The Light Watkins Show

Every day, we are offered opportunities to choose between surviving and thriving. When faced with adversity, we can choose to give up or we can choose to enlarge our sense of things when pain and fear make us feel small. Sometimes, all it takes is a shift in perspective. Today’s guest is Mark Nepo, a beloved poet, master teacher, and New York Times bestselling author who has been called one of the “most spiritually influential” people alive today. In his most recent book, Falling Down and Getting Up: Discovering Your Inner Resilience and Strength, Mark invites readers to view adversity from a different viewpoint and navigate the challenges of life by transforming them into opportunities for deepening and renewal.In this episode, Mark shares his experience of coming face-to-face with his mortality when he was diagnosed with cancer, the perspective it gave him on life, and how it led him to become a “student of all paths.” We take a deep dive into the shifting meaning of success, what it means to find your God-given element, and how to follow the truth that’s in your heart. We also touch on how Mark retrieves his poems and books rather than authoring them, views pain, grief, and fear as teachers, and more. Filled with humble insights and wise words, Mark’s new book (and this conversation about it) will encourage and inspire people from all walks of life. So, tune in and join us today!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Humans have a complicated relationship with food. What was once a harmonious exchange of hard work (hunting and gathering), nutrition, and social interaction has now become a whirlwind of fast food and eating in isolation. But as today’s guest, Shawn Stevenson explains in his new book, Eat Smarter Family Cookbook, eating healthy can be simpler and way more fun than you’ve ever imagined! Shawn is a renowned author, speaker, and podcast host with a background in science and biology, and we learn about how food saved his life. We discuss the polarities in America regarding food and healthy eating, how some pharmaceutical companies get away with murder, the ins and outs of bioavailable foods, and how to create your own healthy food environments (blue zones) at home.To wrap up this intriguing conversation with one of the most well-read health experts we’ve ever had the pleasure of hosting on this show, Shawn explains where you can start when thinking about making healthier food choices, which food contagions to avoid and their healthier alternatives, and how the Eat Smarter Family Cookbook is different from and a cut above all the rest! Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

In this week's episode, host Light Watkins delves into the remarkable journey of Tami Simon, the visionary founder of Sounds True – the publishing company responsible for bringing Light's 4th book, Travel Light, into the world. Tami's unconventional path began while working at a greasy Chinese restaurant, ultimately leading her to heed an inner calling and start recording spiritual teachers in her town. This catalytic decision paved the way for the birth of Sounds True, where Tami collaborated with a business-savvy partner to publish influential works by spiritual luminaries such as Eckhart Tolle and Michael Singer. Uncovering the essence of Tami's journey, the episode explores the mission behind Sounds True and its commitment to amplifying messages that resonate as authentically true. Light engages in a conversation with Tami, unveiling insights into the heart of Sounds True, its initiatives, and the enduring relevance of her story, even though the original interview dates back to 2021. You are invited to join in and draw inspiration from Tami's profound narrative, reaffirming the transformative power of embracing authenticity on the path to purpose.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

What does it take to start a successful YouTube channel? And how does that differ from building it once you’ve got it off the ground? Joining us today is return guest Robert Brix Glover, a health and fitness YouTuber whose first video (which documented his remarkable weight loss transformation) went viral and garnered him thousands of new subscribers back in 2016. Today that video has over six million views — and it’s not even the most viewed video on his channel! We first had Brix on the podcast back in 2020, where we chatted about his childhood, his weight loss journey, and the inner transformation that changed his life. In today’s conversation, we get into the backstory of how he built his YouTube channel, what he takes into account when choosing his subject matter, and how he plans to take his content to the next level. We hear from Brix about the lessons that have been instrumental to his YouTube evolution before discussing the details of how you can earn a six-figure income on YouTube as a full-time content creator. Brix also shares his perspective on creating content that incorporates the people and events in his life, why authenticity is central to his approach, and the transformative effect that his personal version of monk mode has had on him. If you’re interested in learning more about how to gain traction as a content creator, or if you want to put your ideas out there but you’re not sure where to start, then you won’t want to miss out on this game-changing conversation!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

On the show today is a very special guest; none other than Light's brother, Drew Watkins! As a creative director for Turner Sports and Bleacher Report, Drew has been involved in some of the most-watched sports-based content in the last 20 years, and it is quite likely that you have seen a lot of Drew's work without even knowing it. In this conversation, we get to hear all about the early seeds of Drew's interest in video and creating recordings, and how the vibe in the Watkins home influenced his outlook on life. Drew also shares a bit about his years at college and the interesting challenges he faced during this period, through to his transition into the professional sphere. The most emblematic element of Drew's career is his philosophy on creativity, and hearing about his approach to making content and producing pieces that are exciting and apt is truly inspiring. There are so many relatable lessons for listeners to grab onto, and the message here of following a passion in interesting directions is a very strong one. Press play and hear it all!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Join us for a special re-airing of an inspiring episode featuring Sharon Salzberg, a renowned New York Times best-selling author and teacher of Buddhist meditation. In this captivating interview, Sharon takes us on a profound journey through her life, revealing the transformative power of meditation in the face of adversity.Starting with her daily meditation routine, Sharon shares how her difficult childhood played a pivotal role in shaping her into one of the most influential meditative teachers in the United States and the western world. She opens up about the loss of her mother, her estranged relationship with her father, and the profound impact her immigrant grandparents had on her upbringing.As the conversation deepens, Sharon discusses her discovery of philosophy and meditation during her college years, and her transformative travels to India, where she encountered enlightening experiences and wise teachers. Returning to the United States, she embarked on a mission to establish a center in Barre, facing numerous challenges as she blended Eastern teachings with Western ways of living in a brand new community.Throughout the episode, Sharon delves into the significance of mindfulness, meditation, and Metta (loving-kindness), sharing anecdotes and wisdom acquired from her extraordinary journey. The discussion also touches on how the pandemic has affected her teaching and how she has adapted to a rapidly evolving world.Don't miss this opportunity to revisit Sharon Salzberg's incredible story of resilience and discovery. Tune in today to immerse yourself in the profound wisdom of one of the most influential meditation teachers of our time.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

For today's episode, listeners are getting some more great insight into Light's new book, Travel Light. The format here is a punchy compilation of conversations from Instagram Live with a bunch of amazing personalities and people from Light's network and past podcast guests. So if you want to hear Light getting asked some powerful questions by a few of the best minds and souls out there, you have come to the right place! Featured here are Africa Brooke, Robert Brix Glover from Brix Fitness, Simona Von Woikowsky, who is the illustrator of Travel Light, Adriene Mishler from Yoga with Adriene, Jesse Israel, Bozama Saint John, Leon Logothetis, Tara Stiles from Strala Yoga, Steven Pressfield, Rosario Dawson, Will Cole, and Light's editor, Diana Ventimiglia! The clips cover topics such as the inspiration for the book, its most fundamental concepts, the genesis of its ideas, the format and writing process, listening to the heart voice, and much more too. Tune in to hear it all!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Spiritual minimalism is a concept that our very own Light Watkins has led his life by and is exceptionally helpful in finding your true self and achieving happiness and success. Welcome to the seventh solo episode with Light. Today we are delving into his new book, Travel Light: Spiritual Minimalism to Live a More Fulfilled Life, and reminding you of the seven principles of spiritual minimalism. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about the book, the themes throughout all of his books, the process of getting a book deal, how he leveraged relationships with podcast hosts as a marketing strategy and much more! Light reminds us what spiritual minimalism is before sharing its seven principles and how he came up with them by embracing curiosity. Often, people who follow their hearts are belittled and, in this episode, our host explains why the heart plays an important role in decision making and he shares his interesting take on imposter syndrome as a positive thing. We even learn about his podcasting journey. Lastly, we get special insight into how to preorder Travel Light and how to enter an amazing competition to win some of the items Light has carried with him throughout his spiritually minimalistic journey. To hear all this and be inspired to find your own way without comparing yourself to others, press play now!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

We all have an inner truth that every so often nudges us into directions, whether we are aware of it, or not. We may find, however, that we do not necessarily often listen to or follow those inner nudgings, but as we dive into the story from today’s episode, we see how powerful it can be to trust life and see where it takes you. In our conversation today, we welcome back Kute Blackson. Kute is a transformational teacher, a sought-after inspirational speaker, and the bestselling author of two books, The Magic of Surrender and You Are The One. Born in Ghana, he had a multicultural upbringing as the child of a Japanese mother and a Ghanaian father. At the age of 18, Kute left everything he knew behind and followed an inner nudging that sparked a cascade of events leading him to become a spiritual legend. As you tune in to this episode of the Light Watkins Show, you’ll join us on a journey as we talk about the anatomy of a leap of faith, how to follow your heart and inner nudgings, and practical steps and advice about how to start listening to your deeper inner truth and ultimately discover your purpose. Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Today, we are joined by Shona Vertue, creator of The Vertue Method and trainer of the stars, to share her holistic fitness journey. We discover how she chose life over gymnastics just as the Olympics entered her purview, and where that life took her. She opens up about how a patronizing counseling experience at a young age sparked her interest in psychology and shares a transformative "cult" encounter that introduced her to the profundity of the Eastern path. The Vertue Method aims to challenge limiting beliefs and help people optimize their overall health through flexibility, strength, fitness, mental health, and mindfulness. Shona shares the genesis story of the method, emphasizing the significance of holistic living and sharing insights into her principles of nutrition. Shona has succeeded in living her life in alignment with her authentic self while meeting her practical needs by creating a thriving business and engaged online community. Tune in to learn more about her journey and discover how you, too, can gain traction online, embrace a holistic approach to your well-being, and unlock your true potential.  Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!