Category

Mental Health

Jan 18
Love21

Matthew Brownstein

By Author, Faith, Mental Health, Personal Growth, Philosophy, Science No Comments

This episode is sponsored by:

Matthew has traveled the world in pursuit of universal truths that all religions seem to point toward. Hypnotherapy, when performed in safe environments with medical supervision, can guide humans to a sense of peace that Matthew strives daily to share with the world. Take comfort in the years of research he is willing to bring to the table and offer free to anyone who takes the challenge to look deeper inside themselves and simply sit.

In this episode:

  • Matthew’s Spiritual Awakening: His Doorway to Hypnotherapy
  • Guiding Ourselves Out of Fear and Back to Love
  • Samyak Darshan: The Soul’s First Glimpse of Itself
  • Meditation: The Universal Truth of Just Sitting
  • Living in India: A Spiritual Center of Humanity
  • Medical Miracles and the Importance of Willingness
  • Matthew’s Spiritual Mission

Watch the video version here:

Quotations:

“Our childhood is a huge part of those blockages. So, if we’re not willing to look and acknowledge that we have a personal self that needs work like we need some healing to occur- If we don’t want to look at that, all we’re really doing is delaying something that I believe inevitably needs to occur, which is eventually we’re gonna let go of what we’re not, find out who we really are, let go of all that fear, and return to love. It’s really a simple model.” – Matthew Brownstein

“And the more I stay in the present moment, I realize: There’s love right here! There’s joy right here! It doesn’t require actions. It doesn’t require getting new things. It doesn’t require anything but being immensely present in the moment.” – Matthew Brownstein

 “One of the things I do is even these conversations. The centerpiece of this entire podcast is that sharing our stories unlocks the essence of being alive for all of us.” – Gary Scott Thomas

“Literally, the simplest teachings which can lead you to the most profound realizations and the most profound experiences is Sit Still. Five Minutes. Morning and Evening. Sit with a straight spine. Watch your breath. You can count your breaths from 1-10 and then start again at 1. And if all you did were that, you’d be doing what some of the most advanced Zen Monks are doing all around the world: Just sitting. So, In Zen practice, (…) one of the most refined versions of Buddhism is Zen Buddhism. And that’s not theistic in any way. It doesn’t go against Christianity because a Zen Meditator just sits down and sits. And actually, that’s just, ‘Be still and know that I am God.’” – Matthew Brownstein

“I realized the mind is the cause of human suffering. Like, we are just causing so much pain and distress unnecessarily because we have these untrained minds that don’t know how to tap into peace. So for me, instead of just focusing on the problem, I decided to focus on the solution, which, really, again, is the mind. So, as long as I know that I’m doing something to relieve suffering, then it’s nowhere near as devastating.” – Matthew Brownstein

“Miracles absolutely do occur. Yet what you’re talking about is the essence of it. We need to be in a state of miracle-mindedness and miracle-readiness. So the attitude is everything.” – Matthew Brownstein

“I’ll be on the meditation cushion, and God is like, ‘Alright, go write that book.’ I’m like, No! I just want to meditate. ‘Nope. Go write the book.’ Eventually, you just have to listen.” – Matthew Brownstein

Guest’s Bio:

  • CEO and Founder, Anahat Education Group, Inc.
  • Executive Director, Institute of Interpersonal Hypnotherapy
  • President, International Association of Interpersonal Hypnotherapy
  • Founder, Interpersonal NLP Society
  • Co-Founder, Illuminated Mind Podcast
  • Founder, IGE Networking Groups
  • Founder, Anahat Education Group’s Life Mastery Course
  • Founder, The Anahat Meditation System, and OnlineMonastery.com 
  • Publisher, Silent Light Publishers
  • Author, The Sacred Geometry of Meditation
  • Author, Interpersonal Hypnotherapy
  • Author, The Sutras on Healing and Enlightenment
  • Author, The Anahat Meditation System
  • Author, Peace Under All Circumstances
  • Keynote Speaker
  • Former Member, The Starchild Project
  • Teacher, A Course in Miracles
  • Master NLP Practitioner and Trainer
  • Certified Clinical and Transpersonal Hypnotherapist
  • Reiki Practitioner – Levels I and II
  • Attended University of Florida – Religion and Philosophy
  • Attended Florida School of Acupuncture
  • Attended Southwest Acupuncture College
  • Over 25,000 Hours of Hypnotherapy Classroom Training and Private Practice since 1997

Matthew J. Brownstein’s journey into spirituality, health, and healing began in 1992 with a profound spiritual awakening that made him seek the truths of all the world’s great wisdom traditions.  This sudden shift into a spiritual view of life led Matthew to change his major in college to Philosophy. Yet, in time it became clear to him that Philosophy was too intellectual and did not offer the direct experiences that he sought for.  Changing his major to Religion, Matthew soon discovered Mysticism and the more esoteric branches, which led to his increased spiritual experiences.  Not knowing what to do with this knowledge, he went to his first Acupuncture College to learn more about how energy blockages keep us from health, wholeness, and spiritual realization.

Matthew also studied Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Southwest College of Acupuncture, yet soon found Hypnotherapy and NLP and became fascinated with the mind’s ability to heal the body, clear emotional blocks, and restore one to their true self as Spirit.  This led to a journey into Hypnotherapy which became a huge foundation of Matthew’s Life’s Work.  Matthew’s primary inspiration and mentor for Hypnotherapy has been the late great Mr. Gil Boyne.

Matthew has in-depth training in Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Massage, Nutrition, Shiatsu, Reiki Levels I & II, Herbology, Homeopathy, Hypnotherapy, Breathwork, NLP, Yoga, Tai Chi, Chi Kung, Tai Chi Chih, Meditation, Past-Life Regression, Life-Between-Life Regression, Analytical Hypnotherapy, Hypnoanalysis, Gestalt, Ho’oponopono, and Radical Forgiveness.

Matthew is a monk at heart.  He has lived for over five years in spiritual settings, such as The Temple of the Universe with Michael “Mickey” A. Singer, Zen Mountain Monastery with John Daido Loori, and Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health.  Matthew has studied and practiced Yoga, specifically Ashtanga and Kripalu.  He has practiced Tai Chi and Chi Kung through the teachings of Cheng Man Ching with the Yang Style Short Form.  Today, however, Matthew’s primary form of meditation is The Anahat Meditation System and A Course in Miracles.

Matthew opened his first Hypnotherapy practice in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, in 1997 and has since logged over 25,000 hours in the classroom and private practice.  He opened the Florida Institute of Hypnotherapy in 2007, with the help of Mr. Gil Boyne, and became the first licensed Hypnotherapy School in Florida.  Around 2011, the school moved to Tampa, Florida, and has now grown to become The Institute of Interpersonal Hypnotherapy, with teachers and practitioners that now span the globe.  Matthew has taught hypnotherapy in Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, New York, California, Washington State, Utah, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Costa Rica.

Worth noting about Matthew is his involvement with the late Lloyd Pye and The Starchild Project.  The Project attempted to prove or disprove the theory that a 900-year-old carbon-dated bone skull was of extraterrestrial origin.  Matthew was considered by Lloyd Pye to be the “Businessman” for the team, as Matthew formed the legal and corporate structure for the massive fundraising endeavor.  When Lloyd Pye passed, Matthew began more radio interviews, scientific experiments, lectures, and fundraising efforts.  Within two years, with the help of other team members, the Project succeeded, yet the scientific report which concluded the Project said that the skull was indeed human.  The Project was a success even though we were all hoping that the skull was otherworldly.  The skulls (Starchild and Female Companion) were returned to Mexico, where they originated from, and The Starchild Project team was dismantled.  For the final results, please visit https://thefieldreportscom.wordpress.com/2017/05/23/final-results-determining-if-the-starchild-skull-is-part-alien/.

Matthew always considered himself a monk, yet his mission kept calling him back into the world.  He, therefore, established OnlineMonastery.com to support himself and others in a monastic path that is lived in the world.  The Anahat Meditation System has become the foundation for Online Monastery, along with Matthew’s Meditations on Higher Consciousness, Peace Under All Circumstances, Out-of-Body Travel Teachings, Tantric Sexuality Teachings, and Advanced Teachings on Samadhi Meditation.

For 2022, Matthew’s projects include:

  • Basic and Master NLP Training through the Interpersonal NLP Society
  • Online Life Mastery Course Training
  • Online A Course in Miracles Training
  • Online Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Training
  • Continued growth of the Institute of Interpersonal Hypnotherapy
  • Rebranding all books and products, including new graphics for The Sacred Geometry of Meditation
  • An awesome May 2022 IAIH Online Conference called Synthesis

Matthew is available for private Hypnotherapy, Coaching, Mentoring, or Life Mastery sessions online through Zoom at $500 per hour.  Sessions usually run for two hours.  Please reach out to the Institute to inquire.

Website:

About Matthew J. Brownstein

Nov 16
Love19

David Taylor-Klaus

By Author, Faith, Mental Health, Personal Growth, Philosophy No Comments

This episode is sponsored by:

In this intense yet uplifting conversation, David Taylor-Klaus is open and honest with Gary about his suicide attempt and what he does now to keep himself on track. This episode will make you think while also lifting you up.

In this episode:

  • Internal self-awareness
  • External self-awareness
  • Being a thought leader
  • Ticking people off
  • Whether or not it’s ok for your family to judge you
  • Attempting suicide
  • The impact Hurricane Katrina had on him
  • The problem with the term “Work/Life Balance”
  • Why you can’t separate work and life
  • Being in a relationship with what you’re doing

Quotations:

“How I got here was by being a cautionary tale. Wisdom comes from making some screaming mistakes and doing it the wrong way for a long, long. And so all of the wisdom I’ve amassed comes from beating my forehead against the wall over and over and over again for a really long time.” ~David Taylor-Klaus

“When you’re not aware of your, of your wake, you can do some damage.” ~David Taylor-Klaus

“When you own those F-ups, when you own the negative impact, when you own the icky, unintended impact, then you can clean it up.” ~David Taylor-Klaus

“For every one person who has a bad experience, they’re 10 quietly happy people.” ~David Taylor-Klaus

“To truly be a thought leader, you’re going to be a target because you’re going to tick people off because thought leaders are willing to stand in the fire and talk about what they believe, and not everybody’s going to believe the same thing. And so people are going to be ticked off.” ~David Taylor-Klaus

“What we remember of someone or what we see of someone and how we judge someone is always through the lens of who we are. It almost has nothing to do with who they are.” ~David Taylor-Klaus

“Not everybody actually lives their values, and part of what happens is the energy drain, and living in constant discomfort can come from living a life that’s out of sync with your values.” ~David Taylor-Klaus

“Humor’s one of the ways I cope with the world, good, bad, or ugly.” ~David Taylor-Klaus

“Children of parents who commit suicide are 50 times more likely to attempt suicide in their life.” ~David Taylor-Klaus

“The work has to be for you. It has to be for yourself, which was the tipping point for me when the work became for me, when staying became for me, when I realized I had something to give, something to do, some impact to have, I was here for a reason.” ~David Taylor-Klaus

“Clinical depression is feeling sad when things are going well, and it’s inexplicable to someone who, pleasantly for them, has never experienced it. It’s when everything looks fabulous, and you feel like you can’t move.” ~David Taylor-Klaus

“There is so much to offer this world because normalizing mental health struggles is the next front.” ~David Taylor-Klaus

“Words create worlds. The language we use is indicative of what’s going on inside, and it shapes our reality. And the phrase work-life balance is so awful. It’s just awful.” ~David Taylor-Klaus

“When we measure our success with the number of zeros we have in the bank, what happens when you wake up on October 30th, 1929, and you got zero in the bank? Holy crap, right? It’s not about the money you have, it’s about who you are and what you know and what you’re able to do.” ~David Taylor-Klaus

Guest’s Bio:

David’s personal and professional worlds clearly reflect a journey in pursuit of excellence, always with a great deal of humor and heart. He is known for his sharp intellect and incisive ability to see and say what others do not. He balances fierce candor with genuine compassion … aka “an iron fist in a velvet glove.”

Whether working with individuals or teams or speaking to large groups, David believes that a powerful leader exists in each of us; his goal is to empower others to unearth and unleash their own leadership mastery. From personal experience, he drives home the importance for all professionals to take an active, intentional, and dynamic role in their private and professional lives.

The mission of DTK Coaching is to reintroduce successful business people to their families and the world outside the office.

Through an informed, well-applied process and an inspired approach, David’s clients overcome the overwhelming aspects of succeeding in business and being a part of a family. DTK Coaching helps them create the kind of Life-Work Balance they only dared to imagine was possible while also achieving dramatic shifts in their performance.

David’s insight and wisdom are built on his three decades as a successful serial entrepreneur.

Prior to establishing DTK Coaching, he was CEO of Digital Positions (DP), an internet strategy and web development firm he co-founded in 1995 and sold in 2009. As a strategist, he worked with C-level executives, senior management teams, and boards of directors to broaden their perspective and see how interactive initiatives support corporate visions and values for positive growth.

It was during this time, however, that David realized that his success came from being reactive rather than proactive and that he wasn’t participating consciously as a husband, father, business partner, or entrepreneur.  As he headed toward rock bottom, David had a significant wake-up call that ultimately resulted in DTK Coaching. 

(It’s a great story… read how really bad it got)

Recent empty-nesters (a status modified due to the pandemic), David and his wife, Elaine, live in the heart of Atlanta with their dogs. A gold-medal rower in the 2004 Georgia State Games, an avid cyclist, and an enthusiastic wine collector (and drinker), David also enjoys kickboxing, really great jokes, and laughing with others … and at himself.

Guest’s Contact Info:

Home New

Nov 09
Love18

Lynn Abaté-Johnson

By Author, Caregiving, Grief, Mental Health, Personal Growth, Philosophy No Comments

This episode is sponsored by:

In this brutally honest conversation, Lynn Abaté-Johnson gets candid about her journey as a caregiver and talks about how she was able to finally care for herself the way she cared for her mom in her final years. We also talked about her recently released book Out of Love where she chronicles her journey and provides resources and systems for caregivers.

In this episode:

  • Being a caregiver while juggling her career
  • Keeping it a secret
  • Turning her mom’s cancer diagnosis into a “business”
  • Why she put the book on pause
  • Removing the hustle mindset
  • Being a caregiver while juggling being a wife
  • Changing to a healthier lifestyle
  • When her mom realized she wasn’t going to beat cancer
  • Feeding stress with food
  • Incremental changes
  • How to squeeze gifts out of hard situations
  • How the book morphed into being about her

Quotations:

“If I didn’t take that [her caregiving journey] and learn from it and transform my own life in very personal ways, there would be no point in telling the story.” ~Lynn Abaté-Johnson

“I went into production mode, and I did one of the things I do best, which is, I created–I jokingly said at times–we turned my mom’s cancer diagnosis into a business, and everything was documented. That really helped us with the emotional support we needed.” ~Lynn Abaté-Johnson

“I was doing the best job I could for her, at the same time freaking out myself that my mom was gonna die. That was the whole first year. Pretty much I could say I freaked out about me. It was a very selfish perspective. Like, ‘Well, okay, you have cancer, but what am I gonna do without you?’ I didn’t say that to her because I didn’t want her to feel bad. But I had this panic about losing my mom all of a sudden.” ~Lynn Abaté-Johnson

“I still believe that about every family member. We’re all doing the best we can. There’s a Ram Dass quote that I love that says ‘We’re all just walking each other home.’” ~Lynn Abaté-Johnson

“I used to say to my mom, ‘Mom, your cancer’s gonna kill me. Forget about you. It’s gonna kill me.’” ~Lynn Abaté-Johnson

“It was a very different world in 2011 when we got the diagnosis to the point where I couldn’t really be myself; I just had to figure out how to compartmentalize and then just do my job and still be a rockstar at work.” ~Lynn Abaté-Johnson

“I would go home, and I would fall apart. That’s when I would cry. That’s when I would curl up into the fetal position and be like my little girl self with my husband.” ~Lynn Abaté-Johnson

“You know, all of those things that sounded like criticism from my mom before, you never stop hearing that.” ~Lynn Abaté-Johnson

“I used to joke that, damn, I keep hearing mom’s voice in my head telling me what to do. ‘Can you please stop?’ And it hasn’t changed since she died. I still hear her voice in my head, but now it’s more of a comfort.” ~Lynn Abaté-Johnson

 “We didn’t really admit that we were control freaks until we got that diagnosis. And I’m perfectly willing to say I’m a recovering control freak.” ~Lynn Abaté-Johnson

“What am I really hungry for at this moment? So that’s a question I ask myself. Is it food? Is it really food, or is it something else? If it’s something else, then I have tools now that I’ve learned through all of my coaching and everything that I really can pull myself back into what’s really happening now.” ~Lynn Abaté-Johnson

“Truthfully, when I was in the trenches and in the muck of being a caregiver for my mom, I did a terrible job of taking care of myself.” ~Lynn Abaté-Johnson

“With all of the chaos swirling around, I have to believe that there is hope, and I have to believe that we are going to do a better job of taking care of ourselves and taking care of each other as we learn about our mistakes and, we just really try to do a better job, and doing a better job can be incremental.” ~Lynn Abaté-Johnson

“I am really committed to honoring everybody where they are in this moment.” ~Lynn Abaté-Johnson

“I didn’t die. I didn’t die when my mom died. I thought I would; I could not imagine being on this earth without her. And yet she’s still very much with me. Every time I see the hummingbirds, I say, ‘Hi, Mom.’ And it brings me a smile.” ~Lynn Abaté-Johnson

“It’s not my weight to carry. I can only carry my own weight, and I don’t want it to turn into me blowing up physically again or having so much inflammation on my body that I’m so miserable and I can’t function.” ~Lynn Abaté-Johnson

Guest’s Bio:

After being a primary caregiver for her mother for over six years, author Lynn Abate-Johnson understands the typhoon of emotions and responsibilities that come with caring for a loved one. However, she discovered how to blossom through (and after) caregiving rather than let it drown her. 

By using her natural organizational skills and her solid work ethic, she developed systems and processes to help navigate the difficult journey of caregiving, which allowed her to go from “What am I going to do without my mom?” to “I know I can thrive after she’s gone–just as she would want.”

Like most caregivers, Lynn juggled caregiving duties with a full-time career. In her daily life, she’s a business consultant and global community builder. 

She’s been building businesses from the ground up from a young age, with her first business being a network of family roller skating rinks in the Detroit, Michigan metro area. She is currently growing the global community as “the voice” of the Co-Active Training Institute (CTI), one of the world’s most respected leadership development and professional coach training organizations.

As part of her devotion to developing global communities that make a difference by connecting human beings, she speaks with cohorts of caregivers to help them discover they’re not alone, everything’s going to be ok, and there are tools they can use to ease the burdens they might feel as caregivers. Her book Out of Love: A Daughter’s Journey With Her Mom To The End provides care for caregivers by giving them the emotional and practical support they need.

About the Book:
Lynn’s words offer a uniquely personal glimpse into her journey as a daughter of a strong mother, along with her own transformation in the aftermath of being a caregiver.

Lynn’s approach removes the stigma of grief, Her expressive and often vulnerable ways of sharing help to normalize what many families may take for granted or miss in their often overwhelming and new experience as caregivers. There will be discomfort, shame, guilt, and layers of conditioning to discover in this book, with the goal of bringing light to the dark and peace to the soul.

These words are also interactive, meaning you will find practical, logistical tools and resources on the accompanying website: LynnAbateJohnsonBook.com.

Guest’s Contact Info:

LynnAbateJohnsonBook.com

Jul 06
Love1

Brian Moran

By Author, Faith, Mental Health, Personal Growth, Philosophy One Comment

Grab some tissues for this episode! Brian Moran and Gary Scott Thomas went way off course from what they had planned on talking about, and the result was spectacular.

In This Episode:

  • The illusion of security
  • How Gary has double first cousins
  • How coming from a big family helps you cut through the BS
  • Forgiveness
  • Being courageous in faith
  • Viktor Frankl’s The Meaning of Life
  • The lens of gratitude
  • Practicing gratitude
  • Running the NY City Marathon
  • His upcoming book My 5 Conversations with God
  • The importance of paying attention
  • Thriving after bankruptcy
  • How mental health is like trying to explain a TV to a caveman
  • Helping his son with his mental health battles
  • How the mountaintop and valley moments are all part of our purpose
  • Taping into your courage
  • His advice for parents who are helping their child through a mental health struggle
  • The importance of no electronics days
  • Not always offering advice to your children
  • The gift his daughter reluctantly gave him
  • “Buddy Days”
  • The thing that made Gary cry
  • Writing down what you’re worried about and seeing if it actually happened
  • Treating everyone with love
  • How a homeless person affected Brian
  • An amazing Hindu proverb
  • The one thing Brian wants people to take away from this episode

Quotations:

“The meaning of my life is not my job.” ~Brian Moran

“The meaning of your life can change over time.” ~Brian Moran

“When you are grateful for everything in your life, from the clothes you wear to your physical faculties and mental faculties, and just every single day, the food you eat, the family you have, even the obstacles that are in front of you and the fact that you have the ability to get around them–when you are grateful for all of that everything just looks beautiful.” ~Brian Moran

“It’s [faith] like a special power.” ~Brian Moran

“I’m not as anxious or stressed because I’m grateful for every day.” ~Brian Moran

“You have two options. You either move ahead, or you die.” ~Brian Moran

“Be comfortable getting out of your comfort zone.” ~Brian Moran

“Get into a zone where time stands still.” ~Brian Moran

“Get them [kids] off their phones…point out the small miracles to them.” ~Brian Moran

“Have days where you say this is a no electronics day

Be mindful of things they [your kids] don’t tell you.” ~Brian Moran

“What do you think the meaning of your life is today?” ~Brian Moran

“We’re only guaranteed today. We can only live in the present moment.” ~Brian Moran

We all have a limited amount of time…if you are waiting for something to happen, make it happen today.” ~Brian Moran

Guest’s Bio:

Brian is the founder and CEO of Small Business Edge, a global community platform for business owners and entrepreneurs to find answers to their most pressing questions and obstacles that keep them up at night. 

Brian’s goal with Small Business Edge is to measurably increase the success rate of small businesses both in the United States and around the world!

Before launching Small Business Edge, he spent 20+ years helping America’s entrepreneurs realize their dreams. Prior to starting his 3rd company in 2012, he was the Executive Director of Sales Development at the Wall Street Journal overseeing the financial and small business markets across the WSJ franchise.

From 2002-2010, he ran Veracle Media & Moran Media Group–both content companies utilized various media channels to help entrepreneurs manage & grow their companies. Prior to launching these two companies, he was the Associate Publisher at Inc. Magazine, a Publisher and Associate Publisher at Entrepreneur Media, and held management positions at Success Magazine and Medical Economics Magazine.

His specialties include all areas, divisions, and channels within the small to midsize business market.

Guest’s Contact Info:

https://smallbusinessedge.com