In this episode, I’m closing out season two with an important conversation about practicing presence, facing forward, and writing ourselves into an aligned storyline. This conversation is about seemingly simple topics, but I promise they’re incredibly potent, no matter where you are inside your present journey. In fact, nearly two decades into my own healing and growth work, I recently had to remember the power of presence for myself, and it became such a transformational experience in so many ways. Plus, you can’t face forward into what’s supposed to come next if you’re not here now. I know you’re going to gain so much from this conversation, and I’m also sharing some exciting announcements about our upcoming second podcast launch! What to listen for: Launching our newest podcast and other goodies Where to follow me and my updates in the meantime The importance of presence and my own reminder to practice it Feeling silly after doing so much growth work “It has been so healing and has produced such incredible shifts so rapidly. The pace at which I have been getting clarity, getting downloads, feeling more like myself, feeling happier and more aligned and fulfilled and creative and healthy and all these things has just been so accelerated.” Navigating the times when presence is most difficult Grief and trauma are full body experiences This isn’t about bypassing the more challenging emotions Holding our vision for the future while engaging with this moment The best ways to practice presence and how it assists our healing Facing forward into what’s next and why presence is essential “Facing forward, facing into what it is that we want, this involves presence. This involves being here now and orienting ourselves towards things that we say that we want.” Idealizing the past even when we want change Orienting to ourselves in time and space Don’t beat yourself up when you’re hooked into the past The visual metaphors that guided my healing “I would close my eyes in this little movie would play. And after I had clawed my way out of the depths of grief and trauma, clawed my way out of this deep dark well, I remember turning away from the well and facing in a different direction. And so we're doing that energetically. We are reorienting ourselves, our whole selves towards the things that we want, even if they're small.” Identifying what you want and orienting towards it What it means to write yourself into a storyline that feels aligned Using our meaning making skills productively How to look at what happened in a way that frees you to move forward The truth about “everything happens for a reason” Deciding how you want to be shaped and how the story will unfold Resources: Grab a copy of, What Really Happened? Break Free from Interpretation and Make the Impossible Happen, along with other products and books in the online shop. Access our free workbook for how to make the impossible happen, and our powerful 8-part Journey Mapping™ sampler program and begin uncovering the purpose of your path at www.TalesFromTheJourney.tv/Free/. Read my memoir, Unravel: Rising Up and Coming Back from a Season of Living that Damn Near Killed Me at www.TheUnravelBook.com. Tales from the Journey™ is a Stephenie Zamora Media Production.

Content warning: mental illness and suicide loss. Today I’m talking to Lark Dean Galley about stepping out of the darkness and into suicide prevention. After working in the corporate world for 25 years, she left to run her father’s trucking company when he passed away unexpectedly from suicide after struggling with mental illness for most of his life. Realizing there were many entrepreneurs who could benefit from her experience, Lark started her own consulting business. Then, in March of 2019, her 19 year old son committed suicide and sent her deeper on a healing journey that further cemented her purpose in this life. Her goal is to help 100,000 people choose to stay on this planet and step into their greatness. She has done this in a variety of capacities, but in each she has used the tools and lessons learned from her own struggles. What to listen for: How everything changed when her son committed suicide Her background as a driven woman in the corporate world Slowing down and finding more compassion as a parent after loss Her struggles taking over her father’s business after his death “If you're used to accomplishing big goals, you tell yourself, ‘just do it.’ And you're totally questioning your motivation. What will motivate me to move forward? Or how can I even get out of bed? How can I even comprehend all of these emotions and this loss and just the unanswered questions, especially around a suicide, right?” The signs of her son’s impending suicide and her biggest regret Starting to go into the black hole and not wanting to do anything Talking to other families about suicide concerns with their children Questioning herself as a parent and if she’d done enough Starting to talk about mental health and suicide “If I didn't speak up and these kids ended up taking their lives, just like that copycat suicide in the high school, I couldn't have lived with myself. And that's what catapulted me into saying, I have got to talk about this. This is critical. It is an epidemic. And I started talking about it and I became very vocal. Like it was a passion.” Dealing with the stigma of suicide Navigating other people not knowing what to say Starting to speak on podcasts and getting the nudge to write a book Feeling the urgency to get the book out and choosing self-publishing Having strength some days and feeling weak others Allowing her family to be where they are in their grief How loss and grief have changed her “What's interesting is that I react differently. You know, if things in my businesses come up that in the past might have upset me, I'm like, ‘no, we'll work it out. It's okay.’ And it's not the end of the world. Whatever happens, happens. It's not the end of the world because I've seen the end of the world.” Perspective shifts and new ways of being Learning to navigate the “what ifs” after suicide loss Choosing to do hard at the beginning Feeling closer to her son now than before his death Her support system while healing What she wished she knew at the start of this journey About Lark Dean Galley: Lark has recently felt called to help and serve those who struggle with their value and purpose. Having overcome immense personal challenges in her 55+ years of life, she has continued to grow in her empathy and compassion towards others. After working in the corporate world for 25 years, she left to run her father’s trucking company when he passed away unexpectedly from suicide after struggling with mental illness for most of his life. Realizing there were many entrepreneurs who could benefit from her experience, Lark started her own consulting business. Her 19 year old son’s suicide in March 2019 reinforced what she’d been hearing from many of her high achieving clients – they felt unworthy and incapable of reaching their goals. Lark went from coaching on the externals to focusing on why each person matters.

*Content warning: depression and suicidal ideation. Today I’m talking to Jevon Wooden, an Army Veteran, certified mindset in perception coach, author, speaker, about learning to live not loathe despite challenging chapters. Jevon faced many challenges while growing up, eventually finding himself facing prison time for assault and robbery charges at just 17 years old. When he was released after praying to God for another chance, he did his best to turn life around and find his way, but depression and suicidal ideation led him to nearly give up completely. Thankfully for the world, Jevon was able to find his way through that darkness and into his purpose work, which is all about empowering others to increase their self-confidence, improve their perception of their worth, and design their lives through a mindset shift from scarcity to abundance. He does this through transformational group and one-on-one coaching sessions, on-demand courses and training, seminars, and workshops. What to listen for: Starting out with a rough childhood in a polyamorous household Getting arrested for assault and robbery at 17 Not caring about facing 7 years in prison until he saw the effect on his family Praying to God in his cell and promising to make a change “When I was sitting there, speaking with my mom and my sister, something came to me. Like, I woke up that day. I was sleepwalking through life the whole time. I was just numb to it. I didn't care. Until I had to look at the people I loved face to face, and I had never seen that look.” Getting an answer to his prayers and avoiding jail Working multiple jobs, signing up for the military, and keeping his word to God Realizing the power of collaboration while in the military Learning to work on his mindset and release negative thoughts Feeling suicidal after trying his best at life and how family redirected him again “I was having PTSD episodes where I was having the same nightmare over and over and over and over and over again. And I was just like, I'm ready to end it. I'm ready to call it, God. You know, I did my best. You know, now I just feel like I want to come home to you, you know, I'm ready.” Realizing that he needed help and entering therapy for the first time Learning how to lean on others and stop feeling like a burden The power of good friends and having a support system His awakening and how it led to his purpose work Having a relationship with God and faith Understanding that adversity is always a part of life “Adversity is a part of life, right? Failure is a part of life that really is put in place, I believe, as the counterbalance to joy and the counterbalance to ease because that helps you to be humble. That helps you be grateful for what you have. I think that you need that, right?” Learning the power of positive thinking The essential questions he asks himself to stay motivated Understanding that pain is temporary How trauma and emotions are stored in the body Starting his business as a motivational speaker The advice he’d give to anyone who’s struggling like he did About Jevon Wooden Jevon Wooden is an Army Veteran, certified mindset in perception coach, author, speaker, and the founder of Live Not Loathe, LLC. He has overcome adversity, depression, and PTSD to earn multiple certifications recognized throughout the coaching community and an MBA from the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith Business School and an M.S. in Cybersecurity from Fordham University. His mission is to empower others to increase their self-confidence, improve their perception of their worth, and design their lives through a mindset shift from scarcity to abundance. He does this through transformational group and one-on-one coaching sessions, on-demand courses and training, seminars, and workshops. He is an avid traveler, voracious reader, and fitness enthusiast. Website and social media:

*Content warning: grief and suicide loss. Today I'm talking with Michelle Anhang, a Certified Life Coach who specializes in supporting individuals and families living with mental health challenges as well as those moving forward after loss. In this episode, she shares what it was like growing up in a household that was very shame-driven, building a life with her husband and losing him to suicide after his struggles with bipolar disorder. She holds nothing back as she talks of the aftermath of his death, the story they told instead, and the feelings that were constantly threatening to bubble up no matter how hard she pushed them down. You won’t want to miss this story of how finding and living her truth and healing past traumas has put her on this path to help others do the same. What to Listen For: Her life before loss "It all seemed okay until it didn't." Not knowing the signs of her husband’s mental illness until later Watching her husband decline after diagnosis How he hid his symptoms All the ways the whole family covered for his illness while he was alive His final phone call to her before he took his life The decision the family made after his death "They suggested, ‘why don't we say it was an accident?’ It was like, okay, yeah, let's do that. And so, we just went forward with that story.” Not being able to grieve the way she needed to grieve Feeling anger and abandonment Internalizing all of it due to shame Stopping herself from feeling and halting her healing How repressed grief leaked out Being afraid of what would happen if she opened the box Stepping into a very toxic way of living and what pulled her out of this way of life "I just had this moment of like, ‘oh, my God, I am the common denominator in everything that's wrong in my life. And you know, that aha moment was like totally devastating. And at the same time, completely liberating because I knew, okay, if it's me, I can change me." The realization she had on her 45th birthday Deep diving into her trauma Finding a new community of people and adopting new ways of thinking The process of processing “It was honestly eight months of crying all day, every day. And I went to work and it was just like, okay, finish work, sit at my desk like, oh, I'm feeling the tears rising, running to the bathroom, bawling my eyes out, touching up my makeup, going back, and keep going until the next burst.” Feeling like she was grieving for three Getting ready to share her truth Starting with telling her kids even though she was terrified “All of my fears were completely wrong. I always say like, fear is a liar.” The realization of how she needed to show up and help people Putting the truth out into the world via a Facebook post The flow of support and love she received after telling the truth Understanding there’s no such thing as perfect and allowing things to be messy Learning to lean into trusting herself and her intuition Making a commitment to doing this work What motivates her to keep going on this path The things that dropped into alignment once she shared her truth The role support plays in moving through grief What she wishes she knew about shame when she was younger About Michelle Anhang: Michelle Anhang, BA, PCC, CPCC, is a Certified Life Coach who specializes in supporting individuals and families living with mental health challenges as well as those moving forward after loss. In addition to coaching, Michelle is a motivational speaker who shares her story of becoming widowed at the age of 34 when her husband died by suicide, and how she navigated her way through stigma, shame, and her own mental health challenges to rebuild her life intentionally. Website and social media links: Website: https://www.michelleanhangcoaching.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelleanhangcoaching LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.

In today’s episode, I’m talking about context, what really happened, and the art of not taking things personally—all things that lead to greater leverage and freedom! These are especially important as we navigate challenging chapters and big life transitions, or when we’re comparing our journey to someone else’s (which we shouldn’t be doing in the first place, because we all have our own process and pacing). I’m giving some examples for what each of these mean and how understanding them can help you move through your growth and healing far more rapidly. What to listen for: What is context and why is it important Internalizing things that are interpreted out of context Being clear on your context and how to make discerning decisions Why you shouldn’t compare yourself to anyone else “Even if your situation is very similar to someone who's been on the show, remember that the context is completely different—inherently—because we’re different people. We’re living different lives. The circumstances are different. The situation is different. Our internal worldview, our internal ecology is different.” Discerning what’s right for you on your journey Look for the framework and how it’s being modeled Asking ourselves, “what really happened?” Separating stories from reality to keep moving forward “Story pulls us away from what it is that we want, and it keeps us stuck. It keeps us small. It keeps us stalled out. Story is the thing that we are trying to separate out by asking this question, not invalidating our experience and making it wrong. Not gaslighting ourselves or others.” Breaking this powerful question down Grab a copy of my book, What Really Happened? Where our stories come from and why they’re not true The art of not taking things personally and how it empowers us Why this isn’t a pass or an “out” from taking responsibility The flip side of “it's not personal” that we don’t acknowledge “We love this concept in relation to the negative. We feel better. We can say, ‘it's not personal,’ when they're mean or don't treat us well. We don't like the idea that it's not personal when they're praising us and appreciating us and celebrating who we are.” How non-attachment creates freedom to live our purpose When to reflect on other people’s responses to us Noticing where these play out in our lives and next steps you can take Resources: Grab a copy of, What Really Happened? Break Free from Interpretation and Make the Impossible Happen, along with other products and books in the online shop. Access our free workbook for how to make the impossible happen, and our powerful 8-part Journey Mapping™ sampler program and begin uncovering the purpose of your path at www.TalesFromTheJourney.tv/Free/. Read my memoir, Unravel: Rising Up and Coming Back from a Season of Living that Damn Near Killed Me at www.TheUnravelBook.com. Tales from the Journey™ is a Stephenie Zamora Media Production.

Today I'm talking with Dominion Ezechibueze, founder of Minion Training and a Division I Football player, about finding faith, focus, and purpose after abuse. Dominion is a Nigerian immigrant who wasn't breathing when he was born and experienced physical abuse throughout his childhood, both in school and at home. Finding football in high school was a pivotal moment that changed the trajectory of his life, giving him the skills, support, and purpose he lacked. He's now a personal trainer and host of the Minion Motivation podcast with a mission to spread faith lessons through his journey of overcoming struggles and helping others become their healthiest selves—mentally and physically. What to listen for: Born in Nigeria, not breathing Arriving in America when he was six years old Being bullied in school and abused at home Discovering football and how it changed his life Leaning on the power of fitness "I just started working hard. And that's why I got into fitness. That process helped me find myself. You have to talk to yourself; you have to push past a lot of things internally so you can see the physical attribute of it. I wanted to get better for my football team." Growing up with faith and building a relationship with God The importance of knowing your purpose in life Feeling messed up and navigating life getting harder Experiencing adjustments in football and the effects of it Building trust to navigate life's storms "I'm a very emotional person. So when I'm going through something, I'm not looking at logic. I'm not looking at the word as much as I should be. You have to trust, right? It's hard. It's super crazy hard." Having his faith and commitment tested Leaving a legacy and what we're remembered for Following your dreams and not settling in life "Everybody has a dream. For some people, they take that other route and settle. And you know, I feel bad cause I feel like everybody dreams. You have to keep pushing, keep working. I'm still on that path." Starting his personal training business in high school His dream of playing for the NFL Launching his podcast and motivating others About Dominion Ezechibueze: Dominion Ezechibueze is a young entrepreneur growing his business and chasing his dreams. His purpose is to spread the word of a God through overcoming struggles in his life. Website and social media links: https://miniontraining.com/ https://www.facebook.com/miniontraining/ https://www.instagram.com/miniontraining/ Resources: Access our free 8-part Journey Mapping™ sampler program and begin uncovering the purpose of your path at www.TalesFromTheJourney.tv/Free/. Read my memoir, Unravel: Rising Up and Coming Back from a Season of Living that Damn Near Killed Me at www.TheUnravelBook.com. Tales from the Journey™ is a Stephenie Zamora Media Production.

Today I'm talking with Nicola Holmes, a Life Coach who helps people step into their joyful power and realize their boldest dreams, about the road to uncovering your north star. In this episode, she shares with us her journey to start trusting herself more and following her path, including her early years where she felt painfully stuck and allowed her fear of choosing wrong to keep her from choosing at all. She opens up about her biggest “aha” moments, learning to get comfortable in discomfort, and how she started walking the path she’s on now. What to Listen For: Struggling to find her own path early in life Feeling stuck, lost, underemployed, and ill-fitting in her early 20s Seeing her friends get jobs they enjoyed and feeling like she was falling behind Longing for a career path that felt more like a calling that went deep and wide Feeling like she was running experiments The despair and fear she felt as she began to worry she would never find a fitting path "I really wanted to make a positive difference in the world and I did have a sense that I had gifts to use. And so that feeling of un-actualized potential was very painful." Her inner voice telling her she was failing at life Struggling to trust herself Fear of making the wrong choice or wasting more time The journal entry she made as a child that proves true for her today Feeling pressure and anxiety to choose her path "No one could wave a magic wand and sort of resolve those inner questions, inner struggles, and the pain where it felt like tensions between the life I was living and the life I sensed was possible for myself. ” Small, courageous, incremental moves, that ended up making a huge difference Closing a 5-year chapter, taking a leap of faith, and listening to a calling Moving across the county Learning to tolerate uncertainty Deciding to stop saying no How she was introduced to coaching The synchronicities that fell into place after that moment Learning to trust herself Stepping into a whole new framework of living "It was very different in some ways than the training that I had mastered as a child and as a young adult. I think I knew how to do that more linear way of living and that's what was so hard when I didn't have a clear-cut goal to work for. " Growing the muscle for our own inner guidance system The shifts she made around partnership in her 30s Understanding that perfect doesn’t exist Healing her inner child for a better adult life What she wishes she knew when she was younger Coming to understand that we will learn more by choosing instead of staying stuck About Nicola Holmes: Nicola Holmes is a Life Coach who helps people step into their joyful power and realize their boldest dreams. She works 1:1 with individuals, facilitates a group coaching program called The Expansion Circle, and has an online program called, Level Up: A 6-Week Online Course to Get You Moving on Your BIG Dreams. Nicola’s academic background includes human & community development and adult learning and she spent two decades working in the non-profit sector. Along with coaching for the past twelve years, she’s mama to two spirited young kids, community-minded, and a voracious reader. Website and social media links: www.nicolaholmes.ca www.instagram/nicolaholmescoach Resources: Access our free 8-part Journey Mapping™ sampler program and begin uncovering the purpose of your path at www.TalesFromTheJourney.tv/Free/. Read my memoir, Unravel: Rising Up and Coming Back from a Season of Living that Damn Near Killed Me at www.TheUnravelBook.com. Tales from the Journey™ is a Stephenie Zamora Media Production in partnership with the phenomenal producers at ExploraSTORY Studios.

Content warning: domestic violence, sexual assault, and suicide. In this episode, I'm talking to Danny Sanchez, Founder and Executive Director of The City Peace Project in San Jose, about turning pain into purpose and finding peace after prison. Danny is a beautiful soul who had to tuck away his gentle, giving spirit and adopt the "tough guy" persona he thought he needed to fit in. In doing so, he found himself navigating a plethora of challenging experiences, including police brutality, suicide attempts, and surviving multiple stabbings. Danny was in and out of the prison system starting at a very young age until an experience where he truly believed he was going to die, which allowed him to start choosing a different path for himself and his life. Danny is the author of Post Traumatic Quest: My Quest to Transcend Trauma, Turn My Pain Into Purpose, and Find Peace, and he shared so much wisdom throughout this conversation. What to listen for: Growing up in a house filled with guns and violence Developing a coping mechanism of fighting back at a young age Feeling alone and acting out in different ways Elementary school was one of the worst experiences of his life "I wasn't really a fighter, but it was just the neighborhood. If somebody bumped you or said something to you, you just fight. I didn't give it a second thought." What it's like growing up in Silicon Valley How being cheered on during a sixth-grade fight shifted his perspective Wanting to be loved and not having deep relationships His dreams for the future and how they died Masking his sensitive side with drugs and alcohol "I burned so many bridges. I remember many Christmases alone in a rented camper with two 40oz bottles of alcohol, drinking myself to sleep because nobody wanted me around. But I created that for myself." Getting convicted of a felony or 13 years old Flirting with death but never having a wake-up call Feeling suicidal while wanting people to understand his pain "I was stabbed in the kidney, and I was in the hospital for two weeks. They had to do exploratory surgery on me to see where the damage was. And I remember that didn't even change me. Like, less than a week, I was drinking. I just didn't care. " Being in and out of the incarceration system for 13 years Violating parole and scrambling not to get caught Feeling like he was going to die and how that moment woke him up "I remember, I just fell on my knees. And I said, God if you're real, help me. All these years, I have flirted with death. But when I felt like I was gonna die, I wanted to live. I remember that moment; I felt so alive. I never felt so alive in my entire life. From there, like, my life just changed." Finding his faith in God and feeling sober and alive for the first time Removing himself from bad influences and temptations Volunteering and doing things to help other people Learning and taking better care of himself Perfectionism, burnout, and relapsing Learning to have fun through skateboarding "If you come to San Jose and go to a skatepark, and you say, Pastor Danny, the kids will know who I am cuz I go out there and hang out with them and have fun in our community here." Working with students outside their normal circumstances Uncovering the desire to work with the youth community Nothing was planned, but it all fell into place The birth of the work he does now About Danny Sanchez: Danny Sanchez is a highly recognized social entrepreneur and leader in youth violence prevention and redirection. He has been featured in notable media outlets such as Forbes Magazine and The Huffington Post. Danny is a sought-after speaker in his field. His insights around youth violence and trauma have been presented at billion-dollar companies such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google. His service to the community received numerous awards including “Champion of Change” by President Bar...

In today's episode, I'm talking about creating space for healing and growth, letting go of the hands that held us, and reframing scarcity in the aftermath of challenging chapters and big life transitions. The truth is, creating space is a necessary part of growth, and with growth comes outgrowing. Not always, but often. Since releasing my memoir, Unravel, so many people have reached out to me about finding the courage to let go of relationships that no longer serve them and how to move past the fear of experiencing loss when we start to evolve beyond our present level of living. In this conversation, I hope to normalize the experience of outgrowing the people and communities in our lives without making ourselves or anyone else wrong or bad. I know you'll gain a lot from these lessons! What to listen for: Why this topic is so essential and personal to me Having the courage to lean into your growth and stop fearing loss Letting go need not come with judgment of ourselves or others “It's really important to understand that this is not a judgment on ourselves or other people. It’s simply a statement of fact. When we grow, we outgrow things. We know this to be true in a lot of ways, but when we weave in relationships and other people, there’s a lot of story around it, both internal and external.” Why space is so vital for healing and growth This doesn't mean isolation unless that's what feels right for you My own stories of consciously choosing periods of isolation "Space means having the room to be with yourself, process what you've been through, process who you are now and who you're becoming, make sense of things, get clarity, and find what's aligned for you… without the feedback of people who are trying to control and maybe even manipulate the situation in their favor or based on their comfort." Creating space to hear myself and my truth again What creating space can look like in your life Figuring out who genuinely supports your process When people “support” us from selfish motivations Finding out who are true friends our during times of transition “You’ll realize that the people that you thought would be there actually aren't, and this is painful. This is heartbreaking. This is hard. It's confusing. There's a lot of emotion that comes up with it, but it's actually very normal.” Normalizing these experiences from all angles Our subconscious programming and how it interferes Discerning what’s best for you regardless of people’s expectations The reorienting process and navigating renegotiation and release “I had to release that relationship because I couldn't hear myself anymore. And I didn't feel like the support that I was getting was actually supportive of what I needed in the moment and supportive of me growing into who I needed to be and healing in the ways that I needed.” Life is continually unfolding, and we’re constantly growing Finding people who evolve with us and meet us anew every day There’s no scarcity of good people in this world The fear that says we’ll end up alone is a lie “Suddenly we're alone. And now we're going to be alone until the end of time. That’s a story rooted in fear. That’s not true. It’s a lie. It is something our subconscious does because it wants us to go back to the known and familiar.” The feeling of “always passing through” during massive growth Opening to new fields and aligning with new frequencies A final reminder that judgment is unnecessary Trust the process and trust your heart Resources: Access our free workbook for how to make the impossible happen, and our powerful 8-part Journey Mapping™ sampler program and begin uncovering the purpose of your path at www.TalesFromTheJourney.tv/Free/. Read my memoir, Unravel: Rising Up and Coming Back from a Season of Living that Damn Near Killed Me at www.TheUnravelBook.com. Tales from the Journey™ is a Stephenie Zamora Media Production.

Content warning: sexual assault and suicidal ideation. Today I'm talking with Tenita “Bestseller” Johnson authorprenuer, speaker, and book coach on a mission to transform pain into purpose. In this episode, Tenita shares with us her journey to find her own purpose through a lifetime of setbacks starting from her childhood where she grew up being told she wasn’t supposed to exist. She’ll be pulling back the curtain on feeling alone, feeling unseen, and feeling unworthy of love and sharing how she took all the negative things that happened in her life and turned them into positives as well as her mission to do the same for others. What to Listen For: Being born to a young mother and knowing she was supposed to be aborted Feeling like she wasn’t supposed to be here because of her upbringing Not feeling seen as a child Defining herself by external factors Not really knowing who she was or feeling strong enough to stand on her own two feet How she empowers women to understand they have purpose "I'm literally on a mission to use every bad thing that happened in my life to turn it for good." What she realized about herself after she got married Feeling broken and unworthy of love Needing a different type of counselor for different chapters of life Therapy is only a piece of her healing journey The role of community and mentors in her healing How she safeguarded herself against going down the darkest holes "These are the people who have the permission to call me out on the carpet if they see me going down these dark holes again.” The transformational exercise she did with a counselor involving her inner little girl The important role of mindset work in your business Her career trajectory "I literally remember sitting at the desk saying, you have to use what's in your hands. So what do you have that people will pay for it that solves a problem?" Being pushed into full-time entrepreneurship The ebbs and flows of self-employment The intentional practices she does to keep herself in the moment Her biggest piece of wisdom for those feeling lost from their purpose. “If you're on the earth, if you still have breath, you're still breathing, there's purpose. There is purpose. It's up to you to dig and find out what that purpose is though" Her standards around work she will do Opening our unwrapped gifts About Tenita Johnson: Transforming pain into purpose is a gift that authorpreneur, speaker and book coach, Tenita “Bestseller” Johnson gives to everyone she encounters. She is a warrior of words with a fierce passion for guiding authors to expand their brand by showing them how to earn multiple streams of income from just ONE book. As the author of 18 books, seven of which have been Amazon bestsellers, she is living proof that sharing your story leads to your destiny. Familiar with rising from numerous fires and coming out unscathed, Tenita has triumphed over suicidal thoughts, depression, low self-esteem, marital storms and blended family woes. She has also endured miscarriages and the still birth of twins the day after she married her husband. Each of these tragedies has added indelible layers to her resilience. With more than 25 years in journalism, writing and editing, she has a knack for creating narratives that are authentic and raw, yet endearingly relatable. She is a vessel with the ability to change lives and impact the world, thus she is a proud “book bully,” who relentlessly urges others to, “Write the book and get paid for the pain!” Website and social media links: www.soitiswritten.net www.tenitajohnson.com https://www.facebook.com/TenitaBestseller https://www.instagram.com/TenitaBestseller https://www.linkedin.com/in/tenitajohnson/ https://checklist.brandbookbestseller.com/ Resources: Access our free 8-part Journey Mapping™ sampler program and begin uncovering the purpose of your path at www.TalesFromTheJourney.

Today, I'm talking to Geoff Seow, founder of MindAxis Life Coaching, about getting sober, overcoming burnout, and changing careers. Geoff helps unfulfilled millennials create an inspired vision for their future through overcoming self-doubt with his MindAxis Method™. His goal is to guide individuals to reach their highest potential, through which they can create a life of purpose and fulfillment. In this episode, he's sharing his own journey of realizing he was on the wrong career path and how he course-corrected into his true passion and purpose. Geoff also talks about his experiences during lockdown that allowed him to really get to know who he was and what he wanted and create an entirely new mindset that supported a different life. What to listen for: Graduating high school early and getting his first of three degrees Partying, doing drugs in college, and the lost period in his life “I was very lost. I didn't really have any guidance. So for me, that was the only way I kind of knew how to do it, had a lot to do with my childhood conditioning, but also we were just trying to fit in, you know, just trying to really get into the scene.” Getting his master’s degree in biotechnology Opening multiple businesses after school Realizing his career wasn’t the thing he wanted to do Reaching a point of severe burnout during the pandemic “I landed in a job that I thought I was destined for because I had worked so long to get myself into the medical field. I realized I did not enjoy it. And I realized this about the third day in, but I continued for almost two years. I just kept going until I reached that severe burnout.” Starting to make internal shifts during lockdown Realizing he was partying too much and not being healthy Buying his first life coaching course to get sober and planting seeds Discovering the world of personal development “I started really reading this book, and it kind of showed me the importance of sobriety, and it clicked in my mind. I was like, wow, everything I want in life is on the other side of what I'm doing right now. So that's where I kind of went down the train of, okay, I need to change things. So I really threw myself into personal development.” Cutting off social circles and throwing himself into his personal development Going to the gym, learning constantly, and getting sober Creating his first Instagram account, which grew rapidly Connecting with people and seeing a new opportunity “What really changed for me is when people started to message me. People were like, ‘man, this is amazing. It's helped my day. This has really changed my perspective.’ So many positive messages coming from this page, and that's kind of where it conflicted with my daily life. It really started to get in my head. I was like, ‘wow, I have this online avenue, which is not a business, but people are loving what I do. people are giving so much love and feedback.’” Realizing how soul-sucking his day job was Using his ADHD to his benefit Reaching his breaking point and making the decision to leap Life coaching accreditation, NLP, and CBT therapy Stepping away from security and making a big move “It felt like the scariest thing for me was actually leaving a salary. I realized that looking back, the salary is kinda like a drug, you know. It kind of keeps you dependent on it.” Learning how to quiet his mind during lockdown Getting clear on who Geoff is now Managing anxiety and pouring himself into his business Reorienting to himself after this period and getting sober “I was spending so much time deconstructing thoughts. I became very clear on self-awareness. My clarity during this period in time was amazing. Every single time I felt a particular fear or anxiety, I would write it down, get to the root of it and isolate the memory.” Fear of judgment and making peace with old memories

Content warning: sexual assault and suicidal ideation. Today I'm talking with Amelia Zachry, author of Enough - A Memoir of Mistakes, Mania, and Motherhood. She is a survivor of, and advocate for, sexual assault and bipolar disorder. In this episode, she’s sharing her authentic story about how sexual assault turned her life upside down and how it took her years to move past her shame and start her healing journey. What to Listen For: Her life before sexual assault How sexual assault affected her life as she knew it "I thought that I had done something wrong and I placed all the blame on myself." Not feeling like herself after the assault Isolating herself and why she felt the need to do this Spiraling into irresponsible and maladaptive behaviors as a trauma response Learning that she had bipolar disorder which had been triggered by the assault "A chain of things spiral happened right after that incident." Her first experience in trying to tell someone what had happened "I did open up to somebody before, who was my college professor who actually said to me, ‘if you hadn't been hanging out with thugs, this wouldn't have happened.’ And so after that, I kind of refrained from trying to tell people what happened, but also mostly because I felt shameful. I felt like people would view me poorly if I were to share the story." Opening up to those she trusted years later Her husband’s reaction when she told him about the assault The phases she went through after the assault and how she reclaimed her power The biggest catalyst of her healing How therapy helped her begin to process “In therapy, I realized that it was a violation." How her Uncle helped her find hope "He was able to give me a vision of a life that is worth living." Living the stigma of bipolar disorder Her journey to realizing and accepting that she needed help Processing and healing through her writing Understanding that trauma and healing are a journey What she would tell her younger self There are no wrong cards About Amelia Zachry: Amelia Zachry is the author of Enough - A Memoir of Mistakes, Mania, and Motherhood. She is a survivor of sexual assault and bipolar disorder. Enough chronicles Amelia's struggles with PTSD and bipolar as she finds solid ground to stand on now that she has broken the silence. She is an advocate for dismantling rape culture and normalizing mental health. Website and social media links: https://ameliazachry.com/ https://instagram.com/browngirlcrazyworld https://facebook.com/browngirlcrazyworld Resources: Access our free 8-part Journey Mapping™ sampler program and begin uncovering the purpose of your path at www.TalesFromTheJourney.tv/Free/. Read my memoir, Unravel: Rising Up and Coming Back from a Season of Living that Damn Near Killed Me at www.TheUnravelBook.com. Tales from the Journey™ is a Stephenie Zamora Media Production in partnership with the phenomenal producers at ExploraSTORY Studios.

*As a heads up, we're switching back to once-a-week episodes at the request of our audience! We want to make sure you have plenty of time to listen to all the incredible interviews. In this episode, I’m talking all about developing intuition, building self-trust, and learning to discern what’s right for us as we navigate life and work to live our purpose. These skills are especially critical in the aftermath of challenging chapters and big life transitions. You’ve changed at your core, and your life, relationships, and work are changing too. Life is shaping you, and that can be incredibly disorienting! And beyond that, the changes you’re going through are scary and uncomfortable for the people around you, and they’ll have a lot to say about it (often projections or from their fears and limiting beliefs). You have to know what’s right and true for you, but you can’t do that if you haven’t developed these skills. What to listen for: Revisiting the essential frameworks and processes in season one Where intuition lives and how we hear our distinct “yes” and “no” Developing a relationship with our bodies when we’ve been disconnected “If we’ve had traumatic experiences, especially certain types of trauma, there are times that we’re not present and grounded in our body. I certainly experienced that after my loss, the PTSD, and the abusive relationship that I was in. It was hard for me to be in my body. And When it's hard for us to be in our body, it's hard for us to really tune in and hear our intuition speaking to us.” Practices for grounding back into our bodies A simple process for building trust in your intuition Understanding how fear confuses how we read our intuitive hits “Sometimes when we feel contraction, that doesn't mean it's a no. It just means that our mind got involved really quickly and triggered fear, and fear can often bring tension into our body. So you have to get to the root of what happened immediately after something was presented to you.” Why intuition is harder for some people Times my intuition has guided me to do totally illogical things Why trusting our intuition doesn’t mean things will be seamless “Sometimes our intuition is leading us directly into something that will be challenging and hard and difficult because that is what we need to go through in order to be the person that we want to be.” What it means to build trust in ourselves Having integrity with ourselves and why it matters Pushing our edges and navigating the terror barrier Understanding our subconscious beliefs and why we self-sabotage “Essentially, when we go beyond what’s known and familiar, our subconscious comes into play, and it does everything that it can to get us to stop. That’s why we self-sabotage. That’s why it seems like everything that can go wrong does go wrong.” Learning that we can do hard things The Universe is continually expanding, and how this applies to us Building trust in that greater energy at play How we can cause the world to reconfigure around us “At the very least, decide that you live in a universe that supports your highest good. That its baseline wiring, the way that it is designed to function, is to support you in creating what you want. Decide that the world is not out to get you, and that shifts your perception. That shifts your way of being in the world. And it allows you to create different outcomes.” Only you know what’s right and true for you Why these journeys trigger the people around us The many times I’ve gone against everyone’s advice The critical elements of discernment you need to understand “That takes a lot of self-awareness and a lot of ability to be honest with ourselves.” Going against what other people want for us Understanding your subconscious programming Seeing this play out in our incredible interviews Resources: Grab my Reconnecting With Your Intuition Self-Coaching Gui...

Today I’m talking with William Branum, Founder and CEO of Naked Warrior Recovery, a CBD company focused on the recovery of veterans and first responders about the Navy SEAL mindset for navigating big transitions. William spent 26 years serving as a Navy SEAL, leading major combat operations and missions, and began suffering from physical and psychological symptoms that negatively impacted his well-being and quality of life. Like so many others, he used alcohol and prescription drugs to mask the symptoms until he discovered the powerful healing properties of CBD. In this episode, he’s sharing the journey that led him to found his company without any entrepreneurial or industry experience, develop his GET NAKED! Mindset, changing the lives of veterans (along with individuals from all walks of life). What to listen for: His background as a Navy SEAL How the transition from military to civilian life was his most arduous mission Growing up in a small town and how he discovered the SEALs Not feeling ready or prepared for boot camp right out of high school Taking a stand and asking for the assignment he wanted “He turns to my commanding officer and says, ‘Hey, is William a good guy?’ And my commanding officer says, ‘yes, he was the sailor of the quarter of this quarter,’ which is kinda like employee of the month. And so he turns back to me, and he is like, you’ll be in the first class after your or time on the ship is up. Six weeks later, I’m off to California to go to seal training.” The transition to SEAL training and how it took 13 months Teaching sniper school, the 9/11 attacks, and deploying overseas Having an “I can do anything” mentality “I just have never been a quitter. I’ve never really quit on anything. I know that I came from humble beginnings, and I knew that I never wanted to be like that. And so I wanted to be a better me.” Getting diagnosed with ADHD at the end of his career Limiting beliefs from his struggles in school Having to work harder than everyone else “In SEAL training, people made it look easy. They could run effortlessly and swim and fly around the obstacle course and do all these things. And they were natural leaders. I struggled at everything, but I always knew that it was a struggle, and I just had to work harder than everyone else. I was okay with that. I just try to work harder than everyone else because I know that’s what I have to do.” The expectation to perform better than the day before How it felt to be in real combat situations Developing noise in his head and how that affected him Drinking to sleep and cope with his symptoms Feeling lost after leaving his work as a Navy SEAL “I had a badass mission. I had a purpose. When I went to bed at night, I still knew what I was gonna do the next day. I knew why I was gonna do it, how I was gonna do it. And so the day that I retired, it was like, I lost everything in my life. I still had family, but I lost my mission. I lost my purpose. I lost my team.” Discovering CBD and how it changed his life The meeting at a conference that changed his life How his dad’s suicide ties into his work Getting vulnerable and exposing yourself to heal The work he did before he founded Naked Warrior Recovery Navigating failure and how his SEAL training supported him “Never quit on yourself. Never quit trying to improve your life. If you started a project or a program or something that was hard and kind of stressful, it’s gonna be a challenge. If it was important enough to start, then it’s probably important enough to take it all the way to the end, whatever that looks like.” Finding the courage to get help and support Starting from nothing and no experience and building his CBD business Sharing his story to help others heal Advice he’d give to anyone still struggling to heal About William Branum: William Branum is the Founder and CEO of Naked Warrior Recovery,...

Today I'm talking with Keisha Greaves, the founder of Girls Chronically Rock, an adaptive fashion company promoting self-love and confidence in the disability community about passion after a chronic illness. With a lifelong passion for fashion, Keisha’s plans were momentarily detailed when she was diagnosed with Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy at age 24. In this episode, she’s sharing her journey from diagnosis and finding her way back to her passion and her purpose, launching her fashion line and working to spread awareness of Muscular Dystrophy, and balancing life with chronic illness. What to Listen For: Starting to get weird symptoms in her body The final incident that led her to her diagnosis What life was like prior to her diagnosis Having a passion for fashion from an early age Knowing she wanted to be an entrepreneur from an early age Creating a business plan to launch her own fashion business named after her grandmother Getting her diagnosis and shutting down "I'm thinking, well, she has to have call the wrong patient. Maybe she got the test results mixed up. Maybe she called me by accident, you know, but I knew deep down inside something wasn't right." Googling her diagnosis and what went on in her head Denial and hiding her diagnosis even as she started to use a cane The moment of acceptance "At that moment when I was writing and saying everything out loud, I'm like, wow, I have muscular dystrophy." Finding support on social media Feeling like she’s lived in two worlds Still having days of sadness, exhaustion, frustration Don’t let social media fool you! The power of connecting with people who have shared experiences "There's nothing. And I mean, nothing, like talking to somebody who gets it knows what it's like living with muscular dystrophy." The difference between talking with a therapist versus talking with a friend or family member The hard pivot after her diagnosis Reaching a point where she wanted not only to put her fashion degree to good use but also to inspire those with chronic illness “My whole new perspective and vision has changed, but still within the fashion industry." The process of learning as she went to get her business started Her goals for the future "I don't just look at it as a Girls Chronically Tock clothing brand, but a Girls Chronically Rock movement." That advice she would give her able-bodied self About Keisha Greaves: Keisha Greaves, the founder of Girls Chronically Rock, has always been passionate about fashion. Born and raised in Cambridge, MA, Keisha has a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design and Merchandising and an MBA. At age 24, she was diagnosed with Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy, and her life changed. But far from being bogged down by it, Keisha decided not only to embrace it but to celebrate Muscular Dystrophy and other chronic illnesses, giving life to her dream of starting a fashion line.Today, Keisha is a motivational speaker who talks about spreading awareness of Muscular Dystrophy, balancing life with chronic illnesses, raising money for causes, advocating for disability, and other related topics. Keisha has been featured in several media outlets like Good Morning America, The Today Show, ABC News, and more! One of her proudest moments is when she was featured in Today Style Heroes 2018. She was featured with other celebrities like Gabrielle Union, Drew Barrymore, Debra Messing, Mindy Kaling, and more, for her inspired clothing line. Keisha has also been the Massachusetts State Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association(MDA) for two years. She has worked with Massachusetts’ Governor, Charlie Baker, and successfully got September 30th officially proclaimed as Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Day. Further, she also received the proclamation from Mayor Marc McGovern from the city of Cambridge. Website and social media links:

Today I'm talking with Sarah, a multi-passionate entrepreneur and founder of Sorry For Your Boss, ExploraSTORY Studios, and Resinating Designs about leaving toxic work places and bad bosses behind! In this episode, Sarah will be sharing with us some of the gnarliest experiences she’s had in her career from toxic workplaces, to bad bosses, and everything in between. She’ll be sharing her journey in which she worked at burnout levels trying to fit herself into all the boxes that weren’t meant for her only for the universe to keep shoving her repeatedly towards the path she needed to be on - sometimes these shoves felt like a gut punch and were rather unkind. She’ll be talking about the many things that cracked her over and over before reaching a very dark breaking point, and how she began to heal and come back from this dark place. What to Listen For: Multipassionates in the workplace Starting her adult life in the midst of an economic downturn A journey that started with the stress-inducing question, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Trying to fit herself into the box of societal norms and getting pushed out of that box over and over, sometimes in really nasty ways Doing jobs that were mentally and physically draining A few of her experiences with toxic bosses and workplaces "It should have been a red flag from day one." A longtime winning strategy of taking on ALL the responsibilities in every job The shocking reason one boss told her she wouldn’t be receiving a raise "It's not our fault that your husband likes to play video games. He should be able to support you." Employers that tried to cover being bad bosses with random acts of kindness The job that didn’t break her but put the most cracks in place Having the numbers to back up her work, being told she’s doing a good job, but constantly having to train a middle man to be her boss Having her job given to a young man fresh out of college with no experience in the industry or the field Still doing the same work while the new boss was getting paid nearly twice as much to basically go to meetings Packing up her desk and being ready to leave immediately "The entire time that I worked there, I was working all the hours at burnout levels, I was there early in the morning and I was there after everyone left at night, and I was exhausted." Leading a new organization for the same employers "When the problem is a cultural fit, you can't fix that with a different position." How the last year and half of working for this employer went Feeling like the organizational stepchild The wild thing that happened when it came time for her annual review The shocking meeting that she thought was her annual review Her bosses confirmed they’d “lost their passion for it and it had become a point of stress” The part of the meeting she never expected "We think the organization has plateaued. So, we think the only way to break that plateau and have it become like a really great organization would be for us to hire you a boss." Trying to be supportive because she wanted to get back to the work she loved Paying a consultant to confirm a lot of the things she’d been trying to push through for the last several years The consultant’s thoughts on hiring a new boss Hiring and training her own replacement Overhearing a conversation about how she was about to be let go Being offered three weeks severance after 6 years Extra piece for those who read shownotes. Sarah didn’t mention this in the recording but wanted to add an additional instance to the list of bad work days throughout her career. The tale below Sarah lists as probably the worst thing to happen to her in her professional life - but still not her breaking point. “As I drove away from that office for the last time, I felt a lot of things. I felt sadness that I likely wouldn’t see some of my international friends connected to ...

Today I'm talking with Rhonda Daniels, CEO of Natural Radiant Life about building a thriving business after a fall from grace. In this episode, she’ll be sharing her journey towards a business that was always calling her, and all the obstacles she had to push through to get to where she is now, running a business that lights her up alongside friends. You won’t want to miss this one! What to Listen For: Living her best life and having it crash down around her in the 2008 collapse Grieving the loss of this career and life What she would do differently knowing what she knows now "I was grief-stricken and trying to figure out what's the next step, all the while trying to pay bills and do all the things that we have to do." Taking a job to pay the bills and experiencing the worst nine months of her career Getting back into skincare Thinking she’d found her forever job Getting laid off in January 2020 Applying the lessons from her last job loss "I just said, listen, you get the month of February to feel all the feelings, all the things, let them bubble up, let them come out. Scream, cry, curse, whatever you need to do. And on March 1st, I said, okay, it's done. You have to move on. And that doesn't mean that all of the feelings were gone. It just meant that I had to force myself to take the next step." Stepping into the next chapter by sending some emails Where one of those emails ended up Brining in her friends Taking big, bold action Launching a new LLC in the middle of the pandemic Lessons learned from her second job loss "I could have done so much more because I never expected it to end. I was living the life, extravagant trips and cars and all the stuff. And so while I did save some, there was a whole lot more I could have done. And I recognize that." Being prepared for the leap financially, but not emotionally Losses of loved ones and lessons in grief "My father would always say to me, ‘you can't ask ‘why me?’ when it's bad, if you aren't willing to ask ‘why me?’ when it's good.’" How she felt taking the job she didn’t really want Wondering how she got there Knowing that wasn’t all that there was for her Asking herself what she enjoys How working with Avon helped her bring back her confidence and belief in herself Realizing that his prayer was being answered through the people in his life How agreeing to train for a half marathon helped her find a peaceful headspace "Running became cathartic for me. If it was a bad day, if it was a bad week, if things may not have been going the right way, either business-wise or even personally, I could go out for a run and come back and feel refreshed and renewed and okay. I can tackle this thing" A support system of friends Practicing mindfulness to help overcome overthinking How getting angry helps her navigate difficult situations Asking herself the tough questions "I never felt like I was my best self. I was good. I was good enough, but I wasn't my best self. And so when that happened in the midst of the uncertainty and upheaval, as you mentioned, there also was a moment where I thought maybe it's not them, maybe it's me. And maybe there is a calling that I'm ignoring, and that is why this keeps happening to me." An honest conversation with a friend Feeling frustrated when she realized what she wanted but didn’t know how to get it Getting up every day and doing something to get closer to it "I couldn't sit still and just hope that it was going to happen. I had to do something to, you know, bring the universe into alignment." Reaching out to her network to learn how to move forward What she tells herself when she’s feeling unsure about her path Reminding herself of her history to write her next chapter Keeping her inspiration right on her phone so it’s there whenever she needs it Her 24-hour rule and how it helps her feel the feelings without ...

Today we’re talking about navigating seasons of healing, growth, and low self-worth, which are the reasons behind why I took such a long hiatus after season one ended last spring! I’m sharing a bit of what I experienced in my personal life and how that led to some transformational work, and updating you on season two. If you’re navigating a challenging chapter or big life transition, struggling with low self-worth and an inability to show up fully expressed, or you’re ready to make impossible things happen… This season is for you! What to Listen For: Solo episodes going deeper into the topics you want Key lessons I’ve learned through developing my Journey Mapping process My experience taking time off from the podcast and social media “I took a lot of time off between season one and season two, and I took time off from social media, blogging, and making videos because I was going through my own big growth season. This has actually been one of the most transformational seasons of my life, which is saying quite a bit, considering everything I’ve been through.” My journey through trauma and loss and how that turned me inside out How this season of my life has been different in terms of healing and growth “This season, in particular, was one of alignment, really shaking loose anything that was no longer aligned with who I’m here to be in the world.” How purpose is the key focus of Journey Mapping “Purpose is my purpose. Helping others live their purpose and understanding the processes that we need to move through to show up fully aligned and fully expressed. Those are my passions and my work in this life.” How a traumatic loss altered me and my life The health effects of trauma and the causes they put into effect “Traumatic suicide loss left me with PTSD. That PTSD led me into an abusive relationship with an addict, and [all of this] caused my business to die a slow death, leading to me ultimately filing bankruptcy as well as some really serious exhausting and terrifying health issues.” Learning what it takes to truly rise and up come back The ways I’m still uncovering how much of myself I lost “I still didn't realize how much of myself I had lost, how far I had strayed from my truest self, and how much everything had really impacted my sense of self and self-worth. I thought that I was healing and growing and doing so much better—and by many accounts, I was. Relatively.” Making better choices in my life, work, and relationships Moving to the mountains and starting to align my life more fully My first relationship after loss and trauma (and the breakup that followed) How our unraveling showed me that I still had so much work to do “I was still not valuing myself, not respecting and honoring myself, not loving myself enough to believe that I deserved a life that reflected who I am, and a relationship that felt supportive and nurturing in very specific ways based on who I am and what's important to me.” Getting thrust into deeper process work after my breakup Confronting my low self-worth, lack of boundaries, and lingering guilt and shame Leadership training with former podcast guest Colby Tootoosis Discovering Lacy Phillips and To Be Magnetic work “I began to really unpack all of these things, and it was gutting. It was so emotionally intense and revealing and just raw. And I felt so held and so supported.” Diving into shadow work to embrace and own all of myself How core wounding, low self-worth, and shadow work play together Navigating letting go, release, and realignment What self-trust actually looks like “It’s not always seamless. It doesn’t always look like you’re a courageous and brave person. A lot of times, it’s picking yourself up off the floor and giving something a go one more time or moving forward despite the terror and the uncertainty. And I will say that is what a lot of this year has looked like for me.

Today, we’re talking all about the power of persistence, surrender, and faith as we recap some of the amazing highlights from the first season of this podcast and look forward to all the goodness we have coming up for you in season two. We’ve had some incredible guests in this first season, and we can’t wait to share the stories of even more purpose-driven individuals with you in season two, along with more of my own personal journey and teaching on specific topics, processes, and frameworks to help you find healing, uncover your purpose and make the impossible happen in your own life. What to Listen For: Season one is ending Season two coming soon Must-listen (or relisten) moments from season one The power of persistence “Persistence is essential to living our purpose because the path to it is filled with obstacles. It’s challenging beyond belief, and it asks so much more of us than we believe we have to give. We are going to get knocked down.” Stepping into surrender “Surrender is about trust, trust in ourselves to navigate the unraveling as it happens, gathering new insight and information as we go making decisions and choices as we need. And knowing that no matter where we ultimately end up, we are going to be okay, maybe even better.” Leaning into faith “While many have a spiritual or religious relationship to faith, not everyone does faith is about belief in the unseen, but not yet happened. It’s about trusting in something that hasn’t been fully realized or actualized yet. Something we can’t explain. Something that might seem crazy to others.” Resources: Access our free 8-part Journey Mapping™ sampler program and begin uncovering the purpose of your path at www.TalesFromTheJourney.tv/Free/. Read my memoir, Unravel: Rising Up and Coming Back from a Season of Living that Damn Near Killed Me at www.TheUnravelBook.com. Tales from the Journey™ is a Stephenie Zamora Media Production in partnership with the phenomenal producers at Your Voice Better.

Today I'm talking with Kevin Barhydt about overcoming abandonment, abuse, and addiction. Kevin is a YouTube Creator and the author of Dear Stephen Michael's Mother. Listen in as Kevin gets super honest around the compounding traumas that led him to his current path of service. Trauma that including being abandoned by his mother at birth, experiencing sexual abuse starting at age nine, battling addiction by age 11, and living a suicidal lifestyle. Kevin reached a point of dealing drugs and opting for prostitution to pursue his next fix. He's sharing all of this along with the unconventional reason he made massive life changes that brought him to where he is today! What to Listen For: Being abandoned by his mother at birth Being placed in foster care for his first couple of months Getting formally adopted by a loving family How knowing he was adopted impacted his relationships and self-worth "The connection that starts to be made sometimes for not all of us, but many of us is people who love me will leave me. People who love me will relinquish me." Experiencing abuse from his 4H leader at age nine How this affected how he perceived himself and what he's here for How his trauma began to manifest in other areas of his life His dad's heart attack when he was 11, and needing attention the most "When I was probably in need most of 'What's going on with Kevin?' attention, all the attention had to go to dad, and rightly so. Even my attention went to him. But while my attention went to him, I was screaming inside. And then, of course, I was screaming at him because he couldn't help me." His first experience with getting drunk at 11 years old Stealing pills from his father to get high and avoid feeling Ending up on the streets and turning to prostitution as a result of addiction Dropping out of high school in 10th grade His brain functioning so poorly he couldn't spell his last name Going back to school and starting to take care of his physical body Realizing through therapy that he'd been abused Understanding that the things that happened to him aren't his identity "The trauma had compounded so many times by then that unraveling that, or even addressing that was in fits and starts. It was really hard and painful, but that's where the healing began." How addiction made him feel he didn't have worth or value His master plan to stop using drugs and alcohol for one year, and the unconventional why behind this decision Going through withdrawal when he stopped using How coming out of the fog of drugs and alcohol affected his mental state "All of a sudden, without the drugs and alcohol, the lights came on, the window opened a little bit, and I saw the prostitution. I saw the degradation, and I saw what I'd become very clearly. And without the scrim of the addiction, I just wanted to die." Feeling like he should never have existed at his bottom Getting to know himself on the other side of addiction Understanding that he is a mystery that needed unraveling, but that he couldn't do it alone Talking with his sponsor about not feeling a spiritual connection His personal prayer that he prayed every day Realizing that his prayer was being answered through the people in his life His little hopes along his journey Slipping in some of his routines after 12 years sober and finding himself lost and confused four years later "I remember sitting in that apartment in Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. My beautiful wife and two kids sleeping in the other room. It's three in the morning. I'm in the kitchen, looking out this beautiful on this beautiful street, and I've got a straight razor in my hand. And I'm trying to say, Kevin, just do it. Just go. And I hadn't had a drop to drink." How getting fired from his corporate job turned out to be the best thing that could have happened Calling his sponsor and going to a meeting