The Light Watkins Show

Disclaimer: This episode contains adult language and sexually explicit conversation. It is not suitable for children and, if you are especially sensitive to topics related to heterosexual dating dynamics, we recommend that you skip this episode as well.While today’s guest takes an approach that is unconventional and perhaps even shocking, his story follows a similar formula to many of the guests that you are used to hearing from on At The End of the Tunnel. His name is Alan Roger Currie and, in this episode, you’ll learn about the leaps of faith he had to take in order to pursue his true calling. Alan is a dating coach and the author of several books about his unique philosophy known as Mode One, which centers around radical honesty from the start. Straightforward communication is at the core of today’s conversation with Alan, who shares his sometimes explicit views on casual sex and relationships and tells the story behind how he developed his Mode One approach before, ultimately, making it his career. Tuning in, you’ll learn how an adult film titled Talk Dirty to Me changed Alan’s perspective on the dynamics between men and women, how his brother encouraged him to write a book and follow his calling, and how you can implement the Mode One approach in all aspects of your life, from your sexual relationships to the workplace and even your friendships. We also dive into the definition of Mode One, the five archetypes, and what women can take away from Alan’s philosophy on dating, as well as the value of embracing rejection and so much more! Tune in today for an occasionally X-rated but altogether fascinating discussion with professional dating coach, Alan Roger Currie!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Committing fully to living intentionally and with our purpose in mind should not be as hard as we make it. Sebastian Terry is a testament to this notion, and his story serves as a profound example of how to take charge of your time and energy and work towards a worthwhile goal, like being happy! Sebastian joins us on the show today to talk about his list of 100 things, and how he began his journey into discovering what he really wanted to do in life. He stresses that this was never a bucket list, as he wanted to keep the focus away from death, but more about prioritizing things that he wanted to do, that he believed would bring him happiness. We also talk about how this list transcended selfish interests and his thoughts on how to be a vehicle for change. Along the way, Sebastian shares simple yet strong pieces of philosophy about the secret to doing things, how the world can support you, and the immovable power of kindness. Tune in to hear all about Sebastian's story, the amazing feats he has achieved, and what has kept him motivated on his path!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

We have a truly inspirational episode for you! Martinus Evans is the brain and body behind 300 Pounds and Running, as well as the Slow AF Run Club. In today's conversation, we get to hear his story and his biggest lessons and reflections. From growing up next door to a drug dealer to his brother's tragic death, Martinus faced adversity from a young age. He lays out the path that he took to playing football and his aspirations to play for a college team. He then explains the obstacles that he encountered along the way and how he ended up depressed, unhealthily overweight, and in a doctor's office. Martinus explains how this meeting kickstarted his plan to run a marathon and the journey he embarked upon to realize this goal. A born hustler, Martinus unpacks his story with humor and energy, really underlining what made it possible for him to succeed at certain points and the difficulties he encountered at others. We get to hear all about the platforms he has now set up and what his goals are for these support systems. To hear it all from the amazing Martinus Evans, tune in!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Our guest today, Agapi Stassinopoulos is here to shift the perception about the power of prayer. Prayer is something that many people in the modern world overlook. In a sea of mental health and mindfulness practices and apps, prayers might seem outdated and too connected to organized religion for some. Through Agapi’s work with Thrive Global and her numerous books, Agapi is reintroducing us to the art and power of prayer. Agapi originally hails from Athens, and is actually sister to Arianna Huffington, from the Huffington Post.In our chat, we get into Agapi's fascinating story that is filled with ups and downs and moments of challenge and clarity. We talk about her upbringing, her early introduction to yoga, and how her mother's spirituality laid the foundation for her later development and finding her calling. We also talk about her dreams of becoming an actor, and how she pivoted from this path after some huge realizations and deep epiphanies. Agapi unpacks some of the lessons and ideas from her most recent book, Speaking with Spirit, and reflects on her hopes for the world at this moment in history. So, to take part in this illuminating conversation between Light and Agapi, be sure to tune in!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Emily is a meditation guru, founder of Ziva Meditation, and a published author with her new book Stress Less, Accomplish More! In our conversation with Emily, we cover some interesting background to her exceptional journey, talking about her childhood in Florida, moving to New York City, the sadness she was confronted with when she achieved her dreams. Many meditation gurus and wellness teachers are not born into their roles, but find their calling through other work and the path that life takes them on. Our guest today is a great example of this trajectory.Emily Fletcher believed from a very young age that all she was born to do was perform on Broadway, and for her younger years this is the path that she pursued and experienced a lot of success on. It was only with the realization of the disconnect between so-called success and happiness that Emily began to search outside of performance for her fulfillment. It was here that she found meditation. Discover the events that led up to her finding meditation, and what turned her from a practitioner into a teacher. We learn why she retired from acting, and some of her dreams for the future. So, to hear all this and so much more from a truly inspiring friend, be sure to listen in!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Many of our luminaries on At the End of the Tunnel have become inspirations after some very dark times, and today’s guest is no different. Shaka Senghor spent 19 years in prison, with a total of seven years in solitary confinement. From growing up in a loving, multicultural neighborhood, and being an honor-role student, Shaka struggled as a teenager, and ended up in the dark underworld of crack cocaine, where he was beaten, abused, shot, and ultimately convicted of murder. To keep moving forward during his incarceration, Shaka turned to literature and writing. His first published book, Writing My Wrongs was written in just 30 days and was the catalyst to his meteoric career.Tune in to hear the breadcrumbs throughout Shaka’s life that gave him the confidence to write, and how his prison manuscripts touched the lives of other inmates. Shaka describes the challenges he faced trying to write in prison, and the relentless hustling he did to continue as a writer after he was paroled. We discover the importance of manifesting (and backing it up with hard work), and how being true to yourself allows others to relate to you. We find out what his latest book, Letters to the Sons of Society, means to him, and why he chose to introduce the book with a story about his father and some sneakers. Join us in this inspiring episode, with a true luminary in this tumultuous time. Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Today's guest is Aaron Alexander, an expert in corrective exercises, nutrition, and structural integration, and in this episode, he unpacks the functional approach that he has developed called the Align Method. You may have heard Aaron on his informative podcast, the Align Podcast, and if you have not yet read his book, The Align Method, it comes highly recommended too! In an increasingly congested world of health, wellness, and fitness influencers, there are many competing theories for how to achieve peak performance, improve your image, and gain the highest degree of physical and mental actualization. Many of these, however, overlook the basic principles and foundational ideas that have allowed us to survive and thrive as a species. In our chat, we get into some of Aaron's fascinating backstory, the winding road he took to his current career and perspective, and how he chose to adapt the elements and wisdom of different methodologies and package it for his clients. We get into the influence of his family, how his priorities evolved over time, both in life and work, and some of the fascinating research that underlines Aaron's ideas. To hear it all from this wonderful guest, please join us today on At the End of the Tunnel.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Kenneth E. Nwadike, Jr. is an American documentary filmmaker, motivational speaker, and peace activist popularly known as the Free Hugs Guy. Ken is the founder of the Free Hugs Project, which gained popularity as he made major news headlines for his peacekeeping efforts and de-escalation of violence during protests, riots, and political rallies.In today’s episode, Ken shares some insight into his upbringing, from playing with his favorite toy, a Lamborghini Countach Micro Machine, to sleeping in homeless shelters to a full track and field scholarship, and how he came to recognize the power of his story to inspire others.Tuning in, you’ll learn how he managed to shut down Hollywood Boulevard for 10,000 runners, why he believes that it was fate that he missed qualifying for the Boston Marathon by just a few seconds, and the story behind the viral moment when he hugged a white police officer in riot gear at the Charlotte protests following the shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in 2016, plus so much more!Ken’s courageous work as a peace activist is helping to heal and narrow the social, political, and racial divide that exists throughout the US and his energy, passion, and love are changing individual behaviors and group interactions for the better.His story is an example of how every single hardship that we face, almost without exception, will one day come into play when we eventually find our purpose, so make sure to tune in today to learn more about the Free Hugs Guy and the power of love in the face of fear and hatred!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

No one is going to give you permission to take a leap of faith. If anything, they'll tell you all the reasons why you shouldn't make the leap, why you should play it safe instead. Today, you’ll hear some short clips from Lunch on Me Founder, LaRayia Gaston; transformational teacher, Kute Blackson; bestselling author of Top Five Regrets of the Dying, Bronnie Ware; DEUCE Gym Founder, Logan Gelbrich; Sounds True Founder, Tami Simon; the singing doctor, Dr. Steven Eisenberg; spoken word artist, Saul Williams; and Los Loosers Founder, Mariana Blanco. As you’ll discover from these special guests (who have all previously been featured on the podcast), it takes constant reframing of our experiences to learn to trust our inner guidance, especially when times are tough! Hearing stories like these can help you see that, at the end of the day, if we want to maintain our sanity, if we want to keep the light turned on inside, then taking that leap of faith is our only option. Oftentimes, the sooner we take it, the better things turn out. That's the intention behind sharing not just this compilation but every story on At the End of the Tunnel; to inspire you to trust your intuition, to follow your heart, and to take those leaps of faith! Tune in today to learn more about the power of resilience, commitment, rejection, and perseverance, and so much more!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Today's story is as transformative and inspiring as any that we have had on this podcast. After an interesting and mostly healthy childhood, Arno Michaelis' teenage angst quickly turned into hatred and racism as he became involved in skinhead and white supremacist groups through his entanglement in the punk scene. This led to more and more violent and dangerous activities and for many years he walked a path of fear and anger, becoming increasingly estranged and distrustful of everything good in his life.Our guest unpacks just how this process happened and the insidious ways that bigotry can creep into our lives when we are exposed to certain things in vulnerable states. We also get to hear about the social climate of this time during the '80s and '90s and how different groups and gangs clashed and connected.Ultimately some pivotal moments allowed Arno to reevaluate his philosophy and prejudice. From becoming a father to a conversation with an elderly black woman at McDonald's certain forces pulled Arno away from the world of combat and aggression that he dived into as a young man.The last part of our chat with Arno is spent looking at his life and work since distancing himself from white nationalism, and he talks about the campaigning he did for Barrack Obama, the books he has written, and the community work he continues to do with the Forgive Project. Tune in to hear it all!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!