All The Wiser

Laura Cathcart Robbins first started using Ambien to help her get some sleep. But as the pressures of her public life grew, so did her usage of the drug. She was swallowing lethal amounts of sleeping pills and washing them down with booze. At the heart of her addiction was a feeling that she wasn’t able to be honest about who she really was – beginning in childhood at the hands of an abusive step-father, through motherhood and a Hollywood marriage. In this episode, Laura shares how the choice to release her secrets allowed her to start living instead of just existing.

In this episode:

• Laura’s departure from her authentic self.
• The first time taking using Ambien
• Experiencing life as a “double agent.”
• Laura files for divorce and decides to go to rehab.
• The impact of unconscious bias as a black woman.
• What it means to be fully seen.

Stay connected to Laura:

Book: Stash

Website: www.theonlyonepod.com

Instagram: @lauracathcartrobbins | @theonlyoneintheroom

Charity Donation: Friendly House

Subscribe to All The Wiser  wherever you listen to podcasts - we’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! That way you’ll never miss an episode. 

We’d love to hear what you think about the show, too - it helps us know what stories are resonating with you. Head over to Apple Podcasts to write your review!

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Kimi and Erica discuss last week's episode with death doula Diane Button, which they can't stop thinking about! Both confess to having an endless fascination (ok, borderline obsession) with the wisdom and knowledge that people share when they know the end is near.

Diane's message is more about living well than dying well. Her dying clients are called "the wisdom keepers" and she shares their greatest joys and regrets. Simple moments bring joy – the quiet of the morning, conversations at the kitchen table, dog snuggles. The most precious moments in our lives will be found (and remembered) in the simplest of things.  

Slow down or "pause" as she says to breathe in this one life you've got. What you do every day, how you behave, and how you interact with others will ultimately define how you are remembered. 

Treating everyone with kindness and respect is a sure path to being remembered and honored for all the good you created during your time on earth. 

Your challenge: 

1. Think about how you want to be remembered and take one small action aligned with that?
2. Tell someone you care deeply about what they mean to you and how you will remember them.

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Death Doula Diane Button has served as a companion to hundreds of clients and their families through the end of life process. She is a lead instructor at the University of Vermont's End of Life Doula Certificate program, a founding partner of the Bay Area End of Life Doula Alliance, and the author of the bestselling new book, Dear Death: Finding Meaning in Life, Peace in Death and Joy in an Ordinary Day. Today she shares the lessons she’s gathered from her clients through the years, whom she refers to as The Wisdom Keepers, so that the end of your life can be the best possible journey that it can be.

In this episode:

• How she got into this line of work.
• Her advice on what to say and do when someone in your life is dealing with difficulty like illness or grief.
• The six questions she asks every client.
• What really brings people joy in the end.
• How to live well so that you can die well.

Links & Resources:

Facebook: Diane Button

Author Page: www.dianebutton.com

Lead Instructor: University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine EOLD Program

Charity: Humane Prison Hospice Project

Books:  

Dear Death - Dear Death: Finding Meaning in Life, Peace in Death, and Joy in an Ordinary Day

Dear Death, A Workbook and Companion Guide - Dear Death Workbook and Companion Guide

The Letter Box: A Story of Enduring Love - The Letter Box

End-of-Life Doula Website: Bay Area End-of-Life Doula Alliance

Dream of a Better World 501(c)3: - Non-profit Blog Page

Subscribe to All The Wiser  wherever you listen to podcasts - we’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! That way you’ll never miss an episode. 

We’d love to hear what you think about the show, too - it helps us know what stories are resonating with you. Head over to Apple Podcasts to write your review!

Stay in the know with all things All The Wiser! Sign up for our newsletter for personal reflections from Kimi, new episodes, and recommendations from our team!

Don't forget to join our new Facebook group to continue the conversation and meet others in our community.

We are committed to learning more about the crisis of people living without homes in our country following Anthony Brown's episode last week.

Sharon Browning, Kimi's friend, neighbor, and changemaker, speaks with us about the current state of affairs and possible solutions. Sharon co- founded a volunteer-run organization in Los Angeles that has placed 177 people in permanent housing.

Her unique experience and wisdom are invaluable to anyone interested in creating positive change for people and communities experiencing homelessness. If you were moved by Anthony's story last week, or if homelessness has been on your mind and heart, this episode is for you.

To learn more about Sharon and the Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness: 

https://palisadeshomeless.org/leadership/

Follow the show at @allthewiserpodcast on Instagram.

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Anthony Brown spent 23 years living on the streets battling homelessness, addiction and incarceration. He describes his state of mind as one without hope, trying not to feel, trying not to care. Until one day a police officer asked if he wanted some help. Today Anthony is a registered nurse, an author, speaker and founder of Brown Manor, a safe place where those in need can restore their lives.

In this episode:

• The impact of his childhood and early alcohol and drug abuse.
• Running away from home with a carnival at the age of 14.
• His experience living on the streets.
• The juxtaposition of prison being a reprieve. 
• The two people that helped redirect his path to become the man he is today.
• The source of the solution for homelessness, according to Anthony.

Stay connected with Anthony:

Website: anthonyhowardbrown.com

Book: From Park Bench to Park Avenue: One Man's Journey Out of Homelessness

Facebook: Brown Manor

You Tube: Anthony Howard Brown - YouTube

Twitter: @brown_manor

Instagram: @brown.manor

Charity: Jeanette Joan Saffold Foundation

Other Resources:

Brown Manor - Hope for the Homeless (gofundme.com)

Subscribe to All The Wiser  wherever you listen to podcasts - we’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! That way you’ll never miss an episode. 

We’d love to hear what you think about the show, too - it helps us know what stories are resonating with you. Head over to Apple Podcasts to write your review!

Stay in the know with all things All The Wiser! Sign up for our newsletter for personal reflections from Kimi, new episodes, and recommendations from our team!

Don't forget to join our new Facebook group to continue the conversation and meet others in our community.

Is your head full of negative voices and stories? Let's share and dismantle your pesky inner critic together.

This week, Kimi and Erica are joined by "the horribly mean voices in their heads." In this episode, they discuss the negative stories they tell themselves about themselves and how they plan to stop them. Kimi talks about her critical voice about her body and intelligence. For the first time, Erica shares that she's never been in a female friend group and the negative stories she has attached to it. 

Also a challenge to our listeners! Tell us about a negative story you have on loop in your head and what you do help keep it quiet. Let us know by emailing/sending a voice memo to [email protected].

Follow the show at @allthewiserpodcast on Instagram.

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Originally aired on The One You Feed podcast...

Eric and Kimi discuss her journey to healing and how the role of identity can be helpful (or not so helpful) when dealing with depression or mental illness.

"Kimi’s unique specialty is identifying and developing stories with soul. She has traveled the world interviewing hundreds of people and creating content that motivates people to live a happier, more fulfilling life."

In this episode:

• How her internal narrative shifted when she started talking about her mental illness
• The power of knowing we’re not alone in our struggles
• Owning the truth of who we are and also not letting it be your entire identity
• Understanding that we are many parts of the whole being
• The healing journey and how identity can take a more prominent role at the beginning
• The nuances of identifying what is depression
• How labeling depression can be helpful, but over-identifying with that label can be harmful
• The importance of adult friendships
• Comparative suffering
• Gratitude and how it is a powerful tool
• Her collaborative book, A Letter to My Dog

Stay connected to Eric:

Website: www.theoneyoufeed.net

Podcast: The One You Feed

Instagram: @one_you_feed

Twitter: @oneyoufeed

Facebook: The One You Feed

Subscribe to All The Wiser  wherever you listen to podcasts - we’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! That way you’ll never miss an episode. 

We’d love to hear what you think about the show, too - it helps us know what stories are resonating with you. Head over to Apple Podcasts to write your review!

Stay in the know with all things All The Wiser! Sign up for our newsletter for personal reflections from Kimi, new episodes, and recommendations from our team!

Don't forget to join our new Facebook group to continue the conversation and meet others in our community.

We talk a lot about truth telling and talking about hard things in service of others on All The Wiser. Our goal is to illuminate, educate, and make people feel less alone. Normally, it would be our guests who take this leap, but this week it was the All The Wiser producers. 

As a result of last week's interview with Kate Ranta about domestic violence that nearly killed her, producer Erica Gerard and associate producer Tara Daigle shared their experiences of domestic violence for the first time.

We hope that this mini-episode will teach you something new about this critical issue, and we ask that you forward it to anyone who needs to hear it. 

With Love, Kimi, Erica & Tara

Follow the show at @allthewiserpodcast on Instagram.

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When Tom asked Kate to move in with him after dating for three months, she was thrilled. He seemed really into her and wanted to make her life as a single mom easier. But once they were married and had a child together, things got dark. Her “too good to be true” husband became jealous, controlling, and ultimately, deadly. Kate Ranta shares the warning signs and red flags that just might save the life of somebody you know. 

In this episode:

• Recognizing red flags in a relationship.
• The incremental steps of an abuser.
• Intentional isolation and possessive behavior.
• The intoxicating effects of love bombing.
• A broken system.
• The role acceptance plays in the healing process.

Stay connected with Kate:

Websites: kateranta.com 

Book: Killing Kate

Charity Donation: www.lovelifenow.org

Additional resources:

https://ncadv.org/

https://www.thehotline.org/

https://www.bradyunited.org/

https://www.gunsdownamerica.org/

https://bocarecoverycenter.com/treatment/trauma-informed/

https://bocarecoverycenter.com/addiction/addiction-domestic-violence/

Subscribe to All The Wiser  wherever you listen to podcasts - we’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! That way you’ll never miss an episode. 

We’d love to hear what you think about the show, too - it helps us know what stories are resonating with you. Head over to Apple Podcasts to write your review!

Stay in the know with all things All The Wiser! Sign up for our newsletter for personal reflections from Kimi, new episodes, and recommendations from our team!

Don't forget to join our new Facebook group to continue the conversation and meet others in our community.

During the first episode of 2023, Kimi is joined by Tara Daigle, All The Wiser Associate Producer. As they discuss last week's episode on postpartum mental health, Kimi talks about her own experience with intrusive thoughts and the shame spiral that follows. Kimi and Tara were reminded of the importance of finding your people when going through hard times (postpartum health or anything else). Tara bravely shares that it was the trust and friendship of other women that gave her the courage and support to once leave an abusive relationship.

Their call to action for all listeners is to find people to walk with you through hard times. Community, friendship, and connection are powerful healers.

Follow the show at @allthewiserpodcast on Instagram.

Keep the conversation going! Join our new Facebook group and connect with other listeners like you!

Stay in the know with all things All The Wiser! Sign up for our newsletter for personal reflections from Kimi, new episodes, and recommendations from our team!