Bringing the focus back onto Light, and in particular his new book, Travel Light, this episode expands on the ideas of spiritual minimalism, following inner guidance, and the process of writing a book. Light first coined the term 'spiritual minimalism' while reflecting on the last couple of years and his backpack lifestyle, his decreasing need to accumulate possessions and material items, and the gifts that present themselves in each of life's situations. The episode starts off with some helpful insights and tips about the process of publishing a book, either through the self-publishing route or by way of traditional publishers. Listeners can expect some great information on where to focus one's energy, and the steps that enable an author to get a book out into the world. From there, Light starts to delve into the subject matter of Travel Light, tacking the ideas of choicelessness, the benefits of a unique idea, finding comfort and discomfort, and much more. So if you want to hear all of this and more on the background of book number four from Light Watkins, be sure to listen in!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Life can be extremely challenging at times, throwing hurdles and obstacles at us that often seem insurmountable. But if you can acknowledge ‘the suck’ and find a way to sit in the discomfort, then you will have a better chance at regaining your joyful spirit! This episode explores themes of domestic violence and dealing with severe loss, please listen with care. Today’s guest, Dr. Neeta Bhushan, has endured unfathomable loss and hardships to come out the other side better and stronger, whilst helping others realign with their purpose, too.  We hear of her extraordinary upbringing, which saw her lose her mother, father, and brother all before she turned 20 years old. Dr. Neeta explains the immigrant philosophy in which she was raised, how she approaches spirituality, how she dealt with the loss of three family members when she was a teenager, and how those losses nudged her toward a career in medicine. We also hear about her transformative trip to Rome before our guest opens up about how an abusive marriage affected her, and how saying yes to almost everything after her divorce helped her regain her passion for life. Turning our attention to Dr. Neeta’s new book, That Sucked, Now What?, our guest defines ‘the suck,’ how we can embrace it, and what it means to be in ‘the thriving stage.’ Finally, the remarkable Dr. Neeta Bhushan tells us how her definition of success has changed over the years, what her relationship with her family is like today, and the wondrous moments she has witnessed as a result of those around her embracing their suck!    Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Our guest today, Kyle Cease, fell in love with comedy at a young age. And while he has had an incredibly successful comedy career, his hard work and ingenuity were driven by more than just a love of making people laugh. He also felt a deep-seated need for approval and validation. Today on the show we talk with Kyle Cease, a transformational comedian, and best-selling author, about his fascinating career as a comedian and how it has been shaped by his spiritual journey. We hear from Kyle about how he started doing corporate comedy events as a 15-year-old, why he always put himself in a position to learn from the best, and how he became a transformational comedian. Kyle goes on to share how reaching the depths of despair helped him let go of old versions of himself and set him on the path he is following today. We also discuss Kyle’s Evolve Out Loud event, how it’s grown over the past ten years, and his advice for anyone starting out on their spiritual journey. For a very special conversation on following your dreams, listening to your higher self, and letting go, be sure to tune in today!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Today's guest, Nora McInerny, knows a thing or two about tragedy and loss, and in today's conversation, we get to hear from her about what enabled her to keep going, course correct, and stay progressive through some very difficult times. Nora is the author of several books, and in her most recent, Bad Vibes Only, she tackles some of the issues she sees in being too optimistic in today's world. Our guest has a podcast of her own and is also a lifelong journaler, which we explore in some detail. Nora shares so much insight into some quite uncommon attitudes towards grief and loss, talking about the unique experience she went through when she lost her husband Aaron. We hear about life after these events, her second marriage, and the lessons she continues to learn and respond to, so make sure to join us to catch it all in this powerful episode!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Today we have a real-life superhero on the show, with a breathtaking origin story. Elladj Baldé is a figure skater that has been breaking the mold and shattering expectations since his early days in the sport. Despite some sizable course corrections and realignments, he has managed to find an authentic place for exercising and exploring his passion for expression. In this conversation with Elladj, we hear about the challenges of being a black skater, the successes and speed humps he has lived through, why he moved into performance skating, and the difficulties he has had with multiple concussions during his career. Elladj talks about the beauty and allure of wild ice and the different influences and motivations that he received from his particular family dynamic. Towards the end of our chat, we also hear from Elladj about the amazing Figure Skating Diversity and Inclusion Alliance, which he helped found, and some of his hopes and ambitions for the future of the sport. So if you want to catch all this, join us for this great adventure with Elladj!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Today, we have an experimental episode in store. Having had some amazing guests on the show who have told us their backstories and shared with us their inspirations, why limit them to those that still walk the earth today?One of the historical figures that are very intriguing is Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist that was born a slave, and eventually became one of the most prominent abolitionists of his time, even heralded as the most famous Black man in the world, and the most photographed person in all of America in the 1800s.To share Douglass’ fascinating life story, today’s guest is Professor David W. Blight, the world’s foremost expert on the life of Frederick Douglass. He is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Douglass biography, Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, which combines stories and insights, drawing from a repository of Douglass’ letters and papers from the latter third of his life, which have not previously been written about. David is the Sterling Professor of African American studies and the director of the Guider Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University, not to mention an award-winning author of seven other books, plus multiple op-eds. In this episode, Professor David Blight shares a bit about his personal relationship with Black history and what attracted him to Frederick Douglass, and goes on to share Douglass’ story, from the reinvention of his life out of human bondage to discovering the power of language, and becoming a speaker during the golden age of oratory as performance, to his rise to stardom after writing his books, his mastery of multiple witting styles, and his declining mental health. David also explains the relationship Douglass had with his wife and his family, his foray into writing history, and his problem with the pleasures and perils of fame, as well as the legacy he has left us in his words. Tune in today!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

There is a growing understanding of the roots of addiction and how earlier traumas shape our needs and habits, and as this tide rises, we are able to better serve those on paths to recovery. Our guest today is the fantastic and inspiring Elisa Hallerman, and we have an amazing conversation about her winding soul journey of self-discovery, and her book, Soulbriety. Elisa's story is one of finding her way into helping others with the issues she faced, and she talks about the consistent nature of soul work, the roots of her substance abuse issues, the power of storytelling, and letting go of our connection to the ego. Listeners are guaranteed to come away with fresh perspectives on what it means to confront demons, how to start down a new path of self-inquiry, and why it is so valuable to share the wisdom we have gained with others. Make sure to catch this stand-out conversation!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

A lot of the time, the answers to the struggles that we go through as human beings lie in love. When we don’t love ourselves, we won’t be able to find love elsewhere, nor will we be able to find the confidence to live our lives to their full capacity. Zachary Levi, best known for his lead roles in Chuck and Shazam, learned this lesson the hard way. During today’s episode, Zach paints a picture of his turbulent childhood which led to adulthood plagued with mental health struggles, culminating in a rock-bottom moment where he almost took his own life. As Zach’s story demonstrates, radical self-love can take one out of even the darkest of spaces and into the light!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

In Light’s fourth solo episode, he examines what purpose is, what it means to live your purpose, and how all of your choices ultimately lead you to it. Light shares his journey of discovering his purpose, emphasizing that nothing is an accident, even if it feels like you’re straying from your path. This episode provides clarity on the relationship between trust and opportunities, the difference between tension and friction, and the most common misconception about inner guidance. Tune in to discover the true value of gratitude, the safety in uncertainty, and the importance of trusting your intuition, no matter how comfortable the alternative. Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

In a creative landscape dominated by social media and online marketing, real and original artists can have a hard time finding their audience and maintaining a career. But that does not mean it is impossible, and today's guest is an example of how authenticity and hard work can pay off and allow a great connection with the right kind of audience. Humble the Poet joins us for a fascinating conversation in which we explore his winding path, the ups and downs, and some of the pivotal moments that he has experienced. Now the author of three books, including his latest, How to Be Love(d). Humble has so many great insights into this central topic of human life, and shares some of the lessons he has learned on his own journey about what we get wrong, why it feels so complicated, and what love actually means!We also get to talk about some of the people that have helped Humble along the way, from friends and family to heroes and influences, before our guest leaves us with some great food for thought about radical honesty and success. To hear all this and so much more, be sure to listen in today!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!