. I wrote this course for the 16 year old me. You know, this is the stuff that I needed at that age. Um, and I’m still teaching it to, you know, 70 year old CEOs..

Jean Trebek: It’s amazing and there’s just so much that you offer in the online class that you give just one thing that, I mean, there was so much that stood out for me, but one in particular was the difference between being busy and being productive. I thought that was so great. Staying focused and that we’re not meant to be multitaskers.

Rebecca Heiss: Oh my gosh. And then the society that we live in today, like good luck ping ding ding. You know, you’re just like popping everywhere. It’s the confetti – time confetti – You know two minutes here, 30s there, and trying to stay focused in a distracted world is… Good luck being productive. Being productive on something that’s meaningful and valuable to you rather than I still find myself in days that I have to reset and I have to go back to my own teachings because I spent all morning answering emails and then I’m like, wait, where did the day go? You know, I was supposed to be writing or I was supposed to be doing something productive, and all I did was answer emails all morning. That’s how it sucks you in.

Alison Martin: When I was reading this, I did not realize, like, the idea that I’m having too much choice is not necessarily positive. And do you think there’s hope? Where is your hope lie? When you wrote something like this.

Rebecca Heiss: You know, I often describe myself as an optimist and a realist. So it is this constant battle, right? I do think that this stuff is tough, right? You’re fighting against 100, thousand, 200,000 years of evolution that is built your brain in this very specific way. And my optimist side says, yeah, but you can drive and you can drive for an hour completely subconsciously, like you’re screaming at the kids in the back, you’re adjusting your podcast. You remember the first time you drove a car, right? Your hands are tied and you’re like, oh my gosh, there’s street signs. I got to pay attention to all of this, right? Very different experience. And so if we can train our subconscious brain to do this like complex changing task, like driving, I think it’s I think there’s a lot of hope when we recognize the changes that we’re looking to make. Um, I think there’s great power there. And I’ll add to that, there was a study. Oh, man, I want to say it 2003. Don’t quote me on that. I’ll look back,,, On epigenetics. And essentially they took these mice. They sprayed a scent of cherry blossoms and then immediately shocked these these male mice now sounds awful. Sorry, science. I know I’m giving scientists a bad name, but what happened was they developed this basic conditioning response, right? They started to shake and shiver and be fearful every time they smelled cherry blossoms. And then they took these male, these male mice, and they bred them to female mice that had never smelled cherry blossoms, never been exposed to the shock. And the pups, the offspring were then exposed to cherry blossoms. And what happened? They shook as if this fear had been genetically coded and transferred to their offspring. Which is like mind blowing when you think about generational trauma. And it gives me a lot of hope, because that also means that we are our own wizards, right? We have instead of looking for the wizard behind the curtain, right to tell us, oh, you’ve got the power. You know, we’re wearing the ruby slippers. We all have the ability to actually change a lot of this wiring and allow the next generation allow ourselves first, but definitely the next generation to see things differently and to have a different response. So I think that’s really, really powerful.

Alison Martin: So so from that I remember I remember you talking about that my study, which kind of blew my mind a little bit and frightened me a little bit… Because I’m a parent, right? I have two kids. And first I thought of all the things that I experienced that I think are traumatic. And then, like, I just wanted to hold them. And then think about what the world has been through in terms of Covid and these wars, Does that mean that my kids, having experienced that, that Covid will be affecting us for some for generations?

Rebecca Heiss: So it’s a yes. And um, I think yeah, absolutely. There’s certainly that trauma and they’re completely natural to have that fear response of like, oh my gosh, what did I pass along? You know… And our brain is wired to see all the negative things, all the trauma that we’re passing on. Think of all the good things that happened to you. Think of your response to go hug your kids like that right there. That makes me tear up, because that’s the kind of response that’s getting passed along as well. And so just having that mind shift of, okay, yes, there are definitely some traumas that I’m passing along and look at the resiliency that I’m passing along. Did we make it through Covid? Did we have deeper relationships as a result? Did we really discover what’s important during Covid? Like there’s some really valuable stuff that we get to pass along as well. And I think I think it’s easy to skip over that and to miss that. Um, because again, that’s how our brain is wired, but it makes me feel better. Yeah, sure.

Alison Martin: This is all about my insecurity. So thank you so much. But  I think that’s right. Like we talk about that… Something will happen and Jean will say you’re doing a great job or look at this, or look how you’ve helped your kids and likewise. And so I think that’s right. I was just – you’re right – my brain was just looking at the negative stuff when I heard that.

Rebecca Heiss: Which is totally natural. Right. That’s exactly what you’re supposed to do. So thank your brain and then you know, and then say, okay, well what else is there? What else? What else actually actually pass along. That’s that’s powerful. That’s good. Yeah.

Alison Martin: Also. You met your husband? Boyfriend?

Rebecca Heiss: Husband.

Alison Martin: Yeah, on a plane.

Rebecca Heiss: And that’s the best story.

Alison Martin: Okay, but wait. He’s the guy that it will have to interview people for a job. And if the first one comes in and is it? I was like, I love this guy. Yeah.

Rebecca Heiss: Yeah. I mean he’s an all in kind of guy. Right? He’s like here’s the boxes. This ticks the box I’m not going to maximize I’m not going to look for the the Barbie girl with an IQ of 400 who’s going to be out saving the world. You know what, Rebecca ticks the boxes. Let’s do this. So thank goodness I got lucky there. I think, um, I got really lucky. He’s pretty incredible. I forget exactly how much I told in the book about that story, but met me on the plane, proposed to me on the plane. Um, no, it’s pretty special.

Alison Martin: That’s amazing.

Rebecca Heiss: Oh, I didn’t tell you that?

Alison Martin: No. All you say is, what’s his name, Dr. Jovan or…?

Rebecca Heiss: Devins.

Alison Martin: Now you got to tell us.

Rebecca Heiss: All right, I’ll tell you because it’s a great story. So I give up my seat so a couple can sit together. I was flying to California to give a speech, and he was flying to Kansas City to go to a meeting. So we were both flying out of, out of Greenville, South Carolina, which is where we live. We lived about ten minutes apart at the time, and I’d given up my seat. So this couple in front could sit together and I’m like, Karma’s already rewarded me, right? The seat next to me is empty. I’m like, yeah, this is great. Starting to stretch out because it’s a 6 a.m. flight and putting my earbuds in and last minute, this tall, handsome Irishman comes and plunks down beside me. Now I’m like, it’s 6 a.m. I’m not a big plane talker. Anyway, so I’m putting my earbuds in and then he starts up this conversation and he’s got this really thick, beautiful Irish accent. And I’m like, okay, all right, I’ll talk with this guy. And an hour and a half into the flight, he asked me to dinner and so we agreed to dinner. A week later, we’re both back home. We go out to dinner. The dinner is incredible. It lasts like six hours. And as he tells it, the next day he went out and bought a ring and two tickets for the exact same flight, the exact same time, the exact same seats, six months to the day. And he proposed to me on that flight. And it’s it was definitely.

Alison Martin: That’s amazing.

Rebecca Heiss: Yeah, it’s pretty romantic, right? Yeah it is. He did well. He did well.

Alison Martin: And did you know?

Rebecca Heiss: Oh, instantly. I mean, I’m not I as extroverted as I come across, I’m a little bit of an introvert, and I like my little space on planes and just kind of just zone in and, um, and couldn’t stop talking with him. I mean, I texted my best friend right afterwards and was like, I just met the man of my dreams. It was it was pretty instant.

Alison Martin: So sweet.

Jean Trebek: That’s a little bit like your story, Alison… when you met Dan, you felt immediately

Rebecca Heiss: Oh, that’s so special.

Alison Martin: My husband and I are actors. And years before that, I had been in a bad, bad, bad relationship. So I was at home at my mom’s house, and I watched a TV commercial and it’s this guy with these sons and I said, why can’t I find a guy like this? Why can’t I find this type of a guy? And my mom says, because it’s a commercial. Like that was years years later, I’m at my soon to be husband’s house, and he’s cleaning out to move in with me. And I pop in his reel and he’s the guy in the commercial.

Rebecca Heiss: Oh stop it.

Jean Trebek: I love that.

Rebecca Heiss: See, I don’t think the universe makes mistakes, I really don’t. I think that was that is incredible. You know? And that’s you probably met at the right time. You probably weren’t ready for each other before. Had to go through some things, learn some things and wow.

Alison Martin: It’s pretty it’s pretty great.

Rebecca Heiss: That’s incredible.

Jean Trebek: Well, I wanted to, Rebecca, would you share with our listeners? Sure. The fact that you say the brain cannot differentiate between real and what’s not real, the story you tell it. I think that’s so important. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Rebecca Heiss: Absolutely. I’ll tell a story, a science story first to help illustrate it. So one of my favorite pieces of research of all time is this group of housekeepers that was split into two different conditions and in one condition, the researchers told the group nothing. And the other condition, they simply told them that they were meeting the Surgeon General’s requirement for exercise. Okay, so this is literally just words being said. And after four weeks time, they found a massive difference between the two groups, despite the fact that there had been no changes in heart rate or steps or diet. All of that’s factored out of the analysis. But the group that was simply told that they were meeting the Surgeon General’s requirement for exercise had lower weight, lower blood pressure, lower body fat, lower waist to hip ratio, and a lower body mass index. Now, I’ll tell your listeners, right now, I read that study and I was like, you’re an athlete. You’re an athlete. You’re an athlete, right? I’m like, working hard to tell my brain the story I want it to hear. But I think it speaks to just how often we’re very dismissive of the placebo effect. We’re like, oh, well, that’s just the story your brain is telling… Then like, yeah, it’s really, really powerful. It’s creating neural circuitry and wiring your brain to specifically see and feel and interact with the world in a specific way.

Rebecca Heiss: So our brain is creating reality all of the time, and there’s all kinds of really interesting visualizations and studies we can talk about. But probably the easiest one for people to recognize, as long as we’re talking about love and and meeting the love of our life, right, is it’s called the honeymoon effect. When you first meet that person you love for the person you loved or it doesn’t have to be your love now or it can be. We won’t tell. But think about that person. Think about that person. Think about when you first met that person. Now, you could have been going through the absolute wringer, right? It could have been pouring down rain. Your boss might be screaming at you. You get in a little car wreck like it’s a nightmare. But that’s not what you’re thinking about, right? You are like, high as a kite. Life is amazing because all of your focus is on love, right? And that effect is so powerful, I think, in demonstrating how much we control our own reality, how much the stories we’re telling ourselves create this experience of either wow, abundance and life and hope and excitement or oh my gosh, I cannot believe I have to get through this day again. And it’s a it’s a pretty powerful testament.

Alison Martin: Yeah, that’s that’s amazing. I don’t know how to word this. Do you practice manifestation? Do you know what I mean?We were inundated with the secret. You talk a little bit about manifesting. I would love to hear what you think.

Rebecca Heiss: Yeah I’m a big fan of manifesting actually. And I always put a little asterisk there. I’m like for scientists and skeptics because I was like, this is all woo woo. This is garbage. I don’t I don’t believe any of this. And then of course, had to, you know, had to go to the science. And I’m like, oh, uh, there’s actually a lot here. Holy smokes. This makes a whole lot of sense. So do I practice manifesting? Absolutely. And here’s what I’ll say. All of us practice manifesting. You may not do it intentionally, but you are manifesting all the time based on what you’re focusing on, right? Where is your brain pulling you? And unfortunately for most of us, it’s pulling us towards the negative because the negative stuff is the stuff that can kill us and our brain is really, really aware of that. So, consciously pulling ourselves out of that and focusing on the positive, focusing on the opportunity, focusing on the hope. I think that’s an act of of visualization, of manifesting. So I do a lot of visualization. Um, the simplest one is just in, in public speaking. So I’m on the circuit. I do a lot of, I do a lot of presentations from stages. And if I told you that I wasn’t nervous before I went on every single time, I’d be a liar. Right? Like every single time my heart rate starts to pound, I sweat, my mouth dries up, I get a full on stress response, and I work through visualizing myself on the specific stage, looking out at all of the individual’s faces, seeing their smiles, recognizing that they’re they’re picking up what I’m putting down right and seeing the changes that that are happening.

Rebecca Heiss: And as I do that I can calm down and I can kind of live the experience that I’m about to have so that when I go on stage, it’s like going through the motions. It’s my brain already has laid down the foundation of what I’m going to experience, and so it’s a lot easier to just fire those neurons. Then I’ll warn you that, you know, if you do the opposite and you’re like, oh, I’m going to fumble, I’m going to mumble, I’m going to screw it all up. Yeah, you’re likely manifesting that as well. So it’s work and I think so much of that is just consciously working with your brain, with your biology, thanking it rather than getting frustrated, like, thank you, I know you’re protecting me. Um, it’s weird for your listeners that can’t see me. I literally will pat my brain and like, pat my head. I’m like, oh, you’re taking care of me. I know, I just don’t need you right now. Thank you. I know you’re protecting me, but we’re going to do some we’re going to do something good.

Jean Trebek: Yeah, the thing is to actually do the work. It’s great you hear these beautiful tips that you give… but it comes down to actually doing it, you know?

Rebecca Heiss: So it’s still work. Yeah. I mean there’s a really cool study on visualization. And like they had people visualizing exercising. So like visualizing doing bicep curls and they actually grew their biceps y’all. Like they grew their biceps by visualizing. And I’m like this is amazing. I never have to go to the gym again. But actually it’s just as much work because you still have to go through the motions and really work at it. It’s just a different kind of work. So yeah, it’s work. It’s work. You got to take the actions.

Alison Martin: Aside from like public speaking, where you might get nervous, but it’s something that you are doing. Do you still find yourself occasionally in places of fear?

Rebecca Heiss: Oh. Every day. Every day I’m in fear. And I think, um, you know, as a stress physiologist, so often people come to me and they’re like, oh, tell me all your secrets. You must have no stress and no fear. And I’m like, no, no, no, no. I have so much fear. And the reality is I get to feel it. And I think so often what we do is we push it aside and we push it down. We’re like, I’m not going to deal with it. I’m not going to think about it. I’m not going to worry about it. And instead what that does is it’s like telling our brain, don’t think about pink elephants. Like, don’t you don’t you think about pink? Alison- I see you think I see you… you got pink elephant just dancing around your head right now. And so I feel fear every day. I think the difference is I use it, I transform it, I allow it to fuel me rather than to hold me back. Because that fear in my life, I’m incredibly lucky. So in my life, I don’t feel like the fear is not going to kill me. You know, I don’t live in a war zone. I’m not being stalked by tigers. There’s very few things that come up that that are fearful, that are actual life and death situations for me. So when I reframe it and I’m like, well, what’s the cost of missing out? What’s the cost of inaction here? What if I don’t do it so often? Those are the bigger fears, right? It’s the regrets. The let’s go all in. Let’s give it a shot. What’s the worst that can happen or what’s the best that can happen? Right. Um, and that’s been a really powerful recognition for me, is that fear doesn’t go away. We just get to use it rather than have it use us.

Alison Martin: Jean laughs. Because we talked to all these people. And I’m always like, do you get upset? You know, like, are you like this all the time? I find that very comforting. I was hoping to that you could just talk a little bit about that incident at the restaurant.

Rebecca Heiss: Yes, I can talk so much about that.

Alison Martin: That is so common. And I myself have been attacked at knifepoint. And so when I read that, I thought, um, I found that such an interesting story because you were very honest about it. You weren’t like this hero that kicked him under the table, can you just talk about it a little bit?

Rebecca Heiss: Yeah, absolutely.

Alison Martin: So I’m sorry if this upsets you.

Rebecca Heiss: No, no, no, actually, I appreciate it. In fact, listen, I wish more people would ask about this. This is the thing that I want to be speaking about a lot more because it impacts so many women. And we just we don’t talk about it enough. So what Alison is referring to here is a story that I wrote about in my book about being in a restaurant and having a guy kind of slide in and put his hands on me. And instead of doing the things that we are taught to do as women in society here to fight, to flee, to run, to scream, to punch, to kick. I did nothing, I froze. And it’s sat with me like this massive guilt of this like second victimization of like, well, why didn’t you? Why did you allow that to happen to you? And I waited for my friend to come and rescue me. And it was so embarrassing. Because I’m sitting there like I’m a full grown adult. You can’t tell this, but I’m six foot. Like I’m six foot. I’m athletic. Like I can knock this guy out, but I don’t, and I don’t do any of this, and it drives me absolutely nuts. So this happened actually multiple times. And I think in the story in the book, I probably skipped skipped a few, but it wasn’t until my late 30s that this happened again, and it was a little bit more of a serious incident that it finally clicked for me. Because I’m a stress physiologist, I literally study stress, and I had never applied what we see in stress biology to myself and women, 70% of women- the number one response to stress is to freeze, because fighting typically is a poor choice, because men typically are larger than us and stronger than us. And I’m not trying to insult women. That is just biologically the case. They’re typically faster than us, so running away usually not the best option. So biology has really equipped us with this third alternative to a stressful situation with a potential predator, which is to freeze and appease sometimes looks like sitting very still and smiling. And that is a physiological response that just does not get overridden by me saying, oh, I’m just going to punch this guy. And so I think it’s so, so important for women to hear and know that it’s not your fault like that is. You cannot change that. That is that is wired into your biology. So be aware of it, forgive yourself for it, and think it’s just as essential that we train men to recognize this response as well, because so often they see a woman smiling at them and they’re like, well, she’s into me, right? This is this is not consent, unfortunately. Right. And then our programmed biologically wired for sexual overperception. So they think women are into them a lot more than they are. Sorry guys. That’s again biological programming. So you put these two situations together and you have a woman who’s frozen and perhaps smiling, and a man whose biology is basically organized to help him think that every woman is into him. And you’re creating absolute disastrous opportunities here for, for sexual assault and worse. So, yeah, it’s really important that we talk about the freeze response and understand it at a biological level.

Alison Martin: So you said, well, first of all, I think that’s so important because during MeToo when I was watching like all the stories coming up and I thought, you know, people would say, well, why didn’t you just leave the hotel room? And I’m like, that’s not that’s not how it happens. Maybe for some people that is and great. But for some people it that’s not how it happens.  So how did you how do you overcome something like the freeze response?

Rebecca Heiss: Oh, man, I wish I could tell you that it was just an easy thing to do. You can. Most of the time. And it is really painful training, right? It is visualization. It’s the same training that it takes to for us to shift any, any triggering wiring in our brain. And so let me ask you this. Actually consider this. Think about somebody throwing a piece of paper in your face. Right. And then don’t flinch. That’s what you’re asking people to do, right. When you’re asking them to override these, these physiological responses. Um, and is it doable. Yeah. Is it really, really hard. Absolutely. So you can do a lot of visualization of those specific scenarios, which is, again, really painful and very triggering for a lot of people. Um, and you can work towards moving out of the freeze response, but there’s no guarantee. Um, and in those heightened physiological states, we are not ourselves. You’re not using this frontal lobe. You don’t get an option to choose. It is just straight into survival mode. So so yeah, thank you for asking about that.

Alison Martin: The thing to take away for women is the guilt portion. I think when I was attacked, people said, well, what were you wearing? And I was like, what? I don’t even know. I couldn’t even understand that. So I think the real thing I want women to hear is it’s not… You don’t have to feel any guilt. No, this is not your fault.

Rebecca Heiss: You couldn’t have done it differently. You could not have done it differently. And your your brain and body were betraying you, but they were doing what they needed to do to help you survive. And I think that is so, so valuable to understand and recognize. Yeah. Thank you for asking that.

Alison Martin: Well, thank you for telling your story.

Rebecca Heiss: For sure.

Alison Martin: You look like you have a list.

Jean Trebek: Here are questions for you.

Rebecca Heiss: I love it.

Jean Trebek: Well, you know, I know we’re we’re getting a little bit close.

Alison Martin: We’re running or sorry we’re talking so long.

Rebecca Heiss: Please I love this. This is this is the highlight of my day. I love talking to bright women.

Jean Trebek: Okay. So let’s let’s talk about how important it is to own your fear.

Rebecca Heiss: Yeah, you say more about that.

Jean Trebek: You have a module about it. And in the module you use the Superman Kryptonite. And I love I love that owning your fear. My husband was a big champion. He say to my kids, own your sh*t, you know, own it. Don’t don’t project it. Don’t. Yeah. That’s that’s your Achilles heel, as you say. So, Rebecca. What? Want to talk about that a little bit.

Rebecca Heiss: Yeah, sure. Think. You know, self-awareness is so important and so valuable and so, so difficult because our brain, again, is trying to protect us. And it’s like, no, I’m amazing at everything. Why why would you ever ask me about my weakness? You know, my weakness is that I work so hard. No, dude. Everybody has a weakness and it’s okay. And I think the more we’re vulnerable and we’re open about. Hey, listen, you know, I’ll often take offense to things that I shouldn’t take offense to. Okay. If I know that about myself, and I share it with people. Then they can help me adapt. First of all, they’re going to be more sensitive when I do that and then react, right. They’re like, oh, I get it. So I talk about flaunting your Kryptonite. And the idea here is, you know, Superman, even Superman had Kryptonite. Even Superman has has some kind of weakness. And instead of hiding that, what if Superman had been, like, all right, world, you know, Kryptonite. It’s a real problem for me. Um, if he had done that immediately, everybody’s head goes to – well, then everybody knows how to kill him. Yeah. So there’s a handful of people that might abuse that, but there’s 99% of the world that goes – cool. We’re going to be on the lookout for that Kryptonite, and we’re going to warn you and help you when it comes your way. Um, so, like I always think of I don’t know why, but I always think of Wonder Woman, like, swooping in in those moments. And it’s like, don’t worry, I got your back, I see the Kryptonite. Um, I use Steve Jobs a lot as an example here, because Steve Jobs was an incredible leader by a lot of measures. But even Steve Jobs was very aware that his empathy scale was pretty low. And everybody knew that. And that was a huge flaunting of Kryptonite, because when empathy was involved, everybody’s like, Steve, get out of the room, we don’t get you’re actually hurting us, right? And that made him a very powerful human being that sort of recognition and flaunting of Kryptonite.

Jean Trebek: Yeah, yeah. And it’s really not about being a perfect person because there is no such thing.

Rebecca Heiss: Golly.

Jean Trebek: And I love that science and spirituality are championing – get away from being perfect. You know this is a fearful world. This is. But you can like you said, Rebecca, reframed certain things and have tools to navigate yourself through life situations so that you’re not a victim of it.

Rebecca Heiss: If you have to be perfect, the world is an incredibly scary place if you have to be perfect because look I mean like got wrinkles coming out. I got some gray hairs up there like. Heaven forbid I have to be perfect in every way. And I do think a lot of us fall into that perfectionist trap. And then it is an incredibly scary world. But I again, I like using people as examples. And Jennifer Lawrence is one of my classic examples here. We all everybody loves Jennifer Lawrence, everybody loves Jennifer Lawrence. Why? She gaffed, she falls at red carpet events, she laughs at herself because she doesn’t take herself all that. She doesn’t have to be perfect and we love her more for it. So again, keeping that in mind, realizing that like, if I have a booger hanging out of my nose right now, I’m sorry. But like, you know, it makes me human, right? Because we’ve all had those situations. And so instead of being so fearful of that, we can fear a little bit less. And it invites everybody else around us to do the same, like, oh, I can breathe a little easier now too.

Alison Martin: Could you tell us a little bit if you do you have a spiritual practice or is there something that you do that maybe you could just let us know? Because we just it’s so interesting how you’re like both.

Rebecca Heiss: Well, so I grew up in the church. My dad is a minister. Um, and I should say was a minister. He got kicked out of the church. And I’m super, super proud of him for for marrying LGBTQ community members, which. You know. Thanks, dad. So he set a really good example. What’s that?

Alison Martin: Wait, he was kicked out?

Rebecca Heiss: Yeah, yeah.

Jean Trebek: Wow.

Rebecca Heiss: So I feel like had a really good example early on in life of religion, spirituality and science. Kind of like all and finding the good, bad and ugly and in all of them and really picking and choosing what I wanted to to exemplify. So do I have a spiritual practice? I think, yeah, I think my spiritual practice is spreading joy. Um, that is truly my one goal in life. Honestly, I, I have a mission to spread happy. Um, and that is. And it’s just not that hard because I feel like when I, when I show up, like, just appreciating life and appreciating finding the joy, everybody around me reflects that back to me. And then it’s this absolutely addictive incredible. And it gives me chills. I find awe in the every day because of that. So to me, the, I guess, spiritual practice is recognizing that we are all one and we’re all reflections of one another. So if I’m seeing a lot of ugly and negativity in the world, I probably need to check in with myself and see what I’m putting out. Um, because it’s a beautiful, beautiful world that we have the privilege of sharing and the small, tiny moment in time that we all get to share together. So what a great opportunity to make it ours.

Alison Martin: I love that you say that.

Jean Trebek: You could not have wrapped up better when.

Alison Martin: When you write your next book. Can we talk to you again?

Rebecca Heiss: Oh my gosh, can I interview y’all for my next book? This is great. I love this.

Alison Martin: We’ll be your friends…

Jean Trebek: We’ll be like your guinea pigs.

Rebecca Heiss: That’d be great. Let’s just get together and drink wine and let the book write itself. I feel like that could.

Alison Martin: We would love that. You’re so great

Jean Trebek: You’re such a beacon of love and light and joy.

Alison Martin: I have to tell you, though, my favorite module is when someone scares you and you start laughing. And I love that you kept that in.

Rebecca Heiss: Well, you know.

Alison Martin: I played that a few times.

Rebecca Heiss: You know what? Life is goofy. We are goofy beings. I think more people need to show that side of themselves like we are absolutely ridiculous beings. So let it rip, let it rip. Thank you for that. I’m glad you liked that.

Alison Martin: Yeah, you were great and we’d love to like, you know, catch up with you again and, you know, likewise. Please stay in touch because you really are so special.

Jean Trebek: You are.

Rebecca Heiss: Oh, gosh. You all too. Thank you. This has been like, the highlight of my whole week. Thank you, thank you, thank you. This has been an absolute pleasure. I hope your listeners get something valuable out of it and that, and don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s anything that I can do to add some joy and some love to to y’all’s life.

Alison Martin: Break your leg on your Ted talk.

Rebecca Heiss: Thank you. I’ll do my best. I’ll play. I won’t break anything, but yeah.

Jean Trebek: Thank you. Rebecca.

Jean Trebek: It’s been a pleasure. Thank you, Alison, bye Jean. Great to see you all.

Jean Trebek: Take care. Bye. Cheers. Bye, guys.

Alison Martin: Okay, here we are.

Jean Trebek: Oh my gosh, she had so much to say. I could listen to her and talk with her all day.

Alison Martin: Her information is personal and yet science based, which I think is so important. You know.

Jean Trebek: And she’s so humble and she’s so authentic and vulnerable and she’s just an amazing woman. I love your conversation with her about the time that she was sitting in the booth at the restaurant, and this man came over. That was that was quite something.

Alison Martin: And so important for women and men to hear. I think it’s just very important. And also her lightness and her enthusiasm I found so infectious. Didn’t you like her energy?

Jean Trebek: She definitely was not like a scientist with, you know, she’s just she’s beautiful inside and out. She’s got so much joy. And she said that her motto is is it? Her motto is like sharing joy or happiness. I mean, what a beautiful motto.

Alison Martin: Yeah, just like ours. Right? Share the good. So if you have a chance, pick up Instinct or listen to her Fear(less) modules because they’re really, really worthwhile I think. Right?

Jean Trebek: Yeah.

Alison Martin: And now I think it’s time for us to get some sleep, a nap.

Jean Trebek: Have a great day. Bye.

Alison Martin: Hey, I think that’s it. Here we go.

Alison Martin: Okay. Say what you just said.

Jean Trebek: Oh, God.

Alison Martin: We want to get a vaccine for inside Wink, because we’re going viral. We don’t even really know what that means. That’s what’s so great about us.

Jean Trebek: That’s funny. I love seeing you laugh.

Alison Martin: Really? I feel very happy today.

Jean Trebek: Yeah, me too. Do you know why? Because we are interviewing Jill Renee Filler.

Alison Martin: It was actually because of Buddy. Oh, yes, buddy. Look, Jean’s daughter got a little puppy named Buddy, and we saw it yesterday. And I have to tell you, that little dog is a little piece of piece of work. We called him a little pocket.

Jean Trebek: He is the cutest little miniature Australian shepherd. And he is so perfect for Emily because she’s perfect. She’s just so wonderful. And this dog is wonderful.

Alison Martin: So and, you know, it’s a big change.

Jean Trebek: It is. I mean, sometimes you wonder, how should I have done this?

Alison Martin: And then everything changes and it seems to work out. It does. You know?

Jean Trebek: I think that’s something really good to remember, that things always work out.

Alison Martin: And things always change. There’s some times when you’re stuck in a feeling and you go, Oh, and then you realize, Oh, this is going to change, right? This is going to change. Okay, now who are we interviewing besides Buddy?

Jean Trebek: Oh, this beautiful friend of mine, Jill Renee Feller.

Alison Martin: Tell me a little bit about her. How did you meet her?

Jean Trebek: She was on a web seminar that I was listening to and that I still listen to John Burgos. And I just love Jill. I loved her out of the gate. And she is a really beautiful blend of practicality and owning your own spiritual sovereignty, not giving your power away, and all the while being very kind and respectful and loving.

Alison Martin: I actually loved this interview because she has strong ideals and beliefs and she’s positive and powerful. And I really I think you guys are going to enjoy this. So she’s amazing. Amazing. So so here she is.

Jean Trebek: So can you start from how you became interested in spirituality?

Jill Renee Feeler: Oh, there are so many ways to tell this story. And I’m guessing everybody that’s experiencing this can probably resonate with that. Let me just take a moment and try and describe it. I was and I’m still very right-brained, is the term that’s often used, very type-A, very achievement oriented, very competitive with myself type of person. And because of that, I have the ability to get kind of wrapped around the axle a little bit, high strung about things, overthink things. I don’t know if anyone here can relate to that.

Alison Martin: Not at all.

Jill Renee Feeler: There was a particular time, though, where I was very just uncertain about a different choice I wanted to make in my business career, my professional business career, and my sister in law, who’s much more open-minded about different ways of looking at things. She’s very she’s a novice, but very skilled at things like numerology, which I had never, you know, really taken an interest in, I’d never had an astrology reading or anything like that. So she’s over. We’re my husband and I and our kids were hosting probably like a Father’s Day or something like that. And she said, You look more stressed than usual. And I was like, Yeah, I’m trying to decide if I want to, you know, be the CEO of the screen company startup or if I’m going to stay in my perfect, cushy kind of startup corporate gig. And she goes, You should go see my psychic. And I was just thinking, Thanks, Julie. Like I was thinking in my head, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of, is what I’m thinking. But not saying right.

Jill Renee Feeler: I’m polite. Um, but lo and behold, a couple days later, I was thinking, what is the harm? Um, what could I lose by going to hear somebody else’s perspective? And it just I just, for whatever reason, became open minded about that idea. So I reached out to my sister in law and got that person’s name. I did get a session from that person and it was very good. It was very insightful. She was very wise about things. And her perspective was just really, really spot on.

Alison Martin: Um, wow.

Jill Renee Feeler: And remember, still some of the words that she said. She, she knew why I was there. She was not trying to guess, like, why I was there. She already knew. And she wasn’t pretending, you know, that she, that she was guessing that she said, But we meditated for a while. And remember, that was a very comical experience because I had never done that before. And I thought, what is she doing? I’m just sitting here. I’m supposed to be doing something. Um, and then eventually she started recording. And I have a similar handheld recorder now that I use all these years later. And she said, You know, anyone can be the CEO of that startup company, Jill, but no one else can be the mother to your daughters. And my kids were little. They were like five and two, I think, at the time. And I was just like, Oh, did not expect that answer. And she wasn’t being like, you know, anti-feminist or anything like that. She was just telling me what I needed a reminder to hear.

Jill Renee Feeler: And I’m still embarrassed that I needed that reminder, but I needed that reminder. So there was so much more that she just was very, um, every all the information she gave me was so relevant and so insightful. So I was already kind of giving her a lot of credibility. And then she said, You’re incredibly intuitive, like you’re really connected to the Jesus and the Mary Magdalene storyline, and you’re not even tapping into that. And I was just thinking, what is she talking about? You know? But it did it. That was kind of like a crack in my doorway of what was possible. And within weeks, I would say paranormal sort of things started to happen. My youngest one was reading my mind, demonstrating telepathy, um, in ways that were completely just obvious. Um, and it really kind of took my world in a lot of ways, but I didn’t want to let go of what was before my, my opening to this and to a broader way of looking at myself was not based on hitting rock bottom. It wasn’t based on an identity crisis. Right? So and I don’t want to discount the relevance of that for other people, but mine wasn’t like that. Um, so I don’t have that Byron Katie kind of story, right. Um, but I like it that I was sort of intact in a lot of ways, but was also missing out on a lot at the same time. So my journey into this wider version of myself wasn’t giving up anything that I was, but it was adding a lot to what I am. And that worked really well for me.

Alison Martin: And how did that look for you like? What is in your toolbox now that wasn’t there before?

Jill Renee Feeler: A lot. I’ve had so many practitioners you know channelers, mediums, intuitives, readers, healers now consult with me that they are reaching out to me for advice and wisdom and insight and support. Now I can see that my journey is unique, that I, I wanted my brain wanted to get perfect at these things and learn from all these people and read all these books. But it was a small part of me and there was a bigger part of me just really. It’s almost like self advising. Do not follow the path of other teachers. Figure this out on your own practice experiment. Be curious. Stay curious about how you are connected in these ways. And I did feel this really strongly and I’m getting goosebumps as I think about it. Be willing to disagree with even the most popular teachings you come across.

Alison Martin: Wow.

Jill Renee Feeler: Not to be adversarial, but to expand the choices of of how we can feel the connection to source and to God that we are. So that has served me well.

Alison Martin: That that must have been a little nerve wracking.

Jill Renee Feeler: It was. But yet, I think because I’m such a perfectionist and, you know, follow the, you know, dot the I’s and cross the T’s in so many other parts of my life… It actually felt fun to do this in a more curious, experimental, you know, color outside the lines sort of framework that I was giving myself freedom to do that in… Not reckless because I’m still a very responsible- my values and integrity and never wanting to steer somebody wrong but also willing to say my piece while respecting other people’s opinion to hear me, but also disagree with me. That I’m okay with that and that I actually encourage that if somebody disagrees with me. So that was it was actually fun, Alison, in so many ways because in a way, I felt like I couldn’t get it wrong as long as it felt like growth, love and positive intentions and a win win opportunity for everybody.

Alison Martin: Oh, that’s great. That’s great. It sounds like it would be freeing.

Jean Trebek: I was just going to mention that I think that is the real nugget – to not go with what everyone else is doing. I mean, if that is true for you. But to go – I don’t really feel that that’s right for me. And being able to stand on your own two feet and not make anyone else wrong but just honor that place within you that feels that way.

Alison Martin: Exactly. Jean. Jill, are you a channeler or are you a psychic? Are you all those things? Do you even put a label on things?

Jill Renee Feeler: I do what channelers do. I have always felt it as it’s a wider range of me as source that I’m connecting with. So to me it didn’t feel like an entity or an energy field that was separate from me. It felt like an extension of me. So I understand that that’s a bit unique compared to how some popular channelers do it.

Alison Martin: Yes, because I think sometimes at least some people that I’ve read about or that we’ve interviewed, it’s almost like it has it could have a name or be outside. I don’t think they think it’s outside, but it feels like a name and almost like a different. So I love that you’re saying that it is an extension. Do you do you think everybody or everyone could do this?

Jill Renee Feeler: No, sadly, I really wanted that to be true. Because it’s clear how many people want to be able to feel as masterful about some of the strengths and abilities that I have demonstrated mastery in. But it’s clear to me that, well, guess one evidentiary way of looking at it is if more people had strength in it, they wouldn’t be studying for years and years trying to acquire these gifts. It would just be there. So I think there are some people that just have a natural voice, right? They’re just a natural vocalist. And then there are other people that are still working with vocal coaches. 20 years on, still not confident enough to sing, even in a church choir, right? So just kind of look at it like that. To me, it’s not better than or more evolved than I don’t put this on a spiritual evolutionary path, linear path at all. And I’m, I don’t want to say frustrated, really disappointed that so many people do because just because they may not have a propensity for some of these strengths does not mean they’re any less evolved as soul, as spirit or as they’re human.

Alison Martin: Right. I love that because I think sometimes you read a lot of websites that say anyone can do this, just tap in, you know, anyone. You’re kind of like, no. For instance, I can’t sing. I have friends that can sing beautifully and there it is, you know?

Jill Renee Feeler: And you probably, to continue this analogy, you probably don’t feel less than whole and complete because you don’t sing. And yet in spiritual communities and in consciousness communities and self-help communities, that is such an issue. There are so many people that, in my opinion, give channelers or healers or readers way too much credit in terms of, Oh, well, they can do that, so they must be further along, they must have be closer to God. They must. There’s a lot of assumptions that are baked into that, to the disadvantage of the sovereignty of that individual. And to me, that’s a really big disadvantage.

Alison Martin: It’s like a specialness that you think we’re all special, but we all have different gifts.

Speaker4: Yeah, there.

Jill Renee Feeler: Yes, I remember teaching a class. It was in San Francisco a long time ago, um, probably ten years ago. And this…we’re still friends today… and she said, Well, Jill, we can’t all be special. And I remember just saying, why not? Not special doesn’t have to mean less than 100% of the population, but special implies value. Oh, I want everyone to feel special. Right?

Jean Trebek: There’s this great quote that I don’t know who said it, but we’re either all special or no one’s special. Not all of us can be special, right?

Jill Renee Feeler: But I get that the human brain is so regularly, um, placing someone else ahead of themselves. There’s such an emphasis, and it’s that whole grass is always greener, right? So, part of my strength is the ability to see where the brain is deceiving the individual, the client at their disadvantage, right? And holding them back from trusting themselves, from being curious, from expansion, from exploration of more than they are.

Alison Martin: Right. And I like on your website where you say you’ve done this forever and not not been healed…So I love that, that you’re just very, very honest. And, you know, you remind me of my niece, who’s a kindergarten teacher and all the kids in the classes that she has. From the quirkiest to the quietest to the loudest, you’ll say, Hey, what’s that kid’s name? And she’ll tell you and she’ll say, Well, the great thing about them and it feels like to her, everybody’s special. Like there’s no level of – that kid’s a little too loud or that kid’s a little too quiet. And I love that you’re saying that.

Jill Renee Feeler: My favorite people do that. My favorite people make everybody feel special, not out of a trick or a con. It’s because they actually experience them that way. Right. I think that Jesus was that way. I feel like source energy in its purest essence is that way.

Jill Renee Feeler: It’s hard here. Right? So for anyone to help you feel like you are unique, like you have inherent value. I love that. And when that’s easy and I do feel like it is easy for some of us to give ourselves permission to do our part in offering that experience to other people, that we see them that way, to possibly help them feel that way more themselves if they do need some support in that area, you know, like everybody wins, those humans with insecurities end up being harmful to themselves and to others, whether it’s intentional or not, insecurities breed a lot of different kind of subversive thoughts. Subversive energies, subversive actions.

Jean Trebek: You have some amazing classes offered on your website. And I’ve taken, I think, a couple of them. Is there there anything you can share that you were like, oh my goodness, I never thought of of this reality that way?

Jill Renee Feeler: There are so many, Jean. Let me try and pick some of my favorites. Um, one that’s coming up right here is this idea that there are energies that incarnate without the intention of growth, without the intention of acquiring further consciousness or further evolution or expansion. There are actually energies that incarnate in this reality just to see what will happen without a growth or even positive objective. So that to me is very important for individuals in a beautiful community like yours to be aware of because it helps explain more of the people that we tend to come across in society… It’s not that they’re aimless, it doesn’t have to mean negativity. It just means they’re not as purposeful in – what are you doing to work better on yourself? What are you doing to make the world a better place? Right? They’re just kind of like, Why are you working so hard? It’s kind of how they look at people like us. Like, wow, you could just be chilling here, you know? Right. And that conveys nothing about the knowledge and wisdom and breadth and depth of their soulfulness, the fact that in this incarnation that we may be encountering, they may seem like they’re literally like a college kid on vacation perpetually and may never go back to class.

Jill Renee Feeler: So that’s one thing that was a big aha for me. Another one that comes up is that as incarnated energy, we can be more than one soul. We can be sort of a pantry full of accessible source energy that we may or may not pull from all those items on the pantry. I don’t know how many of us are like that, but…What if it is a huge number? But what if it’s everybody? And especially in a community like yours, what if almost everybody in this community actually has access to everything that Jesus was? And what if that doesn’t offend Jesus? What if that makes Jesus excited? That you could be what I was and more. You could be what I was. Well, to me, Metatron is an incarnate energy. But some people may disagree with that. But let’s pick Quan Yin. You could be everything that Leonardo da Vinci was and more. There’s such a limitlessness in that whole idea. So that came through for me when I heard somebody say that they were the reincarnation of I think it was like Edgar Casey. And immediately my inner knowing was, Well, that’s not true. I mean, they don’t own Edgar Casey. You know?

Alison Martin: Right.

Jill Renee Feeler: And it’s just kind of like, how does that work then? And then I realized there’s like this funnel sort of energies that we can be. And it’s in that original composition of each of us, where we get to kind of play with a lot of sort of known beings and non known non-named sort of energies. Um, and that it’s a nice kind of collaborative effect.

Jill Renee Feeler: And…No one had to incarnate. No, no energies had to incarnate. There’s growth and contentment, there’s satisfaction far beyond this reality and far beyond any incarnation. So no one had to incarnate and therefore no one has to reincarnate. And that one was a still a mind blower for me because it’s so counter to what the vast majority of spiritual practitioners are involved in.

Alison Martin: So. So can you expand on that a little bit for me? So.. Do you think there is a “someone”? First off, do you know what I mean?

Jill Renee Feeler: Yeah, I do. I prefer to consider that “the all that is” as source energy is beyond space and time. Right? So it’s, it’s almost like it’s beyond one in a way has a delineation to it in my heart and in my conception of it. So to me “one” even has a space time kind of component to it. Um, but I do believe in, if you will, a higher power, a benevolence that is all energy and that that often doesn’t show up that way, doesn’t look that way in this reality.

Alison Martin: And that we are all a part of that love and benevolence.

Jill Renee Feeler: You can’t not be a part of that love

Alison Martin: Because it’s all that is.

Jill Renee Feeler: Yeah.

Alison Martin: And so do you think yeah. You know, we have a group of women that meet and talk about this sort of stuff, which is really interesting. And we’re reading a book on physics and consciousness right now. And it’s so interesting because it talks about exactly what you’re saying that there is just this creative, constantly creative, as you said, benevolent force that is us, that we’re just like, you know, like one facet of the diamond. So I love that you say he does not own Edgar Casey, because I have heard so many people in groups say, you know, I was Cleopatra and I was King Arthur. You know, I was I was the guy with the horse.

Jill Renee Feeler: Maybe Cleopatra gets around.

Alison Martin: That is so true.

Jill Renee Feeler: Bless her. Bless her.

Alison Martin: She’s all over the place. You can’t keep her down. Yeah. That’s so funny. What do you do in your courses? Do you give readings? Do you help people? What do you do?

Jill Renee Feeler: The courses. And there’s so many at this point because there were so many different sort of nudges that I felt to share sometimes not not being exactly sure what was going to come through, but just setting a space for it and putting a name on it and an overall objective and just see what happens. So there’s well over 30. There might even be more than 50 courses that are on the website and some I’ve already made free just on like a podcast A podcast used to be literally my top selling course and think it was June of 2022. I was just led to give it away for free.

Alison Martin: So beautiful.

Jill Renee Feeler: Thank you. Um, but I’m not really a how-to kind of person, and I’ve noticed that from a business standpoint that doesn’t serve me well because how-to classes are very, very popular. How to clear your energy field, how to activate your Kundalini, how to activate your 29th strand DNA or whatever that is. So how to classes are very clear and I know why because I get it. Why people sell them and I get it. Why people buy them. Because from the brain it’s like, I know what that is. And yes, I do want to know how to do that. And yes, I’ll do the course. Right? So mine are a bit maybe harder to understand, but I have found consistently that individuals that participate in my course work, they are regularly expanded far beyond any of the Library of How-To classes they’ve accumulated over the sometimes the decades of work that they’ve been doing. So they come away with a different state of self, which allows all of that how-to to have more room to sit. Because it’s clear to me that with some of the people that are newer to my work, when I ask them like how many, how many How-To classes have you done? And they’re like, I can’t even count. And I’m like, Well, how are you doing? And how those how-tos and their brains still isn’t giving them permission because their brain is still not rooted in a sense of self that already is source energy.

Jean Trebek: That is it. You know, That’s it. And, um, Jill, did you have a knowingness about your godliness, as you you call it, your soulfulness. Were you like in the market one day and holding a, you know, holding a broccoli head and I Am one with the Broccoli? What was your experience of… If you don’t mind…. Because I also know that you can’t get it through the brain… It’s beyond your human structure to actually become aware of the godliness you are. And most of us do operate and move through our world with just an intellectual… But I feel for you- you are deeper. Somehow your soul was either ready in this lifetime or whatever it was to awaken to more godliness. And that is what you’re sharing. Because my take away from you, Jill, has always been my sovereignty as a soul. I think that is what you’re always eliciting to everyone. Is that – you are God incarnate. Don’t sell yourself short. You know, you are that. We are that that we’re looking for. Right. Going back to you, Jill, did you you know what took it deeper for you?

Jill Renee Feeler: I do feel like it was part of the way I designed myself, and that has always been a theme of my work is in everything that I’m doing as that wider sense of myself that I often refer to in the in the sense of we, what we are always working for and towards is helping remind humanity what they are, which is source energy. You can’t not be source energy. Right. And I, I, I’m well aware and I’m very able to articulate how the brain gets that twisted, gets that confused, says, No, no, that can’t be right because. Or no, what about or let’s see, I can’t process that. So let’s just continue on this litany of how to kind of pathways. Um, I think if I really look back on it, I never had an existential crisis. I feel like there always was a part of me that just knew and didn’t have a reason to doubt it, didn’t have a reason to question it, but also didn’t really have an impetus to embody it or share it or inspire it within others and tell that sort of like a flip switch or like a, you know, a light in the closet that, Oh yeah, there is a light in this pantry. I forgot that that was there.

Jill Renee Feeler: That’ll make it a lot easier to see. And then you click it on and you’re like, Oh, wow, this is fun. This is different, right? But up until that, you know, so for 0 to 38 years, um, I can be very…Confident in spirit…Can be very disconcertingly clear if that comes across. I remember being as an adult, I read like 98% of the Bible in like eight months. A friend of mine invited me into this Bible study. We were just each individually kind of parallel doing a Bible study. And I kind of tend to go all in when I do certain things, not in a way that’s neglectful of other parts of my life, but just have the capacity to go really deep in certain things. And that was one. And I just remember being like, Oh, well, yeah. And this woman who invited me into this Bible study, (my youngest was probably one at the time, so that would have been 2003). She was saying something. She was still carrying around this thought of her savior story of how Jesus saved her and how she still has this sin. And I just remember looking at her and I’m only, you know, new to this in some ways. And I said, Well, I thought he died for that. Like, what are you doing? Right? And she wanted to be the the mentor.And I was supposed to be the mentee. And yet I was really calling BS on her storyline that she was at odds with the entire New Testament that she was believing in. And since then, I have a different appreciation for what Jesus really was about, what He was really here for, and what his life really meant and what it still means today. Um, and it is about dying. It isn’t about dying for sins and things like that. But I appreciate the that the Christian faith, that’s their story and they’re sticking to it. And it’s too risky for them to stay away from the Bible. So in so many ways, in my opinion, they’re worshiping the Bible and not worshiping God, but they’re very rigid. And I get why. Anyway, um, so my ability to be super clear about what feels right to me and why and being able to defend it in a way and it, it can be uncomfortable for some people that want it to just be more like, no, I want you to support what I believe. And I’m like, No, I support your ability to believe what you believe, but I’m not going to help you defend your beliefs if I think that they’re not serving you and the Godness that you are. I can be very opinionated about this, as Jean knows.

Alison Martin: I love it. You would have been a good CEO, too.

Jill Renee Feeler: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Alison Martin: So can you tell me what do you. You said your thought of Jesus has evolved. Where are you with that now? I’m so interested in hearing that.

Jill Renee Feeler: Oh, I’ve done some really. Those are some of my favorite series where Jesus comes through as the brother, as the best friend, as the one who wants to be the biggest champion of humanity. All of humans. Right? All of humanity, past, present and future. And that he did sacrifice a lot for the journey that he had. He knew it would be controversial. He knew he could be killed for it. He ended up being killed for it. But it wasn’t why he lived. It wasn’t why he was here. He was here because he had something very important to God to say to humans. He did that in a fire and brimstone Old Testament sort of way in a lot of expressions of him. And yet he was so devoted and so likable and yet unlikable at the same time. So this kind of rose colored glasses view of him that he was only, you know, the soft kind, you know, gentle one with the lamb and the children sort of thing. He was very intimidating and he did have a temper. And his temper was not pretty. Right. So my evolved sense of him is that he’s far more accessible today. I know Jesus so much better now than I ever did as a devout Christian. And I don’t say that with contempt for Christianity. I say that with hurt in my heart that those that claim to defend him don’t even know him personally, except through a supposed book that was supposedly blessed by these individuals that supposedly knew him and supposedly spoke for him.

Jill Renee Feeler: It’s it’s just heartbreaking in a way that they don’t have more than what we all deserve in terms of that sense of. We are so loved beyond measure. There’s nothing that we could do that would cast us out of God’s grace and God’s love. And to me, that’s what His life is about. But you wouldn’t know it by a lot of the modern day interpretation of Christianity. And just I feel like he is frustrated by that. I feel like it’s just like, Oh, seriously? You know what I mean? Like, he’s like, Oh, you know what I mean? Yeah. So I love the humor that comes through when I’m when I’m allowing that layer of, of us to come through. Um, and I love how. Yeah, he’s very humorous, very, um, charming, very welcoming. And so. So, yeah, I don’t know if I can explain it better than that, but Jean, one of the, my favorite series that I know you and I were both a part of is the Mary Magdalene series, where Mary and Jesus were both coming through with such… You could just feel their love for each other. You could feel their love for us. And it does. It resets our rhythm in a way that is so calming and so affirming. It’s so connecting.

Jean Trebek: Yeah, I remember. Jill. You brought through Mother Mary. And my big takeaway from that was when she says, you know, it’s been told that you can’t love another truly without loving yourself. And she was like – I’m not I’m not all on board with that saying. You can absolutely love another and still struggle with your own self-acceptance. And I remember when I heard that, I thought, oh, that is so beautiful and liberating because there are times that I don’t love myself. And yet I go, oh, you know, I’ll doubt – well then can I love Alison or love Matthew my children or… And when she said that I thought that rings true for me now.

Jill Renee Feeler: That was huge And thank you so much for remembering that, Jean, and for offering it in this context that that one is still. That’s such a big one. I completely agree.

Alison Martin: I think it’s amazing that because I totally agree with you. I totally agree that like, I get the sense sometimes that people oddly forget that Jesus like was walking around. He was an incredibly dynamic person. But he was a person. Like, it wasn’t like, you know, like a UFO landed and, you know, and that’s the thing. I think God and spirit and energy wants to have all these experiences, wants to live and flourish. And I think that’s why people say- Why is it so? I don’t believe in God. Because there wouldn’t be anything bad going on if there was a God. And, you know, like, do you have a thought about that? Because I know what I think. But I would love, you know, that they say, well, how could a God do X if there was a God? How could X be happening? What do you what do you think about that?

Jill Renee Feeler: Thank you so much for asking that question because it is questions like that that an atheist or agnostic would would ask or their regular kind of counter moves, like in chess of theology or even philosophy that I actually love the most, because it’s sometimes those questions that I haven’t struggled with or I haven’t even thought about, and these answers just pop out from within that are just like, Oh, that’s a good answer. And to watch somebody be satisfied for the first time and maybe five decades of that being their best, their best checkmate. And you’re like, Actually, I have an answer for you to consider, right? And it’s not that answer, but I love to offer my answer. And if it fits for them and if it’s useful to them, wonderful. And if it’s not, that’s okay. Right? So my answer to that, and I’ll try and describe it as best I can, I think I’ve taught entire classes. I’ve probably talked for two hours on just that. Um, but if I were to summarize. Source energy was curious. Source energy is curious. And that implies, if you will, not all knowing that there are things that source energy is comfortable – I wonder what would happen if. Not knowing what would happen. And this reality, literally all of space and time version of this reality, was created within the context of “I wonder what would happen if I didn’t feel like me and if there were individuations of source energy”. And there was different knowings and different not knowings. And different strengths and different weaknesses. And what if it was created in the context of not even knowing what you are as source energy? What if there was a place where we didn’t know we are source? And we didn’t know what would happen. We as source designed it in love and positive intentions. And what we found out was that in the midst of this…  I don’t want to say “experiment” like we’re lab rats because we are the creator and the creation and we’re creating. Right? So we’re we’re both at the same time, but we’re in the experiment of space and time going, Oh, wow, guess we didn’t think about the fact or we didn’t predict that when Source Energy has created an individuation a self to be and it doesn’t know its source and therefore it doesn’t maybe know unconditional love in its incarnation, it can do awful, horrible things that don’t look godly at all. Right? And then we’re all like, oh. Yikes. Like that hurts. That hurt them. That hurt this person. That hurt me. That hurt someone I love. This is dangerous here, right? So an incarnation on Earth comes with a huge warning label, right? Is Look, I know you’re really, you know, excited about this incarnation. You’ve designed this you that you get to be, and you’re really excited you’re going to go on vacation, it looks like, because you don’t really have a lot of goals. Okay? You don’t even want to learn, like, more than one language. Okay, that’s good. That should be easy. But just be careful down there because you never know what’s going to happen. Even Source Energy doesn’t know what will happen. This reality is risky. So for me, the risk mitigator is that as our source energy, we’re always intact. We’re un-harmable as our source energy. And we would have never designed it any other way. Right. Right. So. There’s a lot of ways to explain that. But that to me is sort of the explanation I like best, is that this isn’t when something horrible happens in this reality, to me it is not God energy saying, Well, you had that coming to you.

Alison Martin: Yeah, you blew it.

Jill Renee Feeler: That’s karma. You deserve that. Or you did that in another lifetime. So that having to happen to you here, there’s all these rationalizations that different theologians and philosophers and practitioners, spiritual teachers have come up with. And to me, when I hear those explanations, I’m like, I disagree. It to me that’s not true. And here’s why. It doesn’t even make sense to me why that would be true. But I get it that it’s sort of a when I tell people like I don’t believe in karma, they’re like. I don’t understand. What do you believe? If you don’t believe in karma, I believe this s-h-i-t. I don’t know if you guys swear on this Podcast. Shit happens for no reason with no warning, with no causation. It just happens, right? Without logic or reason. So when shit happens to me, the last thing I do is, Well, what’s going on here? What’s the message? What’s the sign? What does this mean? What is this shadow? What is the… I’m not looking for meaning in every little thing in this reality because so much of that happens in this reality and that’s offered in this reality and that we experience in this reality had no meaning.

Jill Renee Feeler: And to me, when people doubt that, I’m like, okay, think if somebody follows you around with a camera today, think of how many things you did without intention, without specific meaning. Can you imagine ten people on a panel decoding every single thing you did as if it had meaning, right? Well, she’s brushing with her right hand again. So clearly her left hand does not brush her teeth because she never uses her left hand. So there we go again. You know what I mean? It would just be it would be ridiculous. We would be laughing at the implication of meaning in every little thing. So the idea that there’s this grander application that, well, maybe not everything we do has meaning, but certainly everything in the universe has meaning. I’m just like, Wow, that’s very, very…That has a lot of problems with it, right? So this became more clear to me the more I was doing client work. And I was so heartbroken by the clients that had cancer for the second or third time, and they’re just like. I need to know what the lesson is. Because clearly I’ve done something wrong again. Because I have cancer…for The third effing time. Yeah. What am I missing? And I’m like, Oh, okay, you’re personalizing this. That you had this coming to you, that this was somehow a contract that you made, that you can avoid getting cancer by having learned certain lessons, by living in a certain way. And then I just pause as I reflect and connect with their, if you will, elements of Source Energy. What do you want me to tell this beautiful being that is blaming herself again for something that she happened to get from a gene mutation, a genetic mutation cell, a mutated cell that just is able to proliferate, which is what cancer is. Right. She’s making it about her. So then I just pause and I let the source energy use, you know, work with my Jill to offer what they want her to know, which normally comes across something as what if this is just a horrible thing? That you never deserved. That you don’t deserve that. We’re sad about, too. And the grace. Then there’s room for God’s grace, right? And then the brain goes, Well, I hate that answer, but actually love that answer. And then they can use all of their energy field to doing what they can to beat it this time, to get better, to be loving of themselves and loving of other people and stop continually adding to the punishment that the cancer is already offering them. Right. And just let it be another effed up thing that can happen in this reality that is not personal.

Alison Martin: You know, I feel like jumping through this screen – Jean would know this – and hugging you because that has been my real pet peeve of mine when I’ve heard “sick mind, sick body”. And I go, I just don’t believe that. I believe, like, as you said, shit happens and then you have to lean in to love and not blame. And I’ve done something wrong. And I can’t believe you just said that so clearly you gave me chills. And it’s exactly, exactly what I what I’ve always thought. And you really just validated it for me. So thank you so much.

Jill Renee Feeler: You’re so welcome. Love to put into words or to try to put into words some of these very important things. Humans deserve really good answers to these things anI don’t like a lot of the answers that apparently I’ve been given in all these beautifully intended, designed disciplines and philosophies and religions. I love that there was attempts to provide important answers to these things. I just don’t like a lot of the answers that were given, and I’m not mad at anybody about it. I just wanted more items on the menu. I wanted more answers to be on the menu so that people have better choices.

Jill Renee Feeler: I don’t I don’t care what people choose. I really respect the sovereignty of each individual. But when I look at a menu of options to answer those important questions and I’m like, I don’t think any of those are going to help somebody feel closer to the God energy they are. And its love and its grace and its compassion and its originality and its gloriousness, right? So that’s my goal. That that’s a great menu item is one that does all of those things. Because when an individual is acting more as the gloriousness of God that they are, everybody wins…everybody wins. And that is not about perfectionism. That is not about idealism. And my brain had a hard time with that because my brain was like, well, how how are you? How how is it possible that I do have gifts and this, this and this, and I’m still not great at that, that and that, right?

Jill Renee Feeler: And I’m like, I don’t know, I don’t know. But it just is. So my view was able to give myself the grace and compassion that I’m not pretending to be perfect in A to Z, but I know what I’m really, really good at and I’m okay that I’m not great at everything. I’m not trying to be great at everything. And I feel like that’s another liberating kind of idea within spirituality and consciousness that I wish more people knew about. Even impatience. I remember being hard on myself because I was impatient and finally that what I call my team, that source energy range of myself was like, Well, if you were patient, you probably wouldn’t be as impulsive about just spitting out ideas of wisdom that just come to you from nowhere within yourself, right? If you were patient, you probably wouldn’t be sharing. You probably wouldn’t have all the classes you have. You probably wouldn’t have had the three books. You probably would have never started your YouTube channel in 2009. Right? So your impatience is serving you well. You have a lot to say and your impatience helps you get to really good stuff before a patient version of you would have ever gotten to. Right? Is it messy in ways? Is it maybe. Could I have said it better? Could I be doing more books and that kind of thing? Yeah, 100%.

Alison Martin: Yeah. Yeah. I applaud you. I applaud you, Jill.

Jill Renee Feeler: Yeah, it’s a system that works. I know that.

Alison Martin: It’s great. You’re wonderful.

Jean Trebek: We’re so blessed that you said yes to our podcast. Jill, you’re. You’re just. Amazing. And I love you. And. What what what would be your answer to this question? Cake, pie or ice cream? What’s your favorite?

Jill Renee Feeler: Oh, that’s such a hard question. You made this really hard. I think pie. I’m a big pie person. I do love ice cream, but normally I don’t have ice cream, just plain. And my husband teases me about this all the time because you’ll never find me with just a bowl of, like, vanilla ice cream. It has to have something in it, right? Chips or something. Sprinkles, even something. Some texture to go with the rest of it. So pie always has that diversity of texture, which I really like.

Speaker4: I love that.

Jill Renee Feeler: I love that I’m really analyzing this. I’m like, Well, you got the crust. You normally have more than one feeling in it, even if it’s chocolate cream pie because it’s got the cream on top and chocolatey pudding-ish part.

Alison Martin: That. I love that. You’re like, Oh, I can answer about Mary Magdalene. I can answer about the state of the world. But pie, cake or ice cream. You stumped me.

Jill Renee Feeler: Yeah. Pie.

Alison Martin: I love that. Great. So wonderful to talk to you. Thank you so much.

Jill Renee Feeler: Oh, you guys. Thank you. So and just blessings to everything that you’re doing. Jean, I hope I get to see you again soon. I missed you so much. That’s. I just really treasure our times together. And Alison, I hope, get to meet you in person at some point. I would love that.

Alison Martin: I would love that. Thank you so much, Jill.

Jill Renee Feeler: Thank you so much, you guys.

Alison Martin: Okay. I enjoyed her so much because she’s unwavering. She has an idea and a thought and a belief. And she says it even if it’s not mainstream, you know. She’s like a spiritual CEO.

Jean Trebek: Oh, I love that you.

Alison Martin: Here’s what I think. And, you know, I want to hear what you think.

Jean Trebek: I want to hear what you think as well. And not my way is the only right way. But here’s something I offer you to kind of open up your… there could be another way to think about this. And whatever feels right to you is is awesome.

Alison Martin: Right? I think what you just said makes me realize I like it when people give me a new thought that makes me reconsider what I had been thinking. Because then I realize there were a lot of options to getting closer to my God self, to my higher power, to nature. There’s a lot of options open, right? That’s what I really liked…some of her thoughts I really hadn’t heard.

Jean Trebek: Right. And how much courage that takes to just speak your truth and I’m sure Jill at times has felt a little- if I rock the boat, so be it. And, you know, to thine own self be true. But she’s just wonderful. And I also love that she is a practicing real estate agent. And she also has this amazing gift of channeling. And also she does private sessions. She’s just an all around balanced, beautiful inside and out woman.

Alison Martin: I see why you like her, because you have a very similar thing. And yet you guys compliment each other. Well, you know?

Jean Trebek: She was the one I went on on the Egypt trip. Yeah.

Alison Martin: That must have been fabulous, right?

Jean Trebek: We were so blessed to have her.

Alison Martin: You were on the Nile.

Jean Trebek: I was on the Nile with Jill and my son Matthew and a whole host of other wonderful people.

Alison Martin: I have not been on the Nile.

Jean Trebek: Okay, well.

Alison Martin: I’ve been on the Harlem River when I was younger. That’s about it. Well, I thank you so much for listening. And that’s it. I just want to give another shout out to little Bud.

Jean Trebek: Yes, Buddy, Buddy.

Alison Martin: Okay. All right. Have a good day.

Jean Trebek: Bye bye.

 

Alison: Here we are… Hello, Jean.

Jean: Hi, Alison.

Alison: How are you?

Jean: I’m great.

Alison: We just spent ten minutes laughing at like, nothing. I just want to say it.

Jean: Yeah, that’s our natural facial exercise program.

Alison: That’s right. That’s all we do is laugh. And today we have such a treat because we talked to …

Jean: Tammy Simon.

Alison: Oh, my gosh. I’ve been listening to this woman and Sounds True and Insights From The Edge..all of that…I just I love her.

Jean: …for a long time. I think she’s one of the pioneers to really expose great teachers of metaphysics, of meditation, of health and wellbeing, mindfulness, etcetera. And she is herself really amazing teacher.

Alison: And I couldn’t wait to do it because when you listen to her, she’s very calming and she’s very present. And I was thinking, I wonder if she’s like that in life? And she is, right?

Jean: Well, she showed up that way on our interview. And she you know, she’s one of my favorite people that I go to when I want to find something to calm my mind or expand my consciousness. I do go to Sounds Tue. And she’s always been just a champion in that field.

Alison: Yeah, she’s she’s great… And she’s a dog lover! Yeah.  And, you’re going to hear in this interview a lot of noise going on.

Jean: That’s right. We have my dog Luna talk barking, right?

Alison: We have barking, we have gardeners, we have airplanes…. So it’s as if you’re in an immersive experience.

Jean: Exactly. That’s right.

Alison: It’s surround sound. So we hope you enjoy it.

Tami: (Dog barking a lot)….. Hi. Hello. Wonderful.

Tami: Oh, that’s the best part.( Dog continuing to bark)

Jean: And we know you wouldn’t mind hearing our dog….

Tami: So, Jean, you have to know how much I like dogs. Maybe you know that. And how much, Usually it’s my dogs that are barking, so thank you. I don’t care at all. I don’t care at all. The good news is my dogs can’t hear your dogs. So that’s the good news. Or we’d have a whole lot of commotion.

Jean: Yeah.

Jean: Oh, my goodness. Tammy, it’s so great to meet you.

Tami: It’s wonderful to meet you, too. I’ve been looking forward to this.

Jean: Really!

Jean: Ive have been a huge admirer of yours for a long, long time. I feel like we went to school together and…

Tami: Wonderful. Well, then old friends, Old friends being reunited. Here we are.

Alison: And your your voice has calmed me down more times than I can say.

Tami: Oh, wonderful.

Alison: Thank you so much. You are such an inspiration because you didn’t take the normal path, the traditional path. You didn’t start on o what would be considered the traditional path. You left college, you came and then were uncertain, got some money. And now, 30 years later, you’ve talked to the most inspirational minds out there. What washes over you when you think of that? That is, were you divinely guided? Were you…..

Tami: Sure.. Well, I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you this. So first of all, it’s been 37 years. Just in just in April it was 37 years. And I’m going to tell you this, I’m going to answer this question in an odd way, if you will. I just had breakfast today with someone who’s worked with me for 14 years, and she’s a very valuable employee, someone I really like. And she said, you know, Tammy, I’m thinking, God, I should probably at some point maybe leave Sounds True. Or otherwise I’ll have like, my whole resume will be I lived my whole life at Sounds True, and I’ll be unemployable someplace else. And what I said was, why are you buying into this status quo perspective about your job and employment? Forget it… The way that people are… So I think the reason this answer is your question is in general, when you said like bucked convention in general, when I look out at convention in regards to a lot of things, I don’t think it’s landed us in a particularly good place as a human civilization here in 2022. And we all see the the problems and challenges. So I think part of it for me has always been begin with a fresh sheet of paper, begin fresh, like don’t look outside and say let’s model ourself after and try to fit into something that’s clearly not working for the environment. It’s not working for tons of people, for many, many people. Do you know what I’m saying? So that’s that I think is part of my it was funny today just having this conversation because I thought this this was in me from when I was young.

Tami:  From when I started. Sounds true and it’s still in me, which is just because it’s been done this way doesn’t mean we want to do it. How do you want to do it? What’s actually important? What’s really driving you from the inside out? So as a young person, what was driving me was that I wanted to learn.. That was the biggest thing was I was so interested in talking to wisdom teachers. And the interesting thing, 37 years later, is I still want to learn. There’s no end, which I just think is such an interesting part of the spiritual journey. And it’s kind of like, you know, when I was very moved by a, long term relationship and intimacy, and I thought, you know, you never reach the end of it. Yeah. Like, it just keeps deepening and you keep discovering new things. And I think that’s also true on the spiritual journey, is that at least that’s been my experience, is people think there’s some end point and it’s like, Oh, now I’m a master or something like that. But that’s not my experience. My experience is there’s always something new to learn, some new way to grow. It’s like, Oh, I finally understand that. Or I get the nuance and the complexity that all three of these things are kind of true at once. That’s interesting. How can I be big enough to hold that? So what motivated me in the beginning, which really was a path of personal evolution and then sharing that with other people is still what motivates me.

Alison: Just your inherent curiosity.

Tami: Curiosity and drive to grow. Drive to grow and drive. To optimize. And this is something that I learned from a spiritual teacher, a gentleman named R.H. Olmos, that we have inside us this optimizing function as people. And I feel that like there’s something in me that wants to give more, that wants to serve more, that wants to love more, that wants to understand more. So yes, it’s curiosity. But the reason that I took it even further than that is curiosity can sound kind of, you know, you can be curious about new tastes and new smells and new countries and and that’s part of it is a curiosity, but it’s deeper. It’s like an inner drive, right? To to grow and serve more.

Alison: That’s beautiful.

Jean: That is so beautiful. And the platform of Sound True- Insights  at the Edge. Yeah. What a great platform that your soul created for you to, um. to do all this exploration. And much like, I mean, I wasn’t even going to talk about this, but much like my husband, Alex.  He loved people’s perspectives. Show me what you got. Show me what you got. And he created and with the help of a beautiful team, the show Jeopardy, where he that was his platform to really enjoy have that interaction. Um, and I think that is something that’s so satisfying to the soul. It’s probably why you and Jeopardy, Sounds True and Jeopardy have been around for 37 years. Yeah, it’s it’s beautiful and.. Okay, so Sammy was talking to Tammy. I’m so sorry.

Tami: People call me that all the time. For whatever reason, I don’t know why, but the S and the T because, you know, sounds true. And then it becomes like Sammy, Sammy time. And so it’s good.

Alison: ha ha ha

Jean:  So tell us, Bob( laughing),… What exactly… Ha ha ha

Jean: Was talking to my  daughter this morning and and she says, so mom, what are you doing today? I said, I’m interviewing this, this beautiful person. Tammy Simon from Sounds True. And she said, oh, she does all those spiritual talks and books. And I said yes. And right away I thought, I want to ask you, Tammy, what’s the word spiritual mean to you?

Tami: And it’s a really important it’s a really important question. And, There’s a big mystery under the word spiritual, which is why I like it. So a lot of times people are like, Well, we want evidence based mindfulness training and that’s good and that’s valuable. And we can see the science and we can see that we’re moving out of the default mode network in our minds. So I get all that and it’s very valuable. However, I think there’s a dimension of our inner experience that we can’t nail down. We can’t even fully articulate words for it in a definitive kind of way. Which is why often, like within the Jewish faith, they would go g-d know or the name that can’t be named. And there’s some dimension. And this is the dimension that’s most interesting to me. That’s mysterious. Yeah. And yet it’s So how could this thing that’s mysterious at the same time be of ultimate value? Like that’s my experience inside. Like, what’s the spiritual? It’s this mysterious nature of being, the essence of being, that is the ultimate value because it’s the thing I care the most about. When I think of what am I serving, what’s expressing through me, what feels like love that keeps growing and growing and growing and growing. That all feels like the spiritual to me. And yet any words you can use for it don’t quite do the job right. They don’t. It’s it’s never complete. And so that’s so to me the spiritual has all of that mystery in it. And that’s why I like the word, even though it means different things to different people. And it can be very confusing.

Jean: Yeah.

Alison: When I started on this path, I think the most interesting thing early on that I heard was the idea of pointing. You know, I am pointing to it because and that took me a long time to incorporate into myself to understand what that meant for me, because I’m very, you know, let’s do it. Here’s the paper. You go there, I go there. So the idea of something expressing in such a in such a like I’m going to say the word grand and grand is not the right word. And that the the idea that grand is just a pointer for something that I know. I know and yet we’ll never know. Yeah. Was so profound. I think it was, You know Reverend Reverend Mark, it just was amazing. Do you, um. Do you find that for you? Daily you are aware of miracles. Are they, Is it something that, Like I tried to picture what your day is like.  How does your spirituality and the idea because you talk a lot about what is the good that can happen today and where is the miracle? Is that consistent for you?

Tami: Well, first of all, this moment right now, us meeting. Is that a miracle? It’s pretty cool. It’s pretty awesome. Yeah. It’s celebratory. It’s sacred right here. And why is it sacred? Because all three of us are really present for it. We care, right? We all really care. Like our presence is here, participating, and it makes it a sacred moment. Do we have the opportunity for every day to have that quality for every hour? Yes, we do. And it doesn’t have to be because we’re meeting other people. We can be meeting ourselves and our own experience. And it doesn’t have to be because it’s fabulous and blissful. It can be disturbing and unnerving, but we can still feel the sacredness of it, the specialness of it. And then in terms of what my actual life is like, you know, I run a company with 150 people. I host a lot of things. So I have a lot of response abilities. And in my home life and I have lists of things that I’m working on and and all of that. And I think my approach is to always turn towards how I’m feeling. So even when it’s uncomfortable. So, for example, I woke up this morning and I felt something inside, inside my belly and my chest, and I couldn’t quite tell if it was anxiety or kind of like spacious openness or kind of both, But and I just I stayed in bed for a while and I just stayed with it. And I was like, What is this? And it’s kind of like the open potential of this moment of time has me feeling kind of unsettled and also really creative and kind of somewhat excited and somewhat terrified. And oh, this is so interesting. And it was like just being with that experience, turning towards it instead of away from it and honoring it. And it’s that honoring of the experience that’s also what I think creates the sacred moment. So you use this word miracle. And I guess I’d have to know a little bit more what that word means to you to maybe answer it more accurately.

Alison: But I think you answered it almost perfectly because I went through a time years ago where I thought miracles were special. I thought miracles were something that happened at some fountain to a little kid that saw Mary. Do you know, like I was very much in that whole Christian mindset. That’s where I was raised Catholic, right? And then as we started working on A Course in Miracles, I realized, oh, I, I’m. I’m, I’m it. Yeah. It’s not outside myself. And and so when I listen to you interview people, what’s interesting to me is because you always bring it back to the intimate and the personal, and that really reinforced that for me. And so this could not be a noisier interview.hahah (sound of planes)

Tami: It’s fun. It’s good. The miracle is like the miracle is the cacophony, the noise. I mean, that I think that actually part of it is in order to recognize the miracle, we have to not want it to be different.

Jean: That’s right.

Jean: And that’s like a really beautiful quote.

Tami: Yeah. And just to be okay with exactly what is. Because when you’re not in resistance to it, suddenly it’s kind of interesting, right? The sounds are interesting.

Alison: And the idea of judgment. This this was bad news. This was good news. Yeah. Letting go of that has been a huge leap for me.

Tami: Yeah, that’s a very, that’s a very evolved state to be able to see. You know.

Alison: Nine times out of ten, I’m not hitting it, but that one time that I’m allowed to really let myself be, you know, it’s kind of amazing.

Jean: Yeah,  Coming from a Course in Miracles, studying that very dedicatedly for maybe ..well I still do it. So, um, I think in The Course it says, that a  miracle is a shift in your perception. When the perception goes back, To this holy moment, right here, right now.

Tami: Exactly.

Jean:  This is then. Then it becomes that miracle. I’m sitting with Tammy Simon. I’m sitting with Alison Martin. I’m,.. Here we are. There was you know, here we are right here. Right now.

Tami: Yea..Luna’s with you. Yeah. And lying down I have this my favorite beverage which is matcha powder with oat milk with a little vanilla and maple syrup. Doesn’t that sound good?

Jean: Yeah, that sounds good.

Tami: So, you know, and I have my favorite pen. I love these precise. But, you know, it’s just interesting because a beverage, a pen. Right. Lined paper. Yeah. An Internet that’s working. Clearly. That’s a good microphone. I mean, I feel so happy with these things. Yes. With these items. And we each have our own little. Little things like that, you know. That’s right.

Alison: Yeah, that’s exactly right. If you had something to choose, one of your attributes 100 years from now, what would you like to be remembered for?

Tami: Well, the sentence that comes to me is she was a good hearted person of service.

Jean: Oh.Indeed.

Alison: That brings tears to me. I find that.

Jean: Beautiful.

Alison: Yeah. Very moving. Yes.

Tami: Yeah. It’s not. It’s not particularly lofty or anything, but I think it’s what’s actually. Yeah, true. Deep. I mean, it’s not lofty meaning? Like it’s not like, you know, I didn’t invent the cure for something or whatever, but I do think it’s my deepest nature. The truth of my deepest nature.

Jean: Yeah.

Alison: That’s right.

Jean: Um, Tammy, I wanted to talk to you a little bit about meditation.  And so I’ve heard, in doing some research on you personally, um, you mentioned that when you learned this specific type of meditation. That was really a turning corner for you. Um, can you just talk about the benefits of meditation and, and what is your practice now?

Tami: Well, there are lots of different kinds of meditation, the type of meditation that you’re referring to. Jean that was really powerful in my experience was somatic meditation or embodied meditation, working inside the space of the body and really grounding in body based awareness. And when I mentioned to you turning towards experience, what I mean by that is also turning towards the physical dimension of experience. So not abstract philosophy, which is why when you pointed out how, Tammy, you seem to like to ask people what’s true in their experience, not what they’ve read or thought about other people’s writings, but that is always what’s most interesting to me, what’s actually happening in someone’s experience. And through somatic meditation. I learned to get really interested in my own experience, my own physicality and turning towards that and being with that and through that, there was a type of capacity that became developed to be with anything. And that includes intense pain and distress and experiential intensity. Of all kinds, and the ability to be with experiential intensity opens us up to be with the heights of joy, pleasure and ecstasy, as well as because we’ve grown this capacity. So we’re not just living any longer in a small kind of contained world. Like I won’t feel that much grief, sadness and loss. So therefore I’m, I’m constricted. It’s like the whole. Being hood opens up with a welcoming of absolutely all experience, which also gives us this capacity for great joy and pleasure and fulfillment as well as every aspect of the human experience. And so after practicing formally and what I mean by formally is sitting on a meditation cushion, going to long meditation retreats, retreats that month long retreats, week long retreats, I would say I was in meditation retreats for about two months a year for close to 15 years.

Tami: And there’s a certain point I was teaching meditation as well within this tradition that I’d studied in. And at a certain point I realized I didn’t want to teach anymore, that I wanted to put all of my energy into Sounds True that it was too much to try to teach meditation, have a happy married life, and run a growing company and something had to give. And so I put all my chips into Sounds True as a kind of platform for me, as a place for me to put my contributions and bringing the meditative training into action, into language, into leadership, into business. That’s what became important to me. And I started not wanting to spend time formally sitting on the cushion. Just be truthful. It started feeling forced, like I was like all that time that I spent two months a year, it never felt forced. I wanted to do it. I was drawn to doing it. I felt called, and then at a certain point it just felt forced and I was like, I’m not going to force myself to do it. And so I started seeing instead the meditative opportunity, if you will, in every part of my day and into the evening. And occasionally I will sit and meditate, but not often in a formal way.

Alison: Right, Right.

Jean: That’s that’s beautiful because that part of the the conditioned mind that says, oh, you better do it, you’re not a good person if you don’t, you you know all of that. I do not think that serves the truest meaning of meditation. And, um, but I was really taken with, because I felt I could really appreciate and relate to getting back into the body.. Because I’m someone that’s very thinking. I do think a lot. And to really come back into my body, especially now that I have more time on my own, you know, I’m not a caretaker. I’m not a wife and my children, I’m an empty nester. Both my children are out. So I now have have this beautiful time. It’s different than my time before. And I think my meditation, it’s been very mental and I don’t want it to be just something I check off, like laundry, you know? I did . I did. Yeah, And it’s it’s much more purposeful, meaningful, full for me. As Jean the character Jean. Embracing all of herself.

Tami: Yeah.

Tami: Yeah. And I think you said it’s been mental. And so I think the question would I would ask is what? What would make it drop? So that you were in touch with the level of sensation? Would it be like spending time in a gentle yoga practice like yin yoga or something like that or other things? I think that and then it’s the question is like, what are we drawn to? Do you know what I mean? Like some people are really drawn to just quiet time in nature and that’s where they really finally drop in is, you know, sitting on a rock or something like that. So I just think I think a lot of it is we have to follow what we’re called. Like that’s the key is like, what are not what’s out there, Not the not what the meditation teachers say. Right. You know, believe me, within my tradition, the fact that I stopped formal meditation, this is very taboo. Totally taboo, completely. But I think one of my operating principles is there’s only one of each of us. And because there’s only one of you, you can’t necessarily follow an outside recipe to become yourself. You can’t follow what anybody says, what any teacher says. You have to say, Oh, this is not I’m not like a cookie cutter or something. I’m an unprecedented human event happening right now. What’s actually really true for me right now, what’s really true is that, you know, I want to have an ice cream meditation. I don’t know, like I want to slowly eat a scoop of ice cream. That’s what’s really true or whatever it might be, you know, whatever it might be.

Alison: Right, or you got me on ice cream.

Tami: There you go.

Alison:  That’s excellent.  What’s at the edge? Insights at the Edge. What’s the Edge?

Tami: Right. I think I named it Insights at the Edge because I was thinking about this image, how most of us live in a known territory and we’re like, This is what I know. And what’s so exciting is for something to come in that is like right on that edge. It’s unknown, but we kind of maybe have a sense about it. So it’s right. It’s like that edge between the known and the unknown and the soon to be discovered and can we learn at that place in our experience? So we’re like, Wow, I kind of like sometimes I notice when I talk to somebody who’s a great teacher, I’m like this and they say something and it comes in over here. It’s right outside, and it’s kind of like I kind of could see it, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t say it myself. That’s why I’m learning from them, because they’re the one who’s saying it. And so that’s really what I meant by this notion of insights at the edge, which is not let’s just not recapitulate everything that we’ve you know, like I’ve said this to you a hundred times, I’m saying the same thing. And this is, you know, my same talk that I give. I always give the miracle talk. And here’s my miracle talk. And I think that’s boring. And so I also wanted guests to be like, I was like, don’t give me your packaged thing. I don’t want your packaged thing. I want you to be right here present and for something that is on your edge to come forward, because I’m going to push a little bit to see what’s actually happening. We’re going to make new discoveries.

Jean: I love that freshness.

Tami: Yeah. Yes.

Jean: Always fresh. Always fresh-  hot cross buns right out of the oven. They’re never stale.

Alison:  it’s so funny. We always write down these questions and we never use them.

Tami: Very good

Alison: We write these down and we’re like, okay, this is going to be first, this is going to be next. And then we get talking with all these people and it just goes somewhere and it feels like we’re hanging out with a pal and learning. And it’s so interesting. And I’m like, Oh, yeah, we you know, we don’t we don’t do it.

Tami: Well, you know, I’m not I’m not a student of a Course in Miracles, but when you brought up the Holy Moment. Yeah. And then you talked about always fresh, it seems to me that there’s something in that that goes together, that when you’re recognizing the sacredness of the moment, it is always like it’s the first time. And I’ve noticed I have a there’s a hike right outside my door, just a few houses that goes up into a canyon. And it’s really it’s really gorgeous. And one of the things I notice is I always feel like I’m on the hike for the first time and I’m like, how is it? It’s something about wilderness, you know, because it’s so complex and beautiful and interesting. So even if I hike on that trail every day, it’s each time it’s brand new. It’s like to be able to bring that kind of lens not just to the wilderness, but to ourselves and to each other and to all of our experience. It’s easy with the outdoors because it’s so dramatic.

Alison: Yes. And I think nature is the thing that you you forget that you have a line right here. You know, this line really blurs when I feel that, you know, when we take our walks or I go with my husband or my kids, I feel a real sense of my soul being so much greater than where my this form ends, you know? And that’s just that’s yeah, you’re exactly right. That’s just very, very powerful.

Jean: Yeah.

Alison: What do you think? I’m going to ask just two quick questions. What do you think makes you laugh the most?

Tami: Well, honestly, to be honest with you, I have one friend. Her name is Super Nance and she always knows where my funny bone is. And the funny thing is, once she finds it, like, she just keeps going back to the same spot again and again, and it doesn’t tire. Like, that’s the funny thing. Like, she’ll just go like, there’ll be like a three hour kind of cascade once she’s got the spot, you know? So I think she she’s the person who knows how to make me. How did you meet her?

Alison: Like, how do you know her?

Tami: Uh, well, it’s an interesting story. She lives on Cortez Island, which is north of Vancouver. It sounds like you’re familiar with it. And I met Julie,  my wife 20 years ago on Cortez Island, and we’re building a home there that’s going to be complete this summer. And Nancy lives on Cortez Island.

Alison: Oh, so that’s great. And so do you, like, just, like, laugh till you’re crying?

Tami: Yeah. Or laugh till, you know, it’s actually like you got to make sure you’re not peeing down your leg kind of thing.

Alison: Yeah, exactly. It’s a great.

Jean:  a Natural face lift.

Tami: Yeah.

Jean: And ab workout.

Tami: Yeah, yeah.

Alison: We love that. And then just our, our last, our last question is, what is the most important thing to you.

Tami: Well, it’s be true to be true to be true. And what I mean by that is to be true to my inner experience, my inner calling, my uniqueness, to be true to the inner calls that I feel and experience, to be in my own integrity to be true. Be true. To never cross that. Never cross it.

Alison: And that is so important right now with the idea of people being authentic. Authentic? Yeah. Like, well, that’s the end of our interview.

Tami: And a good howl it is. All right. Luna, you’re the best.

Jean: And there it is. She hit it out of the ballpark.

Alison: That’s it. I don’t even think we can say anymore. Okay. Bye. Thanks for joining us. She was she just is so interesting and present and speaking to you like from the heart and really smart. Like I just loved her.

Jean: Yeah. I think for me also, I was I was just thinking to myself as she was talking, which I try not to do, but it does happen while you’re thinking. Yeah. Wow. I am sitting with Tammy Simon. This woman that I’ve been so intrigued with for so many years. And here she is. We’re having a conversation with her.

Alison: We’re so blessed by all the people that we keep meeting that I that I find are just making the world a more unified, kinder place, it feels like. Do you know?

Jean: Yeah. I think that’s one of the great gifts of the Internet is that we can all reach farther and meet these interesting people that we can really only in the past,.. Only have read about… But now we can hear their voice and have direct experiences with them.

Alison: Right? And it’s really great. And I don’t know, I just I think so much of what she said and I love the fact that she thinks every day is a miracle and that when she said You’re an unprecedented expression of humanness, I was like, I felt so proud of myself. I was like, woohoo..

Jean: Honestly, it is So.. It’s a gift to be a human, although I know it doesn’t feel like that, for a lot of people sometimes. And just remember, it’s all temporary.

Alison: And the unprecedented.. When she said that, I got chills. I just loved that she was great. So that’s it for us for today. And we hope you enjoyed it. And we’ll be back soon, right?

Jean: We will.

Alison: Okay, here we are, Jean…It’s going!

Jean: Oh, it’s going?? Excellent. Okay.

Alison: I did it. I did it.

Jean: I never know with you.. Because you’re sneaky.

Alison: Am I sneaky? It’s always recording.

Jean: well because you love this stuff…you love the chit chat before we really start.

Alison: I do, I could chat and talk to you always.

Jean: The bloopers.

Alison: That’s right. The blooper reel. We have a famous one that we’re not going to talk about. Um Okay. So today you talked to Patricia Stark.

Jean: Yes. And this was the one and only interview that I did without you.

Alison: Yes. I think I was shooting or something. Had an audition.

Jean: Something fabulous was happening in your life that that you missed it because it had to have been really fabulous because she was amazing.

Alison: Yeah, she is. I listened to it after you did it, and it is amazing. So how was it for you to do it alone?

Jean: All right, Seriously, Allison, I did not enjoy it. I felt, I felt really self-conscious. And I think I do in general, talking to all these amazing people. I think I’m not schooled like you are as an actress, but I found myself even more self conscious and I didn’t enjoy it… Until like towards the end there where I could really relax. And I have to say, I think Patricia was really holding the interview in the beginning, just her being so present and probably feeling, feeling that I was like… I hope I’m okay and maybe trying too hard. And I think she, she just really helped me get softer and open up more to her. So but hands down, this was a very beautiful interview.

Alison: Yes. She’s she’s amazing. And I can’t wait to hear it. Are you ready? 

Jean: I am.

Alison: Let’s let’s do it.

Jean: Well, we we’re we’re going to have a great time together. It’s just you and me. My partner in InsideWink is she’s actually on an on a, um. She’s doing something for a soap opera. So, So it’s you and me. And, And I thought that was so interesting because out of the two of us, Allison and myself, she’s she’s got the more confidence and, and I thought, here I am… with you, ,he beautiful queen of communications and. and what else can I say? I’m just, I actually feel like I invited Julia Child to dinner and it’s like, oh, my gosh, I’m cooking for, you know,… 

Patricia: Well, please don’t… You will quickly find that I am really, you know, as vulnerable and have as much baggage and crazy ups and downs and days where I really desperately need to practice everything that’s in that book. And one of yesterday was a perfect example of that. I’m juggling. My 88 year old mom has been in out of the hospital. She’s not well. My son is in school his first year away at college. You know, business has been weird because of the pandemic. 

Patricia: So, you know, I like to always tell even my clients and students that, you know, I’m living this every day. It’s still a struggle for all of us. And it’s what we all have in common as humans is to have this, you know, weaving in and out of sometimes we feel strong and empowered and other times we feel like a failure or we feel like we’re just so discouraged or whatever it may be. And it’s I think it’s a constant evolution throughout our life. 

Jean: I couldn’t agree more. And and I think, Patricia, the first thing out the gate is, when I heard about this book, “Oh, and I love it.” I’ve already owned it because it’s all highlighted. And I have to tell you, that I usually start at the end of the book and I read your epilogue and I had tears because I, I felt like your dad. I feel that I’m the one that champions others- My children, even my my late husband. You know, telling them, “you’re so great.” You can do it, you know, and yet I don’t feel all the time confident. I get more nervous within me. I can even feel now, talking, waiting for you,.. I can feel my heart. And I thought, okay, you know… Um, besides eating bananas and celery and, you know, all the beautiful tips you give.. But I think, what I want our conversation to be about is that you can learn this, you can strengthen this confidence muscle. 

Jean: But going back to your dad, can you talk, And not so much your dad, and I know our readers will enjoy that part because, it’s such a special tribute. So share with us a little bit about your childhood. What made you the stunning person you are today? Just I know that’s a lot…. 

Patricia: Okay so, I was the youngest of four kids. We lived in just a regular, you know, middle class or even less family home setting. My father worked in a shoe store. My mom worked in a factory. There wasn’t a lot of money. Um, my sister got married and had a family at 18. Very young. She’s ten years older than me. My two brothers went into the Navy. My father, you know, had been in the Marines. And when he came back, he went into NYU and he studied, but he never had a lot of confidence. He was married to my mom at a young age, and he ended up, you know, not graduating. I think he was just a few credits shy of not graduating. And she was having a lot of anxiety and OCD issues and things like that. And he wanted to go take care and be with her. And he didn’t want to be working during the day and going to school at night. But unfortunately, that always led him to feel less than that. 

Patricia: He didn’t get that college education that he didn’t finish, and he just always struggled in jobs because he didn’t really speak up for himself. But he was a wonderful father and he would always try to encourage me and build me up. But, you know, it wasn’t wasn’t it wasn’t a tough growing up, but we didn’t have like any extra special spangles and bells or anything like that. And, you know, it just I think being the youngest, I went through my own struggles. I was a bedwetter. I wet my bed until I was in the fifth grade and I’d show up at school feeling like everybody was going to know my my situation. And I always felt bad about myself going into middle school. I just was very shy and introverted because of that, I think. And, you know, it just kind of went my way through middle school and high school like that.. Came out of my shell a little bit, but then started dating somebody that I couldn’t believe liked me. And then because I had that attitude that, Wow, what does he like about me? He kind of walked all over me and didn’t really do much to build up my self esteem and took advantage of the fact that I was somebody that was introverted and didn’t have a lot of self esteem. So I think it was really more in college as I started to come out of that shell and look at friends and, you know, nobody told me to go to college. 

Patricia: Everybody was just like, okay, you know, this end of high school just wasn’t a thing. But I saw my friends going. So I went and I applied to a local college where we are and just, you know, worked my way through the four years there and paid off my loans in like ten years, you know, whatever I had to do to make it work. And, you know, when I was in college, I discovered some of the public speaking and media classes and it was like a light bulb went off. It scared the heck out of me. But something about it that I really liked. And by working through all of that and trying to find my voice, even though it might have been badly stumbling through all that, I started to believe in myself and get more confident. And then when I graduated and wanted to work in the media, you know, I had no choice but to start to hear no and not take it personally. And, you know, I’m trying to give you the quick overview here, but it certainly was a very long process of going from very introverted, not wanting to raise my hand, not wanting to walk up to the lunch line or, you know, feeling that way throughout most of school to then really overcompensating and developing a career in communications. 

Jean: Yeah. And I think it’s important for people to know that you were just not blessed with this. Yeah, I’ve always been confident and, you know, so I think that makes it so relative. And, um, so you wrote this amazing book that I really think this is a book about love because it, it all for me… I mean, yes, you do talk about the outside and that’s important as well, but I think it boils down to that trust that you talk about and developing that. And um, okay, so you give the readers so many amazing tips- writing and, and actual practical things and you break up your book into four wonderful segments. So let’s jump into to the first, right, Everyday Calmfidence. What does that mean to you? 

Patricia: Yea well, I wanted to put the book into four separate parts because, I wanted it to be easy to digest, but I also wanted people to realize that it was kind of a hybrid book between personal growth and could be also for professional development. And the baseline of all of that, I felt, was this sense of everyday confidence. How do you find your calm and confidence just on a daily basis? What is your state of confidence when you wake up in the morning? Are we waking up with a sense of dread or are we waking up with anxiety or are we feeling overwhelmed? You know, it’s almost like when you wake up after you break up with somebody or you have a bad dream or are we are we waking up in that state in the morning and then going right to our phone and getting inundated by emails and the bad news of the day or whatever it is, or what are we doing to control that state of calm and confidence every morning? Is our day running us or are we running our day? And I talk about this in what are some typical confidence killers and what are some typical confidence boosters that I either experienced myself or that I would hear over and over again from clients and students? And then I outlined certain self care attributes that either contribute or take away.

Patricia: And they weren’t just your your regular ones that we hear all the time about, oh, you know, eat better and exercise and sleep better. Sure, those are all important. But I wanted to delve even deeper into things like mindfulness and meditation and, you know, what price are we putting on things every day, whether it’s a situation or our life in general? Like what price tag are we actually putting on things that could be making us get more anxiety and stress than maybe is even warranted? And where does worry and procrastination and all of those things come into play? So I really wanted to identify right out of the gate what are things that boost our confidence for us on a day to day basis, whether we’re dealing with home life or work life? And then what are those typical killers and those pitfalls that we all can fall into? And then again, what were some of those self care? And I felt it was important to have that every day confidence as the base, as as the foundation, because it doesn’t matter what we’re doing. 

Patricia: We could be, you know, a stay at home mom. We could be a solopreneur. We could be working for a big company, going out there to the world, whatever it is, that baseline of who we are as a person, when we’re by ourselves, in our minds, with ourselves and in our room alone, what are we doing in that common confidence area that’s making us show up as a human being no matter what else happens the rest of that day?

 Jean: Right. Right. And I love your two things. I love when you talked about focus, like what are you focusing on? And also, if you can speak a little bit about being focused in general, because even if you go to the gym and you see someone lifting weights and they’re very focused or you see someone kind of distracted looking at another person, you know, right away you’re you sort of assess that person that’s distracted, isn’t as confident as the person that’s focused on their work. Yeah, do you notice that?

Patricia: Yes. When you know that somebody is very determined, very single, focused, there is a certain sense of determination. You know, they’re on a goal, they’re on a mission or they’re kind of have a certain level of a personal standard to where they’re like, you know what.. I’m not going to let anything else get in my way or distract me. I’m going to reach my goal or I’m going to do what I have to do to get the job done so that nothing derails me. And, you know, having a career in media and communications over the years, I mean, I am very, very cognizant of the fact that there is so many things vying for our eyeballs, vying for our attention. Look here. Look at that breaking news. Everything is that nowadays and is trying to fight for our eyeballs because we are inundated now with content between, you know, when when I first grew up, there were a limited number of channels on TV. Now it’s endless. And now the Internet is endless. You know, we can we can be distracted all day long on social media, whatever it may be. But most of the things that I’ve seen that people achieve, it’s behind closed doors, in quiet, in in their mind with themselves really tuning out all the noise and saying, what’s my priority here? What’s really important to me? And what am I going to give my full attention to? And that could be a person, that could be a goal, that could be self care, that could be being kind to yourself and not letting all of those other things that tell us otherwise get in the way.

 Jean: Right. I think that’s why I think of your book as a self love book, you know, because it starts- that all starts with with yourself, you know. Okay. So the second section, Resilient Calmfidence. And I wrote down here because I love this…find your calm during setbacks. Yes. Yeah. I think we so need that now. So can you speak to that? Finding your calm when you have a setback?

 Patricia: Yeah. I think when we have a setback, whether it is a perceived failure or a disappointment or a tragedy or anything like that, we seem to think that we need to do something to make it better or we should or shouldn’t be feeling a certain way. We want to define it based on what we’ve seen other people go through or what we think we’re supposed to be feeling or doing, just based on how we’ve grown up, how we perceive the world or how we perceive what is strength and what is resilience or grit or things like that. And I think it’s so different for everybody. But it comes back to what you just said earlier is, self love and kindness and knowing when you need to just do nothing, when you need to retreat so that you can not even feel like you have to be anyway, just be. 

Speaker1: And we’re all so conditioned to know, I got to do this, I got to move on. Or I got, you know, there’s so much everybody wants to give us advice. Everybody wants to try to make it better, fix things and help us through things. And, you know, this is probably even beyond my wheelhouse as far as, you know, a psychologist being able to describe this better. But what I do know, working in positive psychology with all of my clients and even myself over the years, is that to be able to cut ourselves some slack and take a break from anything? I was speaking to a mentor of mine who is a psychologist one time and he said, What makes you think that you have to be happy or sad? Maybe just neutral is okay sometimes just not feeling anything or just taking a break or just going through the motions and just sitting with emotions and letting whatever is going to be, be.. Before you try to take action or try to fix it or make it better. And, you know, I try to give examples of ways that we can pull back and stop thinking what we should be doing and just allow ourselves to take that break, and be kind and not have any preconceived notions of what’s right or what’s wrong or what we should be or shouldn’t be doing.

Jean: That is so liberating. And it’s really giving ourselves a break and, Okay, so thank you for that. And there’s lots more goodness in that in your book. Okay, now Communication Calmfidence, which is great as well..please speak of that.

 Patricia: Well, this is obviously the, a big part of my work. I work as a public speaking trainer and a coach for media and interview skills and you name it, all kinds of communication skills and body language. And when I set out to write the book, I was like, you know, this is initially I thought it was going to be a book for people that were going to be public speakers or in the media and the public eye. And then I thought to myself, no, I mean, this is this is everybody that all the world’s a stage. We’re all public speaking. We’re all communicating unless we’re sitting in a room by ourselves, speaking to ourselves alone. Right? All our interpersonal skills, all speaking is public speaking. And it really all starts from that inner voice of what are we saying to ourselves about any situation? What are we visualizing? What are we, you know, are we thinking, worst case scenario, I’m going to fall on my face and not remember something If I have to give this speech or if I have to appear in front of the camera or on Zoom or am I going to look bad, Am I going to sound bad? I’m not going to get this job or they’re not going to like me, am I not enough? There’s so much of this inner voice and this inner dialogue that influences all of our interpersonal skills, all of our communication skills.

 Patricia: And I love that your take on this whole book was self Love, because I didn’t even realize that until you just said that from seeing it from your perspective. Because now, once again, I’m going to I see myself going back to it comes down to us speaking to ourselves better. And I talk about in the book we all have the inner critic, but we also have the inner coach. And the inner critic is just a scared child. It’s scared. It’s us trying to protect us. A primitive place in the back of our mind, thinking what is the worst thing that could happen and how can I protect myself? How can I prevent myself from feeling pain or feeling rejection or feeling less than? But then we also, as we grow with wisdom and into a mature adult, we can and we can even do this as a child if we are taught to do this, is to be our inner coach. How are we going to talk to ourselves the way that we would if we were helping a friend that we really cared about, get through something or believe in themselves or encourage them? And those two voices can’t exist simultaneously.

Patricia: Your inner critic can’t talk to you if you’re saying, Nope, you know what? It’s time for you to go back in the corner. I’ll deal with you later. But right now you can do this. You’ve got this. You’ve earned the right to be here. You have as much reason to ask for this as anybody else. And when we talk to ourselves in that way and we start to envision what we want to have happen rather than worrying about all that could go wrong or what we don’t want to have happen, then we are now taking charge. We are being the boss of our brain and we’re taking action and what we can control. And it really does make a big difference when we realize that we don’t… and it goes back to what you’re saying is what we focus on. We can focus on what could go wrong, what we what we our lack and limitation is, or we can focus on what can go right here, what could actually what good could really go here? I could really nail this interview. I could really do a great job in this phone call or this zoom. I could really do a wonderful job on this date or this first time meeting this person. And if I visualize now on top of that self-talk, how I really would love to see it going rather than letting the inner critic do its job more, more than likely, those two can each be self fulfilling prophecy. But now we’ve made it go to the positive end of the spectrum rather than the negative end.

 Jean: And it’s also taking responsibility for thinking and I have not achieved that. I mean, sometimes I say to myself, Jean, Okay, dial it back. You don’t need to worry, you know.. I’ll assess it and try to be my own my own best friend. But that’s after a lot of self-help books, a lot of listening to, you know, someone like you. And wouldn’t it be so great if we could raise our children with that, I missed the boat with that. My children are late 20s and early 30s. In retrospect, would have liked if they didn’t do well, you know, at a baseball game and sat down and said, Matthew, so what are you telling yourself this evening? You know, and um, so I’ll give him your book..

 Patricia: But you’re right. It’s so important. And I think that my dad was good at that, even though he wasn’t good at doing it for himself, when I was. And he would help me at different times to try to believe in myself. And I was definitely a student of self-help and personal development books throughout my journey and audio books and devoured as many as I could. And I still have so many of them in my bookcase to remind me.

 Patricia: And like you said, I dogear the underlying them just really test them completely. But it is very true. And I want my next book is going to be for teens and for young adults because I think it’s so important to to start from there. And I was being interviewed about the book the other day and someone said something about my son, and he’s 18 now. And I said, you know, all along the way, whenever anything would happen, the first thing I would say to him, his name is Logan. I would be like, Do you like Logan? And he’d be like, Yeah. And if the answer was yes, I knew no matter what was going on, he was going to be okay. Because if you can have that self compassion and that self care and that self love and be taught that that’s a good thing and doesn’t mean it’s in an arrogant way or in a conceited way or anything like that. But if you can really like yourself and be taught to value yourself and know, and then when I go and speak at young groups or whether it’s high school or college, I’ll always say to them, No one has this fingerprint or your DNA, nobody else. So when you compare and despair and you think that you’re not this or not that, no one can touch the world the way that you can with this fingerprint because nobody else has it.

 Patricia: And that is enough because it’s unique and it’s crazy to compare apples to oranges. So if at the very foundation that calm and confidence does, is it makes you trust yourself or helps you, I should say, if it helps you to trust yourself by finding your calm and taking an inventory of how you’ve earned the right to feel confidence and you’ve done your homework and you’ve taken that personal responsibility and you know that, then it’s easy to like yourself. Then it’s easy to say, Well, you know what? Then it wasn’t meant to be this time. Or maybe there’s something better when a disappointment happens to learn to say there’s a better plan here or a bigger plan. Or maybe I’ll learn later why this wasn’t right for me. But I am going to believe that one one door is closed, another window or another door opens. And for me personally, I’ve always been a person of a very strong faith and that has been huge foundational thing for me to, you know, come from that perspective. But to be able to trust yourself and like yourself, those two things together really can help you get through almost anything.

Jean: I couldn’t agree more 100%. And and you you give us such great tools and, um, so thank you for that. And I will. You know, I love that you said you ask your son, Logan, do you like yourself? It’s beautiful.

Patricia: Thank you.

 Jean: Okay, so your last section is on Natural Calmfidence. Which is so great, Patricia. You give so many wonderful tips. So, I know what mine are- lavender… And I do feel better eating bananas, and I didn’t know why, but now I do. And so, what do you, what do you like? What are your natural remedies? If you’re going into something that you’re like, oh, I need a little extra zhuzh?

 Patricia: Well, I always have been somebody that was very into natural remedies and natural foods and not wanting to do anything that was drug related, if I could avoid it. And, you know, my son was all organic his first three years of his life, I was always into organic food and just trying things and very open minded about things. And I loved learning about that and utilize lavender when I was pregnant with him. And then, you know, knowing that I like these little secrets of nature. And I’ve always been intrigued when you’ll hear that some new remedy or something from nature, like solve some illness or cured some disease. And I love those movies where there’s something like that happening. And I know people love to, you know, to have that magic of nature and something up your sleeve that is non-habit forming or that can help you. So when I start, I have my things that I like. But when I started writing the book, I obviously did more research and wanted to find out as many as I could.

Patricia: So Lemon Balm was introduced to me several years ago. A friend of mine, her sister was going through cancer treatments and she was getting a lot of anxiety dealing with it. And her doctor said, you know, you should try this lemon balm. It’s kind of like a natural Xanax, but it’s not habit forming. It’s all natural. And you just put it on your tongue like echinacea and you drip it in there. And I tried it and it really kind of took that edge off. And, you know, it made me feel calm, but not like, out of it. If I had had a glass of wine or took something else and I started sharing with my clients and students and I got so much great feedback from so many people that I was like, okay, this isn’t just me….there’s really something here. And then working in the media and working late nights and sometimes overnights, I started noticing a lot of people were either snacking on dried cherries or we’re putting cherries into smoothies and things and learned that they were a natural source of melatonin. And then when I was working at the film center building, doing my coaching and training, I had a lot of people on Broadway that wanted to try to transition to become like a TV host or an entertainment reporter. And I would talk to them about how do you control your nerves coming out on stage on Broadway? And and they were all eating bananas backstage.

 Patricia: And I was like, what is this with the bananas? Tell me about this. And they’re like, well, it’s a natural muscle relaxers and there’s tryptophan in there. And so then I started carrying bananas and dried cherries, and I just started accumulating these good habits over the years. And celery, I like food and natural snacks on the go, so that I’m not eating junk food. I learned about so many things with celery, how it calms your stomach and the appetite. I think it’s called Epogen, if I’m pronouncing it right, has calming effects and hydrating effects and helps with that coated tongue we get when we’re nervous and we’re feeling dehydrated. So, so many things like that that I just I love. And then the mindset exercises that are in there that I’ve learned over the years. So I would say that, that’s kind of my arsenal before I’m going to go into something that I feel like is out of my comfort zone and it’s new and I’m expanding who I thought I could be and, you know, having the imposter syndrome happen or whatever it could be, I will definitely do the lemon balm. I will do meditation, I will do mindfulness leading into it. I will visualize what I want to have happen. I will see myself succeeding.

Patricia: I talk about this snow globe technique that one of my clients who had written a book about meditation shared with me many years ago and just watch the snow and the snow globe with my eyes closed, watch it settle, see that clarity of mind, and then really visualize all the good only that I want to have happen. And even when I’ve been live on the air, even when something unexpected happened, if I did this even just for 30s before I went into that situation, I can’t control things going wrong, but I handled them better. I just trusted myself. They might not have been perfect and they might not have been my vision of how exactly I wanted it to go. But I didn’t run out of the room screaming, yelling fire or throwing the towel and give up on myself. I handled it so much better.

Jean: I love that. Yeah, that snow globe technique that, you know, you have it in your book. And I thought, that’s so true. It’s like all those thoughts and just letting it..giving it time to calm down. It’s like you have to just not run with it. You have the awareness that, okay, my mind is, is like a fireworks. It’s like a snow globe that’s highly shaken. And I’m going to now give myself five, you know, or not even five minutes, two minutes to just sit and let it all calm down.

 Patricia: Yea, Because when you change your mindset and what you’re deciding you’re going to focus on, you’re going to change your physiology. You’re going to control your heart rate, your blood pressure down. You’re going to get your you’re going to get control of your breathing, which is so important. And I had gotten a certificate in guided visual imagery. And one of the things that I will do with this also is,As I’m I take the breath, but as I’m releasing the breath, I’m literally either saying words, I’m pushing words out that I want to get rid of, or I’m seeing things that are negative or that I’m worrying about or that I’m seeing myself failing. And I’m actually going to push that and visualize that coming out and pushing that breath out and sometimes even taking that snow that has settled and physically seeing that come out out of me, all the things I don’t want to have happen, all the bad images, the bad words, everything. And excising them through my breath, through my mind, through my body and getting it out. And that in itself, either it gets you so distracted that you’re no longer worrying about what you’re thinking about or really is something to this. I mean, we’ve all heard about these stories where I read something years ago about a child that had a tumor and used to play video games in his mind and pretend that these little spaceships were shooting at the tumor.And then, lo and behold, when they checked it, the tumor was gone. And that that that can always happen. But there must be something to that.

Jean: I couldn’t agree with you more. I don’t know how that happens, but I believe it can. I think there’s been enough scientific data that when you use your mind in a conscious, directive, on purpose way – that you change your reality because you’re changing your vibration. And that’s what you’re giving out gets reflected back.

Patricia: 100% because we you say vibration and some people may think this sounds like New Age or whatever, but being on frequencies, we know, you know, when you’re in a certain frequency or a certain vibe, everything either seems to be going your way that day or it’s not. And there’s different times where subconsciously I’m needing a break and then I wonder why things quiet down. And I’m like, Well, wait, where is everybody? Why isn’t this person calling? Or why isn’t this person getting back to me? And then I do this state of confidence kind of check, and I say, Oh, you asked for this. You kind of realized you needed a break subconsciously. And now why this is happening. And, you know, to to realize when we get in and out of these different frequencies because, you know, the brain really does send out energy. We we know it.

 Patricia: I mean, this is what I think so much many of us have been missing through Zoom and things like that is that, yes, we’ve built relationships. Yes, we’ve stayed connected. But that life force, that energy we feel from each other when we’re really in person with each other, nothing can duplicate that. And that’s that vibration and that energy that we either get in sync with people or not. And and I think that when we send ideas and thoughts and feelings out there getting involved in in lining up with things, I think that’s why it’s so important to watch what’s going on around us. And I like to compare it to, you know, a boat, a boat will float in turbulent seas as long as it’s all closed off and none of the water can get in. Right? So that’s what’s happening when we’re trying to go through about our day. And there’s negative news, there’s bad things happening. There’s people telling us that, you know, focus on being sick and unhealthy or there’s people saying, I’m miserable and these people are terrible people over here and the world is going to this and everything. If we carry that all around, it’s going to make us ill. It’s going to make us sick. And it’s not saying that we should bury our head in in the sand, but we need to not. We can be informed but not inundated. And we need to be able to take that time to just do our own inside work where we work on our own mental health, our own physical health, our own well-being and balance in our minds.

Patricia: But so often we’re all so busy and overbooked and letting everything get the best of us that we don’t give ourselves moments of silence to do that, to just be alone with ourselves. Because when especially when you’re going through something, sometimes it’s scary to be alone. You want the distractions. You don’t want to do that work that’s so important. But that’s where the work happens, is when you’re alone by yourself, with your own mind. 

Jean: That is where the rubber hits the road. Yeah, it’s so true. So, tell me about gratitude, because you exude gratitude. All the beautiful qualities of just beauty and gratitude and clarity. And so, but I know you championed gratitude. Do you keep a gratitude journal? 

Patricia: I do. 

Jean: Or you just generally… like a a glass full, you know, an optimistic person. 

Patricia: I try to be, believe me. And I have my good days and bad days and I have my struggles and my ups and downs and discouragement and doubts and fears just like everybody else. Obviously, I’m human. That’s what we all share in common. And I do write down things I’m grateful for. And I do have a vision board of things that I want to have happen and things that I’m grateful that have happened. 

Patricia: But it’s also in the way I speak to myself with that inner coach and it’s reminders and things that pop up to remember, to say thank you for things. And I forget who it was, but it was some personal or professional development author that I was either listening to or reading that said, you know, thank for things that you want to have happen. Yeah, more likely to happen. Thank in advance. Thank ahead of time. And it’s been really creepy sometimes how well this works because, it gets you in a positive framework. It gets you in a belief that anything is possible and that it is possible for you and that you’re not coming from that lack and limitation and that worry and that hope or I hope I get this or Oh, please. Like you’re pleading or begging, you know, whether you’re someone who is a, you know, a spiritual person or just a person that’s, you know, focuses on spirituality or your belief in God. Like it’s all, it’s all what you want it to be. But by thanking ahead of time, I have found it to be incredibly effective and and just having gratitude for basic things like realizing when we take things for granted that other people might not have so easy. And then, you know, I think that I you’ve read that I talked about two women that I knew throughout my life that died at very young ages. 

Patricia: And, you know, as a woman now in my 50s and you reassess things, you wonder, should a woulda coulda? Sometimes you think about different goals. You you know, you look back and you try to remind yourself, well, don’t look back. Keep looking forward on things. When I’ve had my lowest moments, where I start to have those doubts and I start to get down on myself or I start to have discouraging thoughts, it is the strangest thing that one of them just out of nowhere pops into my head and I literally hear them say, “Get over yourself, you still get to be there.” So no matter what’s wrong or what’s… 

Jean: oh, I just got chills. 

Patricia: Right? And I do too. And and it’s so strange when this happens because I’m not even thinking about it. It’s not like I’m summoning it or trying to remind myself of it. It happens at the most inopportune times when I am down in the dumps and I’m not even thinking in this direction and all of a sudden I’m like, Oh my gosh. Like just at the very least, to be grateful to have this day. Yeah, enormous. When there are think of all the people that have achieved really great things that we think were so spectacular and creative and wonderful and monumental and have done all things, but their time is now done and they don’t get to continue that. 

Patricia: But no matter where we’re at, we still get to grow and work toward goals and try to create more things. And just that’s our baseline of what we’re grateful for. And if on top of that, what we do can help others and be of service and give value in some way, like that’s what I have to come back to in my toughest times. 

Jean: Yeah. Just so you know, I heard of you from Sounds True. You had an interview and with Tammy Simon.. And so, I was in bed and I thought, Oh, calmfidence. I Love that word.. And then I’m listening to your voice, and I said to myself, Wow, this woman has a beautiful voice. And then I thought, um… You know, calmfidence is what I always felt Alex had. He had that, you know. He had been doing this show for a long time, but even when he would walk through like Home Depot. He would just walk through- like in your book, like a man on a mission, like he walked through focused on batteries. Not looking up in the sky for batteries? And you you write that in your book- body language is important. And I heard you say that, and I said, wow, it would be so great to get you on insidewink. laughing… 

Patricia: Well, I agree that he exuded and was the epitome of calmfidence, because it also is, it’s just it’s an elegance and it’s not, um. cocky thing or an arrogant thing. It is such a class act type of sense of I’ve got this and I’ve always found that the most confident people wanted to share and build others up as well. And you could see he had that kind of I mean, obviously I don’t didn’t know him personally, but I felt that he was somebody that would never knock people down to build himself up. He seemed like he was always trying to help others, you know, rise up. And most of the people that I’ve met in my life that had true confidence always were people who built others up and made them feel like they could be at their best. And and I you know, my sincerest condolences to you on his passing. Um, you know, after I was after they reached out to me, I wanted to learn a little bit about you. And I learned about your relationship. And you guys, like, you’re such a wonderful, a wonderful thing together. So my heart is with you…I’m sorry. 

Jean: Thanks…Thank you so much. Well, I love talking with you. Your passion about calmfidence has ignited my passion for calmfidence. And, um. Is there anything that you want to leave our listeners with? Either a tip or a tool or something that you’re working on that you want to share? 

Patricia: Yeah. 

Jean: What would you like to leave us with, Patricia? 

Patricia: I think a final thought that I would like to leave everyone with is to, for me, and I think it’s the key to a lot of things, is to always have a growth mindset. One of the things that gave me my calm and confidence throughout my life and continues to, is to be able to be kind and know that we are always a work in progress, that we can always keep getting better. We can keep learning, that can happen as long as we want it to. And that means we can keep getting better, we can keep improving, we can keep getting more wisdom, we can keep liking ourselves more and doing good and aiming to do good and to know that when growth happens, it isn’t always comfortable. It can be awkward, it can be painful… that’s why they’re called growing pains. It can be very uncomfortable. And if we know when we’re starting to feel that way, that we don’t run from it, but that we say, Oh man, I’m going through a tough time right now, or I’m feeling really awkward, I’m feeling doubtful, I’m feeling like I’m an imposter. I’m feeling like this… now when that happens to me, the first thought that comes to me is, Oh my gosh, I think I’m growing again. 

Jean: Yeah. 

Patricia: That to me has given me so much room for, being human and letting that be okay and not getting caught up in I have to be something perfect or I have to be something…fill in the blank. I can just be and continue to keep evolving and know that it ain’t always pretty. But sometimes it’s about getting comfortable being uncomfortable. And then, it’s really hard for people to derail you on anything when you can be comfortable being uncomfortable. 

Jean: Yeah, that’s so true. And that’s life. It’s not always, smooth and velvety and tulips and… you know sugar, it’s bittersweet. But with the tools that you’ve given us, your beautiful words and sharing your heart with so many and I will champion it as much as I can. Patricia, I thank you so much. This this is definitely in my library (holding book) and I love the cover. I love this. The whole thing, the whole enchilada. hahah 

Patricia: They asked me to look at covers of books that I love that inspired me and my reason behind it. And that kind of was a a mesh of all of those. 

Jean: But it’s stunning. It’s stunning. 

Patricia: Thank you so much. And thank you so much for having me. Thank you for the work that you do and everything that you’re doing to help others and, you know, being who you are and just the privilege of being able to be here with you and together trying to reach others to help them and be of service to them and help them believe in themselves. I can’t thank you enough for that gift. 

Alison: Jean, you did a great job. I don’t think anyone would ever know that, you see? Isn’t that funny? I don’t think anyone would know the feelings that you were having. I don’t think, I don’t think Patricia Stark knew. I mean, you know, I think it was a great interview. You did a great job. You seemed very calm and confident. 

Jean: Okay. Well, those two qualities – calm, calmness and confidence are those are two qualities that I feel I, I want to strengthen. And she says at the end there, if you trust yourself and like yourself, you know, that is a winning formula to help you navigate life. 

Alison: And she said so many amazing things that I could really take with me. Like the two voices. One can talk when the other one is. So vote for the good guy, like vote for the guy that’s giving you good karma, you know, the voice in your head. And I love where she says, we’re all a work in progress. 

Jean: Right? I mean, that is just taking ourselves off the hook of that, that inner critic. And I love that too. 

Alison: Right. So that was I thought that was great because I could be a finger, a finger painting. Work in progress. Exactly. 

Jean: Yeah, right. Great. I’m just a big ball of clay, right? 

Alison: That’s right. I think you’re. I think you’re a cake in progress. 

Jean: Okay, I’ll take that. 

Alison: You will? You’re a good baker. All right, well, that was it. Thank you so much for listening. 

Jean: And have a great day. And treat yourself to this to this book. 

Alison: Or ice cream. 

Jean: Right? Or ice cream with brownies. 

Alison: That’s right. Stay calm and confident. 

Alison Martin: I have to say, Jean is one of the nicest people ever. That’s how we’re starting today’s podcast.

Jean Trebek: Okay. Well…

Alison Martin: No, no, that’s all that’s going to be said right now. We just had a wonderful interview with Bettina Madini. I, I really enjoyed her.

Jean Trebek: Yes. She she’s so vibrant. And to me, she, like, really embodies the divine feminine, the goddess energy. She’s creative. She loves Mother Earth. She loves music. She loves art. She has a gentleness about her. And she’s also vivacious. I don’t think she has any problem speaking her truth.

Alison Martin: No. And if you can while you’re while you’re listening, go to her website at BettinaMadini.com and look at her art.

Jean Trebek: It’s gorgeous.

Alison Martin: Because you’ll really understand what we’re talking about when you see her. And we also did an interview where if you want to go to Inside Wink and look up just right, type in Bettina in the search bar that will come up to you. And you can look at her, look at her art. And she’s really so thoughtful. I felt like she was really intentional and thoughtful. I really enjoyed the conversation.

Jean Trebek: Me too. And I love that she uses so much color. And that color really helps bring forth more joy. And her artwork is just beautiful. And I’m so glad she has this creative expression that she’s sharing with the world.

Alison Martin: I think you’re going to really enjoy this. So here’s here’s Bettina.

Alison Martin: Where are you right now?

Bettina Madini: Right now I am in one of our rooms in my house. I’m in my home and I’m surrounded by nature. And I look out into the garden. So this is a room that we built on some years ago, and it is all natural wood. It’s the wood from our land here. You know how some trees fell and others we had to take out so that we could have a big garden. And then my art is hanging here, so it’s a beautiful room with decks outside. You should see it.

Alison Martin: Where are you in the world? Where do you live?

Bettina Madini: I live in the Midwest. In Wisconsin.

Alison Martin: Oh, okay. That’s beautiful there. Yep, yep.

Bettina Madini: Yes. See, I don’t know whether you… Can I show you quickly? Can you see my flowers there?

Alison Martin: Oh, yes.

Jean Trebek: So how beautiful.

Bettina Madini: Yeah, it’s a big garden. And, um, flowers and vegetables. I’m sorry. I have to move this back here, and so it’s just gorgeous. And we are surrounded by water. So I have the Fox River on one side of the property. It’s one of the few rivers that flows north. And on the other side, is a park and it is John Muir Park. It is actually I’m right next door to where John Muir as a boy came into this country.

Jean Trebek: Wow. Wow.

Bettina Madini: Before he went out west, everybody knows his California, you know, out west part of life. But no, not a few people. Not many people know about his boyhood place, which is right where I’m at here.

Alison Martin: Oh, that’s so that’s so wonderful. You’ve had such an interesting life.

Bettina Madini: Yes.

Alison Martin: When we were reading back over even our interview and some of the other interviews that you’ve done, um, what what has it been like to go from your upbringing to living now in Wisconsin? It’s just so interesting to us?

Bettina Madini: Yeah. What I’ve been doing is big city, small town, big city, small town. I’m like going boom, boom this way. So and the thing is, I grew up in Berlin. It’s a big city, and I grew up in my grandmother’s garden. So my grandparents had created a garden for my mother so that she, during World War Two, would always have fresh fruit and vegetables. And so I sat underneath these huge apple trees and plum trees and planted strawberries and flowers with my grandmother. And so this is a this was a huge part of my growing up. And I think it it planted in me a a seed. So I will always know where it is for me that I can recharge my batteries. I think it’s important for all of us to know what that exactly is because it’s different for every one of us, you know, What is it for you that gives you this sense of peace? So I have created this garden here together with Joel, my partner, so that I could have that space where, you know, sometimes it just… When I’m doing a lot of art events and I’m talking to so many people, I just need the space where I’m like, okay, just relax and breathe and reach into the earth, you know, and recharge these batteries and having water close. It’s very important. Berlin is Berlin. When you look on the map in Germany, Berlin is surrounded by lakes, and it is actually the greenest city in Europe. We have so many lakes there and several rivers. It is lake country and beautiful sailing also. After the wall fell, you know, everybody was free to go, which, you know, the border line went always through the water. So you had like years where everything stops. But after the wall came down, um, yeah, beautiful possibilities for anybody who has a boat.

Alison Martin: That’s wonderful. And it’s funny because now the three of us have a really deep connection with our grandmothers. Do you know?

Bettina Madini: Yeah.

Alison Martin: Mine was so special. I know Jeans and now hearing it from you. And what a sense of home and comfort that brings. Just to hear you say that you spent so much time with your grandmother.

Bettina Madini: Yes. She taught me so much. Like, you know, all these things that I think only a few kids learn nowadays, like knitting and needle things, like doing things with with my hands, which  is also something that carried through. Now, because I create wearable art, I just love making things that were not there before. And I put together different elements and make something that is beautiful, you know, something that I can wear or somebody else can wear. It’s so fulfilling. It’s so different from buying something where you don’t even know the maker, you know, somewhere in the world they did this and they maybe handmade it, maybe with a machine, but it’s like so disconnected and being really there and like, it’s so funny. Sometimes when I hand knit a piece, I add beads. And so I made one that is in the southern colors like Arizona desert colors. And then I found these beads that looked like skeleton shells, you know, and I added these on. So these finds and I think we women have these finds, right? These little trinkets that we find here and there or somebody gave us. So to create a piece of art with that is is just so much fun for me.

Alison Martin: That’s as we were commenting on how your your art is so feminine to us. Like it really leans into the feminine and we just we love it. Like the colors just make us so happy.

Jean Trebek: Yeah I do think your colors that you consciously choose are very healing because it brings such joy and I think it’s a reflection of our soul seeing all those, you know, emerald greens and ruby reds and sapphires. And, for instance, the beautiful shirt you’re wearing, you know, it just makes you happy. Yeah.

Bettina Madini: Yes, absolutely. And it’s so fun that you say that, Jean, because actually, when I paint this green or this here, what I’m wearing, to me, it is emerald green. I use actually the names of semi-precious stones. And I love those also. I love these crystals and stones and to get this intense saturation. And so for me, it is actually a real true, incredible like candy store-Joy Yeah. To mix a new color or come up with something like adding metallic gold to my paints and then to watch how the color of the paint is changing because the gold has the metallic element and, literally changes how the color looks, how the paint looks on the canvas. And I’m like, yes, you know, And I see hummingbirds in these colors. Like when they flare up and you see or the Blue Morpho butterfly in Costa Rica, like it flops like so heavy and so big comes out of the jungle and you see it for a fraction of a second because above the wing on the top is electric blue, and it’s like a flash from the jungle, you know, and the underside is brown and so beautiful. And I’m always like, how can I capture this beauty of nature? And these colors that, yes, are so joyful to me.

Bettina Madini: You know, to me, it’s pure joy. How can I capture this and bring this onto canvas so that it can be everywhere and people can enjoy it? And lately I’ve been getting incredibly amazing comments about my colors, which, like I want to say 18, 17 years ago here in the Midwest, it was out there in California where you are…it’s like no big deal. Color is like, yay! But the Midwest was more like a little monochromatic, you know, more conservative. And so, but now it has changed. Like within these past three years, I would say I’m blown away. It’s like people want color. And I’m like, yes, things have changed, you know, because I think it’s not for nothing that we are on a planet that has an incredible range of color. Yes. Look at the ocean. Look, I see lakes here in Wisconsin. We have lakes that are like lagoon, blue lagoon, green, incredible colors because there are bottoms. There’s a specific sand on the bottom of the lake that gives this reflection of the light. And it’s so tropical, It’s so beautiful, you know, So I.. I do love color.

Alison Martin: That’s so fantastic. Do you paint every day?

Bettina Madini: I wish I could. Right now I’m in a very intense part of the year. It’s a lot of events and we are out and about every weekend. And so I’m gasping for this air and I make sure that I get maybe like four hours within four days that I’m home, that I get four hours of painting because I really need it. And usually I make sure that I paint almost every day, sometimes into the night, long hours, because then I cannot stop. It’s just once I start, it’s rolling, you know? But, I know that now is the time to be out and about and talking to people and being being out there. And then I’m already looking forward when everything will change again. And we come into the the autumn season and then it’s more like the drawing in starts, you know?

Alison Martin: Right. Do you have studio there?

Bettina Madini: Yeah, I do have a small studio here in the house and then I have my outdoor studio. Sometimes I’m out in the garden and I paint or when I paint silks, I’m out on one of the decks I love then being in the sun because the silk and the silk paint, they need heat setting. And I love playing with the sun for that rather than an iron.

Alison Martin: Oh, that’s fantastic. I love that.

Jean Trebek: Beautiful. Do you ever have a dry season where you’re where you don’t feel so creative?

Bettina Madini: Oh, that’s a great question. Yeah.

Jean Trebek: What do you do to help, you know, get your self out of a slump or where you’re just like, oh, I’ve really got to…jazz up my creation again.

Bettina Madini: Yeah. Asked some other artists, ‘Hey, what do you do?’ But it is true. There are these moments where there is, and it’s sort of an interesting and not very comfortable place. I would say it feels like a void when so much has flown out or then I’m looking at, okay, so what is this actually, have I decided that my last painting was the best painting I’ve painted so far? And then, oh, like what’s next? Or whatever. It could be a point of view that is sitting there. But then I know as well, I actually know this space by now where it’s like the ebb. I sometimes feel as if I’m an ocean and there is a flow and there is an ebb and the ebb is as much part of the flow as the flow in the ocean, right? The waves roll in. And then to me, actually, it is a very beautiful thing to go to the ocean somewhere and be with that motion. Look at how the waves are rolling in. And they are so generous. Right? But then look at this sucking motion where the water goes out and it just goes out to make this incredible other new wave. Right? So I learned to embrace both. And it is not comfortable. Sometimes I feel like a pregnant woman, you know, So it’s in there and I notice it and it’s churning and I feel it changing and growing.

Bettina Madini: And it’s not yet time to come out. I know very well I’m enough. I’m experienced enough by now to not judge this or not beat myself up for it. What I’m doing then is I go out in the garden. Luckily I have the garden or even in the winter I go out in nature. Being out there is always the best walking, moving. My body is helping a lot or even going other places. Just going out there doing something totally different. Go to a coffee shop, go to a restaurant, meet friends, and then there’s always some element that shows up. Somebody says something or I come across this incredible book and I’m reading, and while I’m reading, I have this thing. I see everything that I’m reading, which I always thought everybody has, by the way. But I found out that it’s not…I have the movie theater in my head, so I see things. And then that is also inspiring to me. Or I see a color. Sometimes we go travel somewhere. I might be in Brazil and I see a cactus and it’s like, Oh my God, the shape, the texture and that gets my creative energies moving again. And so it comes back into the rolling forward rather than the moving backwards inside, you know?

Jean Trebek: Right, right.

Bettina Madini: And then seeing other art is just… Seeing other art, I personally find art so incredible or listening to music that’s as important to me.

Jean Trebek: I really love that you said you’re aware of it enough that you don’t judge yourself anymore or beat yourself up when you’re not feeling ready to express something creative.

Bettina Madini: Yeah. And you know, Jean and Alison, I even joined an online class with the art students league in New York. Just to be with other artists and to see what they are creating and to, to expose myself to how other people are doing it. And then we talk about something. Or my teacher, Ronnie Landfield, mentioned Odette, the singer who I didn’t know. And so things like that, to me, they are so precious, so juicy. Here I have another element. I listen to her music and she was incredible. So I would say for everybody to like just create this sort of a support group around you or other people who could inspire you and make always make sure to not be envious about what they are creating, but to allow their creation to ignite the flame in you again and bring out other things in you that maybe you hadn’t explored before, you know? So it’s incredible to be with other artists, with other creators.

Alison Martin: Yes, definitely. Do you think that the climate in the country, which has changed so radically between in the last even 10 or 15 years, do you think that has affected your art? Do you feel those influences or do you feel that your art is somehow really above that and in a creative space that is untouched by that?

Bettina Madini: I think this is a great question. Thank you. That’s really a cool question because we cannot be untouched because we are connected with everything we are. We are everything. And so anything can have an influence on us. So maybe it is a bit about what… That’s a question that I always ask myself. What did I come here to create? What did I come here to planet Earth to create because I could be totally somewhere else? What is it about the planet? And I deeply care about the earth. I care about the waters. I care about nature. I care about the creature. So it it has, in a way, let’s say nature and resources have shaped me because I grew up in Berlin and in the 70s we had the petroleum crisis. And so as a kid, I learned to always turn off the light when I leave the room to be very aware of the resources, not waste resources. So like this, this awareness of being with the resources and not over using them, be mindful about it. That was part of my upbringing. And then climate change. Well, when I see dead birds floating on waters or fish dying, it has a it has a deep effect on me. And so I am someone… I talk with the waters and I talk with the earth. And I’m asking always like- what contribution can I be with my paintings to you, Earth and to nature and to the future and to a sustainable future. And so don’t see my art separate from that at all. In contrary, I see my art as a way to contribute, which some people might say, Well, what are you doing with your art? You don’t clean water. And I could say, I’m not. What makes you say that, right? So because we as powerful beings can change anything. And I strongly believe in this. So, see, as an artist, am with myself in the studio and I paint what’s coming out of the inside, I bring that out, which is a sort of a fragile space because I totally open myself to any judgment that anybody could throw at me. Right? And I remember my first art fairs here in the Midwest. People were like, it was abstract and colorful. The kids were running into my booth and they saw the dolphins, but the adults were sort of like apprehensive. And it’s like, whoa, so unusual. What is this? You know? And then to have the strength and be with it and know it and trust this trust element, we we should all get a good training as we grow up in trusting ourselves, trusting our knowing, trusting our being and whatever brings us joy, whatever that is, for all of us to follow that as our true North. You know, that joy element that giggle and to never, ever give that up for anybody. So I see my art as a contribution to the earth and I celebrate the planet and talk with her, him, whatever you want to call it, and talking with the waters and blessing the waters. And I change the consistency of my painting energetically so it will be light and filled for the planet when I empty my bucket and fill it with fresh water. See? So we are we are all powerful healers. We can change anything. And so really, my question is, what did you all come here to create?

Jean Trebek: That’s such a soulful question. Um, and it’s just a teeny shift between- what are you doing versus what are you creating? I feel like your whole life is you’ve really acknowledged your soul. Using your physical body to bring through the essence of your soul. What else brings you inspiration? Like tell us what you’re reading right now.

Bettina Madini: What am I reading? Am I reading anything I read? Um hm.

Jean Trebek: Or you do you like to cook as well?

Bettina Madini: Oh, yeah, I love cooking. I love growing my garden and like going out in the morning and picking a cucumber and, you know, marveling at the tons of tomatoes that I got. And so this inspires me. It’s like the little things or when I come and step outside of the house and there’s this scent of flowers that is so incredible. It changes everything. Or I just look up and there are these huge sunflowers – almost two and a half times as tall as I am. They are way up there and there are these bobbing heads looking at me. It changes everything. I might be tired from just coming home from an art fair, and I look at them and they smile at me and it changes everything. So this is so inspiring to me. Or beautiful music. I’m listening to Tina Turner’s mantra, the Lotus Sutra. It changes everything. And then it can be a piece of classical music or jazz. And I love music so much. And then I start dancing and moving. My body moving. My body is very important, really. Sometimes I just have to drop everything and just like cut everything off and just go outside or just move my body. It can be so it’s so easy to just stay in this – I got to do this. I got to do this. I got to finish this. I have to leave tomorrow for a show. It’s like, stop.

Alison Martin: Right?

Bettina Madini: Breathe.

Jean Trebek: I love all those little things you’ve just shared because some people aren’t, you know, creative through a paintbrush. So, um, you know, it’s so nice to feel that you can have other ways of expressing. But even like picking your cucumber, isn’t it fun if you’ve been growing your garden to go out and, and pick a zucchini or a tomato, you know.

Bettina Madini: It’s so fulfilling, you know, or to discover what else is there because the birds plant things that I haven’t planned it, you know, there are sunflowers that it’s like, Wow, I didn’t even know you existed. Or now there are white cucumbers. And it’s like, whoa, I did not plant those. And it is I learned this from my grandfather. It’s the little, the tiny things. It’s this little tiny flower that is growing there between the rocks. Like, really be with it and notice it and see it. And if you really look at the tiniest flower, you will just be blown away by the intricacy of how the petals fit together. Of course I love seeing the Louvre or a castle like the big things. I love that too. Right. Or a big like, or opera. But then there’s the little tiny things, and they are everywhere. I found those in New York City, Times Square, like the cracks and the asphalt. And then there’s a little flower growing, you know, it’s everywhere. We just have to pay attention. It’s like Earth saying, Hello, I’m here. Look at me. I’m here to inspire you.

Alison Martin: Right? Exactly.

Jean Trebek: Yeah. That’s so powerful. Paying attention to all the beauty around us.

Alison Martin: I was interested in the idea of walls and walls that we build and walls that we create. And having been raised in a city with a famous wall and then that changing, how did that affect you personally? Like, do you do you still feel the influence of that? I just think it’s just such a very interesting way that, like, you’re in Wisconsin, which I picture is huge vistas.

Bettina Madini: I totally enjoy, like the openness of it. You know, when I was a kid and growing up in Berlin, I was not growing up directly by the wall. And Berlin is big enough that you don’t really have to see it. So I did not really think about it, but every time we went on vacation and we were driving, we had to go through the controls and it was terrible. They took the car apart and my dad had to lift every like the seats and they were looking for anything like tapes or what music tapes and things. So very, very harsh. And that was always a little bit scary for me. I didn’t like it and I was always asking my parents, What is this? I couldn’t get the concept of a wall or a even a border where there are these really incredible controls and why. What are these men doing and why are they so grim looking and why do they have guns? You know? And so that was never really fun. It took too long. And I just wanted to go on vacation. And I was impatient. And then I saw my parents also go through the struggle of answering so many questions. It was really was not such a nice part of history, you know. And yeah, so and then when. I was living in Berlin. Sometimes I saw it.

Bettina Madini: I went through Checkpoint Charlie a few times and went to the East Side. Was never really very desirable because Big Brother was always watching you. Anyway, when the wall came down, it was a huge celebration. Like I was in Paris on the day of but saw it on TV. But then when I was back in Berlin, we were celebrating New Year’s and I was actually climbing onto the wall and jumping down on the other side. And the military guys were still there. And for a fraction of a second I just thought, dang it, what if they now closed that wall again and I’m trapped on the other side, you know? So it was a strange thing. What a strange human creation, right to create walls. And yeah, it was present. I learned enough and I saw enough of the history of it in school. And I am it actually reinforced this thirst for freedom in me, you know, And for this to what would it take for humanity to not go this path anymore? Like, what if we could. Create so much more consciousness on the planet that that would not even be an option where we would ever go again. Like what if that is not part of our desire to create, but freedom and openness. So I really enjoy this here that I can basically just jump on a horse and run.

Alison Martin: I’m sure. And I look at your paintings. I do see freedom because the colors are just exploding out and grabbing me. And so I love that. I love that. For you to say that it it added to your thirst to do that. And I don’t know, it’s just the whole the idea of it and your art is so is so moving to me. Very profound and beautiful.

Bettina Madini: Oh, thank you so much. I really appreciate this. Yeah, I create. I create what I came here to create and whoever can receive it and see it, that’s wonderful. And who cannot. That’s great. Also, it’s a choice that that everybody makes. And so I’m here and I offer what I have to offer. It’s here. It’s all right. It shines in many colors. And the more the more people that can receive it and choose it. I just say, wow, the more I am actually a success, You know, like one person changing. And when I hear from people, the feedback is amazing. Like how how they still after many years, they still enjoy my paintings and they still it brings a smile on their faces when they walk past. And how beautiful is this, you know, like, wow, I’m so grateful and it’s such an honor.

Jean Trebek: Is your artwork sold through a gallery or on your website? Or how can someone obtain a piece of art? Oh, and also, do you do commission work?

Bettina Madini: Yeah, I do commission work. I have done it already and I’m available for it. And I sell my art mostly in person. I do sometimes have galleries and I had galleries in the past and it’s always changing and moving. And so I have several websites where anybody can find my art. bettinamedini.com and Bettina Medini.art. So I make prints available also. And yeah, if some people approach me and they want a specific size painting or a specific color theme, and I always when I do a commission, I always say the one thing that I am asking for is my artistic freedom, because I literally tap into the space, I tap into their beings and I bring forth an artwork and I never know what it’s going to be exactly. So I need this, this openness, this right, this open space where I can run with my horses and bring and bring the art through. Yeah.

Alison Martin: What do you have a spiritual practice or anything that you consistently do. You seem very connected to everything. I’m just wondering if you have some sort of a practice.

Bettina Madini: I used to meditate every day. While I was still in Luxembourg and I was in the banking world, it kept me alive. You know, I meditated and and I found this connection to my inner world. And then at the first painting school in Luxembourg, I learned to really ask my body questions like, When is a painting done, right? I could paint forever with one paint in one painting. So when is a painting done or even what colors to use? Hey body, do you notice? Is there anything missing or I learned to have a really direct experience with my body and I was educated in kandinsky’s color theory and to feel the colors with my body. So that was and that is still a big element of my studio practice and painting and then what I then learned and went for is to let go of limitations and judgments. Yeah. You know, when I was meditating, I was always feeling great. And as soon as I went outside into the world, there was this weird stuff again. And what I learned then is that I was aware of everybody else’s judgments and then I thought they were my judgments, but they were not. And what is not mine, I cannot change.

Alison Martin: Right.

Bettina Madini: Right. So it is really such an interesting place to find out what is mine and what is not even mine. And it can be a very dynamic space to be in to get that awareness because everything and everyone is pulling on us, you know, or things fly through the ether and all this, all this noise on the planet. Could it be that we are aware of it? Yeah, we are. Yeah. We hear so much more and perceive so much more than what is audible and in our proximity, you know.

Speaker4: Yes. I’ve never even thought of that, that what you just said is when is when is my painting done?

Jean Trebek: Yeah.

Bettina Madini: Yeah. I could still paint on my first painting. There is no limit really. Like we could go into like an infinite amount of detail or not. And so I, I even talk to my paintings. To me, a painting is a being. It is like a sort of an entity. It’s an energy. A painting comes in and invites me to dance. And so then it’s always like, okay, who? What do you want to be? Who do you want to be? And let me know when you are done. And sometimes there is this moment of not quite yet and I have no idea what is missing. What is the missing piece? What? And so I leave it alone and I’m like, okay, you let me know what it is that is missing, right? And so I go about my day. I paint something else or I work on my website or whatever. I talk with you beautiful beings and and then something shows up and I’m like, Ah, that. And I add it to the painting and it might be a different color, just a little tiny dot somewhere. And it. Okay, then it’s, it’s done. So the painting then is happy. It’s done.

Alison Martin: The painting is happy. Yeah, that’s right. You’re just so wonderful. I feel so happy talking to you.

Jean Trebek: We really appreciate it. Thank you so much.

Bettina Madini: I appreciate you so much. Thank you for having me.

Jean Trebek: It’s such a treat. And you are just, I think, just a blessing to our world because you’re honoring your soul and yourself and the world, really…Because we’re all interconnected.

Bettina Madini: And you said something very, very important just right now, honoring self. Yeah, we are mostly taught to not be egotistical. Right. And not think of self. No, we have to make our needs and our happiness. Number one, because we are a source. We are a source. Let’s say we could even say a source for nature, a source for the earth. Like when I pay attention to my body and I, I take care of my body and my being. How much more of a contribution can I be to everything and everyone? Right. So this this is really important.

Alison Martin: Yes, that’s so true. That’s so true.

Jean Trebek: It’s vital. And it can we can get so distracted by the outer world and we go, oh, I’ll do that later. I think that’s also what this is… It’s turning within and honoring yourself first.

Bettina Madini: Absolutely. And honoring our bodies and take well care. And I just got a wonderful massage yesterday and I promise to my body I’m not going to wait another nine months to get the next massage. It changes everything. The self care, the self nurturing is so important. I think it is even more important now that we have so many dynamics pulling on us from everywhere. It is. We are in an incredible time of transition and change and so are our bodies. Our bodies are literally changing. It’s a substantial like molecular change that we are going through. And to make sure that we have this like a five minute conversation with the earth, like gaze at the stars and talk with the stars, you know, talk with the universe or the Milky Way or to the tree, make it 5 or 10 minutes a day and just breathe deep breathing and whatever. Ask your body what it requires, you know, for this nurturing element. Because remember the ocean I was talking about in the beginning, it teaches us this deep nurturing, this deep, this these elements and our waters are changing and the waters in our bodies are changing. And so, no, there’s no model for this here. Nobody has the experience before like it is. It is incredible. It’s a miracle. And it creates its own challenges as we have to really look after our bodies and make sure. Our bodies are fine and doing well and resting and breathing and right.

Alison Martin: Breathing, breathing. Great.

Jean Trebek: If I can manage that, I’m good.

Bettina Madini: Singing is a good way of breathing. Then we automatically breathe, you know?

Alison Martin: Thank you so much.

Bettina Madini: You are so welcome. Thank you for having me. I’m really grateful.

Jean Trebek: We are grateful, too.

Alison Martin: Yes. And we’d love again in the future to talk again. So we’ll stay in touch with you, okay?

Bettina Madini: Yes, please. Thank you. Have a beautiful rest of your day. Thank you. You too. Bye bye.

Alison Martin: There it is. She’s lovely.

Jean Trebek: That was great. I feel so happy.

Alison Martin: Yeah, me too.

Jean Trebek: Right? I love, you know, I love at the end that she says to honor yourself. That’s the most important thing to do.

Alison Martin: And I like that she was talking about her advice is just to go outside and move your body and to look at a little flower. I’ve had that feeling some days where you’re just stuck indoors, you know, and then you go outside and like, you’ll see a leaf or a tree or a cloud and you go, Oh, and it just relaxes you and gets you in touch with something bigger than yourself, you know?

Jean Trebek: Absolutely. I think she really drives home the healing power of mother of nature and of color. Right. And being creative. I think those three things to me, she drove home. So it’s color, nature and creativity.

Alison Martin: Creativity, Right. And it made us when it was over, we’re like, let’s paint.

Jean Trebek: Let’s get some paint by number set.

Alison Martin: That’s right. I’m going to I’m going to paint something. I’m going to do something. And it makes me laugh because Bettina’s like, I put gold in it and I’m like…I’m going to look for crayons. When I go home, I’m going to grab a box of crayons, you know? Right. But whatever. Whatever gets you going and lightens you up. I think that’s that’s the gift, right?

Jean Trebek: It’s just staying creative and it doesn’t it doesn’t have to be a beautiful piece of art. I mean, it certainly can be, but it can…

Alison Martin: …be making a cookie.

Jean Trebek: Right? Like she said in the interview, it can be picking a cucumber.

Alison Martin: That’s right. Right. I love that.

Jean Trebek: I love that, too.

Alison Martin: I love that. So we hope you’re having a great day. And we hope that you look at a little flower today.

Jean Trebek: Yeah. And lastly, Alison, you are one of the most beautiful people I know. Oh.

Alison Martin: Thank you. And so are you guys.

Jean Trebek: We love you all. Bye.

 

Jean: Hi, Alison.

Alison: Hi,Jean.

Alison: How are you?

Jean: I’m great. 

Alison:  Jean and I went to an event last night, and we were shocked because we won little door prizes, and we’re living on that high today..

Jean:  We are. Also, I’m feeling a little tired today.

Alison: I do, too, because of the thrilling excitement of winning a Simpsons basket and a blood pressure monitor.  It was excellent.

Jean: It was. It was fun. It’s so interesting now what makes us happy?

Alison: That’s right. The most basic things. That’s right. And this, But I know this interview is going to make me happy, you know…

Jean: This interview, I think back to when Emma, who you know, helps us set up all these wonderful podcasts and she said to me,” Jean, Lee Harris, accepted our request and I was just like, Wow, that is so great!” He’s just someone that I’ve tuned into and I love his message and he’s just he’s the real deal. He is so down to earth and easy to talk with you. You know, you feel like he’s the the guy next door.

Alison: Right, Right. And I, I was not as familiar with him. But when you look him up, you go, oh, my gosh, this guy is, he’s been doing this 18 years and he’s got it going on.

Jean: We get to interview Lee Harris and definitely we GET to, as It was a big deal. Lovely. Yeah. People were all like, Oh, I know Lee and I’ve been listening to him and, and so on..

Alison:  He’s a channeler, right?

Jean:  Right…. of the Z’s,

Alison: Which is amazing to me. Like that is just something that, even he says it at one point, you know, “I thought it was kind of fringe”, you know what I mean? Like, but he really is, the message he brings forth are amazing. So this interview was,was so, so much fun for us. Right?

Jean: Right.  Also one of the other things I love about Lee is that he, like all of us, we’re all multi-dimensional. And he is not only a channeler, he’s an amazing musician, singer, teacher, actor. Right. He is an intuitive healer, he’s an author. So he’s just such a well rounded and he’s funny.

Alison: And he’s funny! And he’s got a great laugh and he lets you tease him, which is, you know, what we like! We do! We do like that. All right. So listen to Lee Harris and we’ll be back after.

Jean: Hello! Oh, my goodness. It’s so great to see you.

Lee: Oh, thank you. It’s so nice to meet both of you. I’ve heard lovely things about both of you. It’s very nice to meet you.

Jean: Well, we’ve heard very nice things about you! That’s right.

Lee: Maybe we all paid the same person.

Alison: What person likes us all?

Lee: Yeah. Thank God. Hey.

Alison: This is wonderful.

Lee: Oh, I’m so glad.

Alison: (Holding book) is just such a wonderful manuel (book).Jean is further along on the spiritual train, so for me, this was so, um. I gleaned so much from this.

Lee: Oh, I’m so glad. Thank you. You know, and it’s so funny because my only concern about book one was originally, it should have been at least one and a half times the size it is. And the publisher opted to take some out. And my big concern was, is this too small? You know, book two is going to be almost double the length. But actually it seems like it was. You know, the universe has a way. Right. So thank you. I’m happy to hear that.

Jean: You know, my son came to visit me and he said, can I take that book home on the plane? Wow. I was like, Well, Matthew, sure. And I think it’s a perfect size, Lee, I think it’s great. It’s so full of wisdom and support. I was sharing with Allison that I felt this book was was a love letter from spirit to our soul and to our human self. And and it’s easy to read. It’s not like,  I’m going to wait till I’m more evolved. Yeah, yeah.

Lee: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, thank you. That. That means the world. So thank you.

Alison: And Diana is lovely.

Lee: She’s fantastic. Yeah.

Alison: Yeah.

Alison: So we have some questions that were offered to us from someone, but we would love to just know, Talk to you, actually, about you.

Lee: Okay. All good with me.

Alison: Because you’re very, very peaceful. So I’m wondering, can you just tell me a little bit like about a day for you and do you ever, like, get angry when you don’t get a parking space or something?

Lee: Oh, well, no. haha

Lee: Parking spaces don’t bother me, but I have a bit of a thing. Like I have opinions on the road and it usually, it usually revolves around me having to remember to slow down. So I and, you know, because it’s always interesting to look at your triggers, right. And to see how they show up in your life. And I’m I never love it when I get stuck behind someone who’s doing 30 miles an hour on a 50 road. But then I always go, and it happened to me this morning, actually. And today was a really busy day for me. I have my family coming in tonight. My mom and my sister are arriving in a couple of hours, so I’m really excited. But I’m also getting lots ready in the house and you know how it goes when you run a business and you have a big team. There are lots of things that come up that you’re not expecting. So I was definitely rushing and this brilliant driver came out in front of me and my first instinct is, Oh, I need to get to the office. And then my second instinct is, okay, I get it. Yeah, you’re right. I should slow down and enjoy the hills. So. So, yeah, I hear that a lot from people that either the work I do or being around me makes them feel calm. But I’m very human. And like everybody, I have my stressful, you know, stress days and days where I think I’ve got better at catching it now. And part of my work in the last few years has been balancing, um, holding big energy and then really working to bring myself back to the small and the domestic and the grounded. And that’s still something I’m working on. But that that’s where my evolutionary path lies the integration of, of our higher self and our human personality and I think that the words that came through the Z’s were so supportive of being human and.

. De power of and, and at the same time, Really knowing that there’s something operating bigger, more expansive, more benevolent than than we  and we really can put our finger on. And so, Lee, I was curious, I know that the Z’s came in while you’re riding a subway. And did you, were you already like a, someone interested in the metaphysical world? Will you already.. I know you’re a sensitive,  young man when you heard them, speak about that.

Lee: So, y

Lee: So I got very, I first really got introduced to intuition and metaphysics in a more overt way, when I was 16. I remember going to a tarot reader and I remember taking my mum to that tarot reader because I didn’t I don’t even know why I knew to do it. I’m not quite sure. Someone came across our radar. I heard about it and I was all in. And my mum, who is actually very intuitive but unlike me, has never had, um, I would say, you know, the time of her life and, and her situation did not necessarily afford or allow her the desire or the opportunity to go and study it the way I did. So we now talk about that, which is beautiful because I think her seeing what my work has done in the world, has allowed perhaps her to believe her intuition a bit more. But even then, when I took my mum to this tarot reading, she was nervous and scared about it. But I just loved it, you know? I couldn’t get enough of it and I didn’t know why at the time, but there was something that would happen in the tarot reading room and there would be an energy shift that I would feel. And now that is the same energy shift I feel when I channel the Zs, but cranked up to about a ten. So what I understand now, is I felt very at home in spiritual energy and I think like many sensitive or empathic people and any of us who’ve grown up in the cultural conditioning that we’ve grown up in, in our generations, you can feel very ill at ease in the traditional human world or in the way that we as a society are told to show up and behave.

Lee: So from the age of 16 to 17, I got very into metaphysical books. And but I was never that into I certainly wasn’t into channeling. If anything, I that for me was a little too fringe. I was more interested in self growth and personal development and I would take myself off to these workshops. But it was 23 when I first heard the Zs. And honestly, the weirdest thing about it was. If there was one thing I thought I knew, it was that no way were you going to become a channeler on the subway. You know, it was like, no way. Like I should surely be a really pure person or I should surely. And they appeared to me when I was in the middle of negative self thoughts, which was, you know, kind of normal for me in my early 20s –blaming myself for everything, attacking myself for things, occasionally blaming someone outside me. But it wasn’t, you know, it wasn’t high consciousness thoughts, but that was how I knew they were different. I was like, What is this voice that comes in and tells me that these thoughts are wrong and explains why? And as they explain why, I see the logic in their answer, even though I couldn’t see it. But more importantly, my body relaxes and I start to open up. And that’s the effect I notice that they have on me. So after, you know, a few days of going, is this multiple personality disorder? Is this what it’s like? I don’t know. But I have to say, I remember thinking, well, if it is, I don’t want it to go away.

Lee:  This is way more useful and way less problematic than I hear multiple personality disorder can be for some people, or perhaps the way it’s portrayed by society. I’ve never met anybody who’s who’s experiencing it, so I’d have to really ask them how they feel about it. But so it was very clear, very quickly because I asked them questions and they were like, We are your guides… You haven’t been able to hear us since you were six, but I don’t consciously remember hearing them before six, but I don’t have a ton of memories before that time anyway. So that was the moment and it was a series of months and months and months of me coming home excited to get home from work, to sit down and write more questions and get answers that started to change the way I was seeing the world, change, the way I was seeing my life- didn’t didn’t give me an immediate enlightened personality or anything like that, But it started to shift me in the way that I could see things, in the way that I could perceive things. And then I confided to a few spiritual friends, and then I would give them readings. And that was kind of how it began.

Alison: You know, I love in your book because I get the sense like even with you talking now, that actually we’re all enlightened, but some of us are under a pillow or or like something, and if you can just sort of allow yourself like you, you could have shut that off,  You could have been like oh…..

Lee: You Know, I could have. And the one question that people have asked me is they go, Were you scared? And I my answer was very telling. And it told me something. I was never scared of them. I was terrified of what society was going to think.  They felt like home and I was like, Oh, God, this is going to be very inconvenient to the point that, when I started doing readings, which was about 4 or 5 years afterwards and I was pushed by a friend and I could have again said no, but I thought, Oh, no one’s probably going to come anyway, so okay, yes,.. You can send me out to your newsletter of 300 people and probably no one will come. But I did 60 readings in 60 days. Now, to be fair, I was doing it for a donation, a minimum of £10 or $15. That would have been back then. So it wasn’t risky to people. So I think that was part of it. But people would start sending me to their friends, they’d have a reading and they’d tell 3 or 4 friends. So it took me, I think after about a year, I decided to tell my family what I was doing and I’d never told them that I was a channeler. But it was getting to the point where if I would go home to visit family, why is Lee is running off with his laptop at the weekend? You know, because I because I had a job as well and I had to try and get it all done, because for two years, I, I kept my part time job and I did the readings part time. And then after two years, it just got to the point that and I had raised my prices according with my experience and how many people were coming.

Lee: So after two years and that was 2006, it was like, oh, you can let go of the part time job that you’re holding on to just in case. And you can do this full time. But I didn’t tell my family for the first year. And yeah, I mean, and I lost some friends too, which was tough. I lost some really close friends who I liked, who suddenly either thought that I was the channel which I never claimed to be, or they were triggered by it. So, you know, it was it was it was an interesting time and it was a time that taught me a lot about if you want to Do this, one of the lessons you’re going to receive is it’s going to really make you trust who you are and what you believe. And I had been raised in a family where what the neighbors think, is like of utmost importance. So that programming I was holding got really grappl with with this process. But just just to your point, you know, the Z’s say that we we all incarnate as these extraordinary souls and the human conditioning that we are born into kind of clamps our potential. But even within that, they say it’s extraordinary to be alive, even within some of the gravity and the limitation. They say it’s hard for you to believe that, especially on a day when you’re suffering or when you’re struggling with being on the planet. But they they say it’s true. And the more I’ve heard them say that now for 24 years and the more they’ve explained why, the more I know it’s true.

Alison: You know, we interviewed Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor.

Alison: You know who that is?

Lee: I do. I saw her speak once. Fabulous.

Alison: And I feel like when we do these interviews, you realize that God, the universe, spirit says is telling us this is reinforcing the same thing over and over. And that is that the human experience is one of magnificence, even in moments of grief or high emotionality or and and it feels like just the time that we’re in the people that are being authentic to their true selves like you were actually, I consider brave, you know, to be your truest self. And my child is experiencing something now and coming to their truest self that that is enlightenment. You know, living an authentic life. So when you talk about your family, sometimes when you meet somebody like you, you forget that you were raised in a family. Like it seems like you just like you came from a light beam.. 

Lee: And again, I think that’s kind of the tricky. I think part of that is because we well, a couple of things. This is the same issue I had with some people in my life. All of a sudden it was like they couldn’t allow me to still be the me that they knew and that could laugh with them and that loved movies and music and all of those grounded things. And then I’m doing this other thing over here, like they couldn’t allow me to be all of those things, but this weird thing superseded everything else, and they needed to reject me because of this one thing. So I think that is an issue that we have in society. You know, if there’s one thing we don’t like about somebody, we want to discount them completely. But I think more to the point, what I’ve come to notice, having done this work now publicly for 18 years, I didn’t get this until I’ve seen it time and time again. We have been so conditioned, certainly in the West, to be afraid of and separate from spirituality and the risk of this and this is a thing we’ve seen time and time again. The problem is, there is a kind of heartbreak that we as human beings go through around our spiritual teachers or our gurus or the people that we pedestal. 

Lee: And the reason we pedestal them is we think, well, they know everything and they know more than me. And that’s because we’ve been told we know nothing about spirit and we can’t connect to them. And actually all those people are doing is reminding you we’re all a bridge to spirit. And maybe their job at this moment is to shine that brightly, because that’s the thing they can offer society. Like, I’m really grateful to all the people who can do all the things I can’t do that I benefit from. But I think that’s where Guru culture comes from. This separation and worship culture that’s very dangerous, both for the worshipper and for the one who’s worshipped. If they’ve got, you know, ego imbalances that they inflate themselves and fall from a mighty height. We’ve seen that play out so many times. But what I came to realize is, oh, when you look at the history of mysticism on Earth and the witch trials and, you know, we know that powerful, intuitive women were burned not necessarily because they were witches, but it was convenient for the men running the society at the time to get rid of those powerful women. I mean, we’ve seen we’ve seen women get, you know, cut short for thousands and thousands of years. But we’ve also seen certain rules around how we’re allowed to interact with spirit. Like, I’ll tell you how you can meet God and this interesting control hierarchy that we have as human beings, which thankfully, in some ways we’re going through a big healing shift around. And in other ways we’re seeing it rear its ugly head in response to the rise in consciousness. So I often look at it as that kind of energy template that we’re dealing with. And so for me personally, it’s, you know, it’s very sweet what you just said, but I’m like, Oh, no, no, no, trust me, hang out with me for a day. And yeah, the Zs have absolutely influenced me. But at the same time, I think that spirit’s influencing all of us all of the time. And yeah, it’s to me, it’s dangerous for us to pedestal or Guru I’s any one person, and it’s dangerous to allow someone else to do it to you. Because I’ve been up close and personal and I’ve seen that happen a lot of times. And I also was definitely someone who guru ized in my early 20s because I thought Spirit was so separate from me and I don’t blame anyone. I think we do it because culturally it’s the way we’ve been trained, but it really harms everyone involved.

Jean: Yes, it’s so true and I can absolutely relate to what you just said personally, just putting people on a pedestal. And I saw it all around me here. You know, we live in Los Angeles. You know, celebrities get, you know, oh, my God, whatever they do… And and again, I think this beautiful book reminds us of our sovereignty as a human being. And I think, This book is like a blending of the right and left hemispheres of the brain, the spiritual and the analytical it or the the, you know, being in the world with with the contrast and, and not making the contrast wrong, but just embracing it in a more less judgmental and Beautiful way.

Lee: Yeah. And I love I think that was one of the gifts of doing it with Diana because originally we were just going to do some recordings and she had interviewed the Zs several times. In fact, she first came to me for a private session back when I was still doing them, and she said, I don’t ever go for these, but something told me to come to you. And of course now we laugh because it’s like all these years later, it’s like, Oh, look what we were supposed to do together. But because she’s a psychotherapist and yet she’s also very spiritually educated, she’s got that beautiful blend of both. And so her being our bridge and our anchor point and she really tunes in, you know, she goes through her own intuitive process in the weeks leading up to each set of conversations, she helps ground it and make it relatable, but also is there to go, can you just go back on that point because… Yeah, and it’s important because I think even for me, this terminology that they will use and I’m like, I think I know what that means, but what does that mean? You know? Because their language will come through a different lens than mine. So when I do the energy updates, the reason I don’t channel those is because I want to be a human bridge for people. But I take the headlines that they give me and then I try and translate. But when it’s the Zs, there’s there’s a whole other frequency in the language and also the perspective of our lives. So I think it’s really important for all of us to be able to dance between those two poles and hopefully over time, integrate them.

Alison: You know the great thing about this that I really enjoyed was that you always stay, Lee. You’re very much Lee, like they talk about you like, just this guy and you could be my neighbor, you know? And that’s that was exciting to me. And then I wonder, they also said sometimes you don’t remember what you said, so sometimes, Are you surprised?

Lee: Oh, God. Someone said to me the other day, a good friend has the book. And it was very sweet. He was telling me he was really enjoying it. And he said, Oh, and that bit where they talked about you and them, I mean, the recordings happened through my body. I edited the book a long time ago, but I, I edited the book once it came back for the final review, I don’t remember it now. So there are, I think because I channel so much, um, you know, so much of it for me is about surrendering my mind. So therefore it’s so in the moment for me that I will maybe walk away from a one hour channeled session and I’ll remember 2 or 3 headlines that piqued my interest because I get to kind of sit behind, you know, my experience is I’m sitting behind and listening. But yeah, there was stuff that came out not just in this book, but in book two, which comes out in May of 2023 and Book three, which will come out in January of 2024. I’m learning things about my connection to them that I had no idea about. But that’s the thing, you know, a conversation is like being a human. We constantly evolve. We constantly see things through a different perspective. So I think they sometimes use me as a teaching example or point. And thankfully at this point I haven’t tried to edit any of it out, even though sometimes I’m quite, I’m quite like, Oh wow. And Diana will say, Did you hear that thing they said? And I was like, Oh, oh, yeah 

Alison: Is it, is it, is it all auditory?

Lee: Yes. So the way when I’m so basically that’s how it works for me. I hear them. Now if I’m working with someone as an energy intuitive, I do get visuals too. Um, but it’s, it’s all auditory for me and it’s very, um, sensory in that my body, when I’m doing my work, not when I’m in the grocery store necessarily, but when I’m in that mode, My energy field tells me a lot about a yes or a no or are my energy fields. If I’m doing a speech for, you know, 300, 400 people, the way my energy field moves tells me where to go next with the audience. Oh, that was a hot button for them. You need to expand on that a little bit more. You need to explain that a little bit more. You know, much the same as I’m sure it works for many people, but when I channel them verbally, which is, you know, the the audiobook for this book is the actual recordings. So if you get the audio book on Audible, you will hear Diana interviewing the Z’s as it happened. And we then turned the audio into the books. The first sentence or two usually I repeat, so I’ll have my eyes closed. It normally takes me a minute or two to kind of be ready to allow myself to be out and then to come in and I might hear just above my head, I might hear them say. 

Lee: Something like Ha! Good. A pleasure to be with you all. And there might be one more sentence that I hear from up here, and then it slowly comes down and then it’s just straight through with no precognition of the word. So, yeah, it becomes auditory until I’m actually channeling. And then it’s happening so fast through my body and usually faster than my own speaking pattern and speed that I don’t hear it first. I hear it as it’s coming out my mouth, which is the slightly nerve wracking part of it. You know, that was the scariest thing in all the early years. I started doing workshops in 2006 and certainly for that first 6 to 8 years, you know, you’re like, Oh my God, what’s what are they going to say now? And I’m the one that’s going to have to live with it. So I’ve got a bit more use to that. But it’s auditory when I speak to them myself and it’s auditory when I have conversations with them that I then write down or type for my own purposes and my own questions. 

Jean: I love that they Uh, say, Ha?

Alison: Yeah. We love Ha.

Jean: Ha. And now, because it reminds my husband was Canadian. And, you know at the end of the sentence they say – A?

Lee: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jean: So I’m and I personally am into sound healing. And so, Lee, tell me just a little bit about, do you use your voice.?. I think, I think we all do, consciously and unconsciously, that we use our voice as vibratory tools to clear. I mean, clearly you speak and people are just feel like melting in butter. And I think that’s one of your superpowers that you’re so humble and so approachable. You know, you don’t give off this aires… Okay, Now I’m up here and, you know, you’re just such a love. I know you’ve had a few YouTubes. I’ve heard them, actually…  Are you using your voice more now?

Lee: Yes, I am, actually. And it’s interesting that they they’ve not that long ago disclosed that they got me first through music. So when I was 21, you know, all through my childhood, the one of my, if you like, escapes was acting. And I was never the kid that could act like a normal eight year old, but I could play a 63 year old Jewish merchant for you like that, because it was shamanic to me. And so in a way, I understand that I was channeling other people and energies through my body from a young age, and I loved it. But I also, as I got to 16 and 17, even though it was what I’d done since I was nine years old and I would do three productions a year, sometimes four, I knew it wasn’t going to hold me. I knew that as much as I loved acting, there was more creatively for me to explore. So I was at drama school and I was doing what I was supposed to do, which was completing the thing that I was good at. You know how that goes. But the gift of my drama school was that it was so holistic. So it opened me up to Alexander Technique, five Rhythms Dance. We had a wonderful head of school who was very spiritual herself, didn’t talk about it much, but now I reflect on the programming. I’m like, What the hell were they giving us that for? I was eating all that up, and then at 21, in the middle of my course, I suddenly started to hear music. I’d always loved music. I’d sung in musicals, I’d sung since I was a kid. And I loved singing. But I started to hear songs and they were like full songs with lyrics.

Lee:  And so my friend showed me a few chords on guitar and I would use the guitar to get these songs down. And this was like, this was like, to me, this was like the best thing in life I’d ever discovered. And it was like a passion was born, so I thought I would go into music. And at the time I met the Z’s, I had just I was just about to or just recorded my first album, and that was the path I thought I was supposed to go on. So flash forward to now, Even though I did some albums in the last 20 years, about two, three years ago, the Z’s were very clear to me just on a personal level, that I had to walk back towards music. And so because I work with a wonderful composer and arranger called Davor, who’s a wonderful Slovenian musician, um, we’re, we’re continually developing more sound healing. And in fact, we’re working on a big course now that will probably come out in 23. That goes a little more into the the science and the energy of sound healing and music and we’ll incorporate the Zs information. But yeah, we’ve been putting music out that’s for example, tuned to 528Hz. And when Devo adds backing music to some of the channeled messages I’ve given over the years, he will measure the frequencies of planets and our organs and our chakras. So I’ve already heard from them that in the years to come, sound healing will not only be an area that I am supposed to continue going deeper into, but that we as a world in a decade from now, they say, you’ll be surprised. It will be a lot more normal, it will be a lot more a part of your society. It doesn’t mean that the other music will go away, but that it will just be a tool and a healing art that we come to accept and incorporate into our lives. So yeah. 

Alison: I love that about 2030 and 2035… And you know, the whole time thing was I thought, wonderful.  Right now, You just said that that you will get like an answer or an idea or here’s the path I’m supposed to go on. So, is it like you’re always with a group of friends in your head?

Lee: Well, they sometimes nudge me. They it doesn’t happen many times, maybe 5 or 6 times a year. They will interrupt me and they will tell me something. But other times it will be when, mostly, it will be when I choose to go to them. So the music thing, for example, there was an interesting story around that for me, which was I was flying home from London in 2019 and I had just done an event, a wonderful event called, Intuitive Power. It was amazing. We had about 310 people show up for the day and it was very, it was you know, I always love working with the energy of a room in that way. But I was flying home and something was ringing in my ears and it was like an ego moment for me, because the event organizer said to me, Oh, this is Marianne Williamson and Caroline Mayss’ favourite venue, and the venue held 350. And so we’d almost sold it out. And I had this moment where I didn’t know what to feel about that. Like, I could tell that the me from ten years ago would have been going, Wow, you just, you know, because ten years ago I knew who they were and I did my thing.

 

Speaker2: And it was on a much smaller scale, but I didn’t feel anything. I was kind of going, Shouldn’t you feel happy about that? Or proud or excited? And I was just kind of I was like, well, I just did my job. Then I turned on the movie and I watched a Coldplay documentary. And of course, they’re incredible. And I watched them do their music and move this incredible stadium. And I felt envy. And I was like, Whoa! Because that was a weird thing to feel. I mean, Coldplay are like at another level. So I knew it wasn’t I knew it wasn’t envy of perhaps the size of their career or the success of their career. But I felt envious that they were getting to play with music. And then I told myself, Lee, there are probably other people out there who wish they could have 300 people show up for the channeling and da da da. So I knew I had to channel and I asked them this question. I’m like, you know, am I? Help me out here. There’s something going on in my head that I don’t think is true. And they literally said, Without music, your soul will crumble. And I was like. 

Lee: Whoa, What?

Lee: So I asked questions and they were like, Yeah, walk back towards music. It’s part of your soul. It’s part of your essence. It’s part of what you’re here to do. And you are allowed to create enough space in your work that you bring the music in. And the limiting belief I ran up against in my head was, that’s not what people want me for. And I’m doing this work for these people and I have a team. How am I allowed to now?… So it was it was a fascinating moment for me with my own limits. But it was also a real breakthrough because I got off that plane, I booked myself on a music conference. I told my team- listen, we’re going to do this. And everyone was a bit like, What? And it doesn’t mean that I’ve stopped doing all my other work. It just means that three years later, here we are integrating it all. So it’s been an interesting journey.

Alison: Thank you so much for everything you you do and are and have said today. You’re just really… You’re fun.

Lee: Thank you. Thank you. And, you know….

Jean: I was waiting to see.. How is she going to go with… 

Alison: You’re fun. You’re just, you just very light and fun. And you really.. I loved, I loved this. And I can’t wait for the others.

Lee: Oh, thank you. That’s fantastic.

Jean: You’re really a blessing, Lee. Just your consciousness and your willingness, your humility, your humor. I mean, I could go on, but this is… It felt like Christmas morning to me all day knowing that we were going to have a little time together.

Alison: Were both like…What are we going to do? Come over at three. Let’s go. Like, it’s like you’re someone that, you know, it’s just exciting to hang out with.

Jean: And not in a guru way. Just in a very light…Like, look at this beautiful flower we get to be with today.

Lee: Thank you. Well, can I say thank you for saying such lovely things, but I feel daily grateful to be in the position I’m in because I think back to times in my life where I was more scared, more nervous, more, you know, the times in my teenage years when I was I was really suffering internally. And and so, you know, for me, it’s a complete privilege when you get to a place where the thing that you feel purposeful about is also something that seems to be helping and serving others. I mean, it’s a complete win win. So thank you. And from my 22 year old self, his head is spinning with.

Jean:  That interview went by so fast. 

Alison: So we were in a time warp. We’re like, Oh, okay, okay. We’ve been talking three minutes. No, it has not been three minutes. He’s so much fun. 

Jean: He.. Is. And he I just love so much of what he shared with us. And, you know, I think a takeaway for me is really putting an end to that pedestaling others, the guru and the worshipper, you know, just we’re all here. We’re all made of the same God stuff. And no one’s better than than the other.

Alison: And I love that he is so um.. He seems so authentic. Like there’s no, um… I don’t know… There’s no, like, veneer or like you, really. He seems like he’s really present and listening to you which is something I took away. Like, sometimes I’m thinking about what I’m going to say. Or does this person think I’m funny or whatever. And, you know, Lee showed me, like, you can just actually listen and that’s enough. If you can really listen with an open heart to someone, which is what I felt he was doing with us in our interview. I love that because he answered many questions that were like, you know, how is your family treating you? What’s going? And he was very open with us, which I really appreciated.

Jean: Yeah, Very generous, man. 

Alison: Yeah, really, really great. And I just want to make him laugh the whole day. Doesn’t he have, like, the best laugh.

Jean: And teeth and smile. Excellent teeth and his smile and you just want to give him a hug?

Alison: It’s a little known fact that we mainly pick our interviews by teeth. 

Jean: That’s true.

Alison: And now, don’t you know I’m giving the secrets away. See, this is the problem when I’m open. All right. Well, we hope you enjoyed that. And and Lee, thank you so much! 

Jean: Yeah, that was a treat. And we we send you all of our kindest thoughts.

Alison: That’s right. All right. Thanks a lot. Bye, everybody.

Alison Martin: What are you doing? What are you revving up for?

Jean Trebek: Just getting my energy going.

Alison Martin: You’re doing it. You’re doing it. We’ve heard our theme song, and we’re all ready.

Jean Trebek: We’re very happy. Yeah. We’re going to listen to Roger Burnley. We had a wonderful talk with him. He wrote the book Overcoming Fear, which is so apropos right now.

Alison Martin: And I want to say that he channels a being…Called Wilhelm.

Jean Trebek: I think is that he started automatic writing, which is when you meditate and just open yourself up to see if you can start writing something. And, and then he realized that he that stuff was coming out in the writing and he, he had the thought or he heard in his in his mind that it was his higher self. But that might have been difficult for him to understand.

Alison Martin: So he named this other entity, his higher self is named Wilhelm. And his book is so interesting because you really hear two distinct voices when you read it, don’t you?

Jean Trebek: Right, Right. You hear the human right and then you hear the higher wisdom. And it’s a great they’re a great team and it’s a great read. It is a great read. It’s easy and it’s so applicable, right?

Alison Martin: Yeah. And each little lesson and chapter I love because Wilhelm will say something and then Roger is like, I didn’t believe this at first. Like he’s so like, wow, like how I would be, which was, which is great because he’s very accessible and very vulnerable. I really enjoy talking.

Jean Trebek: I really enjoyed Roger as well.

Alison Martin: All right, let’s listen. Yay! Oh, yeah, yeah. Okay, good. Here we are.

Jean Trebek: It’s so nice to meet you, Roger.

Roger Burnley: Thank you. You as well.

Jean Trebek: Really, really is.

Alison Martin: We’ve read your book.

Roger Burnley: Oh, wow.

Jean Trebek: And listened to your interviews and a lot of your YouTubes and your messages from. Is it pronounced? William.

Roger Burnley: Wilhelm. Wilhelm.

Alison Martin: Wilhelm

Roger Burnley: Wilhelm. Yes.

Jean Trebek: So anyway, we’re really grateful that you’re taking the time to join us.

Roger Burnley: Thank you so much.

Alison Martin: I think what I enjoyed the most about the book is how vulnerable you are.

Roger Burnley: That took a long time. And I have to say, I called, I said I was the reluctant mystic because it had been years. And I and it got to the place where I said, okay, well, my Wilhelm said, You can no longer do this. You must speak. You have to write, you have to bring this out. And I love your I love the title. I just paid attention to this, the title of your podcast, Inside Wink. That is so great because so many ideas come to me with that name.

Alison Martin: What do you think it means insidewink?

Roger Burnley: Looking inside our consciousness of everything that’s going on and you’re giving people a preview, that’s what you’re doing.

Alison Martin: That’s right. That’s very good. And we also think it’s something about like seeing the Namaste. My truth sees your truth, right?

Roger Burnley: Yes. Yes. That’s good.

Alison Martin: Um, can you tell us a little bit about the transition from not writing the book to writing the book and what that was like for you?

Roger Burnley: It was torturous.

Jean Trebek: Was it?

Roger Burnley: Yeah.

Alison Martin: Good. Good way to start.

Jean Trebek: Because writing a book is not I mean, for some, you know, some people it is easy. Other people it can be quite arduous.

Roger Burnley: Oh Cam who contacted your site for me,…it wouldn’t have happened without her. Because I knew I was meant to do this. I’m getting this guidance talk about it. People are going to be moving through fear. You understand this. Please give them some information. I go, no, I can’t do that because I’m very introverted, which doesn’t make sense to people, but that’s just who I’ve been. And so, Cam would send me messages almost every other day. How much what have you written? What have you written? Because she was editing and putting it all together and that’s, that’s how it came out so well. Um, and I had to keep, you know, she’d say, take some time and put it on your calendar so you can get it done. Yeah, I had it on my calendar. That didn’t mean I was going to do it, right? And it’s that the vulnerable part because I said, you know, if I write this book, I’m going to have to tell everybody what I’ve been hiding for 20 some years. And that was the part that was uncomfortable. But also the urging, the information that I knew was going to be viable for the world. Now, I had to do it. My need to give something back to the world outweighed my fear of being seen. Basically, there’s something I talk about all the time. I remember Jim Carrey saying a long time ago, I remember watching, listening to him and he said, the problem with most people is they don’t want to be seen.

Jean Trebek: Mhm.

Roger Burnley: Right. And that, that just hit me right in the heart because that, that was what I was doing. And so now I want others to be seen. I want them to own who they are. My entire mission is about the way that we move through this shift in our world – is when more people understand their importance and what they’re here to offer the world. Because we all have something. It just looks different, that’s all.

Jean Trebek: So where do you think that fear comes from? The fear of not wanting to be seen. Does that link into self-worth or what?

Roger Burnley: It’s programming. It’s generational programming that we all have. It shows up in different ways. It’s showing up in mass now, which is why we’re having the kind of chaos that we’re experiencing in the world. This is what happened. Um, let me go back. Let me go back to tell you how this kind of came about. The book was the first thing in 2019, and so it was released in 2019. We started much earlier than that, but we finally released it in 2019. And I just knew something was happening that I needed to speak about. Well, actually, I knew in 2016. Let me go back a little bit further because I started talking about it. Then I started receiving different kinds of messages. And then I, I started writing about things that just were new to me, talking about, um, I started talking about racism and misogyny. That’s what started coming through because these are the things that you’re going to deal with in this world that you’re moving through. And I said, okay, fine. And then in 2020, um, the messages started to change. In February of 2020, I had gone to a workshop with a mentor that I was interviewing him basically because I thought I need somebody to help me with this.

Roger Burnley: And he was he was great. And so right after that, I thought, Oh, great, now, now I’ve got clarity and I’m going to go and do this. Couldn’t do it. Then the pandemic started and then everybody was focused on that. I’m still knowing it’s so much more than just the pandemic. So my, um, Wilhelm kept saying, You’re moving through a restructuring in your world on your planet. And I said, Okay, I don’t understand. Nothing’s going to be the same. You’re going to see unprecedented events. You’re going to see things that you’ve never seen before, and it’s going to feel a little chaotic. But you’re moving through something. You’re going to have to take down the old stuff so that you can create something new and you’re all existing now to bring in this new world. And you’ll do that by how much you choose to honor yourself, how much you choose to honor who you are and your individual path. And so I said, okay, that makes sense. Now, that was 2020 and this was the crazy part. 2021. I just go out for a walk. And I have my earbuds in and I’m just walking, listening to music. And I hear we gave you everything you need to know in 2012.

Speaker4: Wow.

Roger Burnley: That was the most insane thing I’ve ever heard. And then I came into my home and I go to my computer. I’m just guided to go to my computer. Look at I opened up a folder that said Wilhelm that I didn’t even know how it got there. I didn’t even know what it was…why, why it was there and why it was separated. Because all of my writings I put under any advice for today. But this was this one folder that just said Wilhelm and I opened it up 2012. And then it got. Then it got crazier. Then it said told me… we gave you all this information because it’s going to help so many. And then we said, if you meet somebody and if we gave you a message on their birthday, it will resonate for them. And what we’re saying is that we want all of you to connect to your eternal nature, to know that you have this path that you’ve always been on. And it’s just you find out at different times during your lives and also in your on your planet. Your planet is moving through an evolution. And then they started telling me it’s going to be going this long. Then they said the United States would lead the way. Didn’t understand what that meant either. And then they started showing me the energies of the United States when it was formed, when Pluto was changing. I go, Oh, okay.

Roger Burnley: Then I started looking up. Well, that’s why they kept saying that. And then they said, a Pluto return. No human has ever done that because it takes 248 years. So if you look at when the United States was formed and the ideals that we said as a country that we were going to do, that hasn’t happened. And so now they’re saying you’re going to redo that. You’re going to have basically a reckoning of sorts where you come to see that all of you need to be honored and that they kept giving me so much. They said, first of all, women are going to play the biggest role. Women are going to be the most because the feminine energy has been ignored on your planet forever. That’s what’s meant. And so this is what’s changing now. But you have people who won’t want to change. So you’re going to struggle a little bit and they’re going to be those who will hang on to what is old. And you have to go forward and give what is new. So challenging. I’m sitting on my bed one day because I didn’t want to do a live channeling. I didn’t want to do it. I would get stuff and I would record it, you know, on my recorder. But that was it. I wasn’t going to do this in public, rather.

Roger Burnley: And so in May of 2021, I knew that because I’m sitting there and I keep hearing this, I said, okay, I’ll do a little workshop. And I did that and I called it How to Connect to Your Higher Self. And I had all these folks there and I’m just talking about it. I said, I don’t know what’s going to happen because I never know. And it was probably one of the best sessions because they could see me and I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I would deliver Wilhelm information and then people would ask questions or say something and I would answer. And then there were times where I would come out of the trance and I talked to them about this. I said, I’ll come out and I’ll kind of still have Wilhelm, but I can probably answer. But then what was happening is that somebody would answer a question and I’m trying to answer it as Roger, I couldn’t do it. And then they see me. I said, Wait a minute, okay, let me get let me go to Wilhelm. And then it was all very clear. And that’s what happens when I when I channel. It’s just so incredibly clear. But it’s only I mean, it’s when I’m in those those states. So but then the funny thing was, I didn’t have anyone with me that day. My, my my associate wasn’t available. He was ill that day.And so he usually takes care of the technical stuff because I’m terrible with all of that. And so I forgot about it. Last week. I’m hearing very clearly again. Fine. Please go and find that session, please. I’m like, What? I don’t know what? I’m sitting there going through my phone. What? What? What am I supposed to find? And I find this session from May of 2021 that had never been downloaded. It was still sitting in my Zoom account. I never put it downloaded. I never put it into a video because I can hide things that way. And I was like, Oh wow. And it it kept going on. I said, and I kept saying, I can no longer do this. I kept I’ve got to step forward because I know they were telling me very clearly, the thing that happens is so strange. Because I said we gave you information that’s going to correspond to certain days. You know, even though we don’t operate in linear time, you do. And so we give you things so you can keep track and certain things. Some of the message they said, we’ll give you more tomorrow. Why? They said, because you don’t accept so much. You only accept so much in your human brain at a time. And so it doesn’t make any sense. And most of you want to know where you’re going instead of enjoying the journey.

Jean Trebek: Right. That’s true.

Roger Burnley: And that’s been and that’s the difficulty. And so then yesterday, I had a thought, okay, I’m going to I think I need to talk about this in a different way. I’m going to do a workshop and I’m going to call it, um, How to Thrive during the Big Shift. That’s what I thought. But then I was doubting. I said, Should I really do that? Maybe. Should I really go there? And then the next that day, look at the message that was coming up from 2012 and it said, Do it anyway. Just do it. It’s talking about – we all have these ideas and then we wait and then we have the fear. We allow the ego to take over so we don’t move. And the thing that was so striking was so challenging for me was like, really every day they’re giving me a message that we could follow. Then they said, Yes, it’s an ascension guide because that’s what you’re doing. Your planet is ascending. And so then you each are playing a role in how much you decide to send yourself meaning, owning and understanding your life journey. Everyone alive is contributing to the formation of the world. That was the funniest message. They said, um, this was in 2020. They said, you, um, something like, you are responsible for the formation of your world or something like that and said if you had any difficulty believing that sentence, then you’ve uncovered the difficulties you’ve experienced in your life.

Alison Martin: Oh, yes.

Roger Burnley: Not understanding how our essence is forming, what is going on in our world, and we all take responsibility instead of passing it on to everyone else. Then they said, you’re going to see a lot of blame going on during this time.

Roger Burnley: They they made me sit down one day and write. They showed me all the messages they gave me during that time in 2012, just focused on blame because what’s going to happen, you’re going to see all these things happening in your world and everyone’s going to blame everyone else for why it’s occurring, rather than you taking responsibility and owning and bringing something new into the world.

Alison Martin: That’s amazing. Because that is happening right now. Every day in politics and in society.

Roger Burnley: It really sabotaged me. It’s so much easier now because, see, for three years I’m writing things and putting it out there and I thought nobody nobody’s hearing me, nobody’s understanding me. There was one message that said, as you’re moving through this, and they explained why the United States they said the United States will lead the way in this restructuring. And during that, we’re going to go through things where we’re going to see things that have been covered up, that have been not for the best, not for the good of all. And so and that’s going to be a little chaotic. And that’s what we’re seeing right now.

Jean Trebek: Yes, right.

Roger Burnley: Then they said… you might have to you might bring in another leader like a Hitler. Wow in 2020 or have a war we hadn’t had. The Ukraine hadn’t started yet. And so I’m saying these things and people are looking at me like, why are you talking about this?

Roger Burnley: This is what’s coming through. So after I did all of this, I said, I have to see if this works. So I did something else in December of 2021, I said, let me put this work together and take some of it and put it together. I created this one program called Four Weeks to Your Best Life and put a bunch of people in there and I gave them a message, you know, And I did just a short video, and I said here – this is what I got from the message. Now you answer the questions and let’s see what happens. Then we were going to have group meetings, weekly meetings, you know, and I said, okay, the first one that came up, I, I didn’t they had assignments. They had to do the assignments each day and submit them. I said, I’m not going to read them because I would be doubting myself if I was doing that. So I said, I’m not going to do that. So the night before the first meeting that we were going to have, I said, I have to look because I got to know what’s going on. And so I looked and it was the most shocking thing to me. I stayed up all night because I was seeing them getting in touch with things and understanding things that took me decades to come to or to admit or to acknowledge. You know, it was just weird. And so and then the next morning, we had this early meeting and I overslept, but I got them back.

Roger Burnley: I told them, this is a good thing. I said, I just want to tell you why that happened. Because you blew me away and I wanted them to understand. But then they explained, Well, this is how evolution works. We’re all coming in to learn something and get and develop something, gain more wisdom, and then we give it back to others. That’s how the world evolves. And so and so we want to make the way for others much easier than what we might have had, no matter what we’ve done or where we’ve lived. That is the goal of any human – we want it to be that, right? But this period – they said it’s going to be a little challenging because you’re creating something big. And then the other weird thing it says, now think of it, this is the greatest opportunity of your life, of this, of your incarnation. You’re all living at a time where your planet is changing. This is a planetary ascension. And so if you do what you’re meant to do, then eventually – it’s not going to be tomorrow – but eventually it turns out so much better. And then I started looking at and I started hearing other people because I was listening to some astrologers, because I needed to get some other verification, you know, because I would just receive stuff. And then there were several people who gave me verification. Uh. Bruce Lipton was one of them. When would listen to him go, okay, great. Oh, and I saw that you guys had Eben Alexander on. I just sent him. Oh, you see? You’ll see. I mentioned him in the book.

Jean Trebek: Yes, you did? Yes. Yeah.

Roger Burnley: So I just mailed him a book a while ago, too, because I wanted to thank him and also Anita Moorjani, because they were speaking about things that gave me more courage, talking about these other realms that we can experience. Even though I’d known that I was doing this through everything, you know, that I had gone through, but still that ownership is what we all that’s the thing… the difficulty. They said, you’re always going to have that. You’re always going to doubt yourself. Yeah, people, in some of the in the some of the sessions, people ask when will the doubt go away? And Wilhelm says, Never.

Alison Martin: Right? Yeah.

Jean Trebek: And it’s great to just admit it.

Roger Burnley: Yes.

Jean Trebek: Be up front. Oh, I’m feeling a little uneasy right now. I think that kind of exposes that and then you have nothing to really hide behind and you can shine your light when you just go, Wow, I still feel nervous talking in front of people, but here I am.

Roger Burnley: That’s what it is. They explained this in one of the channeling sessions. They said, because I never talked about my spirituality, I never talked about anything like that. I was doing all these other things. I had a business, I was doing everything else I was doing. But I couldn’t do this part. And they said, Well, that was purposeful because they said Roger had to get over his ego. He had to move beyond his ego. And if anything he had done before would have been for some sort of selfish reason. Now he has the experience that he can give to others. I never, ever thought about doing work like this where I was going to earn money from it. It was never that. I didn’t even allow people to see the messages that I was writing every day until 2007 or something like that, because they were I thought they were just for me, they’re healing me. They’re helping me. But I didn’t know it was supposed to be for anyone else. And the only way that it happened was that someone came into my office one day and saw one of the messages I had just lying on my desk, picked it up and read it and goes, Wow, this really helped me. Who did it? Who wrote it? And I said – Oh, okay. Yeah, that came through me. I do them every day. And they said, Oh, could you please send them to me now? All I had was my AOL account. That’s what I had then. And so I had a little email. I said, okay, fine. So then I created a little group email. That’s all it was. And then I would just send people who were in the group these messages each day. Then later on I met someone. I was leaving this other business and I met Kathy Eldon. Well, I was actually referred to Kathy Eldon. She created she started Creative Visions, which was this wonderful organization. And, um, but I was trying to save this other business that I had done. This was right at the Great Recession we all went through. I lost everything, lost everything I owned. And I’m trying to save this business. Somebody said, well, you should talk to Kathy. She knows everybody in Hollywood. And so I never heard from her until after I had closed the business. It was just a craziness. And then she calls and we started talking and I told her what I did and she said, Oh. And then she started getting interested in the messages. And I said, okay. Well, I put her on the list as well. Years later, she tells me that those messages helped her, helped her staff because she said every morning the staff, when they were creating this, it was really challenging and difficult for them. But they would read the Wilhelm messages every day and it helped them create this business. And so then she introduced me to her book agent because she thought maybe this should be a book. And I still at that time I wasn’t interested in that. And when I talked to the guy and we met and we were going to do something and I was too focused on my other business and I wasn’t really thinking about it. It wasn’t until recently that I went back and noticed that the time that he was responding and telling me this was during 2012.

Alison Martin: That’s amazing. You’ve gone through so much. Um, the ice story is so frightening.

Jean Trebek: And that happened to Alex, my husband.

Alison Martin: Yes. And and that was so frightening. And when you talk about your feet and you’ve been through so much and yet I got such a warm, jubilant feeling from the book – which you totally are. So can you talk a little bit about how you maintained this positive outlook or did that shift?

Roger Burnley: It was exactly the way that they want me to give information to others every day. What would happen is I first started doing automatic writing, That’s how it began. And that was 1988. And I only did that because I read an article about it. It wasn’t anything I thought I could do. Um, there were other things that I’d been exposed to before, so I wasn’t totally a novice. And there was something, but I didn’t want to be in the spiritual community. I wasn’t going to do all of this, you know. And so I read a business magazine. This is what gave me the clue because this guy said he was in New York, I believe, and he had was having difficulty with his business. He had or was starting a new business. And so he started doing this automatic writing and he said it gave him great results. And he just talked about what he did. He meditated, just sat there and just wrote something and see what came through and said, okay, well, I’ve been meditating a bit. Let me see if that works. And so I started for several days. I would sit there and have my pen and paper and see what would happen.

Roger Burnley: Nothing came through. And then one day it just felt like something grabbed my hand and I started writing. I was hearing very clearly and I just started writing. And it frightened me, actually. And I said, Who’s speaking to me? And I heard, this is your higher self, another part of you. But if that makes you uncomfortable, you can call us whatever you like. That’s okay. And then I said, Wilhelm – didn’t know why that name came through until years later because it was connected to so many others. But I had no conscious memory of that. And so all of this stuff I had to get, it was just so much that was coming through. In 2021, I had to Akashic Records readings done because I had never done that before either. But I said, Am I really? Maybe I’m just a nuts person because I need to find that out. And they said no. And this was the last lady that I went to. The first woman that I saw, she was like, wait a minute… She stopped after she was done with the reading. She said, I think I’m supposed to be following you or something.

Alison Martin: Wow.

Roger Burnley: And then the next one, who I knew because we were in this other organization together, she did it and she verified everything. She says, Oh, yeah, you have this ancient memory back to Egypt. And then you used to mummify people, but now you’re supposed to open up the minds of people. And you were given something. And she started saying and she paused and she goes, operate. And I just lost it in that second because, see, what I heard was that I was given this philosophy called your life operating instructions.

Jean Trebek: Oh!

Roger Burnley: And that just blew me away when she said that. And I go, okay, this makes sense. And then after more would come out when I do a live session, a channeling session, then more of that information would start to come through. But the point was that every time we come unto the earth plane at a particular time incarnation to fulfill a mission within our own lives, within our own evolutionary journey, but then to contribute to the world in the same way. And it’s not accidental. We choose the times. And we all decided to be here now because we could make a much better world if we decide to own who we are.

Jean Trebek: Yes. Own who we are. Does Willem give any advice as to how to connect to our divine self?

Roger Burnley: Yes. I mean, that’s what came through. That one session was so crazy because I did finally put it out and share it and because it was different than all the others. When I do the sessions now, I kind of have a message there and all that. And but this one, it was just everybody there and that’s when they were asking questions. But now what I do is I, I recently I changed it because I used to have people speak and all of that. Now they said, No, we don’t want you to do that. We don’t want you to hear anyone. We just want you to connect to the energy. And so what we do now is that they will submit questions during the session and then my associate Stan, will read the question. Because I don’t want to know if it’s male or female or who they are or anything. I just want to connect to their essence and their soul and that’s what we’ve been doing. And so, yes, the advice comes through in those. And the main one that people used to come through is – I don’t know what self-love is, I don’t know how to do that. And then Willem said, Yeah, all you have to do is pay attention when you’re using judgment.

Jean Trebek: Great answer.

Alison Martin: That is great.

Jean Trebek: Yeah.

Roger Burnley: Yeah. And so when you can just acknowledge that and it’s a mindfulness thing and it happens because again, they said this is the generational change that we’re moving through. And, and so this was the other one… because I don’t remember the things that come through. Martin Luther King had the March on Washington in 1963. And so they were doing a celebration on Saturday, this past Saturday. And so I said, oh, wow, that’s fascinating. And I went back and I looked I said, What’s the real date? And the real date was August 28th of 1963. And so I said, Well, let me see what came through then. And they took me back to 2020 when they first started giving me the information about what we would be experiencing now. And the message was, you are right, and so are they. Hmm. And I thought, oh, this is what we’re going to have to deal with. Because, see, we’re coming in as humans and these spirits, these bodies. But we have different ideologies, we have different races, genders and all of that. And so we’re going to form different opinions about what that is. But we’re each supposed to create our own reality. And that reality that takes us back to remembering that we’re connected to source, that we’re connected to, all that is over time. Then we start to have a very different world. But you’re moving through this process now, this ascension process. But they’ve also said that it’s going to be much better by 2025. We’ve got to go through this next year. And the energetic changes are going to keep going. The other thing that would come through and I got so nervous because this would happen at the end of certain calls, the last thing they would say, please stop burning down your planet.

Jean Trebek: Oh.

Alison Martin: Oh, yeah.

Roger Burnley: And I that that was crazy. And then they took me back the other day. They said when Maui, when the fires in Maui happened and said you’re not even paying attention to the dates. Like what? And then I looked back to see the date that Maui became a US state, the same date that the fires were happening, really. And so, yes, it’s like, look at this is a restructuring. You are going through cycles, you’ve gone through cycles in civilization before. They kept taking me back. Look at what happened 200 years ago. You know, you can’t remember all the things that from centuries, but you can think about 100 years if you had to and they started talking about showing the things that happened during the pandemic, because we had one in 1918. This is just a very different period that no one has experienced because this has never happened on planet Earth. These configurations of what’s going on right now.

Jean Trebek: I love the numerology.

Alison Martin: Yeah. Yes.

Jean Trebek: Going beyond it shows that the universe is reflecting an intellectual calculation that’s beyond our human perception. But there’s this intelligence that is operating.

Roger Burnley: Said you you cannot you’re not going to be able to think logically.

Jean Trebek: That’s just trust your heart, because your brain is not going to help you out.

Roger Burnley: Oh, I got chills again. Okay. Yeah. In 1987. I have no clue as to why I was guided to do certain things. But in 1987, I wrote two songs that I just did myself, and the first one was called Better Than Me. And the idea behind the song was to say, No one is better than you and you are not better than anyone else. You’re all equal. But you have to come to that understanding. And then the second song was Listen to Your Heart.

Alison Martin: Wow.

Roger Burnley: Didn’t know why, but it was like, Listen to your heart and you’ll always know the right way. That guidance that what’s within us, but trusting that is challenging. We’re going through an evolutionary path ourselves. And so, Oh, am I supposed to move to this place now or am I supposed to do that? And so that’s the thing that is challenging. And what they kept giving me, especially about Russia, that was one of them. Um, because we were so afraid of that. But you have to understand the energies of that because you have someone who is trying to recreate what was old.

Alison Martin: Right.

Roger Burnley: An old empire and old things that’s no longer going to work. Right. Which is why it didn’t. It hasn’t, you know, except for, you know, killing a lot of people. That’s what’s gone on. However, if we can keep moving in the direction of self-love and giving up our judgment and all of that, we move energetically to that new world that we’re all trying to create.

Alison Martin: In your book, I felt so much that Wilhelm and you – I really felt it was two different voices, which was so interesting to read. And that Wilhelm really has no judgment,

Roger Burnley: Right.

Alison Martin: It’s all about everything happens and it’s for expansion and growth.

Roger Burnley: Right.

Alison Martin: And I love when you’d be like, I couldn’t believe that! I felt so sided with you because immediately when you’re talking, I want to say. So when does it get better? When does it as if, like I have to remember to let go of the idea of better. or worse.

Roger Burnley: Well, no, they said no. Better is Good. Because better is how we feel. See, it’s going to be different for everyone. But they said when you know what better means for you on your path, then that’s what you go to, what feels better to you. And that’s that because they said you’re not going to be able to judge everyone else, you’re not going to understand that. But you do know what feels better for you in your life and in your experience. Go for that because that’s your divine plan. That’s your individual blueprint basically is what would come through. Right?

Jean Trebek: That’s your guidance system.

Alison Martin: That’s right. Can we talk just a little bit about the idea of illness and healing yourself. We’re in a spiritual group of women that talk and this always seems to come up that somehow if you have something and you can’t cure yourself. You’ve been defeated or you’ve had bad thoughts.

Roger Burnley: I’m so glad you brought that up. Oh, I struggled with that one forever because the contradiction that existed in my life. I grew up in my family. My mother and my grandmother were Christian scientists. And my grandmother was devout. I never saw the woman sick. She I think one day she was in bed with a cold or something like that. And but that was all that I ever remembered. And I had every illness, every disease, every kind of crazy so many throughout my life. And I said to her one day, why am I having this is something wrong? And she said, And I understand it now. She says, You work to the level of your understanding. Because, see, we could get to the place in what when we want, where we could heal things… That is possible. We all have that. However, we have different evolutionary paths that we’re supposed to move through. So just because you don’t. Oh, there’s a wonderful message they said – you have a physical ailment and so you think that the resolution of the malady is your healing. It it may not be in physical form. That has nothing to do with it. The healing always occurs in the spiritual realm. And so when we keep looking at the physical things to completely change, that maybe it”s not going to happen depending on our paths of what we were supposed to do. So we can’t judge ourselves if we can’t get there because I was judging myself like the women might have been doing. They said, No, it’s not that… You use your physical bodies to understand your spiritual path, to understand your spiritual evolution. These are just bodies you use, you know. I didn’t talk about it for so long, this is really because I’m going to do more of it now, um, because of all the things that I’ve healed in my life, that I’ve moved through – I didn’t want to talk about them. I would go to my doctor and he would say, Wow, you’ve really done something great here. Look at your test results are so much better, I’d say – don’t tell anybody.

Alison Martin: Really?

Roger Burnley: Because it felt like, I’m going to have to explain it. I’m going to have to defend it. I don’t. And it didn’t make sense. I just knew that it was happening. And then I started changing and I started talking about it more. And it came through actually in the channeling session because my Wilhelm said that Roger will do. He’ll go to the doctor, he’ll have his blood work done, and he looks at his blood work and he measures the things. If anything’s off he goes. He’ll ask himself, Oh, what am I not doing? What am I not changed? What do I need to adjust? Right? Because it was spiritual, it was a connecting that way, you know, And some people will won’t, you know, don’t use that at all. But that’s what I began doing. And I was getting the results I was healing and they keep having me talk about my age because they said we want people to understand that you can start when you get this stuff. You start reverse aging. You know, it’s every time because I’ll be 73 in November.

Jean Trebek: Wow.

Alison Martin: You look great, Roger.

Roger Burnley: Thank you. And that’s, you know, part of the genes or whatever. But still, I do know that it is something that I was surprised with because the healing just kept coming, especially all of last week. So a couple of weeks ago and I talked about this in the group, I went in my cabinet, my bathroom underneath, and I had this  bin with all these medications, all these things like, I mean, just every kind of thing. There were just and I looked at it, I go, oh, I haven’t been in there in forever. But we can’t measure our progress based on the results that we might receive physically, our healing is occurring in the spiritual realm.

Alison Martin: So I love that you say that. And I love what you said about we use our physical bodies to gain knowledge and expansion in a spiritual sense, because that reflects back to what you said about your feelings. Like if it feels good, go… Do you know? And I think that’s such a wonderful thing because you don’t really hear that a lot. You what I’ve heard is different, like what you said about maybe I have failed in something.

Roger Burnley: And the other thing, too, I have something that’s hanging on my wall. This came through in the 80s and it was about the our emotions, see, because the other things that we will interpret our emotions based on what we’ve been programmed to believe or think from whatever. And so this one message and someone made a little calligraphy of it for me, said, Your emotions are not an end of themselves. They are designed to lead you to your beliefs. Your beliefs may or may not be based in truth.

Alison Martin: Wow.

Jean Trebek: That’s great. That’s great.

Roger Burnley: And I said, Oh, okay. And then I was going to a therapist one time and she said to me, I think you have repressed anger. I said that’s not possible. I’m too nice. I couldn’t have anger… And then it was true. And I started to see and I could go back and even pinpoint the incident where I started repressing whatever might come up from me that might feel like anger. And I’ve always been the person who had to keep the peace no matter what. But there was one incident when I was a child, um, and my cousin was teasing me all the time. And then I lost it. I just lost it. And I grabbed him and I’m banging his head against a tree. And it frightened me because I had so much anger. I mean, I was still a kid, but still I said, okay, I’m never going to do that again. And so now I’m starting to repress my feeling of wanting to protect myself, of wanting to speak up and own who I am. And that becomes that permeates your life. Then, you know, of course, we don’t want to express anger at others. But when it comes up, sometimes it gets us to pay attention to something within us that we’ve been ignoring. And that’s what it was. Did it make it worse? This cousin was three years younger than me. Um, a couple of years ago he unexpectedly died. And I went back to that incident and I had all this guilt. I still had the guilt about, Oh, wow. Because he’s gone now. I can’t even say anything. Can’t even talk about this. Yeah, they said it doesn’t matter. You can’t. You’re not controlling anyone else’s experience. It’s just yours. And so just take what we gain from the experience, learn from it, gather wisdom and give it to others. And we keep evolving.

Alison Martin: Right. That’s beautiful. Do you think we’re responsible for others or do you think we’re solely responsible to ourselves? What is responsibility to you?

Roger Burnley: Responsibility… they say it’s this higher state that we’re all moving to. And we haven’t gotten there because, see, when we become responsible, we remember our oneness. We remember that we are all one. But as we’re moving through our individual incarnations in life and all of that, we don’t know that it’s coming…it’s remembering. This is the thing that used to really drive me crazy when some of the earlier messages I receive – You knew before you came, you knew this. I said I didn’t know anything. That’s what I would always say. They said – You will remember. That would start coming through. We remember because we’re eternal beings. So we have history, we have memories and all of that and did some other things because I thought, this is so strange. Uh, I started getting in touch with Carl Jung. I never studied anyone. I never studied anybody. But I started seeing that all of my ideas, I mean, some of the stuff the Wilhelm messages felt like they were so relatable to Carl Jung. And then through one of the sessions, Wilhelm said, Well, yes, we gave you all of that. As humans, you come into the world, you develop something and it’s in the ethers, it’s in the infinite intelligence. You all have access to it. You’re not going to necessarily access the same information, but it’s all there. And I said, Well. What we gave you was, yes, Carl Jung. We also gave you Alfred Adler, we gave you Einstein, we gave you all these people, because that’s the available information. And then they said, if you go back and look when they came into the world, what they discovered and what they left, then you’re supposed to take it and develop something and give it to others. So, oh, okay. Now that makes sense. The one thing that I didn’t understand this came through in one of the sessions they brought in. Alfred Adler. I knew nothing about him, but he talked about inferiority because that’s our difficulty. We have this feeling of inferiority, of insignificance. And so if that permeates our being, then we give it to others. And then we have a whole bunch of people on the planet who feel insignificant, right? And so this period is about uplifting and up leveling consciousness so more people feel significant and more people feel included. And then we can create something a lot better, right?

Alison Martin: Well, I think that’s so true, because the big expression now between everyone sees I want to feel seen, right? You know, I want to be heard. I want to feel seen. It’s such a simple sentence. And it’s so moving to me because it really captures that feeling of feeling insignificant or significant.

Roger Burnley: They give me little things like use iterations. They said okay when you come to understand this about yourself and all others, you’re going to have a very different world… They said everyone is looking fr the same thing. I said, What is that? They said acceptance, acknowledgement and approval.

Jean Trebek: Right.

Roger Burnley: Every, every single soul wants that. And so when we can give that first to ourselves, then we start to be able to give more to others. And over time we start to see, Oh, wait a minute, we’re creating a different kind of consciousness. We’re understanding the importance of all people. We’re understanding that every soul that comes onto the plane has something to offer, no matter what that experience might be or how it looks, you know, right there would they would bring up things to I use this because Tony Robbins used this so much and it’s such a great example. He used Nick Vukovich. I don’t know if you know of him. He’s this guy. He’s a motivational speaker. He has no arms or legs and he’s.

Jean Trebek: Yes, yes, yes, yes. And he got married.

Roger Burnley: Yes, yes, yes. Kids, he got everything.

Jean Trebek: He’s has a nice looking face, but no hands or legs and if I remember him… Is he Christian?

Roger Burnley: Yes, he is. But it’s so challenging. You can’t watch him without coming away with feeling better about yourself in some way because he makes you do it! And he’s funny. He’s funny too.

Roger Burnley: When you were saying about me being so up, I used to judge myself for that because I would do a channeling session. And Wilhelm was very funny when they’re doing channeling sessions and they said, We’re going to keep things up because many of you have suffered too much. You don’t need to do that. We’re going to start to shift the energy a little bit. And so I started saying, okay, because someone will ask this really serious life or death kind of question. Wilhelm will laugh and it breaks the energy. And then they get the information. It’s what typically happens.

Alison Martin: And that’s very much like a Course in Miracles, right? You know, don’t forget to laugh.

Roger Burnley: Yes, I did the course. I was working for a guy and he knew Marianne Williamson and she was doing lectures on A Course in Miracles, and I would go every single week and listen to that and started to became friendly with her and her associate and all of that. I said, okay, maybe I should do the course. And so I did the course. I did 365 days. And it was so odd because I said, This makes sense to me. Why do I understand this and why is it coming through? But I still was not going to take that next step into owning this and talking about it. I just said it seems familiar. And I could understand the actual lessons, you know, pretty easily. I still never thought this was anything that I was going to do. That was 1986. And if I could tell you all the different careers that came up that I did, like I told people to in several years ago, I said I sold my million dollar business, which was true.

Jean Trebek: Wow.

Roger Burnley: I was doing this singing business and I’d been doing it for years. And I had a partner in Australia and he brought it up. He says, I think you’re maybe you’re supposed to be doing personal development because he could see how I was working with people and what was coming through. And I said, okay, I’ll do that, but I’m not going to do anything that’s really weird. I’m not going to do anything really woo-woo or something strange. I said that to him. And so then a couple of years later I said, okay. I can’t do this anymore. I have to move to this other place. And that’s when I the urging just kept coming through, you know? Um, but I had this self-judgment that people are going to look at me weird if I’m doing this. Plus, I’m a black guy and I’m going to sit down and talk about this and I’m going to start doing channeling. That doesn’t make sense.

Jean Trebek: Well.

Alison Martin: It does.

Jean Trebek: Yeah, it does.

Alison Martin: It does make sense. Actually.

Jean Trebek: You’re the perfect channel for such great wisdom.

Alison Martin: You’re fascinating. And I just. I just loved you. And I love you even more now. But this. I really hope that all our listeners read-

Roger Burnley: Thank you.

Jean Trebek: Overcoming Fear A Guide to Freedom by Roger Burnley.

Roger Burnley: I still laugh at the preface, though. When I talked, I said, yeah, I wanted to write it for a long time. I just have one problem. Fear!

Jean Trebek: Thank you for this great gift and thank.

Alison Martin: And thank you for talking with us this long.

Roger Burnley: Thank you. Listen, I loved it so much and I love what you’re doing. And I love I love your interviews. And yeah, the last one I listened to was the one with Eben and it was just really great. So thank you.

Alison Martin: Hope our our paths cross again with you. If you write another book, please come back on. We would love that.

Roger Burnley: Well, thank you so much.

Jean Trebek: Have a great day.

Roger Burnley: Thank you. You too. Okay. Bye bye.

Alison Martin: So there he is. First of all, he made me laugh. He is such a happy guy.

Jean Trebek: You know, I think when you start really living without fear, you become more happy.

Alison Martin: And I love some of the things he said about self love and finding what’s better for you and that it makes sense that right now we’re living through a challenging time because there’s a lot of changes happening and a lot of awareness, right?

Jean Trebek: Yeah. And I think the thing to remember is not to judge when the awareness comes up. Like we can have an awareness of something and then we judge ourselves for that. It’s almost like be grateful. Like, wow, I just became aware that I have this trigger point or, Hey, I just realized something about myself. And rather than beating ourselves up, it’s like, Hey, good on you. This is something you’re waking up from.

Alison Martin: I think I do that. I think for me, I’ll think of something that and I’ll go, Ughh…

Jean Trebek: Why do I do that?

Alison Martin: I don’t know that I would ever say that to you. I don’t think I would ever say to you, Jean, what are you doing?

Jean Trebek: Like, why are you still dealing with that, right?

Alison Martin: I really feel like after talking to Roger, I was like, oh, you’re right. The fear is just my mental thoughts and I can adjust those to achieve expansion and knowledge.

Jean Trebek: Yeah. It’s a great book. Please treat yourself!

Alison Martin: Overcoming Fear. Roger Burnley.

Jean Trebek: Okay. Well, it was lovely sitting with you again this afternoon.

Alison Martin: Have a great couple of weeks and we’ll see you next time.

Alison: We love our theme.

Jean: Yeah, we love that theme song. We love it. What is it called?

Alison: Chipper chaps.

Jean: Chaps.

Alison: Which is us. Yeah.

Jean: That is true.

Alison: We are chipper chaps, and I love when it’s playing. And you do that moving…side to side Move. Right?

Jean: I also snap my fingers.

Alison: Yeah, you’re in it. Da da ba da ba da. Okay. Oh, wait, is this on? I got to put my automatic level control on. Okay, Excellent. Who are we talking to today?

Jean: We have the amazing Jennifer Hough.

Alison: And you know her as, like, a friend, right?

Jean: I do. I met her, I’m going to say, like over ten years ago. Wow. We met in Arkansas and I knew right away she was someone that was exceptionally fabulous.

Alison: Do you remember it? Was it like a retreat?

Jean: We went on a retreat. She was one of the guest speakers. And yeah, we were in Arkansas. We were digging for crystals.

Alison: I remember that You brought back crystals for us.

Jean: I did, Yes, I remember that retreat.

Alison: Oh, that’s great, right? Oh, that’s excellent. But you have you have a piece of paper you’re holding.

Jean: Yeah. Because I want to share with our listeners, this is what Jennifer wrote in one of her email blasts that she offers. Okay, she writes, “Sometimes we become myopic about life, focusing on problems with laser like precision. The other day, inspiration hit and I decided to go for a walk with the intention of reminding myself that the miraculous abounds. This is what life gave me back as evidence. Absolutely stunning. Just thought I’d share. What evidence have you had of the miraculous lately? What are you being vigilant for?”

Alison: I love that.

Jean: What are you being vigilant for? Because whatever you seek, you’ll find.

Alison: That’s right. Well, let’s listen to her and then we’ll come back and talk more. Great. You did a great job.

Alison: Okay, here we go.

Jean: Let’s jump in. Jennifer, I want to talk to you just quickly about what the word awakening means to you, because we’re hearing that more and more and I know the name of your company is Wide Awakening, but what does the word awakening really mean to you?

Jennifer: You know what’s really funny is lately I’ve been head first into definitions like, what does that mean? So for me, what Awakening means and to our body of work, is this idea that, you know, most people are running around surviving their life. They’ve got their blinders on. They’re sort of funneled in there… How do I make my next buck? How do I make sure that my rent is paid? How do I make sure my mortgage is paid? The kids, the this, the that? I mean, we’re we’ve been so busy in a lot of first world countries. Very, very busy. So for me, awakening means, somewhat like the movie…did you guys see the movie Tomorrowland?

Alison: Yes.

Jennifer: Yeah, I love– oh my gosh… I love that movie so much. So Tomorrowland is this movie… That’s there’s a part of it that I had a dream of once, I actually had a dream before the movie came out. And what I saw was, I saw these people poking their heads above, in this case clouds in the movie it’s a field, and they poke their heads up and they see each other as if they’ve been down in the forest up until that point. And then all of a sudden they see the reality of what’s really going on and how powerful they are and that they can make change, and that it’s possible to have fulfillment and meaning and do something that actually matters.

Jennifer: And in that movie, when I saw that, I bawled… I still bawl everytime I see it… it’s near the end of the frigging movie. I had to wait all that time. So anyways,for me, what awakening is, is that coming from the fog of survival mode where you’re go, go — do do, you’re living according to what society says you should, must and have to do in order to get by. But awakening is when you, when one, when I, when we, actually come above the fray and notice that above the clouds there’s actually sunshine and you start to understand your superpowers, you start to understand that you don’t have to go from survival and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. You don’t have to go from survival and work your way up. You could actually go from survival, just to jump to this place where you understand that you can be this agent of of making a difference in the world, no matter what your financial, love life, anything status is. And when we realize we can be actualized no matter what, um, for me, that’s really awakening and it just takes a shift in operating systems. It doesn’t take 20 years of being in a cave with a guru. Yeah. So, yeah, to me, that’s what awakening is.

Alison: Yeah, that’s beautiful. I mean, I think what you’re saying is so interesting because I think people feel mired in and oppressed.

Jennifer:   Yeah.

Alison: And and that my eldest kid says, I think part of the problem in the world is that people don’t feel taken care of by each other.

Jennifer: Yeah,

Alison: I think you’re right that if we could just elevate the thought a little. So how would you, what do you say to someone that feels like, Oh, easy for you to say. I have a 9 to 5 job I don’t like. How do I pop my head up out of the field? How do I do that? Like, is there a step?

Jennifer: It’s a great question, Alison. I think it’s different. Every single person has a different approach to that, you know. So I think for different people, because of what they’ve been through in the past, um, there’s a bridge. So my mastery is around building bridges to have that experience, right? So for each person, um, they have a different past. Something happened to them from their father or their mother or in school or something hard, you know, is some experience they had at work or at school. And and so there are bridges that need to be built. And for me, it’s not like a one size fits all. It really is about building a bridge from where they’ve been and where they’ve been operating to try to stay safe. For me, like, there are three basic ways that people are doing that keep them in the mire of survival, that density. One is they’re trying to stay safe. And from a recurring illusion that the past is going to happen again. Right? So they put the past in the future and then they act like it might happen again. And then they’re vigilant for where that might happen again instead of actually being vigilant for thriving or being fulfilled. Their blinders are only to make sure that that thing, that thing or those things don’t happen again. The next thing is they’re trying to stay in control because whenever we have volatility, we’re like trying to stay in control so that that volatility doesn’t happen again. But what that takes you, us, all away from when we’re trying to prevent that volatility by staying in control… Which I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had that issue.

Jean: Oh, no.

Jennifer: Much?

Jean: Here’s my calendar.

Jennifer: Right, exactly.

Jennifer: No Control going here. (laughing) 

Jennifer: Exactly. So, so the funny thing is the laws of physics say that through every contrast that we’ve ever had, Life is actually responding equally and oppositely with opportunity and openings and blessings. I mean, that’s the way physics works. It’s not some woo woo concept. It’s actually a scientific concept. And so since that’s just a scientific fact. When we stay focused on everything that we need to protect against by staying in control , again, our vigilance our experiences to look for ways that things are going to go out of control. The problem is that takes our vigilance away for from those blessings and from the miracles and from what life is providing us based on the laws of physics, which is all of these things that get created every time we go through contrast. And the third thing that we do is it’s like protection. So then we don these personality traits. Again, don’t know what I’m talking about because I’ve never done this, (haha) but we don these personality traits, right? And for me, it might have been like being a know it all. Like I remember you know, in my 20s especially just brutal and then being fiercely independent… Which that’s like a disease in North America, it’s like this fierce that I could do it all myself.  Which is why I love that the two of you have this podcast. It just makes me happy. So  there’s this fierce independent, I call it independence disease, and it’s another way of manifesting that third, that third way of being and all of those ways of being, all of those ways of being are not very productive when it comes to being able to flourish, have a fulfilling life, or have meaning in your life, i.e. being in the process of awakening. Right?

Alison: Yeah. That just hit home.

Jennifer: Yeah. Well, we all do it, right?

Jean: So, so true. And so, Jennifer, in your book, “Unstuck”, you talk about the magic zone?

Jennifer: Mm hmm.

Jean: How do you describe the magic zone?

Jennifer: It’s the miracle zone, actually.  I just want you to know, it is also the magic zone. (laughing) It doesn’t really matter. They both start with M. So, so that zone is a place where if you can imagine everything…… Hmm. Let me use an analogy. So usually when I would go to the airport, it, you know, it’s like and I go to a lot of airports. I was in Albany this time that I remember. So and this is in the book, actually. Jean So I’m in Albany. I’m like about to get on a plane and I’m so frustrated because stuff isn’t working for me and I’m just having to work so hard and I’m hopping on a plane. And then what happens is I get this little voice while I’m riding in the cab and a little voice says, Listen, this is what we want you to do. And I’m like, First of all, who is we? But this is what we want you to do. Just give this a shot. No matter what happens, don’t judge it and be vigilant. Like actually put your radar on for the miraculous. And they said and this little feeling was no matter what. Okay, I’m game. Whatever. Okay, let’s do it. So get into the little tiny, teeny, tiny Albany airport and ( Oh, and my dog is visiting me because there’s a thunderstorm, )So we’re getting the little teeny, tiny Albany airport.

Speaker1: And what happens is the first thing that happens is, I notice that I’m in row 20 something, which A- is not good. Then I’m in the middle seat and I’m five foot ten, which B – is even worse. And I don’t know why I didn’t do my seats because I always do my seats and I’m going to Dallas, so it’s not a short flight, and I’m thinking, Oh my God, okay. And I notice myself judging and they’re like okay, nope, that the instruction was no judgment. So I didn’t say anything. I go up to the counter, This is after this really nice guy in a really expensive suit, just left the counter. And I go up and I say, Are there any first class seats? And she goes, No, that man over there just got the last one. And I look over at him and he’s there and I stick my tongue out at him and he, he laughs his butt off. Right? And then I go back and I go, Well, you know, I’m thinking in my head, so far this is going swimmingly, right? So then going on the plane on the left hand side, there’s this lady with an empty seat, first class who has a doggy on her on her lap. And I thought, oh my God, I love to fly with a dog on my lap. And then I notice at least I noticed that the whole rest of the plane was full.

Jennifer: So and I had a carry on. And while the flight attendant wasn’t looking, I put the bag up in first class and I went, okay, well, there’s that. That was good. So I go to sit down in my little freaking seat. There’s another good looking guy on my left. He’s on the window seat. And he’s, he’s just, you know, and all of a sudden, they’re they’re making the announcement and I make sure he’s sitting down, put all the stuff away, blah, blah. And the guy came comes back to my row and I thought he was going to come and talk to me. No, he talks to the good looking guy with the other suit. So the two suits are talking and the suit guy says to him, listen, we won’t be able to get done what we need to get done. So clearly, they are lawyers, right? And he looks at me and he goes, Oh, it’s you. And he said, Weren’t you the one that wanted a first class seat? And I said, Yeah. And he said, you know what? I can’t sit in my first class seat that I just got because I have to do work with this guy. So what I was intending to do is who’s ever sitting next to him can have my first class seat.

Jean: Love that.

Jennifer: Oh, no, no, no. It gets way better than that. So then I get up, he sits down and, you know, whatever, and I go and sit and I get the seat next to the lady with the dog, and the dog jumps on my lap and I fly with the dog the entire time for the first time I’ve ever had a dog on my lap on a flight. Not only that, but my expertise at the time was around migraines. The woman had the dog because her anxiety caused her to have migraines on the plane. I gave her my expertise and showed her how to not have migraines on the plane and showed her the laws of epigenetics and the laws of physics.  I got her doing the exercises and she thought it was a total miracle. She says, I’m going to a conference. This is the punch line. I’m going to a conference about migraines in Dallas, and they need another speaker. It’s $10,000. Do you want to speak at the conference? And I’m like, okay, this is under the category of you can’t make this stuff up. Right?  So I say this all because that’s what’s available. That’s the level of flow that’s available in people’s lives. And scientifically, like from that incident, it was probably the beginning of an evolution of all the work that we did, because I wanted to understand the science of how that happened, right? So for me, this is like but for myself, right, right. But then I realized, like, everyone could do it. Everyone could do what happened there. Like that could just be the way you are.

Speaker1: So the miracle zone is THAT…that’s the miracle zone, is like where the “or better” (I call them or betters) just kind of come to you, right? Like it’s you don’t know what you wanted until it actually comes.  It transcends the idea of intention and manifesting things like, like law of attraction because you are the attraction, so everything is coming to you. But when you let go of the idea that you have to be the one with the mental intention, understanding that your entire beingness is an intention, that beingness trumps the very confined, history based mental intention. So when you actually let go of needing to manifest what you envision and you just live in the land of vigilance for the Or better, you hear me use the word vigilance a lot because literally that’s how people live. They live looking out for what’s what’s going to hurt them,  what you need to be in control. Imagine that you could just actually Be vigilant in an entirely different way about your life and that that’s the way it starts to show up now. It takes some embodiment. It takes some practice. It takes some experience. I mean, we teach huge courses on it.  This is the thing, that’s the miracle zone.. That’s it. But those miracles really are destined to become our normals, right? Like like my my goal is to get the idea of miracles out of our head. That it’s not miraculous. It’s actually the way we’re supposed to live.  We’re just so indoctrinated.

Jean:  Right. It’s like that quote from Einstein. I think it’s Albert Einstein that says either everything’s a miracle or it’s not, right? So you’re just like living in that zone, that paradigm that you talk about, Right? I notice for myself, some days I’ll wake up and I’ll start a little on a low vibe. I’ll think, what’s wrong? what do I have to take care of, my mother? Whatever is on my mind and I quickly notice what I’m thinking of and I go… Nope, nope, change it, change it up. And then I’ll just say something simple like, Show me how great this day can be. Or, you know, I’ll just notice that I’ll be thinking of heavier problems, not huge problems, and then intentionally handing  it over and allowing…hmmm…God to operate through me more.

Jennifer: Yeah,  yes, yes.  So one of the things that is coming to mind right now in the conversation is one of the things I needed. Oh, geez. that was a that was thunder and lightning. Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Yeah, that was. Isn’t that crazy? Clearly, we’re on to something here.

Alison: Um, where do you live?

Jennifer: I live in the mountains of North Carolina.

Alison: Oh, wow. That’s great. We have relatives in Asheville, so I wonder if they’re…

Speaker1: I live in Asheville.

Alison: You do?

Jennifer: Yeah.

Alison: Think we’re going to Asheville in a couple of months?

Speaker1: Oh, my God. Come on over.

Alison: Don’t say it because I will.

Jennifer: No it’s happening. No, it’s done. It’s done. We’ll take you to our favorite restaurant. So it is done. So. So where were we? We were on. Yeah. So when all that stuff happens. Right, Right.

Jean: And then you wake up feeling heavy and kind of, Oh, I got to worry about that person.

Jennifer: So there are two approaches.  I’m very focused on the long term changing your entire way of operating, such that when you feel something that feels down or low or hard or yucky. Or maybe you feel a bit powerless about it. That the instant you go there (and when I say the instant, you know, maybe within a few minutes), your understanding of the law of physics has you be able to almost turn around to  (this is going to seem like pie in the sky)… But imagine that when, you know, my favorite words is embodiment, when you actually embody that operating system, you understand the laws of physics so deeply, that you understand the instant there’s contrast or a low feeling, there’s already solutions. A solutions and a, and a whole new day, you know, with with the resources of consciousness having orchestrated themselves to make the equal and opposite most expansive solution bridge and new reality available. So it’s already there in the field. You know, we’re only made of. We’re less than 1% physical, so we’re, we’re 99.39% not physical. So in that not physical universe, in the, in metaphysics in the field already exists, knowing the laws of physics, this  reality that, you know, we can’t see yet because we’re at a frequency that isn’t where those solutions are.

Jennifer: But imagine being able to automatically just be so adept at knowing that that already exists, that your need to analyze and focus on that which appears to be wrong (Not that you don’t do anything about it, you do do something about it,) but the energy with which you do something about it is with the already knowing that you’re on the path of building the bridge to the evolution of that situation. It takes a little bit of work to get there. So that’s the long term goal. The long term goal is a state of embodiment where literally none of that gets you, if you can imagine that None of that gets you. Imagine how much more quickly you get to that place where you just catch up, catch up to what’s waiting for you. If nothing took you out, imagine how much more quickly you’d come to the solutions, right? So, however, one of the tools, it’s a little thing seemingly, but it’s a big thing, is to start an evidence journal, an evidence journal. It’s not a gratitude journal. It’s an evidence journal. It’s an evidence journal.

Jennifer: Thank you, Natalie Ledwell. It’s an evidence journal for, how things have actually worked out. It could be not something that happened today. It could be you just remember something from ten years ago and was like, Oh yeah, I can’t believe I was looking for a car and then didn’t have any mone and all of a sudden my mom said, I’m giving up my car and she just gave it to me and you know what I mean? So and you start and every day you put like 5 or 6 things that are evidence of or betters happening, because the first thing the mind needs is, it needs to know that that’s the way everything can happen. But the ego has a little yakety yak fest to keep your attention away from collecting evidence about that, because otherwise it has nothing to protect you from. It has no job left, so all of these ways of being want to have life, including the ego, it doesn’t want to stop living. So if you started to just get excited every time something, you’re not even excited, just like having a knowing that that’s leading, that’s your next evolution. That contrasty thing launched your next evolution. Then, jeez, you know, like, yay.

Alison: I think it’s interesting that in the cab to the Albany airport, that little voice that you heard, the wee voice said not to judge.

Jennifer: Yeah, right.

Alison: And that’s, I think like for me becomes like, like a key thing… That if I, I think I used to be like, oh, this is good. This is bad. Yeah, this hurts, This doesn’t. This has got to be better. This really sucks. You know, I think that’s where I was always ping pong. And I think the minute, like you remember at the end of May with one of my kids, there was this uncertainty as to what was going to happen. And no one wanted one thing to happen. And I was talking to Jean and we just were like, let’s just put it down. Whatever happens, happens. Don’t make plans either way, let it go. And that’s so different than I live, but then it all it all worked out like

Jennifer: Of course it did

Jennifer: Right! Laws of physics,  that what you put your attention, I mean literally you’re going—  okay I want to show you something. Allison you just like nailed a certain concept that I love.  So we do  this program, we call it embodiment. It’s actually it’s so embodiment of thriving is different than surviving better. It’s certainly different than surviving. Okay. So what’s the distinction? I love this distinction. And I remember when I first got it because I was surviving better and I’m like, Nope, nope. Something else is available where like, there’s just a default flow and I don’t have to keep using tools. I don’t have to keep telling myself to let go. Right, Right. Okay. So watch. What’s a good subject where people can really survive? What’s a subject where people survive or you guys survive Sometime.

Do you mean like a job?

Speaker1: Any subject, any subject at all could be a job. Okay, so.

Speaker2: Bills.

Jennifer: Paying the bills. Great. So paying the bills. So survival is you always have just enough to pay the bills, right? That’s obvious. That’s survival. Okay. Surviving better is like you have a budget and you know you’re always going to have enough to pay the bills and maybe have a little bit more. So you can go to the movies and go out to dinner and maybe have a vacation once a year. Right. Okay. But those are both versions. I always think of them like a spiral. Like if you’re on the survival spiral, whether it’s survival or surviving better, if you’re on that spiral, if you’re surviving, you’re probably in the middle of the spiral. You’re not quite at the end yet. And so what happens is you feel a little bit better, but you’re still in the same operating system, right? Right. Nothing wrong with that. Don’t think there’s anything wrong. Like, yay for surviving better I say yay, Right? Right. However, imagine that the thriving operating system is on an entirely different spiral. Imagine that you jump spirals like that way of operating like there is so much like someone starts paying your bills for free or, or, or literally, um, uh, your state or your country decides that solar power is free for everyone. So now, based on your solar panels, you don’t have to pay anything for your for your for your electric bill. You know what I mean? Like you’re actually giving back, you know, or whatever

Jennifer: and the rebates pay for your entire solar power. So in the thriving operating system, those are your magnetics, your magnetic shift. The what you attract shifts, like what comes to you shifts, so that the conversation about trying to manage. So think about what you were sharing. Allison This idea of like, just let it go. Like just let it go. That is amazing. That is definitely thriving better like even that, you know, to let it go. Hello. Right. But imagine that in the thriving operating system over here, which it’s just it can be embodied by anyone, what happens is you don’t even need to remind yourself of letting go because it’s you understand, you’re left in your right brain. Have had such a deep conversation about the laws of physics that your entire physiology understands the way it works, that you really wouldn’t spend more than three minutes holding on to anything anyways. And the effort required to, even though it sounds like there’s not a lot of effort in letting go, imagine that your entire beingness state is one that lets go and you wouldn’t have to have the intellectual conversation to tell yourself to do it. You get what I’m saying, right? So it’s it’s like a spectrum on which we can live. That is such a fun game to play with oneself on all all subjects that matter to us.

Speaker1: Right? Could be paying bills, but it could be love, like it could be relationships or it could be like, we’re all over 40. Barely Right? It could be about like, literally aging. You know, there’s the survival version of aging, which is, you know, I got to make sure I can make it up the stairs when I’m 60, you know? Right. Then there is  the surviving better, which is you have lots of tools and you go to massage, you get chiropractic, which is all good. And I do all of that stuff. But, you know, and then there’s the thriving version of it is. I’m figuring out how to buy a hyperbaric chamber to get oxygen. You know what I mean? It’s like you kind of like J.Lo the thing, and you don’t have to have. You really don’t have to have tons of money. If I told you how I’m doing it, you’d be like, Oh, God, you don’t even have to have money to do that. And no, you don’t. But in the thriving operating system, you start to have like, you know, you start to realize all the epigenetic things that you could do that are absolutely free. That have you step out of,  step off that spiral such that, you know,… I just watched this great movie. I wish I could remember the name. It’s another movie. It’s a documentary. Um.

Alison:  it’ll come.

Jennifer: Yeah. Yeah, it’ll come. So anyways, but what happened in this movie is like, there’s this 68 year old guy, and he is Killing it and he’s doing pull ups. He’s ripped. And I thought to myself, we can all I mean, he’s not, he really isn’t special. He doesn’t have special DNA. Right. You know, it’s like that ballerina we’ve all seen on YouTube. Who? What is she, like, 90 something. Something?

Alison: Yeah. Yeah.

Jennifer:  Spectacular.

Jean: You know, when you speak, Jennifer, you’re just so ripping open the the glass ceiling. Yeah. And I’ve always loved that about you.

Jennifer: Oh, thanks.

Jean: Yeah. True. You cannot leave your presence without feeling a glow and invincible and beautiful and enlightened. You’re really amazing. Can you share with our listeners what you do in the morning?

Jennifer: Oh, yeah, sure. Um.

Jean: besides brushing your teeth? what do you do?

Jennifer:  So the first thing I do, and it depends on if the dog’s in bed or not. So if the dog’s in bed, I snuggle with them. Let’s even go before first thing in the morning. Let’s go to last thing before you go to bed. Okay. So whatever frequency you’re at before you go to bed is the frequency you’re going to wake up to in the morning. So now, even though while you’re sleeping, most of it is released just from the act of sleeping because your consciousness goes away. So you’re not in the world when you come back, it’s going to pick up where it left off. So before you go to bed, you know, you hear I mean, this is that’s when I do my evidence journal. It’s like the orbetters, just really collecting evidence. And if I can’t find anything because I had such a crappy day or perceptively crappy day, of course they’re all happening for us, not to us. I just look for another day. Where? Or I look for when I was little or I look for, you know, a great hike that I did a week ago or whatever it is. So it’s putting yourself in the place where the frequency that you leave is the frequency that you return to. So then in the morning, what I do because you know how it goes, you can wake up and

Jennifer: you know, I woke up the other day just, you know, a dear friend of mine just passed away, and I was like, Oh. You know that, like, I haven’t even seen him in a long time. You know, that that sucks, you know? And that’s where I woke up. And I thought, well, maybe I had a dream about him or he talked to me in my dreams or something. I don’t know. But when I woke up, I And the dog was beside me, I gave him a little snuggle. And then I thought to myself, okay. I acknowledge that I missed my friend Garth. And then I thought, okay. So what is it today? Who is it that I’m meeting? Where am I going and what am I doing? This is my favorite thing to do. So get on my cell phone and text my best friend slash general manager of the Wide Awakening, Jeannie, as if the day is already over. What I’m grateful for. Now that has happened and then what I write at the end of my.  So can I give you an example? Yeah.

Jennifer: I’m going to text you guys. Okay. So, dear Jean and Alison, I am so grateful that I’ve had a great conversation today on a podcast that I’m doing and that the conversation is like that. I feel really in love with who I’m talking to and that there’s like this great exchange. I am so grateful that my husband has moved through something that he’s been working on and that he can see possibility and, um. And that I’m really I can feel myself being proud of him. And I’m really grateful for oddly enough, I’m grateful that all of my plants got watered by the clouds today. And then I got some great exercise in that. My body feels really strong. And last thing that I got a surprise new client that I got someone that I wasn’t even expecting. And I just love having new clients that I’m not expecting. It’s just, like surprised and delighted, period. And then at the end of the text, I would write or better. Oh, and then I would say, Love you guys. Big hugs, Jen. That’s how I finished my text to Jeannie. So, yeah, so. And so what it is, is that most of my attention is on the orbiter because my day is already done energetically. This is at least my day.

Alison: Oh, yeah, Yeah.

Jennifer: Right.

Alison: And I think it’s so funny that you say your psyche picks up where you left because I always clean my house before I go to bed because I wake up to it. So why aren’t I cleaning my mind?

Jennifer: Oh, that’s a brilliant way of putting it. Exactly, Alison. Exactly. Exactly. Exactly true.

Alison: I never really made I never made that connection.

Jennifer: Though. Makes sense now, right?

Alison: Spotless.

Speaker1: Yeah. Yeah.

Alison: My consciousness.

Jennifer: Well, so what we like even right now, we have this whole online community. We have the whole community doing this exercise. I mean, it is what Jeannie and I have noticed since we’ve been doing it is ,  I have this sneaking suspicion like you two are going to do it with each other,   So anyways, what’s been happening in the community is just everyone is sharing how much more fluid everything is getting. It’s such a like, what does it take two minutes to type that? Nothing. It takes nothing. But imagine how Like I’m such a productivity and efficiency queen. I don’t know about you guys, but I have that in me. I don’t know if it’s my mom being a teacher or something, but efficiency and productivity are like huge for me, so. What that’s meant for me is that I’m looking to already activate my day such that the energy I’m living into I don’t have to be Consciously orchestrating my day… I’ve already talked to consciousness about the way my day is going, so it’s at least going to be that. So now I’m vigilant for the orbetters like we talked about at the beginning of the interview, right?

Alison: So can I just clarify something? So Jean and I, before we got on, we were talking about something coming up this weekend that I’m not sure is going to happen. Is it going to happen? Right. I try to work hard and manipulate it so it does or doesn’t happen. What can I safeguard? All the things you brought up early on? Yeah, the protection. The control, right. Yeah. Yeah. And so what you’re saying instead, you’re offering an opportunity for me to see it in a way where I can say to myself and the universe, Hey, this is working out. This is. This is the weekends.

Jennifer: Good. Allison, can I interrupt you?  Okay so this is embodiment 101. Okay, So. So watch.  What there is to do.. So I am not saying positive. That is not what we’re doing. That is like, kicking it old school. We’re not positive thinking! Okay. Okay. So what we are doing.  So just breathe for a second with me, because if you can really get this, it’s freaking life changing. And it’s such it’s a little thing. It’s like a teeny little hiccup thing that anyone can do. But it’s a good beginning. Okay, so watch, watch, watch. So imagine that in the laws of physics many different future trajectories exist. Our lives can go many different ways based on the current now, and there are certain trajectories that are more likely based on the history that you’ve lived. Also that history that you’ve lived has given you some notion of what’s possible and the future trajectories which actually exist in the 99.99% of all of existence,  they exist there in the field. What you ask yourself is what’s the best case scenario that my brain can line up with that already exists? The difference is we’re not imagining it and positive thinking it. We’re literally acknowledging that the imaginings that we’re having about the future potentials actually already exist, or you wouldn’t be able to imagine them. Right? Imagination about the future is you catching up with a future trajectory that is already in the field. You get it. So if you’re imagining something now, it’s your awareness of the way you’re saying it, like you’re saying it like a positive thinking affirmation kind of thing, or a vision board. And I’m saying, No, if you can come up with it, it already exists. So you’re actually activating something in the now that already exists metaphysically, and by you activating that, you’re actually giving energy to something that already exists, which is really powerful because you’re you’re giving more attention to what already exists in the field, that’s a future possibility. That’s so much better than what you’re worried about, right?

Alison: So like, it’s like when I look at a map, right, those roads exist. I’m not saying I wish I could fly over a map. Oh, wouldn’t that be … So it’s just me choosing the road. What exit am I getting off?

Jennifer: Well, but remember, at the end of your vision, you’re going to do or better, which means You can’t even attach to that road because there might be a twisty, windy, awesome road that’s so much more fun where you’re going to get out and feed the deer and you’re going to your heart’s going to be so full, it’s going to change your frequency. Then all these miracles happen when you get to the destination because you’ve done work on You get what I’m saying. Yeah.

Jean: So that’s the best part.

Alison: Exciting. It gave me goosebumps.

Jennifer: There you go. And so, but wait, but wait, there’s more. There’s this one little piece I want to add. So most people, what they do is they go, Oh my God, I’m totally going to do that. You know, I’m totally going to do it. It sounds like the best idea ever. I’m going to do it every time I have some big thing that I’m doing and I’m like, You could do it all the time. But, most people do it because they’re like, and this is going to fix my sucky life. Like it’s going to fix that sucky thing that I’m afraid of happening, or it’s going to fix that scary outcome that I’m trying to stay safe from or protect or control or all those things that I just talked about, right? And instead of trying to fix or protect our control, we’re not going to stay on the same spiral. We’re going to jump spirals over here. And because you can put your attention on whatever you want. So, I mean, you put your attention on all the crappy things that could happen and you try to fix it and and live your life or you take your attention and just put it on the future potentials and and live your life and but you’re not fixing this, you’re just leaping into a different way of being. And there are so many examples and exercises and experiences to take people on, to show them, you know, show us how we can embody that. But this is just a simple like just such a simple exercise. Just think that you’re just on a different spiral. This is what thriving. Means this is this is what people that thrive do. So I’m not trying to fix this. I’m just going to do what thriving people do. Right?

Jean: It’s a huge shift in. In thinking.

Jennifer: It is. And it takes practice. And that’s why you need your evidence journal because you’ll forget to do it pretty much all of the time. But then those few times where you remember to do it, you have your evidence journal and what did my, um, my marketing person said today? Um. You know,  if you’re doing it , (I mean, we do whole workshops called Embodyment about this.) but but if you’re just like, like you’re this is a long game. Put it this way. It’s the long game, right? Like  you’re, you’re either you’re just going to survive better the rest of your life or, Hey, let’s embody the long game, right? Yeah.

Alison: So very exciting.

Jean: You are.

Alison: so wonderful.

Alison: Very exciting person. It’s great!

Jean:  So, Jennifer, you offer so, so many really powerful, beautiful classes on your website, Right? And are you doing anything right now that you want the viewers to listen to or are you just kind of enjoying the summer or just go to the website and see what’s what?

Jennifer: Well, probably this stuff that we do three times a year, that’s the stuff… It’s funny when you say I’m an exciting person, truly, I’m like the shyest person alive, really. I mean, I was hugely shy.

Jean: Because we went on a retreat, you and I together. Yeah, Arkansas. And I would not put Shy as an adjective.

Jennifer: Isn’t it weird?

Jean:  Exciting. Empowering.

Jennifer: It’s so weird. Do you know what? You said something at the beginning of the interview. You said that something at the beginning of our conversation. That life is living us. God is dreaming us like we had, like we’re actually being lived by something. And when I started to know what I was being lived by, it’s as though, I just became bigger than the personality that wanted to protect and feel safe and all of those things. That’s what I would say. And so. And so yeah, I would say that. So it’s just that I absolutely love this. And so the, the evolution of this work is called the Embodiment workshop that we’re doing. We do it three times a year and there’s, always one coming up in a February and a June and in a September. And so the embodiment workshop is all about how to jump spirals on every subject. And to be a consummate expert, like just completely embodied that way in other words have your cells be at a place where living that way is just your default and it’s not even hard. So it’s just fun to teach. It’s yeah, that’s my, that’s the passion of my team right now and myself is just bringing people on the experiences to be able to poke their heads above the clouds, right? Like actually see that there’s another way of living. And even if all that happens is the door opens, you can’t go backwards after that. When you see the possibility, you can’t go backwards. So that’s what we’re teaching, Jean, that we weren’t teaching when you and I were hanging out. So. But that’s it. Yeah.

Alison: Thank you so much.

Jennifer: Yeah.

Jean: Great conversation. Jennifer, thank you for saying yes. And to Opening our eyes wider.

Alison: And our door.

Jean: And our door. And our body.

Speaker3: Thank you so much.

Jennifer: I can’t wait to be in your neck of the woods. I can give you both a big hug.

Alison: Oh, I would love that.

Jean: Love that. Yes.

Alison: And if I come to Asheville?

Jennifer: Oh, it’s happening, girl.

Jennifer: Thank you for having me. And thanks for putting all the good vibes out into the world, because I know that was your intention, to give people hope and that there was possibility. So just thanks for listening to The Call of Spirit and so happy to be here. Truly.

Alison: Have an or better day!

Jennifer: You too. Bye, guys. Bye, you guys.

Alison: I really enjoyed her.

Jean: Yeah,

Alison: I love her energy.

Jean: Her energy, her insight and what she’s giving us  is a whole new paradigm to really not feel like we’re just moving through life like it’s a minefield. And really, she uses the word embodiment, and she uses the word …uh.. it’s the phrase I should say, that she uses the phrase this or this or the better. Something better that… Right? And that’s that’s so important.

Alison: I love that morning call idea.  Where it’s already done. Like here’s here’s what my day is going to look like or better.

Speaker2: Right? This is or something better.

Alison: Yeah, I love that question.  What are you being vigilant about? What do you think you’re being vigilant about?

Jean: I do really try to look for acts of kindness. I do notice that and I make note of it. I notice I really try to be mindful of my thoughts, when I start thinking either fear thoughts or thoughts of lack, I do catch myself and I say, No, I do not want to create this right, Right. Turn it around.

Alison: And I think last night I was at Vons and I was on line and let this guy go ahead of me. And he was so flabbergasted that I let him go ahead. And we started talking. And the woman behind me and he goes, look at how simple this was. Kindness is so simple. Yeah. And I thought, that’s true, right? It’s easier to be kind than it is to be crabby, right?  It’s like so true. Well, I loved her. Thank you for contacting her. I loved her.

Jean: And she showed up big, right away. One of her other things she she loves to impress on people is going direct, like cut,  the BS and just deal with with with your experience. And don’t let it hold you back.

Alison: Right. Like a frog on a lily pad, Don’t sink.

Jean: Yes.

Alison: Keep going. Don’t sink. Keep hopping. Well, thanks for listening.

Jean: Have a great day. Bye bye.

Jean Trebek: She wouldn’t mind.

Alison Martin: No, we were just saying that maybe for this next introduction, we should be eating while we tell you who we spoke to.

Jean Trebek: Because we had the great joy and it was a joy, a real joy to to talk with Carla Hall.

Alison Martin: Carla Hall.

Jean Trebek: Love saying her name.

Alison Martin: I know. And I love her. I love her. I love her.Okay. Carla Hall has just she’s a, I don’t know, a culinary influence. Right. But more than that, she’s like a huge, wonderful, curious personality. When I’ve seen her on so many shows, you know, Top Chef, The Chew, a lot of shows where she’s hosting and she just loves people.

Jean Trebek: And she has such a generous heart because she says, yes, I feel, to a lot of life experiences, you know, she just she exudes like, what’s that French phrase.

Alison Martin: Joie de vie.

Jean Trebek: Joie de vie. She’s just that and she’s just beautiful inside and out.

Alison Martin: And we I loved speaking to her not so much about because she’s done so many things.

Jean Trebek: We tried not to talk to her so much about her food so much. But her but really her heart.

Jean Trebek: Because she has done she’s been an actress, a model, an accountant, an animator. Right? She’s written cookbooks. Right? Right. She’s been a host, a TV personality. She I don’t I don’t even know. We thought we were going to tune in and she would be like, you know, on a loom or something, knitting, doing something amazing. You know, she’s just great.

Jean Trebek: And you know what? She has her own cookware line right now. Oh, right, right, right, right.

Alison Martin: Which I can’t wait.

Jean Trebek: I actually ordered something. Did something for you, too.

Oh, thank you. I love Jeannie. All right, so here’s Carla Hall.

Jean Trebek: So awesome yesterday.What a what a great person you are all around you just.

Alison Martin: And we’ve watched so much of your interviews and stuff and you’re just so funny.

Carla Hall: Well, I’m present. And honestly, my friends are like, I can’t believe you said that. I’m like.Don’t even know what I’m going to say. And every time I say something like, That was so ten minutes ago, and I’m on to the next thing. I don’t hold it. I’m like, No, that was so like 30 minutes ago. So here we go right now.

Alison Martin: So you guys, you two know each other from Helen Keller International?

Jean Trebek: Yeah, we do.

Alison Martin: And you’re both on the board.

Carla Hall: Yes. Right, right.

Alison Martin: So do you see each other on Zoom or do you see each other in person?

Carla Hall: Well, haven’t even been to an in-person meeting for a while because I’m totally out of New York. And so the last few times I’ve been online. Have you been in person, Jean?

Alison Martin: I have been in person. I saw your great beautiful face there just a couple of weeks ago. Yeah, I go to New York fairly often because my mom lives there and my son lives in New York. My sister’s there. So on this particular trip, I got to go to the board meeting and I looked up and I was like… Carla!

Carla Hall: I was in a box.

Alison Martin: Carla, what? What interested you about the Helen Keller International? I’m just curious.

Speaker4: So at this point in my career, well, I moved when I went up to New York to do “The Chew”. I left a lot of my foundation work and nonprofits that I was working with in D.C. So I was like, Well, gosh, what am I going to do with all this time? I have, you know, that was in the beginning of “The Chew”, not realizing that the time would be gone.I was doing another foundation while I was doing the Pajama program, but then I realized I was getting hit by so many organizations. And I’m like, wait a minute, I have to figure out what my checklist is to say yes to an organization. And I said, okay, kids, Yes. Something with with work done in Africa, I’m like, I wear glasses. So glasses, you know, like eyesight. And I was going through this list. And then someone from Helen Keller? No, it was actually. It was…. This is menopausal….. It the president. Kathy. Kathy? Oh, my God. It’s real. I’m like, I don’t even remember my mother’s name sometime. And I call her mama. So this is where we are. So just like, I’m like, what? Um, so Kathy reached out to ask me for to dinner, and I was like I said, sure. And I went to a child site facility first because she said they did all this work. And I loved it. And I was there telling the kids, okay, no, not those glasses. Those really aren’t good on you. What about these? These? I said, what about this? And I felt it was a moment that I could relate. And because my glasses are face art and I said, this is going to be a part of who you are. So you may as well pick something that’s cool and nice and something that you like. And so that was really my first intro to Helen Keller. And then I went on to go out to dinner with Kathy, and then and then I went to Vietnam with them and then all the whole thing. And I just I love that organization.

Alison Martin: Yeah, they’re just it’s just so amazing.You know, the thing about you that I think is so wonderful is how you are just you. Not just, but totally you.

Carla Hall: Yeah.

Alison Martin: There’s no agenda. It looks like. It looks like you got no hidden thing…

Carla Hall: You know, it’s so funny that you say that because I tell people I don’t I don’t really like people. I think my superpower is that I genuinely like people. I don’t pretend to like people. I really like people. And I’m interested in people. Even when I see homeless people, that’s not the right term. Now it’s unhoused. When I see unhoused people on the street and they’re like, you know, you know, may I have some money? And I look at them in the eye and I said, Oh, no, thank you, because no thank you. Do I want to participate at this time? But I see you as a person. I will always see you as a person, but I don’t want to participate in the exchange. But my gift to them in that moment is to see them and I will see every single person, no matter who you are or where you are, you know?

Jean Trebek: Yeah, yeah. I love that. That’s so important, you know? And I think every time we see someone, we just actually open them up and we open ourselves up.

Carla Hall: Mhm. Yes. Yes. Even when you’re kind of scared. Um, it’s funny, I, you know, I can be out in the world and I’m a borderline introvert/extrovert, and people would probably assume that I’m an extrovert, but I still have that, you know, that shy person who has to sort of recharge at home. Um, but I went to a class reunion at Howard University and it was with my girlfriend was in a sorority. I didn’t pledge a sorority. So I was in with all of these other girls and I felt myself shut down. And I was like, What? I mean, I was like, oh, my God. I felt that same person who was in college. Like, that person jumped on me so quickly and I had to just talk myself off the ledge. I’m like, What is going on? I wanted to leave the room. I felt like I didn’t belong there. And I and this was like after”The Chew”, I was in “The Chew” at the time. But in that moment I was just like, Oh my God, I feel like I just want to, like, go concave and through the floorboards. How that moment, like, took me right back in an instant to college.

Alison Martin: So what did you do?

Carla Hall: Oh, I’d say I talked myself out of it. I’m like, okay, through it. You can talk to somebody. Like  meet them where you are. And I feel like I think I remember saying to one of the girls, I said, Oh my God, I feel so awkward right now. I feel I feel like I did at 17. You know, and it was just to be honest in the moment with my feelings. And that got me through because I didn’t have to pretend like I was anything but what I was in the moment, you know?

Jean Trebek: Yeah. I think that’s so true. I mean, you look at someone like yourself, very well-spoken, out in the public eye, and then to go, You know what? Wow. I felt really awkward there. Yeah. And it happens to all of us… that part of us…. Alison and I were just talking about it. How some days you feel like you’re on your game and some days you’re just like, I don’t even have a game. I don’t want a game.

Carla Hall: Right.

Jean Trebek:  I just want a TV Tuner.

Carla Hall: Right! You know, a bouncy ball. My claim right now is bouncy ball. Okay. That’s all I got. That’s all I got right now. I can do a bouncy ball. But then there are times when, you know, I’ll have an interview and somebody will say, You’re really good at what you do. And I’m like, Yes, I am.

Alison Martin: Yeah.

Carla Hall: I am.

Alison Martin: Yeah.

Carla Hall: And I’m going to tell you the fact that I can say I am shows where I am in this moment and I feel very confident and I know what I know. And this that you’re talking about. I know, you know. And so there’s that side of me, too. And I’m so proud of her. And I’m so proud that she will show up and speak her truth and say, yes, I don’t play coy. Again, I don’t have an agenda. If I’m feeling awkward, I will tell you, if I’m feeling really high on my game and you ask about it, I will tell you it’s how I’m feeling in the moment. And I think that sense of being vulnerable and sort of sharing with people that moment, I think that’s why I connect with people, because I’m going to tell you exactly how I feel in the moment, even if it’s awkward and weird.

Alison Martin: Because we’ve all been there. But I think it’s interesting when you said, Oh, and I was even on “The Chew” when I went to this reunion, and even though, like you think, well, of course you’re on “The Chew”, but then is there a little bit of like like you think people are expecting you to be on or something like you have any of that?

Carla Hall: 100%! Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I think people think that they will see me on television and they think that I’m that way all the time, like on and like this and sassy and laughing and joking. But when I’m tired, I am very much inside of myself and sometimes I have to travel tired and, um, and so I remember getting on social media and somebody had said, Oh, I met you in person and I knew something was off, but you just weren’t the same person that you are, you know, on television. And I wrote back and said, I’m a person. I have my highs and lows and I was tired. And but I said, if you had come up to me, I would have told you that. So you, you know, you also made it. I mean, yes, I was tired, but you put a lot of yeast into it that, you know, I mean, if people come up to me. How are you feeling? Oh, my God, girl, I am so tired. I really am tired. And I also remember one time when I was on “The Chew” and I had to go, I was in New York and it must have been on a Saturday or Sunday whenever they have the street fairs. And I was exhausted. I mean, but I had to go. Maybe I went out to grab something to eat and I was so tired. And I remember thinking, I said, I don’t I don’t even have the energy to smile. And I was like, but I have to smile because I’m out. And people expect me to smile. And I remember just going through this, you know, like this, this twitch in my mouth. And I was like, Oh my God, I feel like I have to smile. Like, no, you don’t have to smile. And I have this this dialogue and I don’t know what I look like to whoever, whomever was looking at me. But I feel like I was kind of like, you know, like. Like this twitch, you know, like smile. No, no, smile. Yeah, but it was so crazy. But I felt like I had to live up to this thing. And then eventually, when I finally got used to this, I guess being on “The Chew” and having people come up to me said, That is not sustainable. So being what people expect me to be is not sustainable. I can only be who I am. Right? And that helped me not only in life, it helped me on television, it helped me in interviews. It you’re going to get the person I am right now if you want it, the person yesterday, then you should have called yesterday because this person right here is going to be the person you get.

Jean Trebek: I love that.

Alison Martin: And I think all of us have that, like, you know. Mothers, office workers, anything. There are these expectations that women feel. I can only speak from being a 65 year old woman. You know that there are these expectations that we feel that, oh, I’ve got to be this now… And maybe we can put that down. You know, I think that’s important for our listeners to hear because I think sometimes we get caught in that, you know?

Carla Hall: I think so and I think so I’ll be 60 next year and I’m so excited about it. I can’t tell you how excited I am. I mean, I’m going to celebrate every woman who turns 60 next year, the entire year. If you were born in…64

Jean Trebek: That’s my same birth year.

Carla Hall: Wait, are you 64? Stop it.

Jean Trebek: Yes 64 is my Birthday year.

Carla Hall: Your birth. Your birth year is 1964.

Jean Trebek: Yeah.

Carla Hall: Oh, my God. I’m adding you to the list. I am making a list. I am making a list of people. Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris. Vanessa Williams. Yardley Smith. Sherry Yard. Now Jane Trebek. Oh, I’m seriously. I’m making a list of all the women who are turning 60. And and there are all these people that we don’t know who are turning 60. And the idea is to celebrate this new station that we are still lively enough to create a new chapter, to have a new adventure, to really step into our wisdom and not step into a place that others think that we are and and whatever. If you want to celebrate your wrinkles, you celebrate your wrinkles, your gray hair, whatever it is. But you get to choose. That’s am I the entire year of 2024. That’s what I’m doing.

Jean Trebek: I love that. You know, I too, have no. Maybe not as like, yay 60, but just like, hey, 60 is fine, 60 is cool. You know, I had more – UGH – when I was turning 40. And now, you know what? Every woman that I love, that’s late. 50s. 60s. 70s. 80s. They are my rock stars. And so we’ll sail into that year together.

Carla Hall: Yes. So happy.

Alison Martin: I’m curious, though, like you were shy as a child? And did you have any of this out there or were you really just that child that was like in the sitting down in the back?

Carla Hall: Yes. I was super, super shy. I mean, I was really shy. I had a lot of boisterous friends. And I had what I felt like a shield of friends around me because I would be behind them. And they’re like, we’re coming through. And I’m like, I’m coming with them. So I’m like, I’m here, too. And I played basketball. I was terrible. But because I was tall, they were like, okay, you get to play. But no, you get to be on the team, but we’re only going to put you in if we’re 50 points ahead and there’s 60 seconds left, so you don’t mess it up. I mean, so that was, you know, I was that person. But then I saw my first play at 12 on Broadway. It was Bubbling Brown Sugar.

Alison Martin: Yes, I saw that on Broadway. It changed my life.

Carla Hall: Yes. I mean, that song, “Nobody” and I don’t remember the words. All I remember is he’s like, Who wants to die? Na na na, Nobody. And who wants to do this? Nobody. Oh, my gosh. My mother was probably regretting the day that she took me to that play because she was like, Carla, clean up your room. But I’m like, who wants to clean up their room? Nobody! If you ask about the room, the trash, I mean, I did that for a month. My sister wanted to pull my hair out. And so my mother said, okay, we’re going to put this girl into theater. And so I feel like theater saved me. Theater saved me from feeling like this. I mean, that play like instantly opened my eyes and I was like, Wow, look at these characters. They are amazing. And the singing and the dancing and just this outward expression of themselves. And so when I did theater, I mean, there was no turning back. And then people were calling me weird. I thought it was a compliment. I’m like, Oh my God, thank you so much. I appreciate it. Did you just call me weird? I love it so much.

Alison Martin: Weird award.

Carla Hall: Right. Got the weird award. Yeah. So I think theater saved me. And then so I did theater from 12 to 17. And I thought that I was going to go on to a conservatory. Boston was the only one I wanted to go to because that’s the one that my acting teacher, Ruth Sweet, talked about. And her her oldest daughter went there and a couple of my friends went there. I was like, That’s the only school for me. And then they were going to defer my admissions. Later on I heard that they were deferring the admissions and hoping that actors would have more life. And so, you know, life experiences and go to undergrad and then go to, you know, get your graduate degree. And so but I saw it as a rejection. So I felt like theater saved me. Then it rejected me. So I turned completely away from it and then did accounting. I’m like, What? Who does that? But like the accounting teacher.

Alison Martin: We were laughing because it was like, wait a minute. She discovered a new species at the ocean depths. She’s a brain surgeon. She’s an accountant. She’s a model. She wanted to be animate. She’s on Top Chef. Else has she done? She’ll be in an operating room while we’re talking

Carla Hall: Doogie Howser. I know, right? I mean, and the funny thing is, I think when I look back at my life and I remember having this conversation with Michael Simon, so we were we were on the set of “The Chew”, and he said, Carla, you have done so many things up to this point, so you are probably not afraid of doing lots of different things. Whereas like, for instance, he had done out of high school, it was food, he did food, whereas I did a lot of other things. So, you know, Madonna Girl, you don’t have anything on me. I can recreate myself. Okay. Okay, girl? We go do this again. Um, so that’s what was. I think I saw that as a plus and an asset, whereas my mother saw it as Girl, can you settle down on one thing? You know what I mean? Because it worried her that she had paid for this education and then I got my accounting degree and then I went on to get my to pass the CPA exam, and that’s hanging up in our house. And so, you know, she would look at this. She’s like, why aren’t you doing this? I’m like, Child, I don’t like that. I hate it. I only did it for you. I finished it, I checked the box and now I’m on to, you know, to find my happiness. I didn’t want to be 40 and hate my job. That was my biggest thing. So 40 was a marker for me. And so when I was on “Top Chef”, it was, um, I was 42? I was 44 when I did Top Chef. And I think a lot of people forget that someone came up to me the other day and said, I’ve seen you from the beginning on Top Chef. I’m like, Well, I was 44. That if that’s the beginning, well, where’s the end? So, you know, um, but yeah.

Jean Trebek: Nice. So. Okay. Carla. I know that you talk a lot about love in your Cooking with Love and all of that. Can you talk a little bit about your spirituality?

Carla Hall: For me, it’s everything. I mean, so I had a really bad breakup when I was 30, 31 or so. It was it was it felt like two of my friends had died because my really good friend started dating the guy that I thought I was dating. But you hear me? That I thought I was dating. Apparently I wasn’t… But, I felt like two of my friends had sort of instantly, like, died at once, and the pain was physical, and my cousin gave me Marianne Williamson’s A Return to Love. And I read that book and my cousin said, In a year you will know why this happened. And I remember thinking like in a year’s time, I remember seeing them. At this point, they’re engaged. Before that year, though, I had seen them and they were at a light and they were walking. I was at a light. They were walking across the street and I kind of want to hit the gas. But I grew out of that, you know, I did I kind of want to run them over. But after that point of moving through that, I got to the point where I could actually go to their engagement party and be happy for them. And I was so happy for myself that I could celebrate them because I wasn’t holding myself in that place. And it was because I had gone through this…I’d been going to a church that was all about spirituality versus religion. I grew up Presbyterian and then Catholic, and then it was really about my personal relationship with a higher being. And and really feeling like- I am in control of my life with a higher being and looking at everything like there’s no mistakes in the universe and understanding this, this relationship and everything is a lesson in everything. And every person I see is an opportunity for me to get better. And even when I was wanting to find a mate – I remember writing down on a list and saying, These are the things that I want in my mate, but I have to be those things first before I attract this person. So for me, it was always it wasn’t putting a lot on another person. It was really looking at myself first. And that all came from spirituality. So every single thing that I do is about this path that I’m supposed to lead in this life at this time, and the older I get, the more certain I am of this path and what I’m supposed to do. And it’s almost a relief because things that I think that would maybe trip other people up or other people say, girl, oh my God, did that happened to you? I’m like, Yeah, that person brought me that lesson. And I’m saying it kind of cavalier like, but, but I remember like even on The Chew and you know, I talk about there were a lot of tough and hard lessons that, again, were physical. And I will check in and I will say spiritually, if you say something to me and I will check in, I’m like, well, how do I feel about that? And if it goes to my solar plexus and I feel like literally feel it in my body, it’s for me if I check in and I don’t feel anything, I’m like, Yep, no, that’s not mine. That must be yours. No, I’m not taking that on. And so being that way in my life because I have spent the last, um, gosh, 30 years on this path, I own and take responsibility for everything that happens to me, you know? And that means if I take responsibility for the negative things, I can take responsibility for the positive things, you know? And so I choose to be positive. And so that’s pretty much my spirituality in the nutshell.

Jean Trebek: Oh. I love that. Yeah. I’m a Student of a Course in Miracles,and we read the book. That’s how Alison and I met

Carla Hall: Oh, right. Mean, I love it because there are two. It’s like every emotion comes from love or hate. Every single one. And so when you look at it, you’re like, love? Or is it fear? No fear. Right. Love and fear. And when you look at it like that, it’s just one or the other side just two.

Jean Trebek: But owning it all, like you said, you’re the creator. I am not a victim of the world I see. And when you can turn it back like that, that’s that growth that. Okay, we might not like it. And it feels awful to grow sometimes. But, you know, we are meant to bloom here and to shine our light. And so I didn’t know that about you.

Alison Martin: That’s amazing. Who who do you think in your life right now feeds you emotionally?

Carla Hall: Um, I think my husband, and I have a lot of good friends around me. I have a lot of good girl friends. I want people around me who will tell me when I stink. I don’t need a lot of yes people around me. I want them to check me and say, Carla, girl, you know, that was wrong. But my husband in particularly, um, so we got married. I was, I got married for the first time at 42. And my husband, um, you know, worked in politics and he was working in at the FDA. And so he, you know, he was a lawyer by education. And in 2018, he quit his job to do meditation and yoga.

Alison Martin: Wow.

Carla Hall: It’s like I mean, and that was right before the pandemic. I was like…. Universe. Come on. What? You know what I’m saying? Because he was in the department that was doing the vaccines and you know how stressful that would be in our household. And instead it was like meditations a little ding, ding, ding, sound bathing. And I was like, oh my gosh. So I look at my life and I’m like, wow. It’s like the universe was was fitting us, getting us ready to meet each other. And when we met, it was… So on our rings, it’s parallel lives connect because we had been living close to each other for eight years. But he was married before and I was busy working. We both went to the same university, didn’t know each other at the time, had some of the same people in our lives, but they were separate. And then when we met, we found all of these things out. We discovered all of these things, and I was like, that. That’s that’s God, that’s the universe, you know? And, and so looking at things like that makes me patient for things to come through because I know that they will come through when I’ve done the work or everything is already set. And it’s just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean that things aren’t happening. And working out the way that they should work, you know, because everything that you force and then you get the thing like I forced, I forced a couple of things in my life and I’m like, Oh, yeah, okay. I forced that because it didn’t work out. But something I still learn something.

Alison Martin: It’s so true because we can’t really see the whole, you know, the universe or God’s whole view, you know, and something can be happening over here and it works its way to you. It really, it really it really, really does. Um, do you find that, um, you know, as, as an actor myself, sometimes I feel like that imposter syndrome, you know? And as I’ve gotten older, I realize, I’m really just me, you know, I’m really. This is it. This is the bottom line. And my friend said to me the other day, Oh, I feel so invisible because I’m older. And I said, Be louder. You know what I mean? Like, do you? Right. Have you found that to that as we get older, it’s like, just be it.

Carla Hall: Oh, 100%. And that’s part of wanting to celebrate this, this 60th year. Um, so I also think that we have to change the narrative for ourselves. You know, as women, we need to change the narrative because when people will say, you don’t look 60, I don’t care. I don’t care if I look, I don’t know what the number is, but it doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t be looking at another age that is younger than what I am. Okay? I look, I’m not mean, I look good for what my age. I do. Okay? But that is not the point. The point is to feel good in this body and feel good about the wisdom that I’ve accumulated over the years. And if you ask me if I want youth or wisdom, I will choose wisdom all day long, right?

Alison Martin: Yeah, that’s right. What do you do in the morning? Like, what’s your morning ritual?

Carla Hall: So my morning ritual. Okay. It used to be hula hooping and then swishing coconut oil. Okay, don’t do that anymore.

Alison Martin: But joking, though, right?

Carla Hall: No, no, no. I was. I would swish coconut. But the oil pulling, you know, which I do occasionally because when I’m eating a lot of dairy so I do the oil pulling and then to help my gut I would swish. I mean, I would hula hoop while I was swishing. And then because that would like stimulate, you know, your abdomen.

Alison Martin: What is the swishing do?

Carla Hall: So the oil pulling pulls out toxins in your mouth. Like if you wake up sometimes when you have had a lot of dairy or things that your body is like, Girl, don’t eat that, why are you eating that? And it feels kind of sticky and you take in coconut oil because there’s micro microbial and then if you switch from 5 to 20 minutes and then it gets very thin and then you spit it out and not not in the drain, then it takes all of that stickiness is pulling all of those impurities out of your cheeks and your teeth. It helps whiten your teeth as well.

Alison Martin: Wow.

Carla Hall: It’s Ayurvedic.

Alison Martin: I love coconut. Right? We love coconut!

Carla Hall: Have you done it? You’re shaking your head, Jean. Have you done it before?

Jean Trebek: Yes, I have done it. I heard of it from, I think, Gwyneth Paltrow. But yes, but putting the oil in it pulls out bacteria and everything because the mouth just, it all goes down into the stomach and the gut. But it’s a big, big thing. And it was, I don’t want to say it was like a fad, but it was very popular, um, a while ago. But, but like Carla said, it’s Ayurvedic.

Carla Hall: So I was seeing a woman on my for my facials, an Ayurvedic place to get facials and I can’t even remember the name. And in her book, there are all of these things that are thousands of years old. I mean, I think that we will adopt them and say, hey, this is a fad, but it came from somewhere, you know? Um, and it really helped me. Also, if you have sinus issues, you can find that it’s draining all of these like the act of swishing is working these muscles to help drain a lot of the mucus and sinuses, your sinuses and everything.

Alison Martin: What do you do now?

Carla Hall: Okay, so now when I get up, I will to myself I lay there and I think about my day. Gratitude is a big part of my day and just grateful for. For every little thing, for, you know, being able to wake up, smell, my sense of taste every time I eat something delicious. I’m so grateful for my sense of taste just and my sense of smell. And then I do a mantra, um, that I’ve been doing for years. And then I would like to say that I work out, but I think about working out. But I also heard that if you think about it, it’s just it’s better than nothing. So. So sometimes it’s a thought. So that’s the thought. And I love so, so, yeah. And then, you know, I get up, I have my oatmeal and things like that, and then I sort of start the day. What I love is that my, my days aren’t the same, so I don’t go to a regular job every day. And so it’s a blessing and a curse. It’s a curse because I think I work well with routine. I’m very good with routines and, you know, so when I don’t have a regular schedule, it’s up to me to sort of force myself into the things that I need to do because I’m a big procrastinator. But then I found out that I procrastinate because either I’m doing something that I’m not good at doing or I don’t want to do it. And so and then I took a test about that. I love like these psychological tests, the Kolbe Test. Have you heard of it?

Alison Martin: Yes. Yes.

Carla Hall: Oh, my God. That changed my life.

Alison Martin: I haven’t done it, but my friend just did it.

Carla Hall: Okay Kolbe and Enneagram completely changed my life. I am an armchair psychologist. Come and talk to me. I’m the auntie. I will tell you any and everything that I know nothing about. But I will be very convincing because I’m so passionate about it.

Alison Martin: I’m going to I’m going to do it.

Carla Hall: Because I’ve found out that through Kolbe, there are lots of other things that one, I’m not good with the blank page, so I need to react to something. So if somebody wanted me to write something, I will procrastinate because it’s just the blank page, right? Um, but if I tell somebody, Hey, you want me to write a speech, I need you to give me notes first and then I can write it right? Um, also, I’m a quick start. If you give me an idea, I think about, I’m like, Yeah, I want to do that. My husband is the exact opposite. If I am a one on quick start, he’s a nine. And so what I realized he would say, I would say, hey, let’s, let’s do blah, blah, blah. I don’t know. Let’s, let’s go out and and and trim the trees. He’s like, I don’t know. Let’s think about it. Let’s and then, you know, then it’s gone – The energy of trimming the trees is gone. And he didn’t want to do it. And now I don’t have time to do it. But I realized that we we have a meeting of the minds and now I don’t allow him to talk me out of it in the moment because he’s always going to talk me out of it because he overthinks things. But I’m like, Oh, I want to do it now. And I, I just tell myself to do it. And just knowing that about myself. So I’m not frustrated with him in talking me out, but that is how he is, you know what I mean? And so and just learning about ourselves. We’ve been married for 17 years and there are some things that I’m learning. I’m like, Oh, that is so cool. Like discovering these little bits of each other throughout our marriage because I learned something about myself, and then I learn a little more about him. And so we aren’t the same people who got married 17 years ago, but we allow each other to grow and to discover ourselves and each other.

Jean Trebek: That’s so beautiful that that you recognize that with your husband. And we mean you. How long are you and Dan married?

Alison Martin: 30 years now. And it’s it’s that same thing where we’re like opposites and the same it’s a very good mix.

Jean Trebek: Alex and I were 30 years and total opposites but yeah I think you just sort of honor and respect that. And you’re so new to each other all the time that you’re like… oh!

Carla Hall: Exactly. It’s, it’s exciting. I mean, there are times where you’re like, insert eyeroll, but if, if somebody says to me that their their relationship is is always great and always I’m like, somebody’s not being honest.

Jean Trebek: Yeah, I agree.

Carla Hall: Somebody is not telling the truth and somebody is not satisfied because it is not possible. I truly believe that relationships are the way that the universe gets us to grow the most. And so because we are tied to this person whom we love and we can’t get out easily because they’re going to reflect the things that we need to, they’re like the, the messenger of our lessons. And, so I’m like, Oh, here comes another lesson. Yeah.

Alison Martin: Yes.

Carla Hall: One time he said to me, he goes, I forgot what he was saying. He said, You’re always doing blah, blah, blah. And he was right. And I said to him, So? He goes, What?

Jean Trebek: This friend of mine would say, Oh, here’s another AFGO, which meant another fine growth opportunity. Or he would say, Fucking growth opportunity. Exactly right.

Alison Martin: Do you cook at home?

Carla Hall: I do. Matthew cooks the most. He cooks them. I used to tell people I cook at the office. Why should I cook at home? Right? Um, Matthew cooks the cooks the most at home. But ever since it’s probably the last four years, I started cooking more just because I was on kind of a high protein because I was working out. And so I needed to control what I was eating. And also I eat out so much on the road that I just when I get home, I just want something plain and simple without a lot of stuff, you know? Right. Um, but yeah, but I love food. But he cooks the most at home.

Alison Martin: That’s so interesting. Yeah. Yeah. This has been so wonderful.

Carla Hall: Yeah.

Jean Trebek: It’s such a treat to meet you. I was really forward to it. You’re so full of wisdom and beauty inside and out.

Alison Martin: I would just like to come over.

Carla Hall: Oh. Do you want to make biscuits? That’s my thing.

Alison Martin: You’re so much fun.

Jean Trebek: Yeah, you’re just awesome. Thank you.

Carla Hall: Yeah. Thank you all. I thank you for your interest. Thank you for inviting me. And we have to make biscuits sometimes.

Alison Martin: I would love that. Are you kidding? Yes. And we’ll let you know when this comes out and have the most wonderful summer.

Carla Hall: Thank you so much. Same to you all. Thanks. Bye bye. Bye.

Jean Trebek: Talk to her all day.

Alison Martin: I know. I want to go over and visit her right now.

Jean Trebek: I think we need to be bring her into our best friend group.

Alison Martin: I know. And I love that. I want to go to that party with all those people she mentioned turning 60.

Jean Trebek: Yeah, well, I’ll be there. I know.

Alison Martin: I know. I’m way past that point. I just thought that her effervescence. She was interested in us and interested. Interesting. I just. I want to emulate that. I want to be curious about people. I want to be positive about what I’m doing, and I want to be present, which is what I really like, that she just was like, you know, some days I’m tired and I get to show up tired.

Jean Trebek: Right. You know, I think she just makes being a human being really wonderful, like all parts of it. Yeah. I left that interview the rest of the afternoon and I felt really on a high.

Alison Martin: Yeah, me too. Me, too. So thank you so much, Carla. And thank you guys for listening. It’s just it’s been such a pleasure. And we can’t wait to introduce you and talk with more people.

Jean Trebek: Absolutely. Take care.

Alison Martin: Have a great day.