Mindfulness Mode

Lea Bayles transitioned to a career in holistic wellness after recovering from an immune system collapse. She gained experience in areas including positions as mind-body therapist, yoga therapy program director, employee wellness coordinator and facilitator of medical patient groups. Currently, Lea empowers high achievers to become the exceptional leaders they were born to be with less stress, struggle and loneliness and more joy, vitality, connection and impact. She blends a masters in psychology with extensive experience in education, dance, theater, and healing arts. She wrote Take Back Your Life, Moving from Chronic Pain to Life-long Healing and numerous articles, healing meditations and spoken word poems. Contact Info Website: www.LeaBayles.com Free Gifts for Mindful Tribe: www.LeaBayles.com/gifts Most Influential Person Joan Borysenko (Mindfulness author of A Woman's Book of Life) Effect on Emotions I think it makes it much easier to have emotions and not get sidetracked by them or hijacked by them. It's like, oh yeah, they're emotions and they come and they go and that I don't need to be a victim of my emotions. Not pushing them down, but not needing to be a victim of them. Especially I think that self-criticalness was a part at one point that I would sometimes become a victim of. Thoughts on Breathing Breathing may be the number one part of my mindfulness. It's so great because it's always with us and just one breath or even one part of a breath or noticing a breath can bring us right back to it. My intention is to start noticing it when I first wake up and to be aware of it all through the day. I love the practice of noticing and feeling the breath rather than trying to impose a perfect breath. Suggested Resources Book: Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh App: Calm and Headspace for Kids Bullying Story Really fascinating since I've been listening to your podcast and hearing you talk to people about that, it's made me think about bullying a lot more and that's been good. Thinking in my own life and as a child, I can't remember ever being bullied, but there are a number of situations as an adult that I would consider bullying to have happened. And right now in the news there's a lot about abuse of power, which I think is a form of bullying. One particular situation which really stands out for me is about a man I was working with who was in a business situation and was in a position of, you know, in the hierarchy above me. Ironically he had asked me to help him teach a mindfulness class based on Jon Kabat Zinn's work. And so we're teaching this, but there were some very uncomfortable encounters with things that felt to me like abuse of power with students and with me. Then I went to a conference, a mind-body conference for therapists and doctors and educators and he knew I was going. He didn't say anything about going, but I was there and he showed up and was bizarre to me. Like following me and ranting and screaming at this professional conference it was very, very upsetting. I didn't feel scared really. But it was very upsetting. And that happened one evening. And then the next morning we had a workshop that happened to be Wayne Mueller. He does body mind, spirit work. One of his books is called Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives by Wayne Mueller And he was doing a workshop at this conference and I went into that workshop just feeling tense in my body and rattled and looking around to see if this other person was going to be there. I kind of felt like just going home. But I didn't want to, I wanted to stay at the conference, but I was definitely feeling disjointed and rattled and he gave us the best exercise. He gave us the exercise to go out on a walk at a Sylmar, this beautiful place by the ocean in California. To go out for a walk and be led by our senses. And he called this a sensory walk and we talked about that feeling of like, just notice what your eyes love and follow that or what fragrance are you interested in? And so it was just very simple. We each were out doing it for a and then came back. And just that following. I remember there was one particularly beautiful fragrant Bush that I just felt really drawn to and just was present with just noticing. The feeling I had was having come back to my senses. I was like restored to myself. So, you know, it's definitely a mindfulness exercise was like, what's here and how does it inform us and what does it call us to. And it totally brought me back to myself and I really felt healed from that. There's another way too that I think mindfulness could have helped me if I looked back sooner. If I myself had been more aware of some of the early warning signals. After that situation, I let our supervisor know I would not work again with this person, but before that there were weird things happening and I think if I had been more trusting of myself and what I was really noticing, I probably could have done something to stop it before it got to that point. So I think that mindfulness of noticing early warning signals is something that would've been helpful for me.

Todd Nelson is a Naturopathic Doctor in clinical practice for 35 years. He is the co-author of 3 books on health and has contributed to 8 books on health. Todd is an expert in helping people recover their well-being by practicing exceptional self-care. Todd is a well-known speaker, both publicly and to health professionals, and does hundreds of media appearances. He is a former radio show host, and corporate wellness trainer. Contact Info Website: www.TOLWellness.com Book: Cannabis For Chronic Pain: A Proven Prescription For Using Marijuanna To Relieve Your Pain And Heal Your Life by Dr. Rav Ivker NOTE: Todd Nelson is the major contributor to the above book. Most Influential Person Robert K. Cooper (Head of Cooper Strategies (The first to teach me what he called an instant calming sequence) www.RobertCooperPHD.com Effect on Emotions Mindfulness makes me calmer, more sane human being. You know, we all can get into this ... I call it the blender drink of our thoughts. You know, like when you, you do a smoothie in a blender drink, right? And it's all smashed up and we can get whirling with so many different things in it. For me, it can connect me into this feeling of urgency and nervousness and being a little neurotic. And so mindfulness has really helped me dissipate that soften, that, find more peace and be able to more consciously choose it at will during the day. Thoughts on Breathing I don't know of anything that changes your state faster than changing your breathing. Truly. I mean, if you just take a moment and go, where's my breath? Holding my breath, my diaphragm's up in my rib cage here. How do I just take a breath? Take a sigh. Mindfully breathe through my nose, out through my mouth, even just a few breaths and just let my diaphragm drop, my whole abdomen drop. Within anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute, I can access calmness. Wow, what a neat technique. I can do that anywhere. Anytime. Any circumstance. Suggested Resources Book: Any book by Pema Chodron such as - The Compassion Book: Teachings For Awakening The Heart App: N/A Bullying Story Yeah, you know, Bruce, when I was a kid I was a pretty sort of highly sensitive wimpy kid, not an athletic kid and definitely the one to get picked on. I was very sensitive to suffering of other kids and the underdog and suffering of animals and all sorts of things. And I remember in grade school I used to walk home from school. There were all these wonderfully positioned bushes where these two guys would hide out and wait for me. They would jump out and want to hassle me push me around and take my lunch money, that kind of stuff. Well, one day my father decided to hide in those bushes and wait for those to give them a dose of their own medicine. So he jumped out, scared the holy crap out of them and gave me a good talking to. And strangely enough, we all ended up being friends. Those guys were so shaken up and scared. My dad sort of facilitated this; he was a great guy but when you ask me how mindfulness helped me later in my life, about the age of 17, I started learning Kung Fu. It was partly for self-defense but I would say out of the seven years of training I went through in Kung Fu, the core lesson that I got was being mindful, staying awake, staying present in the midst of somebody hitting me. I can't tell you how valuable that is. It wasn't like I would have just signed up for that knowing what I was getting into necessarily. I got to a place where we would do these round robins of sparring with one another. And I was just getting overwhelmed emotionally by doing this with all these people and getting hit and hitting them. And it was all a very controlled thing. But at one point I fell down in a fetal position and I could barely handle it. So my instructor brought me up, facilitated me getting through the feelings of that and I went back in. I went back in and something shifted in me and I was able to stay present throughout the rest of the exercise and honestly, that stayed with me for life. I was able to go, wow, I'm just observing all this. I'm having to spar with these people and stand my ground and defend myself and show up and stay awake and not get overwhelmed by my feelings. When I'm in conflict or hard circumstances these days, I referenced that. I go back to that feeling state in my physiology; what we called it was the eye of the hurricane. I'm staying present in that calm core place of observation and being able to then come up with solutions to what's happening. So I practiced that for 40 years or more.

Lisa Winston’s love of singing led her to a professional musical career that has spanned 40 years. She’s also a speaker, teacher, best-selling co-author, artist, Authenticity coach and mom. Five years after a breast cancer diagnosis and losing her home to wildfire, Lisa knew it was time to change the course of her life in order to pursue her soul path. Today, her commitment to teaching people how to Fuel the Fire Within and how to show up extremely authentic is powerfully transforming lives. Lisa’s life is a testament to what she teaches. And it’s exactly what’s needed for people to live an unstoppable, unshakeable and unapologetic life. It is Lisa’s absolute honor and joy to support others in learning to stand in the power and magic of their true, brilliant authentic selves. Five years ago at the age of 53, Lisa Winston left a 40 year music career to pursue her soul path. Today, her commitment to teaching YES Equals Success – saying yes to what’s hard, building inner strength and courage as well as providing simple steps to business success, is transforming lives. Contact Info Website: www.YesEqualsSuccess.com Social Media: LisaWinston Authenticity Coach Most Influential Person Dr. Wayne Dyer Effect on Emotions I used to fly by the seat of my pants with my emotions and it's not that I don't get emotional now. I'm able to actually really breathe and disconnect and go to a space of alignment so that I'm not out of control. And then you can make a better decision from that space. Thoughts on Breathing Breathing is one of the most important things you can do if you don't have a mantra or something like that. Breathing really gets you out of your head, focused on your heart and centered in the present moment awareness. Breathing brings life to your body and health to your body. So it's one of the most important things that I do. Suggested Resources Book: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle App: Oprah and Deepak Meditation App Bullying Story I was bullied by a teacher in sixth grade who threw me up against the lockers. I think my sister came and supported me. There was no support back then in the sixties or seventies, whatever it was. I mean he never got reprimanded and nothing ever happened, you know. He just didn't like girls and I was very playful and I ticked a lot of people off because I liked to play games. But also my daughter, I remember in middle school she had so many girls. Um, I can't remember the name of the book was about a girl, but I think there's another one, Odd Girl Out (by Rachel Simmons). But the girls are so mean. A lot of times boys just punch each other out when they get ticked off. Right. But girls just like torture you emotionally. I wasn't in a good space at the time; I was in a really abusive relationship at that point myself. So I was not in any kind of conscious space to really help my daughter. So I was just angry and reading books and reaching out to the schools, but I didn't see a lot of support at the schools. That was what was crazy about it. My daughter's 23 and I don't really know what's being done about the bullying thing. They have campaigns about going to college, but I don't see much in the realm of bullying. I don't think very many people deal with it consciously. It's scary. It makes people angry. You fear for your kids lives and kids take their lives because of it sometimes. I do leadership trainings and stuff and I really feel like if we could bring more leadership trainings to schools, to the kids about how wonderful they are and get them to learn to communicate with each other as opposed to the opposite. Even now as adults, you're walking down the street, people won't look at you. I look at people directly now because, if you really connect with people, we have a lot of the same things going on. You can really love somebody if you get to know who they are and even if you don't know them. So it's a world where we're afraid of each other. But it starts as kids and then we grow into these wounded adults. So I think we need a lot more leadership programs, trainings, and children's routines. I don't know that it's going to go into the schools, the schools have some work to do around just the school system.

Dawn Gluskin is a storyteller, copywriter, and a truth-digger. She helps entrepreneurs tell their stories that need to be heard in the world. She's been in sales & marketing for over 20 years & grew her first business to 7-figures at age 30. She stands for full self-expression & vulnerability as the means to a well-lived life & thriving business. Contact Info Website: www.BlissedCommunications.com Social Media: @DawnGluskin Most Influential Person Felix Lopez, a healer I met in Colorado. Effect on Emotions Mindfulness is just about being aware. In the past I just tried to stuff it down if I didn't want to feel it. Like, I don't want to feel this so I'll just pretend it's not here or I'll just be happy. It's really about feeling it. I'm feeling into what are you trying to tell me, sadness or anger or whatever it is. Thoughts on Breathing Focusing on breath is a really great way to bring you present, you know, just slow inhales and exhales. Instantly, you're right back in the moment. Suggested Resources Book: Conversations With God by Neale Donald Walsch App: Insight Timer Bullying Story I never really was bullied. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I was quiet and shy as a kid and so I think I stayed off people's radar. When you said that, there was something that came to mind with my daughter who is is ten. She's a very sensitive soul. She's like, an old soul; very sensitive. I first realized this when she was four, we went to the Vet because my dog had eaten something he wasn't supposed to eat. And we're in sitting at the Vet's and she's like, Mommy, I don't feel good in my stomach. And I was like, oh, did you eat something? And she's like, no, animals are hurt here, animals have died here. I thought, where did that come from. But I just realized she's really in tune with people and she's mindful of people's energy. And so how that shows up for her sometimes is in her relationship with her friends. There was a particular girl who's a very sweet girl, but if she didn't get her way, she would always say to my daughter, I'm not going to be your friend anymore. She would leave and she would leave my daughter in tears just from being so sensitive. A lot of well-meaning family members would say to her, you need to toughen up. It's a tough world out there, you need to be tougher. I took a different approach. I said to her, no, you're perfect and complete just as you are. Your sensitivity is actually a gift and sometimes it might not feel like that, but it is a gift to the world. And I think how you eliminate the bully is by building up the individual so you can be mindful of who you are and just embrace even the parts that are difficult; the parts that you might feel weird about sometimes. I taught her no, that's who you are and you don't need to change. The world needs to change. I really empowered her around it. And then we even worked through it with her friend and you know, everything is all beautiful. It was a beautiful lesson for both of them, even for the friend was like, well, she's just expressing how she feels. She doesn't know how to express that in another way and it's not about you. She's not trying to hurt you. That's about her. So it was a good lesson for both of them.

Jeffrey Shaw is one of the most well-known portrait photographers in the United States - His portraits have appeared on Oprah and People magazine as well as hundreds of other publications. Jeffrey is also host of the successful business podcast called Creative Warriors. Mindfulness plays a key role in Jeffrey’s world. He realizes making powerful connections with people is about embracing and understanding their LINGO, their specific secret language.Using this insight, Jeffrey teaches entrepreneurs how to attract their ideal customers by learning to speak the proper LINGO. Contact Info Website: JeffreyShaw.com FREE Lingo Media Kit: JeffreyShaw.com/MindfulnessMode Podcast: Creative Warriors Book: Lingo: Discover Your Ideal Customer’s Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible by Jeffrey Shaw Most Influential Person K.S. Iyengar of Iyengar Yoga Effect on Emotions Mindfulness has affected my emotions by giving me greater stability. We're very emotional beings and as a creative person, that's probably even more exaggerated. So mindfulness has created curiosity, which creates a stability of mind. Thoughts on Breathing Breathing is very much a part of my mindfulness practice. In Yoga we refer to it as Pranayama. I have three kids and are adults now, but when one of my daughters was young, she had a really bad toothache and I taught her to breathe through the toothache. I had double hernias. I chose to have surgery done separately without anesthesia because I convinced the doctor. I didn't want to go through the general anesthesia. So we did them separately and I breathed through those surgeries. He didn't think it could be done and I was like, I can do it. So breathing has been a big part of my life. Suggested Resources Book: Going To Pieces Without Falling Apart by Mark Epstein App: N/A Bullying Story I was bullied most of my childhood, to be honest with you. Through middle school were really, really tough years for me. When I was growing up we had seventh and eighth grade in middle school and I spent most of those two years the guidance counselor office because I wouldn't go to the cafeteria. I went from class to the guidance counselor office to avoid the bullies. I was bullied on the bus. I was a shy, withdrawn kid; very sensitive. I was not as tough as the other boys. Yeah, most certainly I was bullied.I think the sensitivity that I carried with me was the mindfulness. There was no way I ever could have taken the advice I see given in tv shows about bullying. On sitcoms somebody's always advising the person being bullied to stand up to the bully. There is no way that was ever going to happen for me. So the mindfulness for me, was I was very aware that I was being bullied, but I was very mindful that that person had a problem. And I actually think it's the mindfulness that helped me survive it. And I've gone to counselors and therapy and all the time I spent in the guidance counselor's office was to be with a therapist and that was often pointed out to me. I honestly never really took on the victim role. I was being victimized, but I looked at it from the perspective that the person doing the bullying has an issue. I'm OK. I always carried with me a certain amount of self awareness and self confidence despite the fact that I was shy, I was actually inwardly quite confident and I was confident that the issue is not mine. I was very mindful that the issue was with the bully. Yeah, I mean it just was never. I never could have taken the advice. I had two older brothers and a father there was the typical sibling interaction. My older brothers were constantly picking on me and bullying me and the advice to me was to toughen up. My parents would just say, toughen up, which to this day never made sense to me. I thought, why should I toughen up? Why are you telling the person being bullied to toughen up, to meet that person as opposed to telling the bully to knock it off. But again, being mindful of the situation, I think it was just the easier route. A lot of times parents knowingly or not, just choose the easier route. It was easier to tell me to toughen up than it was ever to tell older brothers to take it easy on your little brother because they were tougher. There was more resistance. I was the path of least resistance. So oddly enough, I was very mindful of this dynamic. Even as a very young kid, I was very mindful that this was the dynamic which allowed me to hold on to a significant amount of self-worth and confidence that it was like, I'm OK, I don't know what's wrong with these people, but I'm OK and I'll just wait until I can find my right place in the world. And when I do, I'll be able to shine.

Leah Weiss, PhD. is a Stanford Business School professor. She is a corporate consultant and has worked with LinkedIn, Google, and The Omidyar Group. She is also a Harper Collins author and a public speaker, having done talks on TEDx, Intuit, Google, and LinkedIn. Leah is an expert in corporate mindfulness, compassion, and purpose. Her most recent book is "How We Work: Live Your Purpose, Reclaim Your Sanity, and Embrace the Daily Grind". Contact Info Website: www.LeahWeissPHD.com Book: How We Work: Live Your Purpose, Reclaim Your Sanity, and Embrace the Daily Grind by Leah Weiss Most Influential Person   Thupten Jinpa (The Dalai Lama's interpreter and Author of A Fearless Heart) Effect on Emotions I know them [my emotions] better and I recognize I'm in my body better. I don't always make better real time choices, but I do more often. If I slip up and react in a way that is not aligned with my values, then I can more quickly get to a good outcome. Thoughts on Breathing Many times through the day, breathing is my quick anchor. I notice physical sensations I'm experiencing and just breathing and noticing the patterns of the breaths. Sometimes I'll fall into holding my breath. I bring awareness to that and remind myself to breathe more deeply. Breath is an amazing, very convenient tool we have our whole life. Suggested Resources Book: www.DungBeetle.org Book: How We Work: Live Your Purpose, Reclaim Your Sanity, and Embrace the Daily Grind by Leah Weiss App: Pomodoro 25 minute Timer Apps - Unitasking not monotasking. Just use any timer. Bullying Story I've definitely experienced bullying. I had a person that I worked for who had a very erratic management style and was part time on the work that I was working on full time. It was really challenging. When it is a good person with a good heart ... but there were a lot of situations where I felt like, as a young working mother early in my career, our conversations felt like interrogations. They were often like a one-on-one check-in that could've been an opportunity to problem solve and debrief and to get his wisdom and experience. I felt like I was like going into a boxing match. The topic was related to compassion research. This stuff is hard to bring into the nitty gritty, which is why I wrote this book. I feel for him, I didn't enjoy it at all at the time. It was awful and really kind of traumatizing over time, like I just was eaten alive by that job. So it was never enough and I could never be prepared. He was really smart and kind of sniffed out if I prepared it 'A' through 'Y' then definitely 'Z' would be the thing that would get picked up to dig into and kind of pick at. And it was challenging. I had to make some decisions about how I wanted to live my life and whether this was a job that I wanted to go forward in. And I tried to have direct conversations one on one about my experience of our dynamic. I tried bringing in HR to have a third person to try to help round out the perspective. Ultimately I didn't stay there full time. I went to a different organization. I did keep collaborating with that person. I don't feel like it was a bad person. It was just like someone told me a long time ago that we can have compassion for almost anybody, but we have to figure out the right distance to have it from. Maybe working for someone 40 hours a week isn't a distance I can have compassion for, but interacting once a year at an event and working on projects that we both care about but not directly, that works. It was a fine line and I had to do a lot of decision-making myself about what my values were and where my sort of line in the sand was. Did I want to be a spokesperson about this issue? Because I kinda suspected the next person would come in and have the same experience. You know, there's a lot of considerations to be made when we're in these kinds of situations.

JJ Virgin is a Celebrity nutrition and fitness expert. She teaches clients how to eliminate food and carb intolerances so they can transform their health and their lives. As co-host of TLC’s Freaky Eaters and health expert on Dr. Phil, JJ is a prominent TV and media personality, including appearances on PBS, Dr. Oz, Rachael Ray, Access Hollywood, and the TODAY Show. JJ is the author of four NY Times bestselling books: The Virgin Diet, The Virgin Diet Cookbook, JJ Virgin’s Sugar Impact Diet, and JJ Virgin’s Sugar Impact Diet Cookbook. Her latest book, Miracle Mindset: A Mother, Her Son, and Life's Hardest Lessons, shows warrior moms how to be strong, positive leaders for their families, while exploring the inspirational lessons JJ learned as she fought for her own son’s life. JJ also hosts the popular JJ Virgin Lifestyle Show podcast. Contact Info Website: JJVirgin.com Podcast: JJ Virgin Lifestyle Show Book: Miracle Mindset: A Mother, Her Son, and Life's Hardest Lessons by JJ Virgin (This book is being renamed 'Warrior Mom') Twitter: @JJVirgin Facebook: @JJVirginOfficial Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jjvirginvideos Most Influential Person Kay Smith, my first mentor. Effect on Emotions The way mindfulness has helped my emotions is, I tend to be very ... I'm a quick start in the Colby. I'm a red on the color code personality. I'm very reactive, very quick to move and being mindful allows me to take a breath and not over-react. Thoughts on Breathing Breathing is something I've got to work on, Bruce. I was just doing a podcast interview yesterday with the gal who told me about a new App and I said, I need to get that one. Either that or I've got to get my butt into yoga. Something to be a reminder. Suggested Resources Book: Miracle Mindset: A Mother, Her Son, and Life's Hardest Lessons by JJ Virgin (We're re-titling it Warrior Mom) App: N/A (My Journal is my best 'App') Bullying Story Bullying obviously has a whole spectrum, right? The outright obvious, like, when I was in elementary school, we had a bully that I shut down who was bullying one of my girlfriends. I just stepped. I was always the tall kid. I'm six feet tall and she was a little five foot tall Japanese Gal and this kid was bullying her. I just stepped in front and was like, go ahead, hit her. Like you'll have to get through me first, which shut it all down. So there's the obvious bully, but I think even more dangerous is that kind of bully who is emotionally bullying or bullying by telling you the way it's going to be. When my son was the victim of a hit and run, our first doctor at the first hospital was a bully. He was the head of the trauma center there. Now this was in palm springs, so they're used to having seventy and eighty year old people come in. And if my son was 80 years old and came in, in that condition, there's no way he would've made it. But my son was 16 and he stopped and literally looked at us and said, your son is not going to make it through the night. He needs to have another surgery. But he'd never survive the airlift. Even if he did, he wouldn't survive the surgery. And even if he did, he'd be so brain damaged, it wouldn't be worth it .You have to let him go. I call that a bully. My 15 year old son stood right up to this guy and said, yeah, so point two five percent chance he'd make it. And that's when the doctor said that sounds about right. And my son said, so we'll take those odds. And I looked at that doctor. I go, you're overruled. You need to get the paperwork going.

Tanja Diamond is a Tantra Master and Coach extraordinaire. She’s the creator of the High Speed Evolution Coaching Program. Tanja and her coaching team are dedicated to getting people unstuck in life, love, and money. Tanja is also known for her expertise inthe area of Tantra, sex, teens, and parenting and has garnered over 18,000 hours of coaching and consulting time over the past 30 years. Tanja has been called the “Coaches' coach”. Contact Info Website: www.LearningTantra.com Search "Tanja Diamond" on Google Social Media: @TanjaDiamond Most Influential Person My Tantra Master. Effect on Emotions Well, emotions aren't something that can be controlled, but mindfulness controls my behavior after I have an emotional response. Thoughts on Breathing A breath work practice is critical and the foundation of mindfulness. Without it you're not being mindful. Suggested Resources Book: Just Breathe: Mastering Breathwork for Success in Life, Love, business, and Beyond by Dan Brule App: N/A (I don't use apps) Bullying Story Wow, do I have a bullying story for you. At 10 years old, I was living in Africa and all of a sudden I came down with this weird patch on my elbow. And so the first thought everybody had was leprosy. So you know, my parents were freaked out. Leprosy is a really nasty thing. It's not a good thing at all. And it ends up I had psoriasis. What happened was it ended up taking over about eighty percent of my body. And so kids used to always make bets like I'll give you a buck if you touch her. I would sit at a desk and this one girl used to disinfect her desk when I was done, even though the teacher had said it's not contagious. And so it was totally ugly. I mean, I'm big just gnarly. It looked like I was burned and it was really bad. It was bad in the beginning. And so I got bullied about that. I was also two years younger. I was twelve when I went into ninth grade and so I was younger and smaller. These girls set me up, actually the cool people set me up for a bad, bad fall. They put little notes in my locker, like it was from a secret admirer. And so I'm reading these notes and I think this boy likes me, you know, I'm kind of like, oh my gosh, you know. And it escalates over the next couple of weeks to. It's like, oh yeah, meet me in the Commons area. Right. And at first I was thinking this can't be true. Like I'm Geeky, kind of like, you know, like hideous looking, you know, when my sweet tender heart shows up there in the commons and I'm sitting there waiting and you know, I'm sure I was bright red. I'm shuffling my feet, I'm super nervous. And then all of a sudden this whole group of people start laughing. And I'm standing there and they're like saying like, really? You thought somebody could like you? So that was it, but I've been bullied by parents because of my psoriasis. I was like, at a swimming pool. This one woman was like, you need to get out of the pool, you can't swim here. And I said, this is not contagious with psoriasis. And she's like, you know, you need to get out. She started escalating, making her voice really loud. So I've had that happen over the years and I would say that my way through it was actually I kind of fell into a kind of a mindfulness mode. I decided one day that this was somebody else's problem, like I wasn't going to allow somebody else's opinion or feeling or whatever influence what I was. Because all I wore was long sleeves and you know, like I hid all the time. I chucked them all. Then I wore shorts, put on a tank top and said, so be it. I kind of walked out into the sun and it's like, I'll just deal with it, right.

Eric Allred is an entrepreneur who began his working life in the corporate world as a tech consultant. That lasted eleven months and then he began his entrepreneurial journey; at first partnering with a friend. They grew a company from $500 thousand to over $3,000,000 in sales in less than two years. Later he worked with a men's clothing company and then a media holdings company, which he's currently building with a partner. Eric has been immersed in digital marketing work and he also took over as CEO for an e-juice and CBD oil company. CBD oil is derived from the hemp plant which is part of the cannabis family and is now being used by thousands of people to relieve symptoms from all kinds of ailments. Eric has recently been touring the United States as part of the CBD oil project. Contact Info Website: EricAllred.com Blog: EricAllred.com/blog/ Most Influential Person My coach. Effect on Emotions Mindfulness has allowed me to realize that I can be a conduit to my emotions. I don't have to be my emotions. There's some that kind of go through me and I'm like the vessel for them, but I don't necessarily need them to hamper or impede me. Thoughts on Breathing I take time almost every day and stop and breathe. It's my way of bringing myself back to equanimity as my way of creating like a groundedness for myself. Suggested Resources Book: The Art of Tidying Up by Kim Carruthers App: N/A Bullying Story I think really as I've gotten more aware, you realize just how much it effects you and impacts you. A lot of your behaviors and structures that sit on top of your essence and your identity. I can remember junior year of high school, AP chemistry, second class, second seat front left, Mr Bankey's class. This girl Amanda said her biceps were bigger than me, in AP chem. I went on to put on like 30 pounds that following year, I just like, lifted, lifted, lifted, lifted, lifted. That took me into college where my significance was how I wanted to be received from girls, as a potential hookup, so to speak. I was always the friend of a friend and I was funny and I was an older soul and that just kind of pushed me over the edge. But then I just wanted to drink and hook up with girls and it really, really, impacted me and how I show up for the feminine. That turned into getting into business in the marketplace. I was like, 'Well I need to become financially successful. So they like me for my wealth and I'm powerful, I'm significant, I'm seen.' It starts just like a relationship where you need something from them all the time. People can feel that. To that was an instance, like we're being bullied. Being mindful of it and really seeing how it impacted me didn't all come at once. It was just kind of shedding, shedding layers of it. It was huge for me.

Rosie Aiello engineered an international escape from domestic abuse after a 25 year marriage to save her daughter and herself from ongoing terror and cruelty. Nearly mentally destroyed, she reinvented herself since arriving back in the United States, started her own business, and became a speaker, best-selling author and an international awarding-winning entrepreneur. Rosie and her daughter are now sharing their powerful story of escape, healing, and freedom in their upcoming memoir called 11 Hours to Freedom. Rosie helps women regain their voice and confidence, and rebuild their life so that they can create a joyful and prosperous life that they deserve. Contact Info Website: elevenhourstofreedom.com Free Gift: elevenhourstofreedom.com/gift Most Influential Person Wanda Whitaker Effect on Emotions It helps me get centered and not fly off when I want to fly off, because trauma survivors have a tendency to go and fly off. We get into panic hypervigilance and things like that. So it's key, and one of the things that I have on my wall that I have to keep reminding myself of, is that being fearful and afraid is not the same thing as being in danger. You have to kind of live life by that. Thoughts on Breathing As I've learned about this, I introduce it to all my coaching. Breathing is an integral part of it. I have to be reminded as well to breathe in slowly through my nose and go really slow on the exhalation to just slow everything down. It's key. Absolutely key to calming the whole nervous center, calming the fight and the flight and the freeze that we can get into so easily. It's just critical. Suggested Resources Book: Finding Life Beyond Trauma: Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Heal from Post-Traumatic Stress and Trauma-Related Problems by Victoria Follette PhD and Jacqueline Pistorello App: Timer App