Tune into Part II of my conversation with one of my best friends, ⁠Branden Polk⁠, to unpack the issue of identity. It took me decades to learn about the concept of "parts of self" and how we can not only access but integrate a full range of emotions into our identity.

Branden draws from his decades of experience as a life coach, minister, and professional counselor to help us more fully understand how our self-belief is linked to our identity. Acknowledging, showing compassion and integrating all of the parts of who we are, silences shame and unleashes a belief that can overcome self-doubt. Listen in as two friends reflect on how they've watched and helped one another do that over the last decade, and where we aspire for more integration in society to have a thriving "beloved community."

This special two-part conversation is equal parts old friends sharing personal and vulnerable stories of growth as well as truthful admissions and hard-gained wisdom acquired along the way. I hope this discussion leaves you with a greater understanding of self, and how valuable all of you is to all of us.

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Follow Rev. Branden Polk, MSW on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠. To learn more about Branden's coaching practice, and to explore whether it might be of service to you, visit: ⁠Arrowhead Advising⁠.

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For a deeper reflection on this conversation, join my ⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠.

. . . .

Grab your daily reminder of truth over at the ⁠⁠⁠Belief Statements⁠⁠⁠ collection. Use Branden10 through the end of October 2023 for 10% off site-wide as a way to honor Branden's pick, the Enough Collection.

. . . .

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Drop me a note on my ⁠⁠website⁠⁠.

In this episode, I sit down with one of my best friends, Branden Polk, to unpack the issue of identity. It took me decades to learn about the concept of "parts of self" and how we can not only access but integrate a full range of emotions into our identity.

Branden draws from his decades of experience as a life coach, minister, and professional counselor to help us more fully understand how our self-belief is linked to our identity. Acknowledging, showing compassion and integrating all of the parts of who we are, silences shame and unleashes a belief that can overcome self-doubt. Listen in as two friends reflect on how they've watched and helped one another do that over the last decade, and where we aspire for more integration in society to have a thriving "beloved community."

This special two-part conversation is equal parts old friends sharing personal and vulnerable stories of growth as well as truthful admissions and hard-gained wisdom acquired along the way. I hope this discussion leaves you with a greater understanding of self, and how valuable all of you is to all of us.

. . . .

Follow Rev. Branden Polk, MSW on Instagram and ⁠LinkedIn. To learn more about Branden's coaching practice, and to explore whether it might be of service to you, visit: Arrowhead Advising.

. . . .

For a deeper reflection on this conversation, join my ⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠.

. . . .

Grab your daily reminder of truth over at the ⁠⁠Belief Statements⁠⁠ collection. Use Branden10 through the end of October 2023 for 10% off site-wide as a way to honor Branden's pick, the Enough Collection.

. . . .

Follow me on ⁠Instagram⁠.

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Drop me a note on my ⁠website⁠.

In many ways, this episode was foundation for all others before it -- the inspiration for this entire podcast. And, I almost didn't record it. Not because the story isn't important; quite the opposite. But because telling such a deeply personal story took courage that it feels like I've spent years summoning.

In this episode, I share my personal struggle with depression. It has lasted more than twenty years, and has brought with it shame, hopelessness, and layers of pain. However, in early 2022, I learned a valuable insight that changed my perspective on my mental and emotional health and wellbeing. I unpack this learning and it's catalytic effect on who I am today as a means of sharing hope and knowledge with you.

If you, or someone you know, struggles with anxiety or depression, I hope you'll share this episode with them. If it touches one life, it will have done its job.

Above all. I want to say out loud that “you’re not alone.” Please reach out anytime. The world not only wants you, it needs your light, desperately. 

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For access to my weekly essays, join my ⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠.

. . . .

Grab your daily reminder of truth over at the ⁠⁠Belief Statements⁠⁠ collection.

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Dr. Wendi Lord is a Life Coach, certified change manager, and licensed brain health trainer with a passion for propelling the potential in individuals and teams. Her background as a quantitative and qualitative researcher has led her to explore how technology and imagery connects to human flourishing for executives and organizations ranging from Fortune 50 companies to non-profit organizations. 

Her passion is coming alongside people who have enough but don’t feel like they’re enough, helping them to realize that they are worthy of taking time to nurture their physical and emotional well-being. The impact she can have on an individual life is her WHY. 

This conversation with Wendi was catalyzed after reading her incredible book, Propel Your Potential, which I describe as the life guide book that we all desperately need to understand who we are, how we operate, and how to become who we want to be. Wendi takes life-changing insights from psychology, neuroscience, and wellness and distills them into approachable frameworks, accessible tools, and relatable examples that allow you to gain valuable knowledge and put it into practice in your life, immediately. 

It shouldn’t be a surprise that someone who spends her personal and professional life pouring into making others better is herself an incredible human. I’m so proud to call this amazingly talented and intelligent woman a friend, and I know you’ll be left wanting more of her kindness, generous spirit, and coaching methodologies at the end of this conversation.

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Pick up Dr. Wendi Lord's book, ⁠Propel Your Potential⁠, and learn more about working with her at Propelling Potential.

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We hope you'll join us on October 27th in Colorado Springs for REPLENISH, a day of self-care and programming for women who have enough but don't feel like enough. Register for one of our last spots here.

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For a deeper reflection on this conversation, join my ⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠.

. . . .

Grab your daily reminder of truth over at the ⁠⁠Belief Statements⁠⁠ collection.

. . . .

Follow me on ⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/abbyskeans/

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I'm excited to share my Last 90 Days 2023 Workbook with you!

October 6th will mark the final quarter of this year, and this is our opportunity to finish 2023 STRONG and make every day of this year count. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the last few months of the year, you’re not alone. These final months often mean:

And amidst all of these necessary, but demanding, items on the agenda, where do you fit in? How do you keep promises that you’ve made to yourself since January?

If you’re asking yourself these questions, then our Last 90 Days 2023 Workbook was designed for you! Our goal is to:

This workbook isn't just a collection of pages; it's a piece of my heart, carefully crafted to help you make these last 90 days truly extraordinary. I designed exactly the tools that I desperately wanted and needed. My hope is that it meets you with expectation, hope and support as well.

And the best part is that you’re not alone. I will be doing this with you, and a whole community of others. Throughout the next 90 days, we’ll share stories, content, ideas, and conversations to ensure our accountability and success as we finish 2023 strong!

If you're ready, get your Last 90 Days 2023 Workbook here. 🚀 Let's make this journey count together!

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For access to my weekly essays, join my ⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠.

. . . .

Grab your daily reminder of truth over at the ⁠⁠Belief Statements⁠⁠ collection.

. . . .

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Virginia Kraljevic is an artist, designer, and educator from New York City based in sunny Palm Beach, Florida. Known for her whimsical pen and ink line drawings, she has worked with clients such as the L.A. Times, IKEA, West Elm, and Whole Foods. 

Virginia's signature style is a culmination of experiences, perspective shifts, and a deep awe and appreciation for nature, the universe, and all the little moments that make up our days.

Each original piece and fine art print is handmade by Virginia in her studio with attention to detail, quality, and love. She creates art intended to inspire and add a bit of joy to your home. 

I hope you’ll lean in for this conversation where Virginia shares lessons on resilience and the power of believing in yourself from her personal story, as well as deep wisdom on cultivating a life of purpose and intention. When you speak with Virginia, you have the feeling that you’re in a sacred space with someone who has overcome great challenge and darkness and is now generating light for herself and all of us to carry on our way home to our soul’s divine essence. 

It doesn’t surprise me that someone who creates with so much goodness is themselves such a beautiful soul and I’m just grateful that Virginia invited us into her story, journey and process. This rich conversation will likely be one that you’ll want to listen to more than once as she drops so many truth bombs about the power of belief. Let’s dive in, I know you’ll be inspired. 

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For more information on Virginia and to shop her beautiful pieces go to virginiakraljevic.com. To hear more about her story, watch the Instagram live that I did with Virginia on our instagram @beliefstatements and follow Virginia at @virginiakraljevic on social.

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For access to the full essay with some additional thoughts and tools, join my ⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠.

. . . .

Grab your daily reminder of truth over at the ⁠⁠Belief Statements⁠⁠ collection.

. . . .

Follow me on ⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/abbyskeans/

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This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about transformation – how we unlock our full potential and bravely step into the fullness of who we are.

The bright side of transformation often makes us think of butterflies – the becoming, the vivid growth, the ability to fly to new heights with a new perspective. But the truth is that in order for us to become, we must first die. Die to ego, die to false identities, and die to what was so that what can be is possible.

The stoics gifted us the phrase: memento mori - in Latin meaning: you must die. One of my favorite writers and podcasters, Ryan Holiday, writes in his publication, The Daily Stoic: "Meditating on your mortality is only depressing if you miss the point. It is in fact a tool to create priority and meaning. It’s a tool that generations have used to create real perspective and urgency. To treat our time as a gift and not waste it on the trivial and vain. Death doesn’t make life pointless but rather purposeful. And fortunately, we don’t have to nearly die to tap into this. A simple reminder can bring us closer to living the life we want."

Perhaps one of the most painful deaths in our lives is the death of a dream. Whenever we had imagined how the story would play out for us, we suddenly found ourselves needing to surrender that a good dream for the great is possible, if we will only lay the prior expectation down. 

When walking through one of those seasons in 2017, a friend gave me a book of liturgies called Every Moment Holy by Douglas Kaine McKelvey and dog eared the page of this liturgy for The Death of a Dream. I honestly didn’t even have language for what I was feeling at that time, but these words became one only ones that expressed my soul to myself. 

Whatever you’re walking through. If you’ve ever had a moment where you knew it was time to lay something down, to surrender it, I hope this encourages you. And if you’re yearning for transformation in your life, remember that the way toward rebirth is necessarily through death. And that proximity to death gives us perspective, meaning, and true life. 

May these words be what your soul needs today. 

. . . .

For access to the full essay with some additional thoughts and tools, join my ⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠.

. . . .

Grab your daily reminder of truth over at the ⁠⁠Belief Statements⁠⁠ collection.

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As a native to Memphis, Tennessee, Coach Bill Courtney is a giant among men – an award winning global business leader, respected community and philanthropic champion, author, speaker to fortune 500 companies, and father and husband to a remarkable family. 

In 2003, Bill began volunteering at Memphis’ inner city Manassas High School in an effort to turn its underperforming football team around. In 2003, the team had 19 players with a dismal 4-95, 10-year record. In the 2008 & 2009 seasons, the team’s record improved to 18-2, with 75 players. More importantly, in a neighborhood where young men are 3x more likely to be dead or in jail than to have a job or be in college, 31 out of their 32 seniors went to college in his last two seasons there. The story inspired a Hollywood film—Undefeated—which won the 2012 Academy Award for Best Feature Length Documentary.

Since then, Bill’s deep care for his country has led him to focus on platforming everyday people who are doing extraordinary things to improve our social fabric through a podcast and movement called, An Army of Normal Folks. 

In my estimation, Coach Courtney is a hero. His life is a testament to resilience, love, forgiveness and the true power of believing in others, and yourself. So many people have been made better through the intentional way he’s crafted his life. 

In this conversation, you’ll hear from someone who relentlessly invests grace and belief into those who may be most unlikely to receive it. 

Our conversation was both deeply moving and inspiring for me. It reminded me of how much a single life can be changed when we don’t give up on them. And the ripple effect that this singular spark of belief can ignite in our communities and world. I hope it touches you as well.

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Click here to join An Army of Normal Folks, and you can learn more about Arshay Cooper's story here.

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Pick up Coach Bill Courtney's book, Against the Grain. And watch UNDEFEATED wherever you stream: Hulu, Amazon Prime, or Netflix.

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For a deeper reflection on this conversation, join my ⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠.

. . . .

Grab your daily reminder of truth over at the ⁠⁠Belief Statements⁠⁠ collection.

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The most counter intuitive but truthiest truth of all is that we believe our human limitations hold us back from making a difference and being worthy of divine love. But we’ve gotten the paradigm all wrong. Our frailties don’t disqualify us, they position us. Our humanity doesn’t disappoint God, it delights him. He created our humanity, with all of its beauty and finiteness. God chooses to work through us to restore the world solely because it brings him pleasure.

In this episode, we explore our human finiteness through stories new and old and reflect on the joy that the creator receives from working alongside us to bring restoration to a broken world. As humans, we often feel that we have to be all or nothing -- the hero or passive waiting for direction. Neither is true. We are meant to be partners with God, mending the world. We will get it "wrong" but we will also get a lot "right." How will we step into our calling that links arms with a purpose that asks us to just keep at it, because the doing is the beautiful and pleasurable part?

. . . .

For access to the full essay with some additional thoughts and tools, join my ⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠.

. . . .

Grab your daily reminder of truth over at the ⁠⁠Belief Statements⁠⁠ collection.

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The idea that the belief that we build within ourselves enables us to spot and call out that belief in others makes sense. That this act of calling forth truth makes others better, and that more systemically, it makes the community and the world at large better. And that all of this regeneration of truth and hope – this building belief in one another – is actually just us walking a sacred way together. 

It’s the path that is kept and held and ordered by the divine. 

I believe that we are meant for this kind of living, for this kind of journey. That we are meant to see and call forth truth in one another. And that by doing so, it grows belief in ourselves. And that all of this unleashes purpose and potential for greater impact in the world. That whenever more of you is revealed to the world, we are all made better. 

On this episode, we explore the cyclical nature of belief and answer questions like: Does my life matter? What is this all for? What am I actually doing here? Am I making a difference – an impact? The truth is that your belief in you makes us all better. And that's true impact and difference-making. More of you courageously shared with this world.

. . . .

For access to the full essay with some additional thoughts and tools, join my ⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠.

. . . .

Grab your daily reminder of truth over at the ⁠⁠Belief Statements⁠⁠ collection.

. . . .

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