Join me this week for this special sunrise edition of waking up with nature!

To me, there is nothing as peaceful as being immersed in nature, and today we do this together as I talk about the wildlife in my little part of the world and what it teaches me.

During this recording, I saw several flocks of ducks take flight from the pond in front of me, a glorious number of over twenty ducks in just forty minutes!

The red-winged blackbirds brought the beautiful background music as the sun peeked up quietly before being covered in clouds.

Stick around to learn some amazing facts about the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher! If you have not observed this bird in the wild, it’s high time you do! And though they are not as numerous in central Missouri, Jenna and I recently were lucky to watch several Flycatchers in action!

Last but not least, I finish this episode with a poem I wrote while sitting in nature the other day, called “The More That I Listen”. 🙂

*Next week, there will not be a new podcast episode due to my week-long cycling trip! See you all in two weeks!

Join me today as I talk about one of my favorite subjects ever… OUR BRAIN!

I have been learning from Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s new book, “Whole Brain Living”, and I am super excited to share how I am applying it to my life!

I discuss:

• The 4 parts of the brain

• The function of each part

• Understanding this can empower us to choose how we want to respond to each situation

• Why I don’t believe it should be about “Republicans vs. Democrats."

• How a mini cupcake gave me insight into my own brain

If you make it to the end of the episode, there is a real special treat for you! I act out a skit of a real scenario that happened to me last week while substitute teaching. 🙂 Zellle even makes sure to get in on the fun!

Here are the links to learn more about Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor!

Dr.Jill Bolte Taylor Interview Podcast

Whole Brain Living Book on Amazon

Her book is also available in quite a few other places, so feel free to check out your local bookstore and support small businesses!

This week, I am incredibly honored and excited to share this episode, in which my friend and favorite barista, Russ Powers, shares his journey from self-destruction to redesigning his whole life.

You won’t be disappointed. Russ opens up about his struggle with addiction that began as a child, lasted many years into adulthood, and eventually brought him to the brink of death. After he finally surrendered and decided to face the dark reality of his life, he slowly began learning a new way forward.

Healing isn’t linear, and in Russ’s story, we learn that we can choose every day to continue rewiring our brains, or we can choose to live unaware and fall back into unhealthy patterns.

This episode is well worth your time, and I enjoyed every single minute of this conversation.

Russ is the real deal. This authentic, hopeful, truth-telling interview inspired and reminded me that we really can have the kind of life we want if we are willing first to believe and then start taking small steps toward the future we want.

All the ways to connect with Russ!

Contact Russ through his email at russell@realitybydesign.net

Click the link below to purchase a copy of Russ’s book on Amazon today! There is also an app you can purchase on the App Store, called Reality By Design, that pairs beautifully with the book!

amazon.com/Reality-By-Design

If you or anyone you know is looking for life insurance or mortgage protection, check out Oak Harbor Finance at Oak Harbor Finance on Facebook!

Need a professional website built that doesn’t break the bank? Head to powerscreative.co to see all the great options Russ offers!

Coming soon, Russ will be launching his new solar business, smarthaven.house. If you are interested in some super cool solar solutions to prepare you for rising energy prices, this website is where you can explore all the possibilities!

And last but certainly not least, don’t forget to swing by LoveCraft Farms - Kombucha + Coffee, off of Sunshine, Friday or Saturday between 8 am and 2 pm to get the world’s most delicious coffee!

I realize our country is a complete shit show right now. I also realize that sometimes we need to disengage and care for our mental health. Today’s episode is exactly for that.

If you need to kick back, breathe, and laugh, this episode is for you.

If you love animals like crazy, this episode is for you.

If you enjoy silliness, stories, and a mom and her girls cutting up, you’re in the right place.

My teenage daughters bring absolute joy to this episode with their delightful animal stories and open-hearted, refreshing honesty.

In the midst of hardship and heartbreak, we all deserve to take moments to laugh and remember that there is still so much beauty in life to enjoy!

Huge hugs to all my animal lovers and their lovely animals!

This week I share a story of how my messy teen helped me discover some deeply unhealed parts of myself. Learning to parent our children in a completely different way than we were parented can be so exhausting, confusing, and difficult.

I discuss:

- my relationship with constant, high stress

- the book I am reading that is helping me change my brain

- how journaling opened my understanding

- why messes trigger me so bad

- the importance of setting boundaries

- the incredible conversation we had with our teen

- how I am learning to balance the things I "see"

- my advice to other parents who want to break the unhealthy parenting cycle and write their own story

Join me and my two amazing partners, Nate and Jenna, as we share our thoughts about the recent public premiere of my documentary, “From Cult to Queer.”

This episode is a delightful, laid-back conversation that covers our experience at this event and what we loved most.

We discuss:

• Why I do not want to move to Hawaii

• What we loved about the premiere

• Our favorite highlight

• Where we plan to go from here with the documentary

• How we move forward and make decisions in our lives

• The importance of never settling for less than what feels peaceful

• The story of choosing the home we have now

Please check out and follow us on our documentary socials!

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587813077335

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/fromculttoqueer/

Search the episodes to find and listen to the life story of Taylor Brown (director of From Cult to Queer)

"Healing with Compassion" #67 - a meaningful, vulnerable conversation with my dear friend Taylor Brown

“The Freedom Of Being A Failure” - #108 A brave, in-depth conversation about several controversial, religious concepts with Taylor Brown - and why he continues to speak up

Today, I am super pumped to share some fascinating wisdom with you that has the power to transform your “actual” life! Join me as I read several pages from my new favorite book, “Reality By Design” by Russell L. Powers.

The concepts I talk about today:

• Your personality is your personal reality - and how knowing this can help you change your reality.

• The power is in the present moment - why it’s so important for us to keep coming back to the present moment, for us to create the change we desire.

• Your beliefs are just thoughts - why we believe our beliefs are true and how we can completely change our lives by releasing old, limiting beliefs.

To dive deeper into these principles, check out the authors that Russell Powers learned from:

Joe Dispenza

Vadim Zeland

Napoleon Hill

Jim Rohn

Earl Nightingale

James Allen

Neville Goddard

I will be gone next week, so there will not be a podcast episode on March 4th.

Head over to Alamo Drafthouse Cinema to grab your tickets for the March 7th public premiere of my documentary, “From Cult to Queer”! Click the link below!

https://drafthouse.com/springfield/event/live-q-a-from-cult-to-queer

This week I share about the important but difficult balance of loving our children while also still loving ourselves.

Coming out late in life and completely changing our family dynamics was hard on my kids - and rightly so. Over the years, I have worked really hard to make space for my kids to have their feelings and be able to voice their struggles. But carrying all of their pain and my own insecurities can get really heavy.

If you came out late in life and have older children, this episode is for you. It’s important to know we aren’t alone in this crazy adventure. Though it is tempting at times to give up and go back to what makes everyone comfortable, it’s vital that we continue to honor ourselves.

Loving and embracing our truest self is the very best thing we can do for our kids.

Check out my new website page dedicated to my documentary film, “From Cult to Queer.”

https://www.freedomforthetaking.org/fromculttoqueer

Click here to follow my FB documentary page:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587813077335

Click here to follow my Instagram documentary account:

https://www.instagram.com/fromculttoqueer/