Katie Weatherup (LITE) - Shamanic Healer

We've so been looking forward to this episode with Katie Weatherup, the incredible engineer turned shamanic practitioner of Hands over Heart. Katie talks about her journey from being an energetically sensitive child to transitioning to the work of shamanism, seeing consistent results across the board of her clients being healthier and making more holistic choices. She's super open, vulnerable, and shares with us a way to retrieve parts of our souls we’ve lost along the way.

For more about the story behind her books, including Sex, Shamanism, and Healing: My Kissing Quest, the role spiritual health plays in our lives, the need to approach change with compassion and more, catch the uncut, ad-free version at www.patreon.com/peaceofpersistence. I hope you enjoy meeting her as much as I did.

Show Links: 

Links:
Michael Harner, founder of The Foundation for Shamanic Studies: http://www.shamanism.org/fssinfo/harnerbio.html
Katie Weatherup’s Shamanic Healing website: https://handsoverheart.com
Fire Ceremony: https://handsoverheart.com/2017/01/20/fire-ceremony/

The work of Byron Katie - A Mind at Home with Itself: How Asking Four Questions Can Free Your Mind, Open Your Heart, and Turn Your World Around

Debbie Ford’s The Dark Side of the Light Chasers

Intro:
Today we get to sit down with Katie Weatherup. One of my closest friends, my weekly accountability partner, and my sister in the short film Stealing Zen is Katie's cousin Christine Weatherup, and I'm so grateful she thought to make this introduction.

As a gifted intuitive and highly trained healer, Katie Weatherup has helped many on their personal paths by using the healing power of Shamanic journey & soul retrieval.

Believing that gurus are no longer a good fit within our modern culture, she teaches each person to trust themselves to be their own best expert. Katie is the author of Practical Shamanism: A Guide for Walking in Both Worlds, Sex, Shamanism, and Healing: My Kissing Quest, and Sacred Travel: Practical Shamanism for Your Vacations and Vision Quests.

She says that working as a mechanical engineer, she has always understood the necessity of system integrity. The human spirit is a highly complex system, which can break down in complex and subtle ways. Much of her Shamanic work is oriented towards wholeness. She helps people find their way back to themselves, all the parts they've lost, forgotten, denied and disowned. She love the elegance, simplicity and power of soul retrieval. It is deeply rewarding to know that an hour of her time is often life changing for her clients, affording them unprecedented levels of wholeness and right relationship to the universe. 

Show Summary:
I'd love to hear about your upbringing. What were your early years like?
Really great. Katie had very kind parents, who she says weren’t as energetically sensitive like she was, so her culture didn’t really have a reference for her particular struggles. When Katie was surrounded with a lot of people and feeling overwhelmed, she says she reacted by delving into her studies, becoming “queen of the nerds,” an academic decathlete for two years in a row. She lagged behind in her social and emotional skills and had to work on them as she got older, got her engineering degree, and then got into being a Shaman through a bit of a circuitous path. 

What can you tell us about Shamanism and its role in your life?
Most people don’t know about it. Although it’s becoming more popular, when Katie wrote her book, it sold very well because there weren’t a lot of options at the time. She describes four different quadrants of human experience: mental, physical, emotional, and energetic body. In our society, we’re biased toward mental body. We’ll have classes in trigonometry but not emotional intelligence. We work on physical fitness but don’t know to look for physical cues of stress. Once we get past the mental, physical, and finally emotional bodies, most people don’t know about or believe in an energetic body. Although you can get along without thinking about it, people like Katie, who are energetically sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of others can have a tough time. It was so overwhelming to Katie as a child that she dissociated.
What she would say about Shamanism is that it’s a body of knowledge that can be applied, just as Buddhism is another system to address the inner aspect of who we are. Her tradition of Shamanism was fathered by Michael Harner, who studied indigenous cultures, as an anthropologist, all over the world, many whom had no interaction with one another. He noticed major commonalities among their traditions: power animals, soul retrieval, listened to a drum or did certain things to alter their state of mind, and a human in the tribe who could be an intermediary, talking to the guides to get information to bring back for the well being of the tribe. 

Katie especially appreciates the way Core Shamanism goes beyond cultural appropriation to what is universal across different cultures and time, before the introduction of Christianity in particular. Michael Harner distilled it and figured out a way to teach it, and one can go to the Foundation for Shamanic Studies and take a class. She finds that it’s an excellent compliment to modern society that helps us focus more on being whole.
For people who question whether you’re talking to actual spirits or an aspect of yourself, Katie says that as a teacher, she doesn’t mind if her clients see it as a way to talk to their inner selves or as a framework to talk to masters from their religions. She sees consistent results across the board of people being healthier and making more holistic choices.

Shamanic journey and soul retrieval. Those are completely new concepts to me, and I imagine much of our audience. What are they?
Shamanic journey is about going into an altered state to gain wisdom from that state. It might be produced by listening to a drum beat, since many traditions use a specific drumbeat to create theta waves that allow people to access this altered state of awareness. People also use plant medicine, circular breathing, ecstatic dance, fasting, etc. Katie says there are many ways to relax your hold on the present moment and allow yourself to go somewhere else. Because some people are very connected to their guides, she says occasionally they’ll discount their guidance because they’ve already heard the answer in so many different ways, and it sounds too familiar. Katie’s practiced Shamanic journey for 18 years, and she loves being able to talk to guides.
Katie doesn’t necessarily think it’s for everyone, unless they’re drawn to it, but she wishes everyone would have a soul retrieval, where someone qualified is working on their behalf. Like the other Shamanic practices, it’s a universal concept that when we go through trauma, we lose parts of ourselves. Psychologists call it dissociation, and Shamanic practitioners call it soul loss. She starts by explaining that the soul transcends the human experience. When people go through a traumatic experience, the last thing they want to do is be fully present, and dissociation is a common tool, especially with children experiencing trauma. Once that part of you has dropped out, Katie says it doesn’t know when it’s safe to return.
We also give parts of ourselves away in relationships. She says that in our culture (think Jerry Maguire), we often give away parts of ourselves to each other, and in a way, it can stabilize the relationship. Although it’s not so bad when you’re with the person, we forget to get those parts back after a breakup. She often finds that people still have close energetic ties to long-ago exes. When she does soul retrievals, she connects with the person and then goes to find the lost parts of their essence, from past traumas or relationships.
When she first experienced her own soul retrieval (with her mother, actually), she realized within a day that if she were able to do only one thing with a client, she’d want it to be soul retrieval, because it can change things for the person within a single session. She loves to make the foundation of who they are available to them, finding it incredibly powerful, especially for people who’ve experienced major traumas in their lives. Often, people who’ve done a lot of work in therapy and traditional healing can work very effectively with the parts they have left, but she finds it so much more powerful for them if they can get all their essence back. Although she encourages anyone who wants to explore Shamanic journey to go for it, she really sees soul retrieval as her core, most powerful practice for people who need healing.

Now you mentioned it can be a drastic, quick change... Can 1 session be enough?
She designs her soul retrieval practice to be one session, unless she’s working with someone who’s in the top 90% of people who’ve experienced severe trauma. For that 5-50% of her clients, she does two sessions. She says it’s very unusual, but she values people’s time and efficiency, and Katie appreciates that her guides help her to do what she calls a “thorough wrangling” of soul parts left behind. On the topic of rapid change, she has people read an article beforehand about how such quick healing can cause disruptions in relationships that may no longer be sustainable. Likewise, if you have an unhealthy work environment that matches your family of origin, for example, cleaning up the core wounding around the family of origin could suddenly make you incompatible with the unhealthy nature of the work environment. 

Can you give us an example or walk us through a brief introduction or exercise?
Although Katie admits brevity is not her superpower, she talks with us about fire ceremony, also posted on her website in detail. 

How did you decide to write your first book?
Katie was in the shower one day, when she says her guides told her to write a book, even though at the time, she didn’t feel ready. As she started to write, one chapter at a time, she realized she had a tremendous amount to write and credits her editors for its quality. For those wanting to write a book, she says to remove the critic from over your shoulder and make a deal with yourself about being vulnerable and exposed - that it’ll get an edit, and you can talk with your critic later. Unlike previous times in human history, although people might think she’s “woo woo,” she’s not putting herself in mortal danger of being burned at the stake, etc, and she had to remind herself of that.

Other than your inner work, do you have any habits or traits that have contributed to your happiness and success?
Katie’s really good at seeking out her own healing work, energetically. “I think getting feedback from another person is a really important piece because we can’t see our blindspots.” She wants to make sure she’s able to use her tools as a practitioner in order to grow, not in order to stay stuck.
She also notices a huge difference in her agreeableness when she’s able to enjoy her hot tub under the stars on a regular basis. 

If there were one thing you'd like the world to see differently, through your eyes, what would it be?
People are so hard on themselves. Katie references a TED Talk by Brené Brown about shame and vulnerability that currently has almost 8 million views, and how it’s clear that people have a hunger to get rid of shame. She says the problem with exposing our vulnerabilities is that we often get accurate mirroring that small infractions are just that, in the grand scheme of things. For example, a public figure who makes a small sensitivity infraction and then is publicly shamed. She thinks the work on our own (shadow work, sash calls it), is universally some of the most important work we do, including soul retrievals and Maitri (Pema Chodron) - an unconditional friendliness with oneself.
For those moments when you can’t let go of a past shame, Katie recommends a shamanic practice called the transmutation breath. Rather than avoiding the emotion, breathe the feeling of that experience into your heart, and then exhale as neutral energy. She compares the way we organize our energy like the organization of a house of cards, that can’t really be used for anything else until you knock it down, breathe through the feeling with awareness, start at neutral, and allow yourself to build something new. It’s a practice, something to build and exercise.
Katie discusses how our need to protect ourselves from mortal danger in the past as a species has translated into our need to avoid unsettling emotions in the present. Where the intention to be compassionate with oneself might not transform as effectively, the practice of the transmutation breath can be incredibly transformative. The fire ceremony is similar, but more formalized, and the breath is something that can be accessed right in the moment. 

Katie, thank you so much for being with us today! And thank you for joining us today on the Peace of Persistence. If you found us on the LITE version, we're glad you're here. If you want to hear more from Katie and all our guests, you can find our extended versions on patreon - at www.patreon.com/peaceofpersistence. It's also a great way to support the show, if you like what you see and hear.

It's been an incredible season so far, and I'm so grateful for each guest on this show and how much insight they bring. Thanks for joining us, however you've found us, and we'll see you next week on The Peace of Persistence for more discussions on how to find the happiness and success in all our lives.

Michael of Michael Chadwick Photography (LITE)

Overview:
Michael of Michael Chadwick Photography joins us for a great interview in his studio about his long journey from selling plasma to survive to owning his own home and award-winning business. Subscribe to our show at http://patreon.com/peaceofpersistence for the extended version, where we also discuss the importance of focusing on the vast majority of things going right in our lives, Mike's surprising involvement in Deborah Voigt "little black dress scandal," carrying each learned skill through life, what marathons teach you about life, and more.

Show links:
Michael Chadwick Photography: http://chadwick.photography/

Find Michael's book, Balancing the Art and Business of Wedding Photography, on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Balancing-Art-Business-Wedding-Photography/dp/1483595986
 

Intro:
This episode comes to you today from South Jersey, where I first met Michael Chadwick at my high school, where he was my student teacher. If you're reading this, you've found the LITE version, where even today's bio is shortened. That said, Mike has had an amazing life, and if you feel so inclined to check out the longer version on Patreon (http://patreon.com/peaceofpersistence) by becoming a subscriber and supporting the show, I highly recommend it.

Michael Chadwick went from music education to the Interactive Voice Response industry and formed his own company.  From there, he moved to Dallas, and formed his own artist opera company in the Dallas area called The Living Opera, which provided many opportunities for young opera singers in the region.  He also stage directed and sang opera. He then moved to Manhattan, where he reconnected with his longtime friend Suzanne, and they were married.

He then took a job performing database administration for an arts fundraising and marketing company in Brooklyn.  He continued to sing and direct opera, but began taking photography more seriously whenever time would permit it. When he pursued it persistently, it provided him more and more opportunities to take it from being a hobby to a full time job.  After Michael and Suzanne moved to their first owned home in Medford, one year later, in 2013, Michael gave notice at his day job and took his photography business full time.  Finally, at just over 40 years old, Michael is fully in control of his own life, and he feels he's finally achieved the goal that so many people seem to strive toward: Happiness and Success.

He believes that happiness doesn't always come easily, and it doesn't always come quickly.  Persistence and patience, belief in one's self, and surrounding one's self with the right people are all keys to finding that happy place.

Show recap:
Let's talk about the moral to your story in your extended bio – that happiness doesn't always come easily, and it doesn't always come quickly. What does happiness mean to you?
Of course, this is different for everyone. For Mike, it's being in charge and in control of his life. Having that control gives him the ability to use his time to create and to do things for others to affect someone in a positive way. He feels fulfilled and satisfied and has the support system of his family and his wife Suzanne and her family. The safety net, he says, is invaluable. The same control gives him success, and he enjoys the luxury he has of being able to work harder and have it directly impact him and his finances.

I'd love to go back and explore the topic of control for you. In particular, a lot of people will talk about studies about internal versus external locus of control - the internal being that you believe that you have some kind of influence on the outcomes in your life. The external locus of control - those are the people who believe that other circumstances are responsible for the outcomes and events in their life. It seems to me that you've had a bit of a shift in your thinking in your life... Have you moved from a place of an external locus of control, believing that other things influenced your outcomes, to a place of internal locus of control, believing that you are in control of your life?
Absolutely. That change contributes to his happiness almost more than anything else. Because he's no longer blaming his lack of a degree, or giving up too much of himself in relationships, he can exert his own will over his life. Before he went to Westminster Choir College, in the late eighties in Louisiana, he remembers having no bed in a decrepit house, eating peanut butter sandwiches, and donating plasma twice a week so he could afford to survive, and realizing he needed to make a change. That big change of leaving everything, starting over, and working five jobs to afford school was the beginning of his long journey toward finding control in his life. Failing at the end of that time made him feel like he wasn't in control, and he didn't want that to be his life. Failing at his first marriage made him realize he could never give up that control again, and at that time, he shifted the responsibility back on to himself.
Mike wanted the opportunity to take responsibility for his life. He discusses the quote that is often attributed to Einstein, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." So many things in his life (in Dallas) were not working for him all at once, and he decided it was time to go. Immediately, he was able to be himself and excel at the things he did well. It was a long path from selling his blood for peanut butter money to having a successful, thriving career that allows him to support himself and his family, and to decide what he wants to do, even down to the wedding clients he chooses.

And you've won a bunch of awards from different places for your photography business as well?
Several awards from WeddingWire and every year from The Knot, he wins "Best of Weddings" because of reviews from his customers. He credits this to the realization he had when he and Suzanne honeymooned at Disney, where they went above and beyond everyone's expectations. He applies it to his wedding photography, knowing the names of the wedding party and family members, carries a bag with bobby pins and safety pins, knows how to help with bustles of wedding dresses and boutonnières - he says these are the things they remember.

What is your book called, and how can we find it?
Because artists often don't make good business people, he wrote Balancing the Art and Business of Wedding Photography. It's designed to give people the business foundation they need in order to succeed. It's not only the photography, but social dynamics, crowd control, relating well to the people, pricing, costs, equipment, etc. It also introduces them to many different types of weddings and what to expect from them - as well as surprising pitfalls.

Do you have any habits or traits that you'd attribute to your success and happiness?
Persistence. Belief, which he sees as a snowball effect, where the more you achieve, the more you believe you can. "Little victories over the years created a monster, where I really believe I can do almost anything." He jokes that his wife is an enabler, because she also believes in him and tells him so, and each success helps him achieve the next success.

Do you have any advice for us?
"Especially in this Internet age where we have such access to each other, be careful not to spend so much time minding other people's business that you let your own business go bankrupt."

Thanks, as always, for joining us on The Peace of Persistence. Please take a moment to share this episode or review us on Apple Podcasts, or come on over to our subscriber channel at http://patreon.com/peaceofpersistence. We'd love to have you join us in supporting this great show about happiness and success. Have a great week! We'll be back next Thursday with an amazing episode with investor and world traveler Wempy Dyocta-Koto.

 

Craig Blum of Johnny Doughnuts (LITE)

Episode Description:
In this LITE episode, host Abigail Wright talks with Craig Blum, Owner, Founder, and Chief Enthusiast of Johnny Doughnuts about working with The Hard Rock Cafe, overcoming addiction, intuition, authenticity in parenthood, yes - doughnuts, and so much more.

In the full version, hear Craig talk about waking up Gilbert Gottfried, overcoming addiction after being in LA county prison, intuition, authenticity in parenting, travel, and more. That's at http://www.patreon.com/peaceofpersistence. 

Bio/Intro:
Born in Los Angeles, Craig Blum says he's the product of a crazy childhood environment. At the age of 16, with the help of a friend's father, he became emancipated, and lived in the maids' quarters of a friend's empty mansion with their Chauffer. After High School, Craig worked a quick stint in the entertainment world before finding his passion as part of the opening team of the first US Hard Rock Café. While he really loved the food industry, with late nights and crazy living, he quickly found his personal life spinning out of control and hit bottom with drugs and alcohol at the age of 22.

After getting sober, he decided to take his passion for food and run with it. He was part of the opening team for Chopstix restaurant Group in Los Angeles, opened multiple restaurants for them, managed the popular Authentic Café, and worked with the Border Grill. After taking some time off to travel to Israel and Europe, Craig had a moment of clarity, realizing that anything is possible and that he never had to live anywhere that he didn’t love. He fulfilled a lifelong dream and moved to Maui, opening Café Fresh on the Northwest Shore of the island. He ran Café Fresh for a few years before selling it and going to the mainland for 9 months to begin a new business.

Inspired by reading the Celestine Prophecy, he began to notice his surroundings to see where they would take him. Craig drove into Marin county, California, saw a sign that told him it was where he needed to be, and has have been there for 20 years. He started a pizza crust manufacturing company out of the back of his car and grew it to a nationally distributed product. With a lifelong interest in food trucks, he then became a student of that industry and began a quest to learn how to build the perfect truck with the perfect product…  And he is today.

In early 2012, Johnny Doughnuts was born with the question, "why do doughnuts typically taste so bad and make us feel so bad when we eat them?" After 2 years pf product development and design, as their truck was delivered, they were approached by someone at Apple to do an event for ITunes. Since then, Johnny Doughnuts has done numerous events for Apple, Facebook, Google, and YouTube, to name a few. Named one of the top 3 doughnuts in the country by Food Network and honored as small business of the year for the state of California, they're even in a newly released major motion picture with Denzel Washington. Craig's mission with Johnny Doughnuts is to be of service and share the love, while working to bring back the sense of community and legacy that was once shared culturally with doughnuts. He has a loving and growing relationship with his wife and 2 amazing children, a 16 year old girl (from a previous relationship) and a 7 year old boy. He works hard to be great father, not trying to right the wrongs gifted to him, but because he wants to share with them his authentic self.

Show links:
Johnny Doughnuts: http://johnnydoughnuts.com/

Show summary:
You've led such a fascinating life. It seems you've been chasing freedom for a long time - what was it like, being emancipated at 16, and how has it affected you throughout your adult life?
He felt older than that when it happened at the time, and it was incredibly liberating because he realized he had the ability to make choices for himself. While it felt exciting to have his own space, he also experienced loneliness, but he needed that experience. It taught him that he can always make a change when times feel desperate.

You opened a lot of restaurants in your early career. What are some of your favorite take-aways or lessons from that time?
Craig feels grateful to have witnessed Peter Morton's early inspiration to make the Hard Rock Cafe the worldwide brand that it is today. It was holistically about branding. It wasn't just about the food, the environment, or the perception of the community - it was all of the above. From the lines outside, to the quality of the food, to the music and experience, it was a journey where people could leave their struggles behind for a moment. He basically created the whole "eatertainment" industry.

What fascinates you about food trucks?
Craig has always loved food trucks as a vehicle to get amazing food to anywhere in the world. They used to be unclean and sold bad food, but when he saw them starting to improve and carry great products, he got excited and started brainstorming how he could use one to make a profitable food business. With his current CFO, he created a business model for a pizza truck. He felt like he was swimming upstream with that concept and decided if he couldn't get past this one more hurdle, he would make a doughnut truck, because he was more excited about the doughnut holes on his pizza truck's menu than the rest of it. Within two weeks of making the mental shift, he had the whole project completely funded and ready to go.

It sounds like your strongest skill is networking. Although it probably comes naturally to you, do you have any advice about networking or meeting people?
As we get more interested in others, others become more interested in us. Get curious and interested.

I love your particular interest in the cultural sense of community that used to be a part of the doughnut culture. Do you have any favorite stories you've heard from your customers, or from your past?
Originally, community was not a part of the plan, but when he opened the first shop, Craig realized that people wanted a place to be able to hang and tell their story. There are so many stories people have surrounding doughnuts, and he didn't realize this whole part of American culture even existed. Now, they're here to share the love and be of service. He wants to help people find their favorite doughnut, even if they don't know what it is yet, so they can leave and feel satisfied.

If there were one thing you'd like the world to see differently, what would it be?
He would love all of us to spend less time racing around and more time enjoying the moment.

Thanks, Craig. And thanks to all of you who listen. Again, if you want to hear about waking up Gilbert Gottfried, overcoming addiction after being in LA county prison, intuition, authenticity in parenting, travel, and more, visit us at http://www.patreon.com/peaceofpersistence.

Now, go have a doughnut!

George Walden (LITE) - Retired FDA & Pfizer Staff Member

In this LITE episode, host Abigail Wright talks with retired FDA & Pfizer staff member George Walden about the importance of friends, family, and activities, his views on the world today, and appreciating the differences in humanity. For more, visit http://patreon.com/peaceofpersistence to hear about his experiences with the FDA & Pfizer, the value in a single life, George's key to happiness and much more.

Bio/Intro:
George Walden was born in Washington DC and was raised in Upper Marlboro, MD. He and his two brothers and two sisters still get together for family gatherings a couple of times during the year.

George completed a Bachelor of Science degree at Morgan State University in Baltimore in 1972. Following he graduation, he was hired by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Newark, NJ and worked for the FDA for 25 1/2 years as a Consumer Safety Officer. He was fortunate to take an early retirement with the FDA in 1997 and begin a career with Warner Lambert (later known as Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) as a Corporate Quality Auditor.  George worked for Warner Lambert/Pfizer, Inc. for 17 years and traveled to nearly 40 countries around the world. He retired from Pfizer in April 2015.

Now he spends his time practicing Aikido, Yoga, playing golf, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

Show summary:
I don't think we've ever talked about this, but I got my master's degree at the University of MD in College Park, so I'm very familiar with DC and Prince George's county. What was it like for you, growing up in that area?
He remembers a fun upbringing with what he needed as the second of five children. Both his parents worked until George was born, when his mother agreed to stay home and take care it and them. Communal family dinners played an important role in keeping his family together. Although the community was quiet, without much to do, the children all found ways to keep themselves busy with sports, sledding, go karts, and other activities with friends.

It seems like growing up, in your jobs, and in the sports that you do, community is very important to you. How has that enhanced your life?
It's helped him see people differently, and as valuable. George tells us about experiences where he'd speak with people on the phone as part of his job helping other companies comply before meeting them in person. He might have a conversation where the person would complain about minorities or women or the government, and then meet the man in person. As the man met him and got to know him, he treated him incredibly kindly. "There's a lot of hatred and fear and animosity in the world, but people are people... Once we learn a little bit about each other and get to know each other, we find out, we're all the same." He believes his community upbringing contributed to his perspective on that.

What's your perspective on what's happening today in our culture? Between the current political climate, the extreme polarization of different viewpoints, and the recent resurgence of overt racism... is any of this new?
We discuss how it's not really new, but that now with the statements made by current leadership, people feel that they can express their extreme viewpoints.

How have you reacted to it, and what do you think we can do better as individuals to help improve society in general?
Let people have their space. George goes back to his story about the people he met in the FDA. If you give people space to get to know each other beyond biases and appearances, there's really no reason for people to hate each other.

What does happiness mean to you, in your life?
Happiness, for George means being able to do the things he wants to do, especially Aikido, golf, and being social and around people. His father's life consisted of work, the family, and the house. On forced vacations, he'd work on the house or visit family, or fish. When he retired, after a year or two, he had to go back to work. George believes you have to have something to keep you going.

Have you always been a pretty content person, or have you had to work at it?
George has been pretty content most of his life because he's always done things that keep him interested.

If there were one thing you'd like the world to see differently, what would it be?
More respect and more acceptance of each other. Everyone doesn't have to be the same, and that makes the world interesting.

Thanks for listening! For more, visit http://patreon.com/peaceofpersistence to hear about his experiences with the FDA & Pfizer, the value in a single life, George's key to happiness and much more.

G. Brian Benson (LITE) - Author, Filmmaker, & Actor

Highlights:
In this LITE episode of The Peace of Persistence, host Abigail Wright talks with author, filmmaker, and actor G. Brian Benson about the value of intuition, trusting the process, failure, balance, and more. For more on Brian's outlook on self-awareness, authenticity, the importance of being yourself with family and others, and more, check out our full version at http://www.patreon.com/peaceofpersistence, or just to support the show.
 

About Brian:
G. Brian Benson’s mission is to wake up the world with conscious, thought-provoking media that inspires.  As founder of Reawaken Media, Brian an award-winning author, filmmaker, actor and TEDx speaker, knows the value of trusting intuition and wants to share his own personal journey of self-growth, discovery and accomplishment to help others re-connect with their own personal truths to live an authentic and fulfilling life. As a 4x Ironman triathlete, Brian knows the value of hard work and never giving up on his dreams, a message he shares with audiences through each of his creative talents. Brian lives in Los Angeles, CA.

Show notes, links, etc:
Brian's List - 26 1/2 easy to use ideas on how to live a fun, balanced, healthy life!
http://www.gbrianbenson.com/books/brians-list-26-%C2%BD-easy-to-use-ideas-on-how-to-live-a-fun-balanced-healthy-life/
Toastmasters - https://www.toastmasters.org/
"A Minute of Failure" poem - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PevVjb9Jyk8
"Searching for Happiness" short film - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc78etwqkx0

Show summary:
What brought you to where you are now in life?
After running his family's golf center for about 8 or 9 years, Brian started to feel burned out. He felt like there was something else he needed to do, but he didn't know what yet. He had a supportive conversation with his father, and a year later, they had sold the business. During the last part of time while he was there, he found himself out of balance. As someone who likes to work on himself to be the best version of himself, he wrote down a list of 5 things he thought would help him and followed them.
From that list, within about 30 days, he expanded it into his first book, Brian's List - 26 1/2 easy to use ideas on how to live a fun, balanced, healthy life! The book also helped him by putting him on a path that forced him to do things he was uncomfortable with at first.

Uncomfortable with public speaking but knowing that he needed to promote his book, Brian signed up for public speaking classes and Toastmasters. To make himself more comfortable, he tried things that were outside of his comfort zone, creating a workshop and co-hosting an internet radio show. He even setup a book signing and workshop tour. Although he feels the tour wasn't wholly successful, he believes it was necessary.

Let's chat about your work as a writer. You've written nonfiction, children's books, and some poetry. What brought you into writing?
He really followed his intuition. As a young child, he told his mom he was put here to inspire people. Life got in the way for a time, but he finds that he's a decent writer who's able to channel what comes through him in a way that makes sense. With the self-help books and non-fiction, he taps into his own experiences and follows his intuition. With the children's books and poetry, he enjoys writing in rhyme and sees the creative process (which he loves) as more of a jigsaw puzzle.

You focus a lot on trusting your intuition, so I imagine it serves you very well in most cases. How do you push past doubts to allow yourself to once again trust your intuition after a fall?
Although it's not always easy, Brian has a positive, optimistic outlook. During the dips in the roller coaster of life, he still feels like it's going to be ok. He's had times where he felt frustrated, like he was working so hard, stuck in quicksand, and accomplishing nothing. Looking back, he realizes now that during those times, he tried to push, rather than take a break when he needed to. Now, realizing that the work can come through him quickly when he needs it to, he trusts his instincts to rest and gives himself the chance to fill his cup before returning to the process. That frustration he used to feel, before he trusted the process, coupled with his expectations about the future and some successes, set him up for some falls.

When his first children's book, Steve the Alien, first launched, he went through a period of depression. Although the launch went well, and he hit #1 in his category on Amazon, he came to a breaking point where he thought, "What's next?" He thought, if he worked so hard to put something he wanted so much out into the world and felt so miserable anyway, he didn't want to do it anymore. Because of that, he's since been very observant, intent on enjoying the ride and taking breaks when he needs to and celebrating his wins.

Speaking of falling, you wrote a poem called, “A Minute of Failure.” What value do you place on allowing yourself to fail, should we, and how can we make a habit of it?
There's a part of us that's ingrained in us to believe that it's not ok to fail, but if you look at successful people in any field, they have had tons of failures. Brian feels that's the only way for anyone to hone his/her craft and learn. He talks about the musician Steve Miller's perseverance, when he didn't have a hit until his seventh record. Overnight successes don't just happen. Brian's own 8-9 year journey, working on himself the whole way, has spilled into his own work, allowing him to more authentically share his insights with people. He likes to share what he has in common with others, not prescriptively but authentically. If he can stick it out, you can too, and as he's realized that he's enough, he wants you to realize that you are too.

Can I put you on the spot a little - would you read us the poem?
Brian reads his poem, "A Minute of Failure." Check out the link to his YouTube reading above, in the show notes.

You've competed in 4 Ironman triathlons, and clearly you work on your mental, emotional, and spiritual health as much as your physical health. Do you have any advice for keeping it all in balance?
Brian thinks it's a matter of paying attention, as Wayne Dyer says, being in the observer role of your own self. Specifically to notice and decipher the difference between when you're being physically or emotionally tired and going the other way to give yourself the kind of rest you need. He describes balance as a moving target. He recommends self-awareness first and believes that love for yourself is the foundation for everything.

You have this great short film called "Searching for Happiness." I'd love for you to talk about the film and what inspired you to write it.
A few years before he turned it into a film, Brian wrote it as he was searching for his own happiness, as so many of us do outside of ourselves sometimes. Nye Green directed, his brother Rhys Green edited, and Toby Sherriff did the soundtrack on this film with no dialogue. He believes that when we do service for others, it makes us feel good. By using B&W and colorized effects, Brian tries to share that simple, yet powerful message.

If there were one thing you'd like the world to see differently, what would it be?
That happiness comes from within, and that you're enough. Brian believes if you just quiet yourself and slow down enough to listen to your intuition, you can find happiness. "When we're in balance, we can hear our intuition come through stronger," he says, and he believes that if everyone believed they were enough, it would clear up a lot of problems in life.

Do you have any other advice for us?
Have more fun, and realize that you're enough. Writing his self-help books, Brian put a lot of pressure on himself, feeling like he had to be perfect. Now, coming back to his more fun side, he's finding it easier to be authentic. His advice is to be fun and be yourself.
 

Louis Levitt (LITE) - Artistic Entrepreneur & Chamber Musician

In this LITE episode, host Abigail Wright talks with Artistic Entrepreneur & Chamber Musician Louis Levitt about the value of close-knit ensembles, flexibility in parenting, envisioning things never done before, and more.

For full, un-cut access, including discussions on what children know that adults sometimes don't, learning about learning, the devaluation of recorded music, and more at http://www.patreon.com/peaceofpersistence.

Intro:
Louis is an artistic entrepreneur and internationally renowned chamber musician with an uncanny talent for performing, creating, implementing and maintaining groundbreaking musical ventures of the highest caliber.

As the double bassist of Sybarite5, Louis Levitt was the first ever double bassist to win the Concert Artist Guild Competition. Since then, he has performed with Sybarite5 in hundreds of concerts nationally and internationally, his debut EP with them cracked the top ten on the Billboard charts, and their follow up LP Everything in its Right Place was released at Carnegie Hall to critical acclaim. Their next album, Outliers, will be released later this season

In addition to performing with Sybarite5, Louis Levitt is currently an Artistic Director of Bright Shiny Things, a music collective for mezzo soprano and double bass. He is also in demand as a soloist and lecturer.  He has given masterclasses around the USA from Penn State to Fairbanks AK, has presented at the International Society of Double Bassists, and has spoken on the art of engagement at the APAP arts conference and the Curtis Institute, New England Conservatory & Mannes School. He's also currently a professor at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.

Louis lives in NYC with his wife, mezzo-soprano and actress Blythe Gaissert, and their two children.

Show notes:
You can find all Sybarite5 concerts at sybarite5.org and Bright Shiny Things at brightshiny.ninja. You can find their music on iTunes, Google Play, on Bandcamp (their favorite), and at their fan pages on Facebook.

Show summary:
How did you get started with Bright Shiny Things, and what's your vision for it?
A composer and performer Gilda Lyons, hired Louis and his wife, mezzo-soprano Blythe Gaissert-Levitt, to sing a concert for the Phoenix Concert series in NYC. She wrote music specifically for them and commissioned music by other composers. They're able to add and subtract various instruments with a core of double bass and mezzo, and Louis is excited to be able to add words to the music in order to add a greater level of expression.

Sybarite5 is having their 10th anniversary!
To celebrate, they're releasing Outliers, with 10 new works from 10 new composers.

What has being a part of such a close-knit community added to your life?
You really get a chance to delve deep into the music, with more time spent on the music and discussions about the music.

What do you envision for your musical and professional goals going forward?
For Sybarite5, a lot of new music and collaborations, and a lot of new touring. He's also excited to see what he can do with Bright Shiny Things that he can't do with Sybarite5. Finally, he's thrilled to build the double bass program at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.

Louis discusses parenthood. No matter what you do to plan for it, you can never know how it's going to be, because everyone's situation is unique and individual. Sometimes, it works out well when one is touring and the other is home. Sometimes, it's difficult when they're both touring. Flexibility is key. Because he really wants to spend time with his kids, it helps him to hone in on what is really important and how he truly wants to spend his time, because it's so much more precious.

Looking back, do you have any advice for other freelance couples considering having kids?
Just have them. Start there. If it's something you want, you'll find a way to make it work. If you live somewhere where your family can help you, that's great. If not, you'll need a lot of help and money, but those things shouldn't stop you from having them.

What's your favorite accomplishment so far?
There was no precedent for Sybarite5. It took him 5 years to decide that it was a good idea to make something so new, despite the lack of historical data for it, without the validation for it. He's proud that they helped to tear down the wall for other ensembles in the classical music world wanting to form a new group. Memorable experiences include winning the Concert Artists Guild, premiering an album at Carnegie Hall. He loves the moments where they break through something and are able to challenge people's perceptions.

Have you always been happy, or was it something you had to learn?
For Louis, being unhappy is what helps you find happiness. He searched for happiness in an orchestra and then he went to a string quintet, and now he has Bright Shiny Things and teaching at a university. He finds happiness to be something not so easily defined, but his kids help him to be content. He talks about how musicians and artists are constantly pushing themselves to do more, because the possibilities with music are endless.

Other advice?
Focus on continued artistic growth. For anyone? Focus on self-growth. We have a lot of choices in our country, so you have to educate yourself on the choices you make.

Mukund Marathe (LITE), Part 2 - 2x Jeopardy! Winner, Tenor, & Teacher

This is part 2 of a two-part episode. If you haven't already, check out last week's for part one.

Lite version - for full, un-cut, ad-free access, visit http://patreon.com/peaceofpersistence.

Mukund Marathe discovered Beethoven at age 8 and the Beatles at age 9, and the resulting pleasant confusion has remained with him all of his musical life, as evidenced by the fact that he has performed almost every kind of music imaginable, from early music to modern jazz.  His favorite musical activities include the Evangelist in the Bach Passions, Sportin’ Life in Porgy and Bess, Lyle Lovett songs in church, and being what he calls a utility infielder (meaning he sings tenor or alto in various groups). Mukund was a member of the New York City Opera company for 27 years, toured with the Gregg Smith Singers, and has sung with jazz legend Dave Brubeck, on The Letterman Show, on South African television, and literally all around the world. He spends his free time reading science fiction, practicing calligraphy, dancing, making his garden grow, recently becoming a two-time Jeopardy! champion, and explaining to his two sons why people say such Awful Things about Tenors.  He says his wife, Mezzo-soprano Mary Marathe, already knows.

Mukund gets a lot of satisfaction out of performing and from helping his students make breakthroughs. One of his favorite breakthroughs is helping them realize how human emotions haven't really changed much in the hundreds or thousands of years that music has been written.
Passing along his expansive view of the universe, he thinks nothing happens in a vacuum and likes to keep in mind a greater understanding of culture and knowledge for his students.

Being a freelance musician has been Mukund's greatest struggle. "The only reason you become a musician is because there is no choice." Despite his love of music, the financial struggle can make things difficult, and he's grateful that his spouse understands because she goes through it too. His family has always been there for him, and he's at peace with the life he's chosen but knows that he'll miss it when he transitions into mostly teaching.

Mukund defines success as being able to do what he loves. His family is a success, especially his two children who are some of the nicest people he knows, and he believes the world is a better place because they're in it. Jeopardy! and Carnegie are things that happened to him; whereas his family and what he does are who he is, and he considers himself incredibly lucky.

Habits or traits that contribute to Mukund's happiness or success?
Stubbornness! It helps him to keep striving in a tough profession. His ability to look at the world with humor, in a "kind of cockeyed fashion" has helped keep him going too.

Although he carries a high-energy performer persona, he has doubts and struggles just like everyone else. He believes it's more important to be kind than to be right, and he wants people to remember him as a kind person above all else.

If there were one thing you'd like the world to see differently, what would it be?
Mukund wants people to get along and finds humor to be a great peacemaker.

Advice?
Life is too serious to take it so seriously.

Thanks for joining us on The Peace of Persistence Lite! To hear what Alex Trebek said about Mukund's wife, his surrealistic riddles, and how he learns motivation through his students, visit http://www.patreon.com/peaceofpersistence for double the content and zero ads... or just because you love the show and want to support it. See you there!

Mukund Marathe (Lite), Part 1 - 2x Jeopardy! Winner, Tenor, & Teacher

Lite version - for full, un-cut, ad-free access, visit http://patreon.com/peaceofpersistence.

Mukund Marathe discovered Beethoven at age 8 and the Beatles at age 9, and the resulting pleasant confusion has remained with him all of his musical life, as evidenced by the fact that he has performed almost every kind of music imaginable, from early music to modern jazz.  His favorite musical activities include the Evangelist in the Bach Passions, Sportin’ Life in Porgy and Bess, Lyle Lovett songs in church, and being what he calls a utility infielder (meaning he sings tenor or alto in various groups). Mukund was a member of the New York City Opera company for 27 years, toured with the Gregg Smith Singers, and has sung with jazz legend Dave Brubeck, on The Letterman Show, on South African television, and literally all around the world. He spends his free time reading science fiction, practicing calligraphy, dancing, making his garden grow, recently becoming a two-time Jeopardy! champion, and explaining to his two sons why people say such Awful Things about Tenors.  He says his wife, Mezzo-soprano Mary Marathe, already knows.

Show notes!
Upbringing - Mukund grew up with his Indian parents, who had an Indian shop in Rockefeller Center and insisted on him having a more American experience in a very multi-cultural Astoria, Queens. Half-jokingly, they said he'd either grow up to become a singer or a comedian, and he shocked them all when he did.

Mukund discusses how his travels have broadened his outlook. On one trip, a sextet in which he sang toured South Africa for a month, landed in South Africa the day they ended Apartheid. He describes the feeling of hope and trepidation and optimism throughout the country. On another, he went to Japan to sing Bach arias and discovered how much the Japanese loved classical music, and he believes they shared with the culture ways in which Bach can be fun.

Mukund sees himself as very lucky for being able to sing for so long already, compared to dancers and professional athletes, but he knows that eventually he'll have to retire or transition. Thankfully, he really enjoys teaching, and he discusses how he fell into teaching.

Jeopardy! He watched it every day as a child and loved that it was a rare show that rewarded you for being smart, and he's always wanted to be on the show. Mukund tells us about the audition process, from the online exam to the written test, mock game, and recorded interview, to being put into their contestant pool.

Mukund had a really enjoyable time because of the staff and coordinators and the wonderful job they did trying to keep everything fun during a stressful time. It went by fast, but he loved hanging out with his fellow contestants and had an amazing time on the show.

This is a two part episode! Stay tuned next week to hear more from Mukund in a really honest conversation about his struggles, humor as a great peacemaker, his advice to the world, and so much more.

Thanks again for joining us on The Peace of Persistence Lite! To hear more about how Mukund and Mary raised two children as musical freelancers, culture shocks, exercise, and how Mukund learns by teaching, visit http://www.patreon.com/peaceofpersistence for double the content and zero ads.

Shannon Algeo (LITE) - Mindfulness Teacher, Speaker, and Coach

Lite version - for full, un-cut, ad-free access, visit http://patreon.com/peaceofpersistence.

Host Abigail Wright introduces Shannon Algeo, a speaker, coach, and mindfulness teacher. Shannon is the co-founder of SoulFeed Podcast, and the creator of Awaken.Yoga, which provides affordable online yoga and meditation classes. As a coach, he also speaks and leads corporate mindfulness programs.

Show notes:
Mindfulness primer:
Mindfulness can be meditating for any period of time, or sensing the body from the inside out. Shannon discusses the idea from Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now of sensing your body, your hand, your pinky finger. "Mindfulness is sensing and coming to know your location in yourself and in the world." He calls it a radical practice, compared to the rest of life, which can be so focused on stuff and identifying with stories that our thoughts tell us. He discusses the breath and experiencing boredom as a way to retrain the brain, seeing it as a counter-culture practice that helps us to connect to who we are beneath the surface.

Use attention and intention to have a "more nuanced, more felt experience." Referencing Brene Brown, Shannon also talks about how when we numb our negative feelings and thoughts, we also numb joy and connection - that we can't be selective about what we numb in life.

The people we draw into our inner circle are reflections of ourselves. When we're activated by someone else's energy, negatively or positively, it's a chance to evaluate opportunities for our own healing and growth - what it is we want to desire or create. When we do the work within ourselves to understand when we have more toxic relationships, it can help us to create boundaries to show others what we need. It comes back to mindfulness and responsibility in our own relationships.

What would you like the world to see differently?
"Who you are anywhere is who you are everywhere." You are enough, you are a leader, and people need you. "It's time to show up."

Any other advice for us?
If we're gentle (peaceful) with ourselves while being persistent and committed, "then we're going to be so powerful."

For more about Shannon's upbringing, how to learn to love yourself, lessons learned from producing the SoulFeed podcast, and so much more, go to www.patreon.com/peaceofpersistence.

Soprano, Author & Survivor Charity Tillemann-Dick

For this week only, enjoy this free preview of the extended versions our subscribers will enjoy on Patreon.com. Starting next week, visit www.patreon.com/peaceofpersistence to continue to enjoy full, extended, ad-free versions of The Peace of Persistence. 

In this week's extended audio-only! episode, host Abigail Wright speaks with Charity Tillemann-Dick, soprano, survivor of two double-lung transplants, and author of The Encore: A Memoir in Three Acts. Catch the full episode here:

Charity Tilleman-Dick is a soprano and top-selling Billboard classical artist. After receiving a diagnosis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, Charity has had two double lung transplants, has been the National Spokesperson for the PHA (Pulmonary Hypertension Association), and continues to perform, being featured as a singer and speaker around the world.

She speaks candidly and enthusiastically about her upbringing (with 11 brothers & sisters), surviving two double-lung transplants and cancer, singing, relationships, finding the divine in yourself and others, living up to our potential and feeling complete, her love of food, and her book. The Encore: A Memoir in Three Acts is published by Simon & Schuster, and it comes out on October 3. Pre-order your copy on Amazon. 

You can also catch Charity at one of her upcoming book signing events, and she answered our last question, "do you have any advice for us," by saying she loves to give advice! Go to www.charitysunshine.com, and she's happy to answer any advice requests you might have. Thanks, Charity!

Parviz Ghahramani - Author, Researcher, Owner of Inncelerex, & Pilot

In this episode of The Peace of Persistence, host Abigail Wright meets with Parviz Ghahramani, author, award-winning researcher, owner of Inncelerex, and pilot. Watch as Parviz shares his wisdom about being positive in any situation, listening to advice and criticism, constant learning, how to use other pursuits to refresh your mind for work, and so much more!
Tune in on January 8, 2016 for episode 10, with wealth manager Annie Small.

Related links:
Inncelerex - http://inncelerex.com/

Nicholas Pallesen (Part 2) - Hypnotherapist & Opera Singer

Living authentically, having the courage to let go of the "shoulds" of life, challenging your limiting beliefs, and laughter yoga - just a few of the topics covered in the second part of host Abigail Wright's interview with hypnotist and singer Nicholas Pallesen. Hear how he "came out" as a hypnotist and some tangible tools to live a better life.

Related links:
Whole Artist Hypnosis - http://wholeartisthypnosis.com

Nicholas Pallesen (Part 1) - Hypnotherapist & Opera Singer

In this episode of The Peace of Persistence, host Abigail Wright meets with Nicholas Pallesen, hypnotist and opera singer. Watch as they discuss his roots with hypnotherapy, why it's so effective, the difference connection has made in his life, and the number one way that people get in the way of their happiness and success.
This is the first half of a two-part interview! Stay tuned Friday, October 30 for part two with Nicholas.

Related links:
Whole Artist Hypnosis - http://wholeartisthypnosis.com/

Paul Nelson - 99-year-old Retired Nuclear Engineer

Meet Paul Nelson, a 99-year-old retired nuclear engineer who worked at Dupont, the Hanford engineering branch of the Manhattan Project, and for the Atomic Energy Commission. Hear his discussion with host Abigail Wright, as he talks about his feelings about the atomic bombs in WW2 and his secrets to longevity, relationships, lifelong learning, and living each day. In this extended audio version, you can also hear his thoughts on the future of nuclear energy, the importance of nature in his life, what it was like working on the Manhattan Project and his thoughts on the Hanford cleanup site.

Related links:
Pandora's Promise - http://pandoraspromise.com/

Lynn Krynicki Bayer - Head Stage Manager

Host Abigail Wright talks with Washington National Opera and Bard Summerscape's stage manager Lynn Krynicki Bayer. In this interview about balancing happiness and success, Lynn talks about managing life and work one moment at a time, the importance of problem solving, and contentment with life - without comparing yours to others.

Jen Ponton - Actor, Writer, Producer, & Director

Join us in one of our most inspiring interviews yet! Host Abigail Wright interviews actor Jen Ponton about the joy of living each moment successfully, breaking through boundaries, and the importance of relationships.

Related links:
http://www.tricoastworldwide.com/love...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1635817/ (30 Rock: Reaganing)

Blake Robinson - Photographer & Retired Investment Manager

Welcome to Episode 2 of The Peace of Persistence, where I interview Blake Robinson, retired investment manager and thriving photographer, mentor, volunteer, and husband. I've known Blake now for years as a photographer and friend, and just sitting in his company for the day brought so much warmth and joy to me. Since then, I've thought a lot about living a life of integrity and being consistent in how I treat others and myself. Of course, it also didn't hurt that we did a great headshot session for opera photos afterwards! I hope this episode provokes you in the best of all possible ways, as it has done for me.

Related links:
http://blakerobinsonphotography.com

Jaimee Hammer - Owner of JM Taxes & Singer in Cheers the Band

Join us in our inaugural episode of The Peace of Persistence! In Episode 1, host Abigail Wright talks with Jaimee Hammer, owner of JM Taxes and singer with Cheers the Band about living without regrets, giving back, and listening to the voice within to follow your passions.

Related links:
www.jmtaxes.com
www.cheerstheband.com