Mindfulness, intention, and meditation might be common concepts in the Western world now, but this is a relatively recent development. Joining us on the show today to talk about these subjects and the important role that she and her family have played in the dissemination of these powerful tools, is Mallika Chopra. We get to hear from Mallika about her interesting childhood, what is was like to watch her father Deepak's transformation through meditation, the power of her mother's steadfast strength, and how they all managed a most unusual familial arc. Mallika shares many personal experiences from over the years, reflecting on what was normal to her, the difficult parts of her journey, and the lessons she learned around staying present and trusting the process. Our conversation covers the cultural and racial divides she experienced from a young age, what it was like to become familiar with some of the most famous people in the world during the '90s, and the decisions that Mallika made that have the most resonance for her now. From working for MTV and running the Heal the World Foundation to studying and raising children, Mallika has had a full and meaningful life, one which can hardly be explored in only an hour! Listeners will also learn a little about the ideas behind her books and the uncertainty of what the future holds now, tune in to hear all about it!Key Points From This Episode:Mallika's birth, childhood years, and fuzzy memories of the time. Experiences of racism on arrival in the US. The bad habits that Mallika's father, Deepak, had in her younger years.  A major shift in the Chopra family — Mallika's father's spiritual rebirth through meditation. Mallika's memories of meeting and spending time with the Maharishi.Rising fame in the family and typing up all of her father's books during the '90s. Rubbing shoulders with The Beatles, Michael Jackson, and Elizabeth Taylor! Mallika's aspirations during her college years and the different career dreams she entertained.   Moving to LA, launching the Heal the World Foundation, and exciting times after college.Dealing with the accusations against Michael Jackson and the upheaval that they caused.The time that Mallika spent traveling, visiting friends, and seeing the world.Falling in love at a rave, returning to the US, and enrolling at business school. Going back to school while pregnant, Tara's birth, and help from the family.Mallika's thoughts on asking for help — balancing family and career.The process of personal check-ins and re-evaluations of our purpose.The story of Mallika's interview with Eckhart Tolle, and Deepak's advice to her.Mallika's meditation books for children, and the collaborative process these entailed.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Light WatkinsMallika ChopraLiving with IntentJust Be YouMallika Chopra on TwitterIntent BlogDeepak ChopraElizabeth TaylorMichael JacksonMaharishi Mahesh YogiSend us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Today’s guest is one of the smartest, best-informed, and most insightful voices on all things health and wellness. His name is Shawn Stevenson, and he is a highly sought after speaker, the author of the best-selling books, Sleep Smarter and Eat Smarter. He is also the host of the very popular podcast, The Model Health Show. Listeners will discover that Shawn is basically a walking health encyclopedia with extensive knowledge of hormones and biochemicals, and he can cite from memory obscure studies that either prove or disprove the point he is trying to make about what's healthy or what’s not. His true gift, however, is making all of this complex information accessible for the average person. That's why his platform has become the go-to place to find out about the efficacy of various health studies and claims. In this episode, Shawn shares a bit about his own wellness journey, from a fast food-eating, pill-popping couch potato to the model of health he is today, and he talks candidly about the serious health issues he suffered from and how he has healed himself by changing his diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough good-quality sleep. His message is about reclaiming his health, and his mission is to help others do the same. Find out about Shawn’s childhood, his health journey, and the genesis of his skill to make information accessible and digestible, as well as some crucial and valuable information for finding your way to model health. Tune in today!Key Points From This Episode:Shawn’s favorite childhood memories center around the ThunderCats and his grandparents.Why Shawn grew up with his grandparents and not his mother, who had him at 18-years-old.Shawn talks about his perception of race as a child and what his mental state was like.Shawn shares the story of when his mother got stabbed to articulate the polarity between the bootstraps mentality and a broken system.How Shawn learned the ability to make something out of nothing from his mother.A Wiffle ball incident that inspired Shawn to always seek and speak the truth.Where Shawn’s high level of self-discipline comes from – his grandparents and sports.What Shawn’s life aspiration was and how that was influenced by his environment.Breaking his hip at 15 and being diagnosed with an incurable spine disease and how this impacted Shawn’s view of pharmacology.When nutrition became important to Shawn, after two years of living with chronic disease.Once Shawn started asking himself what he needed to get healthy, that led him down paths of research and discovery.Shawn asserts the importance of diet, exercise, and sleep, and how they changed his life.The backdrop of racism and police brutality during Shawn’s health journey in Ferguson.Discovering nutrition and realizing he was living in a food desert at the time.It’s important to Shawn that listeners understand this: There are many paths to a goal.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Shawn Stevenson on TwitterShawn Stevenson on LinkedInShawn Stevenson on InstagramShawn Stevenson on YouTubeSleep SmarterSleep SmarterEat SSend us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

The phrase “at the end of the tunnel” can be reminiscent of death. While this podcast isn’t about death itself, it often addresses the death of the part of ourselves that believes we don't have what we need in order to pursue our passion, our purpose, or our calling in life. It's a rebirth of what's truly important, which is saying yes to whatever is in our hearts. These conversations are about real people, with real obligations and real obstacles, that have somehow found the courage to say yes to what was in their heart. As a result, they found themselves on quite the adventure! This week's guest could be the poster child for that paradigm. Her name is Pam Grout, and she's a New York Times bestselling author, a travel blogger who has visited every continent except for Antarctica, and a student of A Course in Miracles. In this episode, Pam talks candidly about the loss of her daughter, the little rituals they shared, and how she has coped with the grief of her daughter’s passing. She shares the wisdom that she's gleaned from her adventures and from the rocky parts of her journey as well, because, even for those who know full well that we co-create our reality, life is still going to test us. Pam also describes her writing journey, the process of writing her bestseller, E-Squared, and her advice for those looking to write spiritual guidance books. Pam’s definition of success, after everything she has been through and after writing 20 books, is to see the face of God in every person she meets, and her whole story is incredibly inspiring, so make sure to tune in today!Key Points From This Episode:Pam’s favorite activity as a child was going to the library and reading.Listeners hear a bit more about Pam’s childhood, growing up in Kansas.If she wanted to achieve her dreams, Pam realized she had to come up with creative capital.Why Pam believes she always saw herself becoming a writer, even as a teenager.Pam’s first job at a newspaper and why she doesn’t consider herself a corporate person.What it meant to Pam to become a New York Times best-selling author.Choosing experiences over material things and becoming a travel writer in her 20s.Finding her spiritual foundation in a loving, benevolent force and learning to trust in it.Hearing God’s voice, questioning the source, and studying A Course in Miracles (ACIM).Pam provides a synopsis of what ACIM is and how it helped her choose a different path.How a psychic reading predicted her pregnancy and how Pam chose to see things differently.The affirmation or appeal to the universe Pam repeated when her daughter was a baby.Self-publishing Jumpstart Your Metabolism – why Pam decided to write that book.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Pam Grout on TwitterPam Grout on LinkedInPam Grout on FacebookPam GroutA Course in MiraclesGod Doesn’t Have Bad Hair DaysTaz Grout’s 222 FoundationSend us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

The path to life as a professional athlete is narrow and difficult, and also one that can be easily misunderstood. Logan Gelbrich is intimately aware of this journey, having made it himself, and then veered from the original course he had projected. Logan is the Co-Founder of DEUCE, a wildly popular gym that does things a little differently. He is on the show today to talk about the roots of this project, his life on the way to becoming a baseball pro, and what led to him leaving the sport. These days Logan is a coach, an internationally-renowned speaker, and a great potential inspiration for anyone in the pursuit of their dreams. It was only after pivoting out of a career in baseball that Logan realized his true calling, which was more about pushing himself and progressing in whatever arena he found himself than about a particular sport. Through DEUCE, Logan and his team have created a training environment where everyone is treated as an athlete and is aided in raising their standards to the highest possible level. Logan explains the seeds of the 'hold the standard' idea, a philosophy that has grown into a movement that Logan has taken around the world! We also hear about Logan's book, Going Right, some of the more magical and important moments in his winding journey, and the relationships that shepherded his progress. Logan's story is a powerful example of determination and open-mindedness and how we each have our own dragons to slay and mountains to climb. Listen in to catch it all!Key Points From This Episode:Logan's early fascination with baseball and commitment to going all the way in the sport.The influences and family connections that made baseball so appealing for Logan. Thoughts on early and audacious dreams and the reality of pursuing these.Family dynamics and the philosophy that was present in Logan's home growing up.Logan's obsession with improvement and his psychology in the change room.The powerful experience that Logan had with Mike Davis of the LA Dodgers.Selecting a baseball position; why Logan ended up as a catcher. The focus that Logan paid to improve his 'pop time' and the dividends this returned.Logan's college years, recruitment, and his gratitude for attending the University of San Diego.The important relationship that Logan developed with a lecturer while studying.Logan's experience of getting drafted and reflecting on his particular path.Being released from his team and the surreal phone call that Logan received. The ideas around entrepreneurship that were always present in Logan. The three categories of his life that Logan focused on after leaving baseball. The criteria for naming 'DEUCE' and how they settled on the final name.DEUCE's definition of leadership; unpacking this important part of training.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Light WatkinsLogan GelbrichGoing RightDEUCELogan Gelbrich on TwitterHold the Standard SummitSan Diego PadresIvan RodriguezTim FerrissMalcolm GladwellSend us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

“I wish I hadn't worked so hard. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends” – these are some of the words Bronnie Ware realized kept coming up over and over again from those she cared for. Bronnie is today’s guest, a former palliative nurse who took these words and wrote an article in 2009 called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying. Little did she know, it would go viral, being viewed over 8 million times and helping to change the way that many people now think about death. Bronnie had a very interesting journey. She grew up in rural Australia, where she was the lone vegetarian in a meat-eating family. She tried the regular job thing, but it just wasn't working for her, so she quit her job and she started nomading, which how she found her way into palliative care. One woman who gave her room and board ended up passing on, and palliative care means looking after dying patients in the last 3 to 12 weeks before their transition. As it turned out, Bronnie was a natural at helping people transition. Her goal was to treat everyone that she looked after like they were her grandmother. In the process, she observed how much people grow when faced with their own mortality and how each person experiences a variety of emotions, such as denial, and fear, and anger, and remorse, and then more denial, and then eventually, acceptance. In this episode, Bronnie shares a bit about her personal life and background, the genesis of her palliative work and how the top five regrets came to be, what she believes people connected with from this story, and what she means when she says smile and know, among a whole host of other stories from her life and experience. Tune in today to find out more!Key Points From This Episode:Bronnie talks about her childhood and her favorite activity, hanging out with her dog, Priny.How Bronnie has communicated through writing, since writing to pen pals across the world.Why Bronnie became a vegetarian after hearing animals die on her childhood farm.Bronnie describes her dad’s occupation as a musician and her relationship to his work.What Bronnie wanted to be when she grew up and how she found her way to music herself.Turning away from a path to self-destruction through drug abuse and a career in banking.A bookstore called The Inspiration Factory and the role it played in Bronnie’s transformation.Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain and how it helped Bronnie realize she’s creative.Why Bronnie lied on her CV when she was desperate for work and why she would do it again.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Bronnie Ware on InstagramBronnie Ware on FacebookBronnie Ware on YouTubeBronnie WareBronnie Ware on AmazonThe Top Five Regrets of the DyingYour Year for ChangeBloomWrite for Delight CourseRegret-Free & Loving It CourseSend us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

If you remember the amazing conversation we recently had with Edwin Raymond, you might recall the stories about his childhood friend 'Buffet'. Today we are joined by 'Buffet', whose real name is Jim St. Germain, to hear his inspiring story about arriving in the US from Haiti, and how he was able to transcend the harsh realities of unsafe neighborhoods and incarceration. His book, A Stone of Hope, has been personally recommended by Barrack Obama and his work in the community, with the PLOT, an organization he founded with Edwin, is nothing short of incredible. Jim tells us about how he had to learn the ways of the street in order to survive, the legal troubles this led to, and the experiences he had in the juvenile penal system. He makes sure to underline the importance of the mentors he was lucky enough to meet on his journey and his story is such a great example of what is possible with the right role models. Jim was able to complete a master's degree in public administration, which led to his community work in nurturing future leaders from difficult circumstances. Jim has faced many trials and has overcome an enormous amount of adversity and is another reminder of using the biggest obstacle in one's life as a means to find purpose. Be sure to listen in with us today to hear it all!Key Points From This Episode:Memories of beautiful Haiti, makeshift soccer games, and flying kites.Jim's first jobs running errands in his neighborhood and collecting fares.Lessons that Jim learned early about what it means to be in survival mode. The period leading up to Jim's move to the US and the work that his grandfather did as a butcher. Experiences arriving in New York and encountering a shocking new environment without English. How Jim adapted to a harsh situation and learned what it took to survive. Differences in food practices in the US; Jim's amazement upon arriving.How poverty punishes families twice —  disempowerment and suffering.The street code that Jim adopted and the realizations that he had about a proactive approach.  Jim's brother, 'Butter', and the differences between their personalities. The skills that Jim developed around reading people quickly.Where the nickname 'Buffett' came from and its meaning. The array of jobs and hustles that Jim did; dry-cleaning, selling weed, shoveling snow, and more!Run-ins with cops, tactics on the corner, and evading arrest.Jim's first detention sentence and the luck he had with people he met in the system. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Light WatkinsJim St. Germain on TwitterPLOTA Stone of HopeEdwin RaymondHome AloneThe WireMayor BloombergGoverner CuomoJust MercyThe PactThe Autobiography of Malcolm XSend us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Click here for full episode transcript.Episode 22: Show Notes.“Manifest the life that you want with the power of your words. When you raise your vibration with gentle words and encouraging thoughts, positive changes occur.” This is what the landing page of the WORDAFUL Community website says, and today’s episode is all about the power of words. Today’s guest is Liz Hernandez, a Mexican American Emmy-nominated television personality and journalist, and the founder of WORDAFUL. Liz grew up in San Diego as a self-described radio nerd, with parents who always taught her about the power of words. Years later, Liz became the co-host of one of the most popular shows on one of the biggest radio stations in Southern California, which led to a series of other very prominent hosting positions on channels like MTV and Access Hollywood. Then, her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Liz took some time off from hosting to help care for her mom. Just before she passed, Liz's mom lost 95% of her speech, but her positive spirit and limited speech inspired Liz to gain a new appreciation for the power of everyday words and the lessons that they can teach us. Liz started WORDAFUL, a company that has grown into a thriving community with a large online presence. In this episode, Liz shares a bit about her process, starting with how she grew up, how she landed a coveted position at Power 106, and why the word ‘Canada’ has a special significance for her. Of course, she also shares how she found her way to creating WORDAFUL and all of the obstacles she had to overcome along the way. Tune in today! Key Points From This Episode:•    Liz’s favorite toy or activity as a kid was a talking doll named Julie, or riding her BMX bicycle.•    Hear Liz talk about her family home and her childhood – full of people, cooking, and love.•    Liz says that her parents are the main reason she started WORDAFUL, because they always used words to empower her.•    Liz discovered radio in college and her parents encouraged her to do what made her happy.•    Liz describes herself as a radio nerd – she always loved radio, and she fell into it naturally.•    When co-hosting a radio show in college, Liz says reading the news was the hardest part.•    Why the word ‘Canada’ holds a special significance for Liz, and how she made it to LA.•    We think we need to be like those who came before us, but Liz believe that we win when we are ourselves – people relate to authenticity.•    Liz reflects on her ten years with Big Boy at Power 106, summarizing it as the time of her life.•    From radio to television with MTV – Liz got an agent, and had experience with a teleprompter.•    In Liz’s first few months at Access Hollywood, her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.•    Liz’s experience of looking after her mother as a primary caregiver while still working full-time.•    Some of the warning signs of Alzheimer’s – forgetfulness, repeating themselves, suspicion.•    Gratitude and support have been important Liz’s life and have helped her through hard times.•    Meeting Oprah, how it helped move Liz’s career forward, and the genesis of WORDAFUL.•    Starting WORDAFUL from her tiny studio apartment – it was a collaborative effort.•    From videos to live events, Liz did WORDAFUL out of necessity for herself, not for money.•    Watching her mother lose her words made Liz not want to be reckless with her own.•    Liz encourages listeners to have the conversation with parents abouSend 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, who eventually became one of the most prominent abolitionists at 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!Key Points From This Episode:David kicks things off by speaking about his anticipated reception of Prophet of Freedom.The appetite for good history, what good history is – it tells a good story, it’s well-researched.David desires to reach real people who want to understand the essential threat of slavery.David talks about the influence that his teachers and historical sites had on him as a child.The narratives in Bruce Catton’s books factored into igniting David’s fascination with history.David first encountered Black history in college, after which he taught it in high school.What attracted David to Frederick Douglass – he realized that slavery, the civil war, and abolition are the essential threats of American history.David was attracted to both the importance of the subject and the story embedded in it.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:David Blight on TwitterDavid Blight on FacebookDavid BlightFrederick Douglass: Prophet of FreedomDavid Blight BooksDavid Blight on AmazonFrom Slavery to FreedomSend us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Online health platforms were already on the rise before the pandemic of 2020, but we have seen a sharp uptick in the utilization of video classes and communities since quarantines have kicked in. One such community was built by Adriene Mishler, and had humble beginnings as a yoga class hosted on YouTube in the early 2010s. 'Yoga with Adriene' grew steadily after a slow start, and by the time 2020 came around Adriene was the highest searched yoga content on the internet! She has built a huge community which she helps instruct from her living room. To give you an idea of her impact, she has been called 'the Mr. Rogers of yoga'! Having been born into a theatre family, Adriene has a lifelong passion for performance and connection to an audience. We hear from her about her earliest memories of the theatre, how this grew into a career in acting, and how this career led her to pursue teaching yoga. Constantly juggling a number of intense projects has kept Adriene on the go from a young age, and it is only through her consistency and a deep desire that she has made it through challenging times and reaped the rewards of the hard work. We see how her authenticity led to the videos she was publishing eventually catching fire, to the point where she now has 7 million subscribers on YouTube, with over 600 million views on her channel! This is a beautifully meandering conversation about this process of growth, the obstacles that Adriene encountered, and the lessons she learned along the way. Adriene talks about the role of her angels in the journey and what it means to contribute to the future of yoga! Listen in with us today for this amazing conversation!Key Points From This Episode:Adriene's childhood memories of the theatre — set creation, imaginary games, and more!Looking back at Adriene's younger years; feelings of gratitude and being blessed.Lessons from Adriene's parents — things she carries forward with her to this day.The desire to create and perform and Adriene's aspirations at different times.Early days working in a company and the experience of real nerves and fear.The important relationships and settings for Adriene in her later teen years.Spiritualism and religion among Adriene's family and peers.The events and feelings that led to signing up at a yoga studio.  Hunger and poise; Adriene's mental state entering into adulthood.Adriene's thoughts going into yoga teacher training — a side hustle amid a busy schedule.The day that Adriene found a meaningful mentor for her yoga practice.Lessons that Adriene learned spending time teaching yoga to children.  The parts of teaching adult yoga classes that Adriene enjoyed the most.Maintaining acting work in plays and film; Adriene's dedication and hard work! The Austin film scene — the beginnings of something special for Adriene.  Adriene's important relationship with Chris Sharpe and the fruits of this connection. Thoughts on the sanctity of yoga and bringing this into an online space. The first forays that Adriene and Chris made into filming for her YouTube channel. Feelings of growth and watching the numbers go up after a quiet start. Finding a voice in teaching and the stages of improvement Adriene experienced. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Light WatkinsYoga with AdrieneAdriene Mishler on TwitterFWFG KulaSend us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Although the issue of police brutality and racial profiling has been prevalent for decades, in many ways, 2020 will be remembered as the year in which the levee broke. Here on the show with us today is Edwin Raymond, someone who is positioned better than anyone to speak on the systems of law enforcement, the problems we see, the limitations on officers, and the action that is needed on so many levels to course-correct. Having grown up in and around the most dangerous parts of New York City, Edwin was on the receiving end of police harassment and profiling, but when he encountered a family friend who was in the force, his strict moral compass implored him to try and fix the problems from the inside — he became a police officer himself. Edwin admits to a level of naïveté and hopefulness that was whittled down over time. From monthly quotas and the targeting of lower-income communities to the systemic racism that is deeply rooted in the history of policing, Edwin's efforts to combat injustice in the police department did more to ostracize him than change practices. In our conversation with Edwin, we hear the path that he took in response to what might have appeared a hopeless scenario, speaking out and publicizing the rampant problems facing society through policing practices. For all this and a vital story from a fearless warrior, be sure to listen in with us today!Key Points From This Episode:Edwin's childhood love of drawing and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Experiences growing up in the projects, close to 'The Front Page'. Family life for Edwin, the death of his mother at a young age, and his father's depression. Edwin and his brother's fear of the weekend and the associated feelings of hunger.The Abner Louima brutality case and how Edwin struggled to process this reality. Getting work at a grocery store at the age of 12; staying out of gang activity and crime. Edwin's internal moral compass from a young age and his conception of right and wrong. Career aspirations, dreams of architecture, and increasing harassment by police during adolescence. The impactful experience that Edwin had meeting a cop who he knew.Reading material that Edwin started to consume at the end of his teenage years. Edwin's thoughts on destiny, autonomy, and his personal mission. Connecting with Eric Adams; how this relationship aided and supported Edwin's mission. The resistance that Edwin encountered upon entering the police force.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Light WatkinsEdwin RaymondPLOT'A Black Police Officer's Fight Against the N.Y.P.D.''I Got Tired of Hunting Black and Hispanic People'Edwin Raymond on TwitterEdwin Raymond on InstagramAbner LouimaPulp Fiction New York Times Street FighterDestruction of Black CivilizationSend us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!