Good people, 

In today's episode, I'm joined by the CEO and founder of The Practicing Mind Institute, author, podcaster, and mindset maven, Thomas Sterner. As a teenager, Thomas was very creative. Yet, he lacked discipline, so once the initial enthusiasm for starting something new dissipated, he would look for something else, leaving that initial project unfinished. It took him some time, but he realized he was reacting to behaviors installed in his subconscious mind.

Thomas' truth was to realize he was the producer of his thoughts, not his thoughts. This revelation, rarely seen in teenagers, helped Thomas become an observer of his thoughts and gave him an advantage in his personal and professional life. Eventually, he became an expert in Present Moment Functioning, which allowed him to bring clarity to thousands of people, including CEOs, elite athletes, and high-performing individuals.

Throughout our conversation, Thomas shares how his early awakening helped him become an observer of his thoughts and his experiences sharing this knowledge with teenagers and peers. You'll also hear about the heart and mind connection, how meditation can help you become aware of your thoughts, why Thomas believes we can find many answers in the quantum theory, and more.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• A bit about Thomas' background and his truth (2:43)
• How Thomas' life changed when he became aware he and his thoughts are two separate things (6:08)
• Thomas talks about his inspiration for writing his books (9:13)
• "It's just a thought." Thomas talks about his second book (14:08)
• Being reactive is giving away your freedom to others (18:19)
• Learn how to recognize you are not in the present moment (25:18)
• There is no such a thing as "failed meditation" (29:59)
• How to tune in the right frequency (34:23)

First Impressions:

• Stress (39:08)
• Music (39:19)
• Thinking (39:23)
• Thought (39:28)
• Emotion (39:33)
• Improvisation (39:42)
• Thomas Sterner (39:47)

Connect with Thomas:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Book: Thomas Sterner - t’s Just a Thought: Emotional Freedom through Deliberate Thinking
• Book: Thomas Sterner - The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life, Master Any Skill or Challenge by Learning to Love the Process

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Good People,

Today I'm joined by the Master Mind-Body Energy Medicine practitioner and best-selling author of "Vibrational UPgrade," Dr. Alison J. Kay. Moved by her innate sense of abundance and adventure, Dr. Alison traveled the world aiming to get rid of the feeling of being caged she had carried for decades. On one of her trips to Taiwan, she discovered how energy and consciousness work together holistically to create health and vibrancy, thriving in mind, body, and spirit. 

Dr. Alison Kay's truth was the understanding and the acceptance that there is a lot more abundance to be lived and learning how to experience financial, relational, and health abundance through inner work. 

Throughout our conversation, a primer on how our inner world works, we delve into the different mind states and how understanding their nuances can facilitate and improve our lives. Dr. Alison Kay shares plenty of golden nuggets on nutrition, mindfulness practices, and breathing. 

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About Dr. Alison's truth (3:12)
• The safest place to start our mindfulness journey (9:55)
• 85% of our choices are made by our subconscious mind (16:05)
• All matter vibrates. The importance of what we put in our bodies (21:30)
• The multiple benefits of paying attention to how we breathe (26:31)

First Impressions:

• Feminine energy (34:54)
• Masculine energy (34:59)
• Vegan (35:04)
• Heart chakra (35:09)
• Leader (35:17)
• Mind (35:24)
• Brain (35:34)
• Alison J. Kay (35:49)

Connect with Dr. Alison:

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Good People, 

Today I'm joined by the talented and beautiful Tanika Ray, mother, TV host, creator and producer, and host of the Mamaste with Tanika Ray podcast. The former host of TV shows like Ready To Love, Ladies Who List, and Extra joins us to reveal the truth that changed her life once she embraced it, talk about the biggest fallacy of motherhood, and how to manage stress. 

Tanika's truth was to realize that being somebody else for somebody else wasn't enough anymore. After seven years of living the dream, being famous, and "being on the top," Tanika was at her lowest and feeling miserable. She realized she needed a massive change in her life. 

Throughout our conversation, we explore the dark side of showbiz, the dangers of neglecting our mental health, and the oppressive reality single mothers have to deal with. Tanika also talks about the biggest fallacy of motherhood, why we should turn self-care into some sort of ritualistic habits, the importance of being proactive and moving our bodies, and more. 

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• About Tanika's truth (3:31)
• Just because people know you, it doesn't mean you don't have problems (6:32)
• About life choices made to soothe childhood wounds (11:19)
• The biggest fallacy of motherhood (15:48)
• Tanika's advice to the mothers out there (20:24)
• Keys to managing stress (30:27)

First Impressions

• Momma (37:58)
• Papi (38:01)
• Husband (38:18)
• Wife (38:24)
• Celebrity (38:32)
• Dance (38:35)
• Exercise (38:37)
• Freedom (38:41)

Connect with Tanika:

• Mamaste with Tanika Ray Podcast
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• YouTube

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Throwback episode:

Good People, 

Today I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Linda Carroll. She’s a therapist, couple’s coach, and author of the book Love Skills. 

Linda dives deep into her personal truth: that “love” is just a chemical reaction, and healthy relationships truly take a lot of work. We also dove into conversations around the COVID-19 pandemic and how it’s affecting our personal relationships and exaggerating certain aspects of our lives. Going deeper, Linda shares about how being in a relationship isn’t the most important thing; it’s about being in a relationship with yourself. 

As always, thank you for tuning in. I’ll see you in the next one. 

Some Questions I Ask: 

• Does the cycle ever start over? (18:06)
• What do you want folks to learn from Love Skills? (20:01)
• What do you say to those that say they’re not in love with their spouses anymore? (22:02)
• What are the most common relationship issues? (26:34)
• How can people reach out to you? (38:42)

In This Episode, You Will Learn: 

• What falling deeply in love for the first time taught Linda. (4:37)
• The 5 stages to wholeheartedly loving your partner. (11:35)
• How Linda’s book took shape over time. (20:53)
• Why improving relationships cannot be done on a pre-determined schedule. (23:12)
• Why nurturing the relationship between the client and therapist is essential for growth. (25:28)
• How anger can lead to self-exploration. (29:37)

Connect with Linda Carroll: 

Website

Email

Instagram

LinkedIn

Resources: 

Love Skills by Linda Carroll

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Good People,

Today, I'm joined by the Movement Master, Author, and Recovery Advocate, Steven Washington. In his "previous life," Steven had a successful career as a contemporary dancer at New York City Opera, Metropolitan Opera, and Broadway in Disney's The Lion King. To deal with the anxiety caused by performing at that level, plus a rooted sense of not enoughness, Steven relied on drugs and alcohol and became an addict. After over 20 years of sobriety, Steven sees his addiction as a blessing in disguise, an opportunity to have another life. 

Steven's truth is to realize he is enough, that he has always been, and once he fully embraced that idea, he experienced a massive breakthrough and a profound transformation.  

Our conversation revolves around Steven's first meeting with his truth, his recovery from addiction, and the decision to explore, learn and experience Traditional Eastern medicine and become a practitioner. We also talk about his book, "Recovering You," his love for Qigong and the energy he can generate through its practice, how complementary and different Western and Eastern medicine are, and so much more. 

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• About Steven's truth and how acknowledging it changed his life (3:06)
• Becoming a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner (5:14)
• The arduous process of writing a book and why we must be flexible with our goals (7:54)
• Steven explains what Qigong is and how it changed his life (11:47)
• The instrumental role of community and connection in dealing with any issue (19:08)
• Eastern and Western medicine and their different approach to health (26:26)

First Impressions:

• Love (28.42)
• Addiction (28.47)
• Truth (28:55)
• Breath (28:59)
• Heaven (29:04)
• Hell (29:11)
• Qigong (29:45)
• Smile (29:50)

Resources:

• Steven Washington website
• Book: Steven Washington - Recovering You: Soul Care and Mindful Movement for Overcoming Addiction

Connect with Steven:

• Instagram
• YouTube

Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Throwback Episode:

This week’s Truth Prescription features the annual Holiday Truth from Dr. Seku. He delivers a quick dose of truth, sharing insight on his recent reflections about the moments when he experiences fear in his life.

Inspired from a verse from the song “Living the Light” (by, a close friend and season 1 guest, Evrythng Cost featuring Heather Hayes) that talks about the importance of owning the truth and trusting the outcome, Dr. Seku talks about those fearful moments and what he does overcome them. Tune into our last episode of 2018!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Throwback Episode: Good people,

Today's episode is the continuation of my conversation with Chris Hope, National Collegiate champion with Florida State University, Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and author of the book P.R.O.S.

In this second part of our conversation, we talked about Chris' project, the I See Hope For the Future academy, where he aims to teach young athletes to be professionals in the field and in every aspect of their lives. From how to dress and talk properly to manage their finances, Chris' idea is to be who he needs to be. 

He also shared his view on the incongruence of being successful at one thing and terrible in all the rest. For him, it makes no sense being a spectacular athlete and a terrible husband, or brother, or son. 

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• True professionals excel in every area of their lives (4:12)
• For an athlete, their body is their corporation (8:30)
• How we do one thing is how we do everything (11:15)
• The things young athletes need to be taught (15:42)
• We tend to get caught in what we see (17:40)

Yes or BS:

1. Children owe everything to their parents (21:06)
2. Pro athletes need a coach, other than the team coach (21:48)
3. Jerome "The Bus" is the hardest hitting running back you ever faced (21:58)
4. Women are smarter than men (24:32)
5. Kaepernick is misunderstood (25:05)
6. Setting boundaries gets easier with practice (26:57)

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: Chris Hope - P.R.O.S: Parents Relying on Their Seeds 

Connect with Chris:

• Instagram
• Twitter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Throwback Episode: Good people, 

Today I'm joined by Chris Hope, National Collegiate champion with Florida State University, Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and author of the book P.R.O.S. 

Chris Hope's truth is about setting boundaries with his family and loved ones as a famous and wealthy professional NFL player. We had a fantastic conversation about success and fame, what happens after we reach them, and the pressure of being the family's savior. In this first part of the interview, he described the feedback he got from his family and friends after exposing profound truths about the sorrow and the pain he felt during his career, many times inflicted by his own intimate circle. 

We also talked about how our culture and society influence successful elite athletes and the impact that pressure has on African American families. 

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The things we do to solve problems we know of (7:11)
• What we think money can fix, but it can't (9:49)
• Realizing his book wasn't just another athlete's book (13:20)
• Correct and then heal (16:22)
• What society expects (demands) from elite athletes (19:04)
• Learning the difference between feelings and emotions and how to deal with them (28:31)

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: Chris Hope - P.R.O.S: Parents Relying on Their Seeds 

Connect with Chris:

• Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Good People, 

On today’s 2019 throwback episode, I want to talk to you about the concept of My Truth versus The Truth because sometimes we hear people say, “My truth is this, or that”, but the fact is that our truth is not always the actual truth. Instead, it could be a lie or something that we tell ourselves to avoid what is actually true. 

I’ve seen this happening with everyone around me, including myself, and it’s not until we delve into the actual truth, that we can start to see what’s real. Accepting the naked truth is difficult for the world, but with practice and time, we can all be set free by it.

Host: Dr. Seku Gathers

Resources:

The path made clear – Oprah Winfrey

Time stamps:

[01:41] According to a 19th century legend, the Truth and the Lie met one day. The Lie convinced the Truth to take a bath, naked, in a well, for the sole purpose of stealing her clothes. Once the Truth saw she was deceived by someone who considered a friend, she furiously started looking for the Lie, naked as she was, all around the world. People everywhere turned their gaze away, looking at the poor Truth with contempt and rage. She felt ashamed walking naked and returned to the well, never to be seen again. Since then, the Lie travels around the world, dressed as the Truth, satisfying the needs of the society.

[03:19] The truth is something universal, that no matter who you are, or where you are in the world, is going to be true. There are things about ourselves that are 100% true, that maybe we’re not aware of or we’re ignoring. For example, one unequivocal truth for me is that I was sabotaging my success, whether it would be in relationships, in business, or in my medical career. Whenever I took five steps forward, immediately managed to take five or even six steps back.

[04:46] I noticed this truth about me when I started journaling because it helped me see a pattern in my behavior and things that were happening over and over again. I recognized that this was an actual fact, and I accepted it, regardless of how I felt about it, and only then, I was able to change for the better.

[07:04] One other thing that is helpful in accepting the truth and not ignoring it by creating your personal truth, is meditation. This requires practice, patience and time – it may take years before you can get to a state where you can understand things from a deeper place, but the rewards can be fulfilling. Therapy and really good friends could also help you find the truth since these are all people who really care about you and have no fight in the game, other than to help you be better.

[08:15] Try to focus as much as you can on the actual truth of things because you can make great progress in your endeavors and the path will become clearer.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Good people,

Today I am joined by Kimberly Spencer - filmmaker, actor, writer, entrepreneur, coach, and podcaster. Not only do Kimberly and I have a lot in common professionally, but we were also both previous self-sabotagers that have harnessed the power within us to help ourselves and others. Kimberly’s personal experience and authenticity are refreshing. She inspires, motivates, and coaches her clients using what she has learned from her personal development to help others to find their truth. 

Kimberly’s truth is that she realized she was a people pleaser and had to learn the importance of self-love. Feeling pressure to be perfect can be overwhelming and causes people to blame themselves for just being human. Throughout our conversation, Kimberly shares the story of her eating disorder, her journey to self-love, and how we can turn feelings into a choice. 

In This Episode You Will Learn

• What is Plagiarized Programming? (15:41)
• How acting and improv school helped Kimberly heal (26:42)
• How we can turn feelings into a choice (30:42)
• Being a victim vs. having a victim mindset (33:08)
• What is just world bias and why is it important for high performers? (34:40)
• The importance of intentionality (44:14)

Connect with Kimberly 

• Website 
• Personal Instagram
• Crown Yourself Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Good People 2018 Throwback

On today’s episode, I want to talk to you about leadership. Specifically, what makes a great leader? It’s not somebody who is the most charismatic or knows all the best leadership theories. For me, when I think about leadership, I think about truth and spirit. 

When you think of a great leader, who comes to mind? Gandhi? Former President Barak Obama? Malcolm X? With all these people, there’s one thing that they all commonly embody: they are what they preach. They live their own teachings and galvanize others to inspire them to great heights. We’re all leaders in our own way, but to be a great leader means living out what you speak out. 

Host: Dr. Seku Gathers

Time Stamps: 

[02:40] Lead with the Spirit of Truth: The idea behind what makes a great leader is the spirit of truth. Essentially, whatever the message is inside of a person that needs external manifestation, that message is in alignment with both their words and action. To be a great leader, you have to live what you profess, both out in the world and in the hidden places. When nobody’s watching, that’s when a true leader is created and born. If your words, deeds, and actions are in alignment no matter who’s watching, it makes that message so much more powerful. 

[4:30] Be Your Own Leader: Each of us is a leader of our own life. You don’t have to be a president, CEO, or celebrity. No matter what your role is, the best way for all of us to be the greatest leaders is to make sure that the inside and outside match. When those things align, you can look in the mirror at yourself and think, “I’m going to follow that guy.” 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.