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Find your voice - Episode 21 "From Surviving Rape to Finding Her Voice" - Hannah Power #21
Tagline: "Embracing adversity is the biggest gift you can give yourself" - Hannah Power
Hannah Power shares her story of being tragically raped having been abducted by 3 men whilst on holiday and discusses how the adversity and nightmare she suffered has now given her a new lease of life and purpose. She is now 100% committed to ensuring other rape survivors no longer become victims for the rest of their lives.
Alongside this Hannah Power is also known for her branding expertise as she urges people to find faith and confidence in themselves to really bring out their unique gifts which they can offer to the world. With her assistance she helps people 'find their voice' and it was for this reason we had to get her on the show.
Hannah's mindset is one that we can all take valuable lessons from without hopefully going through the same pain she has been through but it is now her light that shines so brightly we can all benefit from.
I urge you all to follow her journey and support her on making a difference in the world.
Thanks for listening
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Links to guest:
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Have an awesome day
#JustDeuIt #FindYourVoice
[Music]
welcome to an episode of find your voice
a movement led by yours truly
Aren do a guy who has overcome
crippling anxiety adversity and
difficulty like so many of you in life
whose main goal now is to help you
combat your excuses take control of your
life write your own story and most
importantly find your voice so now
without further ado I welcome the host
of the show himself mr. Aren do what's
going on people thank you for tuning in
to another episode of find your voice my
name is Aren and as always I am the
host of the show so firstly I just want
to begin by saying this is a very very
sensitive subject and if anyone finds
speaking about this difficult then I do
have to warn you prior to starting this
episode now conscious of not making it a
doom and gloom ii episode despite the
horrific events i've gone on we have
taken a little bit of a spin on it and
rather than speak about the stuff that
hannah has so bravely spoken about to
the papers already we look at more of
the things that she's doing today
because Hannah's an incredible soul
she's somebody who's been through an
unbelievable amount of adversity as you
can see from the title as you probably
know from her story already
she was horrific ly raped by an
individual when three men abducted her
what she was travelling and I mean I
said it before the show started I didn't
have the words or I wasn't confident in
myself of saying the right stuff during
this interview I no actually mentioned
this to Hannah prior to the show started
but we both have the same goal and both
our goals and both our visions and
dreams is to help people out there find
their voice so I also felt it would be
an injustice if I never took on this
story and shared it with the world
because Hannah for one is somebody who
doesn't want people who have gone
through the same situation as her to
suffer for the rest of their lives and
be a victim forever
and again the premise of this show is to
help people find their voice find their
way find whatever it is that sparks them
in life and move forward irrespective
and the cards that you're dealt with in
life so I think without further ado I'm
gonna jump straight to this one I really
really enjoyed this conversation with
Hannah she's an incredible person she's
now doing amazing things working with
entrepreneurs you probably noticed by
the name as well
her mom was on last week as well and she
again is a fantastic individual I'd
certainly recommend if you haven't
checked that episode out please do go
back and check that one out as well and
I think you'll realize then there's
something special about these power
ladies so without further ado let's get
straight into this okay welcome to the
show and firstly I just want to say
thank you to the guests for tuning in
today and more importantly our wonderful
guest Hannah Paula who has agreed to
come on and share her story slow Hannah
how are you doing today I'm great how
are you I'm very well thank you I'm
really eager to sort of get this going
so for their purpose of their listeners
who are here today could you please just
tell us a little bit about yourself
a little bit about your story and I
suppose what brings you to where you are
right now sure so first of all thank you
so much for having me it's a real
pleasure to be here you're very welcome
so where to start so I am 26
I graduated from University with a law
degree in 2014 and started working in a
big corporate consultancy called
Accenture and six months into working at
Accenture I I went on holiday to visit
some friends in France who want a ski
season and while I was over there I was
raped by well three men picked me up in
the car and one of the men raped me and
they dropped me back off back in the
town after and the reason that that
story is important to where I am now and
the reason that I start with it is
because I had you know I've had a very
fortunate upbringing from a lovely
family and had a very sort of
traditional I guess middle-class journey
through school to college through uni
and then into a graduate job and I was
sort of following a relatively similar
path to all of my you know all of my
friends and my colleagues and peers and
stuff and then this huge spanner got
thrown in the work
of my entire life being completely
turned upside down and and entering a
world which is completely new to me and
was which was completely new to me and
completely awful and you know confusion
and complete loneliness and it really
you know it would change the course of
my life because obviously it wasn't
something which I was that I knew how to
deal with and it and it pushed me off a
path into you know a really big struggle
and trying to understand really you know
the world and why bad things happen
because once you've seen the awful side
of the world it's so hard to you know to
unsee it and I was happy in my job but
it wasn't really doing it for me I
wasn't fulfilled and I was living in
London and I was doing the whole
commuting thing and it just didn't you
know on the tube it just wasn't doing it
for me so around the time of sort of
struggling with you know the healing and
trying to get through it all I was also
struggling with you know alcohol and and
struggling with lack of fulfillment at
work I decided to you know quit
everything and move to Bali and I'm to
Bali at the beginning of last year 2018
and I kind of went on this year of I
guess discovery in every single aspect
of it of life of business of healing of
spirituality of everything to basically
recover from what happened to me and to
work how you know what my purpose was in
this world and what impact and you know
what what my going to do with the rest
of my life and you know now I feel
grateful but what happened to me for
giving me that that sort of accelerant
into where I am and yeah it's been a
huge journey but now I'm focused on
supporting others who've been through
something similar and supporting people
more generally to find fulfillment in
their lives and not settle for less and
settle for a rubbish life but to go
after a life that they really love and
are proud of and are excited about I
think that's amazing
I think just before we touch on that
last bit there which is incredible and
that's kind of they I suppose the most I
know about you so I've checked out
website and stuff and it's not just
limited to people who have suffered in a
similar situation to yourself you've
almost found this purpose where you just
want to help as many people as possible
but obviously just before I go into that
I don't want to kind of leave it as the
elephant in the room and I spoke prior
to us speaking about this that it is a
difficult topic because I don't come
from a counseling background nor do I
want this episode to be some level of
counseling but it I think anyone
listening to this it's going to fill him
with a mixed level of emotions I mean
for me myself it makes me sad I feel
embarrassed on behalf of the male
population I think you know there's this
level of anger how one human three human
sorry could do that to another human I
mean I just find how people can just
justify their actions by hurting other
people it really does touches a nerve to
be completely honest with you and that's
probably why I was nervous before this
show but I'm just I suppose I mean in
the very short amount of time that we've
had this conversation obviously we spoke
previously I've learnt so much I suppose
about myself in terms of my own personal
development and trying to change my own
perception because what you've just done
and how you've just explained your
journey and how you sin this darkness
and you've almost found it as you're
actually grateful for it now I think
that I think that's remarkable and I
think in a very short amount of time as
I said just knowing you I'm very very
proud of you for that I'm grateful that
I'm able to have met someone like that
because it teaches me so much and I'm
sure it's gonna teach our listeners as
well so much about once you sin the
darkest parts of the world you're almost
now they're trying to almost line up
everything around you and I think I
think that's beautiful
and I want to take it actually into that
beautiful space if that's ok with you
rather than dwell on that situation
which has made you the person you are
today so you're now in Bali which from
Instagram now are you back in UK ok so
you've kind of found yourself now you've
had this year of discovery this healing
this purpose can we just touch on what
exactly you offer to easy clients your
class amazing yeah yeah so and I I've
always come from a sort of a digital
technology and marketing background and
I've always been very I've always worked
really a lot in personal branding so you
know getting yourself known online in a
you know as a leader or as somebody
who's known for something I think it's
come from my parents have always worked
in the internet and you know they were
one of the first people into this whole
world and what I what I realized by
moving to Bali and sort of building this
life that I love was that the reason I'd
been able to do all of these things was
because of the fact that I'd invested
and grown my personal brand so when I
moved out to Bali
it wasn't that difficult for me to get
work and my first you know my first
remote job and then for me to then start
a business which was an agency and fill
it with clients because I had invested
the time in creating content and being
known online as being somebody who knows
what they're talking about so by having
this personal brand I thought I realized
that oh my god this actually gives you a
huge amount of opportunity then after
that side of things when I decided this
year to to you know go public with my
story and try to create an impact and
help other people again because of the
parity of the internet and because I
built this following and had a sort of
personality online I then was able to
have enormous impact on others so I
decided you know I I think that you know
building a personal brand of being known
online is an integral thing to do if you
want to you know live a life which
fulfills you and have a positive impact
on the world so I you know this is what
I do to my clients now I help them to
really define their message and build
their their brand online I'd establish
them as leaders in their fields you know
and prepare them for having an impact
you know prepare them to have an impact
so that's what I do and I think it's
difficult working in personal branding
because there's a lot of in overlap with
you know there's sort of the negative
connotations that come with being an
influencer but what actor is not about
you know it's not about the influencer
side of things of you know when people
come out of these reality TV shows or
anything like that it's about somebody
saying look this is me this is what I'm
really good at this is I can you know
this is what I love to do and this is
how I
can support other people through it and
and helping those people to become
leaders online because I think the
opportunities that open up from open
doors from doing that are huge and
literally never-ending so that's why I
do what I do and I work with my clients
on a one-to-one basis and at the moment
I'm gonna start building a group program
to support people on that journey that's
fantastic I'll have to get the details
for that and I'll put it in the show
notes afterwards for anyone who's this
now who would love to reach out to you
and I think just under personal branding
so it's something that I'm trying to I'm
more conscious of a suppose and I'm
trying to build my own and I'm sure many
listeners are as well but you also have
an advantage of having the most
fantastic surname ever I think that
certainly house but I'm I just wanted to
touch on something there so try and wear
this the right way so obviously you have
a personal brand now you're Hannah power
and you help people find their way
become leaders online do you ever think
or do you just try to think of the right
ways are you against being known as the
girl who got raped or is that just part
and parcel of that of the story and
something that you're happy to be
accepted for however you have so much
more to give to the world and I think
that I think the reason I'm public about
being raped is because of the fact that
it's such a secret crime Thanks it
causes a lot more harm by keeping things
a secret than it does by talking about
them that's true in every form of mental
illness or anything really that happens
we all know that secrets aren't really a
positive so the reason that I am open
about what happened to me is because I'm
not ashamed of it it wasn't my doing of
quite who I am so it's a part of my
story and it's a part of me so that I
don't want to a keep it a secret because
it is a part of me but secondly I want
to inspire others unfortunately with
rape there are a lot of people that are
raped in their lifetime and it and it's
it's huge it's like it's a secret
epidemic that's going on I mean since
I've shared my story the amount of
people that have reached out to me some
of them that I actually even know quite
well we've been through something
similar is actually unbelievable I mean
I've got friends close friends male 4
whose girlfriends have told me they've
been raped but they haven't even told
their boyfriend's yet because it's such
a misunderstood and confusing messed-up
crime that people don't know how to deal
with it so by me talking about and being
open about it I just want to break the
secret if there's if the secret can go
we can talk about it we can deal with it
we don't have to be ashamed of what
happened to us when it's not something
we cause if I punched you in the face
would you think it was your fault no you
would but with Ray for some reason
because of the fact that we're not able
to cope with it and deal with it in
society we feel that it's on us so do I
want to be known as the girl that was
raped no I would like to be known as
more than that but is it an important
part of my story and am i proud to be
somebody who has got through that and
wants to inspire others absolutely
because once you've got through
something like that there are very few
challenges that the world can throw at
you that you aren't able to handle and
for me that's an incredible power and
strength in every challenge I take on in
my life whether it's a new business or
whatever it might be I am completely in
complete confidence that I can do it
because I always can say to myself well
Hannah you've done worse I love that I
just think like you just said you should
be very very proud of that having
overcome that and I think should be even
more proud that now you've your sole
purpose in life is almost to help other
people and I think you'll do incredible
things and I think sometimes a lot of us
in life we kind of go through life
almost not knowing what we actually put
on this earth for and that's kind of how
I've always seen myself so I was always
an academic at school and I was always
kind of being pushed from Normal School
to do grammar schools to universities
and any and I always felt like this
isn't me that there has to be something
else and we touched on it briefly before
this episode how it took a massive 18
months of adversity my life to really
completely change me and sometimes I
always say I don't want any of my
listeners to go through any an OST for
that for their life to change but
sometimes it's necessary it is I think
the people that have been through pain
if they can use if you can use it
properly and you can do the work I think
it's it opens
opens you up to to finding your meaning
but of course you wouldn't wish on
anybody else but some of the happiest
people I know have actually been through
the worst absolutely and least happy
people I know who struggle with anxiety
and day to day issues have actually had
a real smooth ride and it can take a big
knock to to push you onto the right path
and that's why I feel so fortunate to
have had that happen to me at a young
enough age to be able to go to know that
every day I wake up that you know I'm I
mean I know exactly that I am where I'm
supposed to be and have huge faith and
excitement for my future absolutely I
love it I'm actually just really happy
that you're in such a great place now as
well as I'm sure you and all your family
and friends are as well and and you hit
the nail on the head there I think when
people go through pain or adversity in
life they've almost reached a level of
darkness where you can't see any light
especially in that moment and I think
when you kind of crawl out of that hole
however you want to imagine that then
any sort of light almost brings you
gratitude and happiness
yeah and fulfillment and I'm kind of
like that so the smallest things I will
be grateful for on a daily basis and
hearing stories like like yourself and
from whether guess it really does put
things into perspective of how fortunate
you all are and how limited our time is
so it's amazing that there's people like
you now who are just really trying to
help other people find that papers as
well so I think that's fantastic
and thank you again for sharing that so
what I want to know now is could you
tell us a little bit about your routines
your lifestyle today in terms of how you
manage to maintain this almost solid
mindset and how you manage to keep
persevering through life have you got
any daily habits rituals but meditation
practices and also really good question
actually because yeah I mean I first got
into kind of healthy like I guess living
when I was 22 in terms of being you know
really disciplined with my diet and
exercise I am have got an ovary
condition which causes me to gain weight
really quickly so I have to be really
diligent with my exercise and my site
you know I put on weight quite quickly
and things like that so I've always
since being 22 I've always been
very conscious of the fact that if I put
bad things into my body then I feel
rubbish so I know that if I eat like a
load of chocolate or something it's not
going to make me feel good and so from
it like a diet next size point of view I
guess I'm that sort of pot that's the
sort of natural habit I already have and
so I don't require the discipline of
that anymore but I would say hey you
know to get to a habit stage you have to
start with discipline and I think some
of the things which I sort of had to be
disciplined with in barley were
definitely things around yoga and
meditation and almost just generally
taking time to breathe and just act so I
would say that in terms of a daily
practice I I don't meditate every day I
really want to get to a point that I do
what I do do every day morning and
evening is I like a little candle and I
do which is in front of a sort of it's
not a Buddha it's like a sort of a yogi
figure thing and I do sort of give
gratitude to the universe and and say
you know I give you know I am on a path
and I and I trust you to lead me on it
so I guess some people to call that a
prayer I don't I don't mind I I just
call it sort of a moment of gratitude to
the universe and I do that every morning
and evening so I say that's a daily
routine I definitely plan to be much
more disciplined with my yoga and
meditation every day the other thing
which I would say that has had a
humongous impact in fact it's probably
one of the biggest decisions and
life-changing decisions I've made so far
is um quitting drinking alcohol in July
last year so I would say that without a
shadow of a doubt that is one of the
biggest enablers of the reason that I am
happy positive achieving everything I
want to be achieving supporting people
who I want to support and just generally
my sort of balanced mood I don't really
get you know I don't get those low
anxious moments really anymore I don't
I had the alike was diagnosed with PTSD
soon after the rape and I would say that
they're probably the biggest thing for
me in terms of
when you've asked about sort of daily
habits and sort of lifestyle stuff for
me the biggest thing for me is is the
non the no alcohol
that's fantastic thank you for sharing
that so I think the moment of gratitude
thing that you do is is beautiful I I
don't do it twice I should probably do
it twice I think I do always try and
stay present so the yoga thing again
that's always a trait that or the
meditation bit is always a trait of
successful people so yeah it's really
useful the alcohol once it's an
interesting one because like yourself I
get almost after say for instance a
heavy night of drinking going out on a
social the next day I have this really
weird feeling of almost like anxiety or
regret or just feeling absolutely
depressed I think you got from one
extreme of a high almost is such a low
and then I have these thoughts that for
the next 24 hours I'm really not the
kind of person that I want to be
perceived as so I'll call something I'm
trying to myself pasty knock in the head
obviously another health benefits of it
I'm not a drinker in terms of our drink
every single week but I fully understand
that because I was going to ask you a
question in relation to was the alcohol
linked because you started drinking post
rape or I would say that when I when I
first ever started drinking at parties I
don't know when you're what like 14 15 I
was never particularly good at kind of
managing my alcohol in time so I was
kind of a go hard or go home type crazy
so I think a lot of people are I think I
was a bit insecure when I was young and
I think I used alcohol as a kind of
confidence booster at parties and things
like that when I after the after I was
raped I think I think the thing is
because your mind my mind was just in
this whole crazy world it wasn't even
like it was my mind anymore it was I
become somebody else and the alcohol
being in that sort of drunk state almost
gave me a connection to who I used to be
I know it sounds really weird to say it
like that but it was almost a freedom I
got to leave the mind of this girl who'd
been raped who was in pain who
struggling who was lost and move into
being somebody else and I think it did
give me just like you said it gave me
high high
because it gave me a break and then it
gave me very low loads but actually
those low loads that went off and when
you know you start to do the work so I
would say actually although I would say
I was probably abusing alcohol I
actually wouldn't take it back again
because I think it helped me to kind of
deal with it the reason I ended up
putting a hard stop to it was I ended up
having an accident while I was in Bali
and breaking my shoulder and I ended up
in hospital for six days and I then
ended up for another week after that
dealing with the sort of side effects of
being on a really strong like a morphine
type pill which they sort of give you
willy nilly when you're in a kind of
developing country and I it took me a
while to return to being normal again
because of the the accident the alcohol
and then this drug and what's it called
oxycodone and after that I basically
thought you know what not only am i
potentially going to really harm myself
if I carry on drinking but actually if I
keep losing these days our days of my
life I mean this was two weeks but if
you're losing I was losing and maybe one
or two days of productivity a week to to
being to being tired or being anxious or
being hungover actually I'm not going to
be able to achieve everything that I
want to and know I can in my life I'm
actually not going to be able to do that
I don't have enough time to waste on
this poison there's no spare time and to
waste the day being hungover in the day
after that being anxious and the day
after that getting back on track I
haven't got the time in my life so I
decided that actually I loved myself and
I was more excited for my life more than
I then I needed the alcohol so I made a
decision that I was going to stop and I
listened to an incredible book by a guy
called Alan Carr who's this this this
addiction guru and it's a six and a half
hour audio book I did it in a day the
day before my birthday and I woke up on
my birthday as a non-drinker
and I have never ever touched a drop
drop or wanted to since that's
incredible
could you tell us the name of that book
yeah it's by I'm his name's Paul and the
books
the easy way to stop drinking he's got a
load of books he's got a smoking book
and a sugar book and a gambling book but
the drinking one for me was the one that
I was always really worried that I would
feel a sense of you know you know loss
that I was missing out on things and I
would always sire it and what Alan
Carr's book does is it sort of it
removes the desire so you no longer want
it it would be like me saying to you
what you know 10 o'clock at night would
you like a really strong cup of coffee
you know you just wouldn't want to say
no that's what I want right now and
that's you know I know that it would
make me not sleep and it's you know
whatever to me it just immediately
removed the desire I mean I went from
being a pretty big drinker to literally
even the smell of like a beer made me
feel like a bit sick literally after
reading this book and for me I never
wanted I never preached to people you
know when they say say like a lot
everyone drinks around me I'm not like
not like telling people not to drink but
if people say to me Hannah what's you
know how can I achieve what I want to in
my life and start my own business or
whatever I say well the first thing you
need to do is is drink less because you
know knows that it doesn't do anything
positive to their lifestyle and their
goals absolutely Aarthi I think you've
hit the nail on the head there there was
something you mentioned it turns up
insecurity and anxiety and that's
probably one of the reasons I think I
first started drinking as well as a
teenager I haven't been shy and anxious
it was kind of the only way to get on
the dancefloor the only way to feel
confident around other people so
absolutely and it's conditioned into
what I mean if we just if we didn't have
Apple and we were just forced to push
through those those embarrassing awkward
moments when you're sort of you know you
spotty or whatever because you're 1516
and you kind of you know you're not you
sort of fancy people and they don't
fancy and all that stuff that happens to
us when we're young if we just had to
push through it like we did when we were
kids but what happens is you get told by
somebody usually older than you that
there's this magic potion that takes it
all away the rest of our lives we
associate whenever something goes wrong
with the magic potion when actually the
magic potion tends to be causing a lot
of the stuff that put us there in the
first place so my dad got cancer last
year and he stopped drinking as well and
neither of us drink now and he would say
the same I mean
it's just you know it's it's just he's
your and better because of it and yeah I
mean again I you know I'd never preached
it but for me is definitely one of the
biggest things that I would post what I
would ever attribute any success in
terms of you know financial or just
general in a call happiness is that
that's a fair point I think just before
I carry on and I'm sorry to hear about
your dad as well in relation to the case
I hope everything's fine yeah with him
just quickly then so not to make this
about an alcohol podcast episode but um
have you managed to change your circle
are you still able to associate yourself
having read this book in the same kind
of circle that you were in previously do
you know what it's so funny because I
thought that everyone was going to be
really freaked out by it you know be
like oh my god you're so boring or
whatever and I was so shocked by the
reaction a most people are like oh my
god that's so cool I wish I could do
that be the other thing I realize is
that when I hang out with my friends and
things like that and family they
actually like seeing me because they
know that they don't need to drink when
they're with me so that means that
they're not going to be hungover the
next day or they're gonna feel healthier
so I think coming to see me is like or
spending time with me it's like almost a
break from the pressures of drinking
when actually a lot of people don't
actually want to drink as much as they
do it's a lot of it's just because of
routine and habit and the people that
they're with so I mean I I have a lot of
like non-alcoholic alternatives so I've
got non-alcoholic red wine and Prosecco
and beers and gins and things like that
so if I hang out with a friend you know
often I'll be with even a boy when he's
eight having a beer when he's with me
he's very happy to have like a
non-alcoholic Peroni and just tells me
how much you like I would say that about
11 o'clock at night when people are
getting really drunk I tend to point to
head off just because I like to wake up
early and go to the gym or read or
whatever I'm quite an early riser so I
don't really see the point in staying
out late so I don't see out as late as I
did but and partly cuz also being around
drunk people when they've been drinking
for a few hours becomes a little bit
ring because
start to repeat them separate you tell
you all their secrets they don't really
want you to know when they're messy and
so I mean my cycle is stayed completely
the same and I don't know maybe people
do have a problem with it but I've never
I actually found it a lot easy I thought
I was gonna have to really prepare
people for it it seems to me that
everyone's just fascinated by it and
kind of wants to do it but it's just
sort of like doesn't think that they can
I think I've sort of become you know
amongst some of the people I know this
kind of weird enigma they're kind of
like well one minute Hannah was one of
us and then she moved to Bali and now
she's doing all this and how she talks
about praying and she doesn't drink
alcohol and I think she's kind of I
don't know I think people just sort of
think well I don't know she seems really
happy so maybe we should be doing all
that stuff yeah so no I haven't had to
change my circles to sum up that's
brilliant so you've managed to keep your
circle and still hang out and I agree
completely as well with the whole 11
o'clock thing I think we're both early
rises and up and to find that this is
why I think a lot of people struggle
with Mondays so you hear the whole world
moaning that they're gonna go to work on
Monday yes it's probably the fact
they're in a job that they don't like
but I think the other thing is Friday
Saturday Sunday their sleep patterns are
completely yes and what's happening is
they're almost in a jet like kind of
phase so along with obviously limited
alcohol and health and stuff I always
say sleep should be like a massive
massive priority as well so I like I'm
like a baby like I have to sleep a hell
of a lot I was reading my friend shared
an article the other day that apparently
they're now proving that the kind of
hustle the kind of hustle mentality is
being replaced by being like the most
successful people actually rest a lot
which made me really happy because I
like I don't normally need eight hours
and then like a half an hour nap in the
afternoon because I wake up so early I
start working about 7:00 in the morning
or sometimes yeah about 7:00 so my
brains been pretty and my brain gets
quite tired by about three o'clock in
the afternoon I have to have like a
little 20-minute catnap so it's cool
that sleeping in business it's that
cool to rest now rather than like
hustling your way through to 11 o'clock
at night every night so yeah it's
interesting
just on that Hannah resolve there's a
book called sleep smarter by Sean
Stephenson I'll send you a link to it
afterwards it's inaudible and he's
actually done a lot of extensive
research into sleeping hence why I now
have blackout blinds I'll make sure I
try and sleep at exactly the same time I
turned off my phone
they're 40 minutes before going into bed
yeah have a look honestly it's it's a
fantastic but can you really does open
your eyes because there's links actually
between your productivity of being drunk
and being sleep-deprived and it's almost
the same right yeah so in an office
space you probably see people who have
not drank the night before but not slept
popu you're probably not as productive
so somebody who comes in absolutely
hungover so it being in barley because
barley and the like the Sun comes up at
5:00 and it goes down about half past
6:00 so the whole day's almost starts
two hours before it does in the UK so
not barley like where I was living is
quite buzzing at about 7:00 a.m. and
then by about like 9:30 10 o'clock like
it's pretty quiet apart from like the
holidaymakers so I think I just really
got into this way of living because we
in barley everyone sort of living around
the Sun because people surf early in the
mornings it's better waves so yeah I
mean I think it really works and it
means yeah yeah it's really I mean it is
totally crucial sleeping is crucial I
think it's great I think you've
obviously not just developed your mind
now you start to look at even physically
as well it's gonna obviously benefit you
yeah I think we're getting awareness and
self awareness is almost addictive
though isn't it like it certainly is
yeah because I know that I can fix
something if it and make I can
constantly improve myself like if I
notice something I'm like oh hey what's
that right let's dig into that let's get
that worked out like what do I need to
do there like I was actually looking at
it earlier and I always find around the
25th of the month is when I get quite
like I saw that's when I need really to
have more time off and then when I'm in
the kind of early stages of the month
like the price to the seventh I'm in
total like knowledge mode I just want to
consume content
and then I think that I'm quite creative
in the middle of the month so I'm always
just getting more and more awareness
around myself so that I can you know so
that I can do the B and flow as much as
possible so I guess it's just that
awareness yeah is addictive so I guess
sleep is just falls under that bracket
doesn't it absolutely brilliant okay so
another question I wanted to ask you now
hopefully again this this gives the
listeners a lot of value because other
than your routine and how your practice
in your daily life now which is going to
obviously give them great value going
back to the adversity and not to jump
into it too much in relation to that
horrible event that happened to you in
France what one lesson would you tell
our audience I think for me it's the
importance of having faith in the
universe I really I've never been a
religious person and I've never either
or I also you know I haven't cast myself
as a spiritual person but from reading
everything that I have read and watching
everything I've watched from business
you know business II really hardcore
business books by like people like Grant
Cardone to really kind of hippie woowoo
universe books by people like Gabby
Bernstein the biggest thing that
underlies for me that's underlying these
these books are people that are
successful and happy is that they just
have faith that everything will work out
and it's happening the way that it's
meant to happen and that we're all on a
par and as long as we you know we we
fulfill the things that we should be
fulfilling that really you just have
faith in what's coming towards you you
can't you can't prepare for the things
that happen you can't prevent them from
happening but as long as you always keep
faith that there is light at the end of
the tunnel and that there is that things
happen the way they're meant to happen I
think you can get through pretty much
anything so I think yeah that would be
my my number one lesson and I would say
a really big turning point for me it
sounds a bit nuts actually but I
basically towards the end of last year
got really
obsessed with watching films about World
War two I don't I don't know why I just
think I just that atrocity just I was
just fascinated by I think and the
strength of everyone who came through it
and I watched that film
The Pianist have you seen it I've not
seen that my life was totally changed by
that film and it's because there is this
man who loses his entire family his all
his friends everything he knows his home
and everything like that
and yet he is still fighting to survive
throughout that whole film okay I
haven't given it away because that
happens right like really okay it's
still fighting to survive because he has
faith in whatever whatever their
whatever it is that he is fighting for
exists so we because survival is the
strongest human instinct and that is
faith that is that's what makes you for
perhaps that want to survive in faith
that there is a reason to do it if you
didn't have the reason to do it you
wouldn't do it so for me what got me
through is knowing that you know that
there was there was gonna be positives
in the future I was gonna get through
this so I'd seen people struggle through
awful things and come out the other side
so for me the biggest lesson would be
finding faith if you have you got it you
need to find it whatever it might be
whether it's for me it's just the
universe I think in the way Gabby burns
he talks about it in the way that she in
her in her books and her teachings is
just about having faith in the universe
having faith is something bigger than
yourself and most people do have that
and it's just about then trusting that
that I think is what gets most people
through huge pain and challenge and for
me that was the biggest thing for me is
that faith and I know that it will carry
me through my entire life is having
faith in that path and the world that's
bigger than me I love it I think that's
a that's a brilliant answer and it's
actually something that's brought back a
memory to myself of actually my first
ever episode so I did an episode with my
very very good friend Kevin Dillon he
was blind from a very young kid in one
of his eyes through meningitis and again
he's got brilliant attitude like
yourself he's up he's all about helping
people always a very positive person and
his mindset always got
faith in things are always gonna be
better and he he actually said a quote
and I mean uh this this episode was a
long time ago but I can actually
remember it because he says believe in
God or believe in yourself or believe in
the universe but just believe in
something because if somebody doesn't
believe in anything they'll always be
lost it was really powerful and it
always made sense to me because I
suppose I can't I'm kind of an atheist
if I'm completely honest in terms of I
don't really necessarily believe a
religion or anything like that but I do
have a kind of spiritualist side to me
where I think there's obviously
something out there or at least that's
what bigger than myself and you hit the
nail on the head there he said something
bigger they knew so almost giving faith
and a bit of supposed control to that
thing knowing that maybe that's going to
get us through it I think that believe
that as humans because we're built to
survive and we need something some
reason are supposed to kind of keep us
going well I you know I think at the end
of last year I think I was having I mean
I laugh about it because I was I was
living with a big load of people at bi
and I was living with this one guy
called Joe who's from the UK and oh my
gosh I think about him I think he must
think I'm so nuts because I think I was
having existential crisis for the month
that he was living in the villa with me
and he'd get back from like a day of
like I don't know a day of like surfing
and co-working and he'll be like how was
your day and I'd be like yeah it's good
so what do you think the meaning of life
is because I was like really trying to
understand I was like yeah so I'm
wanting to understand why bad things
happen I was like I've been through this
I would hear more stories it was almost
like I was taking on the whole world's
pain like somebody would talk about like
plastic in the ocean and I was just
crying because I was like the world is
so awful and then it just I just kept
sort of delving into this and I was
watching all these films about the
Holocaust and just I was just literally
like I was literally like hurting myself
with pain because I was so wanting to
understand why it exists and and the
point of it and the point of life if
there is all this pain why do we bother
does it make sense me and then and then
they had this lightbulb moment with the
pianist film and then with reading a lot
of what Gabby Bernstein talks about and
a lot of the kind of yogi teachings and
staff from Eckhart Tolle stuff
of this bigger thing and it's it's not
something you need to put your miss and
you just have to know that it's there
and we do all know that it's there
because whenever I ask someone you know
do you believe that there's you know do
you believe in anything and most people
say I don't they say I'm not I'm not
religious but I do believe that there is
something bigger out there in the
universe pretty much most people do say
that and I think that you know you don't
have to label it as anything you just
have to know that it's there and that it
and it's taking care of you and once you
release your your you'll panic and worry
about the future and where you need to
be and this and that and the past and
everything like that and you accept that
your path is your path and you just
follow it my god it's so freeing I mean
that to me is total freedom I spent a
year trying to find freedom by being in
Bali you know what is freedom is it it's
about being location free as if I'd been
financially free is about being time
free I think it's just about being free
from the crap that's in your head and
just going well it's gonna work out
eventually you know it always does and
that and that is what the journey is of
life and I think the second you can
enjoy that and embrace it you're going
to enjoy your life and find that freedom
that's brilliant I think freeing
yourself from the crap in your head is
what I want to do to be honest and I'm
sure people listening to this can
obviously relate to that because that is
what it's all about and you said some
stuff there that I was almost nodding in
agreement because I'm like oh my god
that's me so the whole why do bad things
happen and trying to understand why
they're happening it almost consumes you
so we touched right before this I I'm an
emotional person and I find myself
that's why I don't even watch the news
or listen to stories because I'm like
I'll just be sitting there crying all
day almost like using all my energy due
to myself for some reason it was it was
a while I was doing this myself for
about three months
I literally just watched anything I
could that I knew was gonna make me cry
and hate the world because I just needed
to understand it otherwise I didn't see
the point I was like what is the point
there has to be a point and then I lost
the penis and I was like well there is
definitely a point because he survived
when he had basically in my opinion
nothing to live for yet he still
survived which means that whatever kept
him alive exists because it literally
defies the point the reason it defies
everything in my opinion the reason he
survived because it doesn't make any
sense anyway it was basically I'm
basically talking about my existential
crisis which I had at the end of last
year and I read books I don't know if
you've read a man's search for meaning
by Viktor Frankl but all of these things
I was just going all in and trying to
just get it I was like I'm a bit of a
fast person so I'm like look if I've got
to get through this I need to go all in
and get it done fast so I think I just
put myself an accelerated path o of
consciousness and understanding and then
came out the other side with this
completely different mindset and I mean
yeah life's you know never looked better
because I think and then you just have
that awareness where you feel yourself
slipping from it like last week when I
was feeling you had these overwhelm
moments where I was thinking oh my
goodness you know there's a lot going on
here and I've you know I've taken a lot
on to just kind of catching and going
well don't worry Hannah you know it's
gonna be fine you know you know just
just up you know do a bit more praying
like a few extra candles whatever it
needs to be have that food and having
that faith and then the second you
return to that faith and and that and
that you know coming back to laughs you
you're fine so yeah I mean I think Gabby
Bernstein stuff is really fantastic
I think she's she's she's well she's
well regarded but I think she should be
like more more regarded like her stuff
is so good I'm also fortunate to know
Jay Shetty I don't know if you follow
him but he's a friend of my dad and we
used to work we work together for a bit
at accenture and I'm fortunate to know
him and obviously he's all about this
this wisdom and so I think I'm lucky
really with the people that I follow and
that I have in my life my cousin has
been my complete spiritual guide over
the last five years who he's just he's
just sent from wherever the greatness
lives that's the most incredible person
in the world and then my direct family
my mom my brothers my dad and friends I
think I'm just I'm just incredible
and that's what I focus on that's how I
you know that's you know I don't think
life's hard you know because I've been
through stuff I think life is incredible
absolutely absolutely
you got you got fantastic knitwear there
actually and obviously in your mum as
well she's she's an amazing lady I was
also just thinking just there as well
when you're talking so I need to
research Gabby Bernstein but Eckhart
Tolle is another one who talks about
this the consciousness and stuff and I
kind of wish he had someone like
yourself to narrate his books because
I'm listening to the audio books in a
funny really difficult relaxing asleep
absolutely I'm driving and I'm like this
is just the hazard his voice is too
relaxing I literally you have to be on
the move on foot you have to like walk
around the garden or something because
otherwise will not last because it's
just do you know when Eckhart Tolle at
check you watch him on YouTube he's
actually like he's actually pretty funny
and he's quite accessible if you watched
him in like short sharp he does these
kind of question answer sessions and
things and you can kind of get his
knowledge in these sort of five-minute
chunks which is obviously much more
accessible you know his books pretty
pretty intense is pretty incredible but
if you just want to grab bits of him or
would just have a question some doesn't
you type in the question you've got he's
got there's a video of somebody else
asking a similar question okay and he's
pretty funny and light which really
surprised me after listening to his book
so much at that I suppose he's probably
made that book maybe not for people who
are just driving and maybe as a sort of
he's kind of encyclopedia of finding I
think it's probably one that should be
read rather than listen to you can be
honest I've got it on my I need to get
it you know I need to get it out and get
a highlighter and all of that kind of
stuff
definitely yeah I can imagine that I'm
sure he's full of like amazing gems
that's brilliant okay so you're in this
place now where I'm very happy that
you're in such a great place then not
just spiritually if you want to call it
that and physically and just everything
in terms of your business business and
moving forward
yeah have you got any fears now I mean
what kind of scares you in this current
moment and okay that it's actually a
really good question I'll tell you what
what scares me is the thought is a
finding like a partner
like her boyfriend or falling in love
okay that's interesting yeah which is a
very operate dancer I didn't if you
expect me to go that honest but may as
well yeah please do can i elaborate yeah
so I think I just not been I guess I
wouldn't say you know unlucky because I
you know as I said I believe that our
path is our path so I think you know
what's happened was meant to happen but
I've not had great luck I guess if you
don't allow us to call it with with
relationships over the last few years I
don't think I'm very good at picking
people that are right for me I think I
struggle to be really open and I guess
it comes a lot of insecurities from when
I was young now things are now my life
is very different in terms of you know I
don't go out drinking so you're less
likely to meet people I live in a you
know I live in a town where I love my
town that I live and I don't want to
live in London but that means that you
know I'm less likely to meet people
you know in my kind of age group I don't
I don't enjoy apps you know I'm not I
don't have I don't have any desire to
spend more time using technology but I
work or you know I work on technology
all day I don't want to sit in front of
the TV and swipe on my phone and talk to
some random person and go whoo I don't
even know if they're interesting or
funny based on a photo and I need funny
so I guess I've also told three boys
that I love them and not had them say it
back so all three of my relationships
have been have been you know unrequited
love and that's quite you know that's
from 16 to 26 so that's actually you
know that's tough so I guess what my
fear would be in something I know I need
to do the work on is around my relation
you know my relationships and my
attitudes to - laughs I guess in terms
of finding a partner to share my life
with you know I want to have that you
know it's not that I you know it's not
like I'm not always because I love being
single I think a better when they're
together I look at my mum and dad who
have the best relationship out of anyone
I know when they bring out the best in
each other and you know they get to
enjoy their lives together and have a
real partner so I guess that would be
you know if you want my honest answer to
that instead of a sort of a
and answer then that would be something
which I guess is a fear thank you for
sharing that it's actually a really
interesting answer and probably one I
will didn't guess if I had 100 guesses
I'm sure obviously as you know as well
it will happen when it's meant to happen
the reason I find it so interesting is
having had such a horrible experience
where you've almost got this incredible
resilience where I suppose nothing's
really going to necessarily scare you
anymore because you've already been hurt
you've already been to the bottom you've
already been in a dark place to have in
that level of insecurity with that
particular subject I just find that
interesting it again I think if you look
at the world I mean love in terms of you
know love for another person a partner
is a you know pretty big thing I mean
you know every song every film you know
most of it pretty much most of life
comes down to you know love of another
person and you know that's why you know
that's why we're on our planet find a
partner and procreate I mean that's how
that's how the evolution survives so
although it sounds you know minor in
comparison to you know huge adversity
and stuff I think it's probably at the
same time one of life's biggest missions
and at the same time can be challenges
to get it right I mean you got to get
I'm not one who's gonna set you know I'm
not a settler so I've got to get it
right it's got to be and especially you
know my parents have an incredible
relationship so my you know my bar is
set really high I you know I want real
proper love that makes that makes us
both better that you know that we we
have the same hopes and dreams and I
think you know I'm an extremely
ambitious person I'm you know I'm very
self-aware I know what I'm about and I
think potentially it's hard to find
other people at that same level I don't
know I don't know what the offer is I
mean it's probably down to the fact that
I may be not not open to it and it's
work that I I've got it on my my mental
note of work to do on myself is to is to
delve into it and and make sure that you
know I'm not you know I'm not limiting
myself in any way yeah absolutely I
think at least you're recognizing that
there is potentially some work there to
that's really important but yeah I mean
your level of self-awareness is
definitely not something that I suppose
is common amongst common people should I
say but life is definitely better years
in terms of if you can find the right
person and obviously you'll never sell
but please do not settle and however
long that takes you can almost have
everything and more Panna we're actually
gonna go to the fun part of the show now
so this is normally where quite fun just
so you know sorry I have actually found
most a bit quite honorable thank you
thank you
you're a great you're a great
interviewer great question so thank you
thank you you really shouldn't worry I
mean you're definitely skilled I mean
I'm sure you're going to be very
successful with this podcast because I
love your very you've got the right
level of empathy and you're really it
sounds to me like you're you're really
listening which actually sounds really
obvious but it's actually a really
important skill that very few people
have so yeah I think you should be
really you know pleased to do with
yourself I'll bless you thank you so
much
you caught me off guard there a little
bit nice fine it's fine
okay so quickfire round this is
basically 60 seconds where I'm gonna ask
you the most random questions so why if
it comes to your mind there's no right
or wrong and said it's just a little bit
of fun for the audience to get to know a
little bit more about you are you ready
yeah okay fantastic we're gonna start in
three two one
what did you eat for breakfast I don't
eat breakfast I'm on intermittent
fasting like eight no problem if you
could really relive one day again which
day would it be any day today I mean I
love every day I love that the ability
to fly or be invisible fly who do you
admire most in the world my mum when
your fame okay your favorite food you
know your proudest moment quitting
alcohol would you rather speak or
languages or be able to speak to animals
animals 100 percent if you could abolish
one thing in the world what would it be
right what song best describes your life
life by Desiree I love that song so good
it's brilliant if you had an extra hour
a day what would you spend it on just
asking my parents questions Netflix or
YouTube
your favorite TV show ever friends would
you rather know how you would die or
when you were dying how if you could sit
with one person in the world for an hour
who would it be
Gary Vaynerchuk I love Gary Vee yeah
your favorite place in the world
Farnum Ansari read minds or predict the
future read minds and the last question
your favorite superhero I love Groot
Groot yeah from guardians of the galaxy
yeah he's a superhero is new yeah I
suppose we can give you that one I love
he's brilliant he's got like the most
easiest lines ever to remember in a film
I think you can communicate with three
words only in your life in the world so
that would make which is basically my
job and everything I love so yeah yeah
absolutely yeah brilliant okay fantastic
so we have just two more questions left
for you Hannah and the next one's about
reflection so knowing exactly what you
know now with all your knowledge and all
everything that you've been through in
life I want you to take yourself back
and I want you to take yourself back to
a young Hannah maybe where you struggled
with it first to you or something didn't
quite go your way in life so knowing all
this information now and going back to
this young Hannah
what would you whisper in her ears such
interesting question because two weeks
ago I did a hole in a child session with
my cousin and I actually did exactly
this so I went back to ten year old
Hannah which I think was a Hannah who
was really starting to know who she was
in the world but because it wasn't the
same as what everybody else was felt
that she had to keep it down and so um I
was at I didn't it wasn't very cool to
be smart and I was pretty smart I that I
didn't care about things that other
people cared about so I felt like I
should so what I would whisper to her
was just it's just to to back yourself
to know that you are a hundred percent
right and feeling what you feel because
that is what you feel which makes it
right
and to to worry less to just be so
excited about the journey ahead and to
find a way no matter what it was to find
in a love it took me until last year to
really love myself and I wish my 10 year
old self could could find that because
she was really great she just wasn't the
same as everybody else
and that made it hard so yeah love
yourself back yourself and be very
excited for the future love yourself
back yourself and be very excited for
the future I think that's brilliant and
I think even as kids probably maybe
before the age of 10 we are kind of
built that way in terms of we're just
very confident and we kind of I suppose
the love ourselves and get excited by
everything and then some way along life
when whether it's teachers or the
community around us we could be kind of
tend to lose that element whether it's
you fail at something or you don't
necessarily do something that's the
normal you don't fit into a certain hole
a suppose so it's interesting I mean
he's just an a quick example but I am I
hit puberty like earlier than a lot of
friends so I sort of got that kind of
curvier body and weighed more than my
friends and I didn't know I didn't think
oh I'm fan at until I rap and he weighed
myself and I think I weighed like seven
stones and I think everyone weighed like
my friends weighed five and that's when
I thought oh I shouldn't weigh more that
must be bad aka I must be fat so it
wasn't I'd actually looked in the mirror
and gone oh I'm fatter than my friends
I'd let you put a metric and then I
decided to judge myself for the rest for
the next 15 years based on that random
metric from a pair of random scales I'd
stood on in my mum's bathroom when I was
like having a bath or something yeah and
that's like a story which stayed with me
and I know it was when I was 10 so I can
remember the moment this eat with me
until I mean I guess now I mean you know
everyone's constantly struggling with
body you know body image and in the
distant age we live it in so and that's
just some stupid story which I picked up
when I was young there oh I'm heavier oh
dear I should weigh less oh no this
means I'm not as good I mean what's that
what is that rubbish story absolutely
and that rubbish story I'm sure every
has their own version of that room story
as well it's weird isn't it because I
suppose we can look back at it now with
our heightened level of thinking I
suppose and self-awareness but as a
child you were almost taken on this
story and making it almost a truth that
you're gonna live with now for the next
15 20 years not realizing the impact
that can potentially have so it's
shocking it's shocking the stuff that
you can pick up when you're you're young
I mean when I have children I'm gonna
read like every parenting book and going
everywhere I'm gonna travel the world
studying parenting my parents weren't
amazing but I mean in terms of things I
picked up in school and stuff so that I
can I don't know just so I can
understand it more because I know I do
really
how much would shaped when we're young I
mean my fantastic I'm not at all saying
it was them but yeah I mean there's
random things that you have no idea that
can have an impact for the you know the
rest of your life no I I hundred percent
agree again my parents absolutely
fantastic I wouldn't change him for the
world but I think this is maybe why we
both like garyvee because some of his
stuff that he talks about in terms of
when anybody talks about parenting and
stuff and just the cold hard truth in
terms of you as a person just finding
your way and not worrying about the
opinion even of your parents for example
and he has quite a few lessons in the
way he talks and I'm always nod to my
wife I'm like this is fantastic
I need to listen to Gary Vee like when
the time comes for us to have a family
for example and similar to yourself
again and another common trait is I
always think I just want to immerse
myself into becoming this ultimate pair
of where it's never gonna happen I mean
we all make mistakes but I just want to
be mindful of those simple words in the
simple sentences about my behavior can
literally change my my child's life
because I believe there's a level of my
anxiety came when I was a child and not
to make this episode about me but I know
kind of when it came and I really went
into myself and I don't ever want my
children to ever yeah I mean I think my
parents were pretty super parents in
terms of like they they had they've got
most of it down I think for me what it
was was was it would be knowing I think
it's about when something happens it's
because a lot of the stuff happens at
school doesn't it when we're young
that's where we we pick up a lot of our
stuff I think in terms of our baggage
that we take through our lives so I
guess for me it's understanding more
about kids other kids rather than
knowing how to pair it and understanding
if my kid comes in this mood well what
might have happened on that day and I
don't know I don't really know it I
don't know if there's really anything a
parent can do to protect a kid from
things they hear in school but things
like body issues and I've always been a
kind of natural leader which is the way
that I would explain myself now as a
natural leader but obviously like like a
lot of strong girls you know you're told
you're bossy and too intense and stuff
for a large proportion of your life now
I see it as you know I'm just a natural
leader which is super cool because I've
changed the story in my head but for a
long time I felt bad for being for
always for being like look I know
instead of you know letting everyone run
around in chaos for putting a bit of
order in there but now you know now I
see that as a positive but back then I
thought oh god I'm such a bossy whatever
again Britta Hansen I think people are
listening to this I just want to take
one of your sentences is you change the
story in your head and however we tell
ourselves this story
we can literally switch it and this is
what I want this podcast to be about in
terms of just switching the
circumstances or the situations that
you've been through in life to favor you
because at the end of the day the
situation is the situation however how
we react to it that's gonna determine
how we live our life and I just think
you're a shining example of using your
adversity and pain practice though I
would say that because I know that
people people say that you know oh you
know it is up to you how you react but
that I used to annoy me when people said
that to me because I was like oh shut up
like let me know it's just shut up it
takes a lot of practice and you just
have to basically for me what it was was
I heard that enough times that I
eventually started believing it so if
you don't feel it now that you don't
feel that you can choose to react to
situations in a positive way or however
you want to react to them if you don't
believe that's possible now just have
the faith that one day you will believe
it's possible and you will naturally do
it
because when it's right it will happen
do you know what I mean don't put the
pressure on yourself because I think a
lot of people present themselves going
oh I should be seen us in a positive way
oh my god I'm rubbish at this oh my god
I'm terrible at being positive why am I
so bad at everything and you get in a
spiral because it doesn't come naturally
whereas have the faith that when it's
ready when you're ready to react to
situations in a different way that's
when it will that's when you will do you
see what I mean
that's a brilliant way of pointing me
actually because I'm guilty of doing
that myself because we read so many
books and always working on personal
development if I don't do something how
I know I shouldn't potentially do it I
beat myself up about it and I think it's
again going back to that faith element
that one day it will click and I'll get
those moments you know we're imperfect
that's what makes us so amazing is we're
part that we'd be robots so nobody wants
robot humans yet although they think
we're going to be able to marry them in
2030 that might be my option perfect I
think yeah I think it's just it's
knowing that you know you're never going
to react to every situation properly
you're always going to sometimes not be
your best self that's what makes us our
best selves is by accepting those those
times that we're not but when it comes
to personal development and all of these
constant improvements that we know we
can make on ourselves I think making the
problem is is that there's so much
knowledge and content and things online
that we can apply to ourselves it's
actually becomes overwhelming that you
end up not doing anything because you
don't know where to start
so I just think look when somebody gives
me a piece of advice there I mean
something I know I should implement I go
well that looks nice when the time is
right I'll do that
and then naturally because I've got that
faith it does happen but I think what we
don't want to do is cause more overwhelm
we literally the amount of stuff that is
there in the world for us to look at
every day and the amount of choices we
have to make is just too much that I
think just backup from the whole thing
and go it will happen when it happens I
will learn these lessons when I need to
learn them you know take it in it you
know and one day you know it goes into
your memory naturally once it's gone
into your point once you've seen it or
read it and then it wait for it to come
back up and and that's fine but don't
put yourself under pressure to start
doing these things straight away just go
you read somewhere that somebody did it
and it worked for them do you know what
I mean absolutely I think that's a
fantastic message because overwhelmed
definitely as you said it causes a kind
of analysis paralysis and everyone I
mean I am helping people in their 60s in
businesses all the way down
supporting my 30 year old cousin with
his revision because I live with him at
the moment I'm helping with his revision
and honestly the main thing which is
coming out of everybody is overwhelmed
whether they're sixty or thirteen and we
have got to do something about the way
that we are living in this state of
overwhelm because it's not it's not we
can always do more and be more we always
know that we can but actually who we are
right now is probably a Dan site of an
improvement of where we are we were last
year so why don't we why don't we
celebrate that while the rather than
going oh god I need to be doing that and
why am I not doing that and I need to do
this we need to break things down and
have the faith that the right you know
the right thing happens when it happens
and we can only do what we can do in
that present moment and as long as we
are always honoring you know honouring
ourselves and making consciously good
decisions well then what more could we
possibly do do you know what I mean it's
just there's too much there's too much
pressure and and and overwhelm you know
it's like it's gone mad and I got a 13
year old cousin I want to just you know
take it all away from him and go look
it's all fine like with his revision
we've broken it into these really
bite-sized chunks it's completely
changed his whole attitude to revision
because he's like suddenly gone from
overwhelm to clarity and clarity is one
of the most important things we can get
in our lives because clarity enables so
much so yeah all of the answer I'm more
importantly good luck to your 13 year
old cousin as well for his exams yeah it
was like yeah I'm doing some revision
days for some of his friends over the
next few weeks we're going I can't bear
seeing them all stress so I said look
give them to me for a day I'm gonna sort
it out let's say well I'm sure he'll be
fine honey that suddenly actually brings
us to the last question and the last
question that I always like to ask my
guess is basically if in 150 years time
science fails to save a sword and all
that exists
is a book and this book is about your
life and in it it's got all the weird
and wonderful things that you've
accomplished all of the dreams and
aspirations that you've you've done and
achieved what would firstly the title of
the book say and secondly what would the
blurb at the back
tell us about Hannah power oh my
goodness I wish I'd prepared ah the
title of the book would be God that is
hard it would be something like
enjoying enjoy the journey it would be
something about yeah something like that
and the back of the book it would say I
guess embracing adversity is the biggest
gift that you can that you can give
yourself and finding your faith is
crucial to your success and finding
confidence in your inner self and
everything that makes you totally unique
that these are all the things which
enable you to then enjoy your journey
your short period of time on earth and I
would like to be seen as somebody who
helped others to do that the question I
should have really thought about that
beforehand really good I love it I think
that's certainly a book that I'd
definitely pick up and I think you
certainly will help so many people and
just on that could you please tell us
where our listeners and audience can get
through to you on your either Instagram
Facebook or wherever you're available
sure so and yeah the easiest way is
probably to go to my website Hanna power
dot code at UK so you can yeah that's
that's where you can contact me through
there if you want to send me an email
it's Hanna Hanna power code at UK or
Instagram is probably my favorite
platform Hanna I power and if you're
interested in joining I've got a
Facebook group to support people who
want to you know build their brands have
an impact create a life of fulfillment
that's called powerful branding that
Facebook groups you can search for that
so I guess it all depends on what what
people you know what they want if they
just want a bit of inspiration Instagram
if they want some help
Facebook group but it's all kind of
culminates on my website Hannah power UK
that's fantastic thank you all
shop with all of that into the show
notes so people can contact you I want
to take this moment once again to thank
you Hannah for your time and sharing
your story and I want to also thank all
the listeners at home thanks for
listening awesome that was fantastic
thank you so much and remember this
podcast is absolutely free so all we ask
in return is for you to share this with
a friend and drop us a 5-star review
over on iTunes have an awesome day
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Find your voice - Episode 20 "It's a curse to call yourself a true Entrepreneur, unless you really are" - Penny Power #20
Tagline: "Love is the most powerful force in the world, the more you can live within that energy, be that energy and give that energy the better your life will be "
Penny Power, OBE is an incredible woman who could complete a podcast series alone. Having labelled herself as an 'Accidental Entrepreneur' Penny formed the first social network for business owners exceeding 650,000 members. However, as many entrepreneurs can relate, she was then forced to handle many ups and downs along her journey and forced to really look deep within herself. Through a journey of self care and discovery Penny began to deal with depression and really find her true purpose and love for herself. A journey she may even consider tougher than the entrepreneurial one.
More importantly than the above, Penny is an extremely proud mother to 3 and wife to her husband all of whom she considers the greatest gift she ever received. Penny now coaches people on a 1-2-1 basis transforming not only their lives but also living her true purpose.
From depression, to business, to self care to coaching we discuss so many facets that many of you today can relate too and hopefully take nuggets of information to move your lives forward and find your voice!
Please check the links below and follow Penny's journey as she is credible, honest and an overall lovely soul.
Thanks for listening
Free Audible book sign up:
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Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/findyourvoice
Links to me:
Website: https://www.arendeu.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aren.deu/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/arendeu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aren.singh
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aren-deu-65443a4b/
Podcast: https://www.findyourvoicepodcast.com
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Links to guest:
Website: https://www.pennypower.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PennypowerOBE/
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pennyfpower/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pennypower/
Books: https://amzn.to/2DPEvfU
Have an awesome day
#JustDeuIt #FindYourVoice
[Music]
welcome to an episode of find your voice
a movement led by yours truly
Aren do a guy who has overcome
crippling anxiety adversity and
difficulty like so many of you in life
whose main goal now is to help you
combat your excuses take control of your
life write your own story and most
importantly find your voice so now
without further ado I welcome the host
of the show himself mr. Aren do what's
going on people thank you for tuning in
to another episode of find your voice my
name is Aren and as always I am the
host of the show so I'm extremely
delighted to bring to you today
penny power now for anyone who knows
penny they might also know her as the
accidental entrepreneur and the reason
for that is because penny created this
absolutely monster of a social network
for business people in 1998 which
actually had over 650,000 business
owners in it not knowing what she had at
that time penny was sadly disrupted by
what we know today as linked in so
there's definitely a brilliant story
there and we do discuss that further
into this episode alongside this penny
has also received an OBE in 2014 for the
work that she's done and she's seen by
many as a winner and having spoken to
her in some depth not just during this
episode but prior to it she certainly is
that alongside being a mother to three
children and a wife to her husband penny
now sees herself working with clients on
a one-to-one basis and we're in a
society today where a lot of coaches are
almost spawning overnight I mean we're
seeing people with one or two years of
experience becoming a coach and then
selling their services and being a bit
skeptical apart a lot of these coaches
penny is somebody I'm certainly not
skeptical about because if I was ever to
recommend anyone as a coach it would
certainly be penny because penny has the
experience and you can tell from the way
she speaks in this interview she knows
this stuff so I think without further
ado we're gonna jump straight into this
one it's extremely exciting for me to
bring somebody like penny onto my
podcast
and I'm extremely grateful for that and
I hope you all enjoy this episode thanks
for tuning in
ok so firstly I just want to thank
everyone for tuning in to today's
episode today and I've just had a
fantastic discussion with penny prior to
this actually going live so I've got to
know her a lot there but I think it's
very important that you guys listening
tuning in today get to know the real
penny or Penny powers she is known to
many of us out there today so firstly
how are you doing today
very well I feel very well warmed up
lovely conversation with you it was it
certainly was I could almost have an
episode out of that just in itself but
I'm just for their sake of the listeners
who have just tuned in now and obviously
may or may not have heard of you could
you please just maybe give us an insight
in relation to where you first started a
little bit about your journey and
basically what brings you here today and
so I think you know and I think it's
been a journey of finding my voice which
is just perfect I'm gonna try and keep
it little 16
I went into the IT industry when I was
19 I didn't go to university I went into
sales and tele sales and joined it when
it was really booming and so it was
fairly relatively easy to excel and I
ended up with in about by the age of 24
I was sales marketing director of a 80
million pound company with about 400
staff that I was responsible for and an
80 million pound sales line and we had
offices around the country eight offices
and but my first day there I just went
into there and completely just out of
scarcity and needed to leave home and it
was a job and and I realized I was quite
different to everybody else in the room
you know I wasn't really that focused on
the sale but I was focused on the impact
of the sale that would have on whoever
was buying the product and I actually
resigned after seven months and I was
going to go to the University to do a
psychology degree I had finally got my
place and my boss took me into a room
and said why are you leaving I said I'm
just not cut out for business it's not
my world I want to be have more impact
in business and he said but you have no
idea of the shift that you
created in the culture of our
organization and I was ripped shots as a
19 year old to be told that and he said
just be you stay and be you very
powerful when someone says that to you
so I did and I built quite a nice career
I'd sort of left that company and
actually went off to four other
companies and then was invited back to
be their sales marketing director when
they had grown quite substantially and
then at 28 I was blessed with my baby
Hannah and two more children and that is
absolutely that and my marriage is being
my highest values my highest joy the
thing that I think is the most important
thing in my life I think you know that
fall saying charity begins at home I
think if you put oxygen on your family
then you build a family that doesn't
take from the world it can give to the
world
i I've taken my role as a mum really as
my most important thing in my life and
my merit and my marriage because that
completes the family and but I am quite
driven I love I do love business and
when I was 33 so I had Hannah was five
and then I had Ross who was three and TJ
was just not long born about six months
old I came up with the idea of the fact
that business seemed so lonely people
working on their own my husband being
one of them and sort of subject of night
networking in 1998 wasn't huge but there
was it was sort of going on but there
was no online networking for business
there was Friends Reunited and MySpace
but nothing for business so I created a
community for business online with a
culture of reducing loneliness helping
people with their self-esteem and her
self-worth and helping people to be who
they were rather than just what they did
and it grew and it grew and it was
phenomenal but then we got massively
disrupted we were growing up organically
it was a subscription-based business ten
pounds a month ten dollars ten euros
depending where you were in the world we
were in 52 countries had 5000 offline
events here and then LinkedIn took hold
so retweet hoffman had actually visited
and used our site a little bit he then
raised three hundred and thirty million
dollars when in the
okay we just couldn't raise any money
we'd raised very small amount of seed
investment but interestingly he just
went a different route and culture he
went to the business world with his
fantastic tool but it's said it's only
about what you are and actually then we
saw that was in 2002 so that was four
years after we had grown then in 2004
Facebook came into the student market
2006 Peter came in and the mark I think
we all polarized you know this is Who I
am on Facebook this is what I am on
LinkedIn an academy sat somewhere in
between we needed to pivot the business
model by now we had lost our house in
order to keep the business going it was
very challenging the trout children
traveled around the world meeting our
members had little lapel badges with
their names on them shaking hands at
teach ethics or he first started
networking and anyway in 2008 we went to
the bank and said look can we have a
loan to pivot this business and they
gave us a 5 year loan enabled us to
start looking at how we can offer free
and start basically doing what we didn't
want to do but in order to survive which
was going to be sell your data so you
you know what we now upset about in the
other markets so obviously that meant a
lot of our members that were happy to
pay we're unhappy but did get some new
members joining who were happy that it
was free but it really challenged our
values and then three years into that
with two years left around the bank loan
the banking crisis happened
we got a 30 day notice to pay back the
rest of the two years and they brought
the business down the bank after 14
years so an incredibly painful defining
moments in 2012 and it has been an
unbelievable climb to get back any sense
of self-worth self belief a big journey
I which we can we can look into it was
wonderful in 2014 out of the blue came a
beautiful letter and offering me an OBE
for the contributors
lovely feeling of validation and
but actually what I really learned is
you can get huge amounts of external
invalidation in life but unless you can
validate yourself and believe in
yourself and feel your own sense of
self-worth these things are just a bit
of gloss on your life and that's been a
journey which culminated in me writing
my book last year
fantastic and your book is called it's
called business is personal well firstly
what a journey I probably got more notes
here that again I could do probably a
podcast on separately so I just want to
touch on a few things throughout your
journey so you ended with the validation
statement which I don't want to go into
cuz I think that's so important
especially in today's society yeah you
were 19 years old you had almost kind of
disrupted and made a positive scene in
this industry where there was a fitting
comment and you said just stay and be
you yeah I loved that because I filmed
myself and in an industry where a lot of
my business comes through social media
there are people not just being
themselves I feel that a lot of people
have a magic or they're saying the
things that they necessarily feel they
need to say yeah what people want to
hear and I think sometimes we all have
such a unique gift or skillset that we
may not ever get to see if we're too
busy trying not to be ourselves if that
makes sense
I think I think that was beautiful and
you touched the game moving after that
about your family and I just resonated
so much with your values in terms of
breathing oxygen into your family and
how important your marriage is so we
touched obviously prior to this show a
little bit about one of your children I
lost a TJ and just the incredible person
that she is so again that's a testament
to your values and that kind of brings
me to where I am so I touched on the
LinkedIn obviously disrupting and it's
and sadly for yourselves you had to
almost kind of pivot but you mentioned
something which I just found fascinating
which was the values bit that really
kind of struck you so it's nice to hear
and it's quite refreshing from yourself
that yes you could have pivoted the
business and almost kind of taken on a
LinkedIn approach but that's not who
penny is so using that and realizing
that in that moment getting the external
validation of OB what did you then do in
terms of your business I mean is that
still going now that sort of business or
have you completely shifted it now
towards really helping people trying to
find out about themselves as in terms of
full of himself with yeah I mean I
definitely has been a thank you for that
that lovely reflection of what I said I
think it's been a journey you know
something I say when I am coaching and
mentoring and I run a mastermind group
now I take two cohorts yeah so I I
support people through a mastermind
group which is beautiful experience we
do need in our values we do need to have
a brand we need to know what we're here
for you know that lovely saying to best
days of your life the day you're born
the day you discover able all of these
things are very very powerful
start with why simon Sinek what it's
created it's created a massive panic of
people that don't feel they have it yet
and you can't force it so you know was
coaching a lady yesterday it was
incredibly inspired by brainy Brown and
her vulnerability statement and simon
Sinek and all these role models and
she's desperate to find her big message
and I just said just it will come but it
absolutely starts with the seed of who
you are and you can't force it because
you want to market yourself better or
write a better book or you've just got a
lot now having a coach or a mentor or a
loved one help you coach that out of you
is very powerful and I was with a
brilliant guy called Sun hartley
yesterday and he's a performance coach
and he said these three things you know
yourself be yourself accept yourself
I loved that thought I love that know
yourself be yourself accept yourself and
I don't think that we can you know I
went through a process last year with
psychologists and group therapy because
I broke and I didn't break to the point
where I was you know I was shaking in
the corner but I had a really day of
devastating experience that dangerous
and scary experience on the 30th of
November 2017 that I went off to a
hospital thinking I had had a stroke or
something and they found no new logical
things and and anyway through going to
see psychologists discovered that and I
was now having some form of mental
health challenges and I actually spent a
lot of time reflecting and thinking and
I think I started to break probably for
you
before I had that incidence it's not
something I was fat you know you could
start off you could start off being
completely disabled with a bad leg
through or hip through eighth rightous
it would start years before you know you
get the so I think mental health issues
you have to start becoming very
self-aware of how you're showing up in
the world before you really know you've
got them and and you know I believe in
mental fitness but there's another
subject you know starting before it
starts like you do when you look after
your physical health so the values
finding your voice knowing your values
are very critical you can't force these
things though and you know when I talk
to CEOs of businesses or leaders of
businesses they've got pulled into a
vortex of ambition like this whirlwind
of ambition that actually is fantastic
if economies create that culture because
they create to the fear and they create
the culture of you're lacking and
therefore scarcity and and fear and you
lack and the market is a brilliance has
it online saying you could be more
successful you could be richer you could
be more beautiful which immediately when
you actually read that your subconscious
hears I am lacking really wave love so
brilliant it's so clever but revolting
so we have to step away from things like
social media and comparison and
Roosevelt said comparison is the thief
of joy it's my favorite quote yeah it's
brilliant isn't it love it yeah
absolutely and and it's it takes a huge
amount of reprogramming your mind to
stop doing that
but at least once you're aware you're
doing it you feel yourself doing it you
call yourself back into line because
when you look at the ingredients of who
you are you know what makes you up there
is no single human being on this earth
the same as you say mercury your
knowledge your skills your intentions
your passions your experiences your
adversities you've it's just absolutely
nothing that could make someone the same
as you so therefore comparing yourself
is the first downward spiral really and
one that people are so locked into and
so you know anyone listening I'll just
say calm down listening to yourself just
have more self-awareness think of your
joys think of what really sets you on
fire all that's that which other people
will say but really do it not to make
money from it to begin with I saw
powerful again I mean I can resonate
with this and I'm not sure if you've
followed it in my story or any of my
progression but I try and say a lot of
this myself because again probably
similar to yourself I found myself in
the state of comparison initially
especially when I started the property
journey and I have this habit now and
I've kind of I don't do this in a way to
offend people or be rude but I've
stopped almost going on social media and
liking people's posts and stuff because
what I effectively do now is I have a
message every morning or every evening
that I want to share with the world and
what I'll do is I'll write it out and
I'll send it out and all of a sudden I'm
off social media I'm not there to see
how many likes I get or how many shares
I get because if I fix ain't myself on
that metric in itself what's gonna
happen is if it's law one day the next
day I might be scared to share my truth
again and I think I think one of the
important things you touched on again is
people are almost in this panic of we
don't have it but they probably do and
it's a patience game I suppose and where
I always say to people he's just speak
your truth speak whatever that comes to
you it's your own perspective it'll
resonate with certain people and we're
almost in a society where people are
trying to almost say key and buzzwords
because they feel like that's what they
need to almost same and I think you hit
the nail on the head and I think with
your experiences Ryan you just briefly
mentioned the coaching aspect I think
people listening to this show can gain
so much value from that so I just wanted
to touch on your mastermind that you
mentioned is that what's something that
people would necessarily need to do in
person or is it something that you can
do online from the comfort of your own
home a really great question so I've
been on my own journey and I'm gonna
come back to that if that's not too
annoying so really so when I my - I call
myself an accidental entrepreneur for
years because I was when I came up with
he had a me I didn't know his tiger by
the tail but I had and then I started my
second business after he had me call
digital use academy which it was highly
impactful it was working
young people I created the digital
marketing apprenticeship that is now
widely used and I got investors to put
money in we invested three hundred and
fifty thousand pounds in an e-learning
cent system and we distributed that
through further education colleges as an
apprenticeship and over three years I
out two thousand unemployed very hard to
reach young people into jobs giving them
the confidence that their digital skills
had value in the world and and hoping
that they would go into it with us the
sort of culture that I believe in around
social media so that was my second what
I call on two-player journey then I
started my third which is called the
business cafe and it was that part of
the journey that broke me because it was
another push and what I feel is um the
term entrepreneur is really dangerous to
me entrepreneurs are creating something
from nothing and have massive ambition
and Luke Johnson in his book stops
startup I think it's called said
ambition is a curse and not everybody
has it right to be a true entrepreneur
you have to be massively ambitious and
you have to know how much you're willing
to sacrifice in terms of time money and
gratification because being true you're
building something as scales and has
impact and this is the Silicon Valley
world you know go out raise 300 million
dollars and there and reduce all your 1%
and you know it's long busks and Mark
Zuckerberg the thing that a lot of
people your generation and two cents
that my generation came you know we we
witnessed from about 20 to 23 years ago
when ecommerce everything started so I
would say that you know it's a curse to
call yourself an entrepreneur unless you
truly are so my own personal journey is
and where I am finding so much joy now
going back to your original question
yeah is that I was employed had my
children then became an entrepreneur
accident accidentally then they became
an entrepreneur a game with digital
youth academy then tried to be an
entrepreneur game with the business cafe
and I still want to bring the business
cafe to market but when I broke my basic
my cup was full I was overflowing for
even a got out of bed
my resilience had gone and I was
exhausted and burnt and the way I've
come back is by saying actually I'm
going to be a small business much nicer
of course yeah
a small business is what is my value to
one person and how can I exchange that
value for money and impact their lives
directly so at the moment starting from
January when I launched my mastermind
and my mentoring coaching program this
year I only need to work with about 34
amazing people and I will fulfill not
only my emotional needs but my financial
needs and when I go into a room with
somebody I'm coaching I know that I get
that gratification I'm not only seeing
the impact I'm making on that one person
but also they're paying me yeah money is
actually ultimately one of the ways we
get our worth it is it's I know we don't
chase money but if we're broken and I've
been broken and if we can't financially
afford to feed our children trying to be
an entrepreneur is a very very dangerous
journey so going back to your question
am i delivering it online yes I've been
asked that a lot
yeah if as soon as I do that I'm
stepping away from my direct impacts in
terms of I'm putting a computer between
me and and being able to love and hold
and touch and care and look in the eyes
of the people I'm wanting to impact and
so this year that's what I'm doing thank
you for that answer so I want to play
devil's advocate just a little bit on
the the last night you said there so I
fully understand the whole direct beep
there directly impact them hold them
love them and touch these people that
you weren't have been on a one-to-one
basis and I suppose when I first started
personal training I literally started
personal training because one I had lost
a lot of weight and done a qualification
with a bit of spare change I had but I
thought it would pay for my way through
uni and then obviously doing that I
really enjoyed it I loved transforming
lives and seeing people lose weight gain
confidence which again I felt fantastic
as being mothered journey and I got to a
point myself as I and I remember
I should take this online and almost do
like an online coaching for personal
training where I will check in with
clients online again losing that that
one-to-one communication thing but at
the same time getting back some of my
time so my yeah and perhaps potentially
making more money and I initially kind
of was with yourself I was like I don't
want to do that it's got it's kind of
almost dilute my power and my gift that
I have when I work with people but then
at the same time I had somebody question
me and again this is a question I wanna
ask you is do you not then feel because
in this very brief moment with yourself
the reason I ask this is because I don't
want it to be that penny is based in
this part of the world or this part of
UK and we don't have access to penny
right now because I feel that if you are
able to connect with more people yes the
message might be slightly diluted but I
think your message is so powerful that
you could affect so many more people so
is it something that maybe your identity
later or I used sorry I'm gonna give you
a really long answer to this Aren okay
so at the moment I don't believe in
myself enough okay it's getting there
and this is the story I'm gonna tell you
and it's absolutely true and it's the
most up to date story I can tell you
about my life okay yeah please do I have
always wondered why people would spend
money on an aspen all our mulberry or
Gucci handbag right so you're gonna
think where the hell she kept okay I
never needed it
I never wanted even when Thomas and I
had money you know and life was a bit
easier didn't turn me on Thomas came
back from Dubai once on a speech has
brought me back in a beautiful good she
box a handbag and it sat in the box for
three years I never used it didn't write
and but my daughter Hannah who we talked
about a little bit and and hopefully you
might interview so absolutely would be
an honor so when she was 20 and I we
didn't spoil our children they had to
work from the age of from a young age
and at 16 they got jobs in supermarkets
or Starbucks or whatever and age 20 she
got an internship at Barclays and I met
her after work one day and we went off
to Marbury
just off Oxford Street and she spent 900
pounds in a bag I didn't judge her I
didn't judge at all is her money she'd
worked hard for it and that was some
symbolism she wanted that bag and she
had this private relationship Reeves my
big my older sister who's 10 years old
and me because my elder sister he's 10
years old of me loves designer handbags
and I used to watch quite jealously this
but I think I want to join that Club I'm
not in certainly sign a handbag but I
was quite jealous of these this banter
that I would hear and then looking at
each other's bags because ever since
then Hannah's brought more bags anyway
when I started this mastermind group we
were meeting at some Pancras station
it's beautiful meeting place and a
restaurant there and that's where my
master minds are going to be in a
private room there and I had 12 separate
meetings because I have a four-hour one
to one with all the masterminds before
they join and I would walk past an
Aspinall shop right eight and I walk
past it looked in sort of smug that all
Hannah would love that and walked up
these steps into this restaurant anyway
one day I about the bath Inc was about
the ninth meeting I went into the
Aspinall shop took a photo of this
lovely handbag and said to Hannah
you'd love this handbag Hannah and she
said yeah is lovely the next time I went
back my 10th time I went in and I got it
off the shelf and I put it on my
shoulder oh yes quite not put it back
11th time went back went in looked at it
and asked him how much it was and talked
to him about it last week was my 12th
time and I said to Hannah the night
before I was going back to London for my
12th meeting Hannah I fallen in love
with an astronaut bag yeah and she went
by it by it mom buy it buy it buy it
really and she said I am mom you really
deserve it buy it so I said don't be no
somebody who works for Aspen or
something I could get a 30% discount
oh yeah I can look into overnight if you
want mum so we'll do that that'd be
lovely done it anyway next morning I
woke up to get the train to London my
job meeting and I sent her a text and
said Hannah I'm gonna buy it I don't
want it discounted I went in and I
bought it and we came home and we
champagne while I opened it at home and
Thomas said to me just said out of the
blue how come you've decided to buy
yourself back and I said Thomas I'm
worth it and it was so poignant that
everybody cried because Hannah has said
to me mum why don't you believe in
yourself you've gotten an OBE look what
you've done look at the lives you've
changed look everything you've done and
I said I just didn't believe it inside
me until I've got I do now so this is
the most up to date story I can tell you
our an a my journey and it's been really
interesting I share it because I'm
really open with everyone if somebody
wants to judge me for the the pain I've
been through and the losses I've been
through and judge me is a bad business
person because I'm not achievable you
know I could have achieved I don't I
really don't care about that I'm just me
and um and I will share that that story
with the world because it's we've got to
find our own self worth deep deep deep
down now so in answer to your story
which was bad to me to go online and
expect somebody to want to pay for an
electronic version of me I haven't got
to that point yet believing in myself
enough
that's incredible thank you for sharing
that I'm grateful for you sharing that
because as you were saying that there
were so many parts of it maybe some of
the listeners could probably resonate
with it where I'm on this
entrepreneurial journey where I'm kind
of bootstrapping
as and when I can and stuff like the bag
if we use trainers for example where my
younger brother who's nine years younger
than me we're going spend to endure
parents on a pair of trainers where I'm
like I can't do that I can't possibly
think I'm doing that I mean you grew up
in slightly different generations where
finances were different and growing up
but I don't know something tempting just
click there and I thought maybe there is
a is an element within myself where my
self-worth needs to kind of at least be
reflected on and maybe people listening
to this can reflect on that because it
was a beautiful moment I could almost
picture you coming home
popping up and that bottle of champagne
and then having this moment where you're
like do you know what I am worth it so
it's a beautiful story that you've just
shared there and in relation to the
diluting the message
thing which is the question that I asked
you and you feel that you're not
necessarily worth it now can I just ask
is that kind of like an impostor
syndrome that's going through your head
or do you I think it's partly that I've
watched so many I don't want swear you
can sway tosses is the places I say sell
a dream online and manipulate and and
corrupt I don't want to be part of that
world and I've seen people close to me
you know hire an expensive house rent a
fat Ferrari and stand outside and say
you can be as rich as me if you do my
program and and they are multi
millionaires but I have seen so many
lost souls back up their lives leaving
that story and so I've got to I've got
to get to a point where for me to join
that world I've really got to feel safe
that I am never going to do that to
anyone penny I loved that about you
that's like for me it's kind of like
about the Family Fortunes TV episode
going through my head reach that top
answer and it's like kind of bleeding
because for me it's one of the things
that I hold very close to my heart so I
I got taught off by my wife actually
last night so this is a very current
story and I was writing a post and I
kind of just write post from my heart or
whatever I think I don't spellcheck it I
don't think about it I just literally
write it there and then and as I was
writing it I sinner peeping over it she
was kind of looking at it like why you
kind of she's seen it as me being kind
of argumentative or not I'm just trying
to think of the wrong bird a bit against
the grain kind of thing because my
message yesterday was very similar to
yourself so I'm in the property space
and in the property space there are all
these millionaires selling this poor
thing
dream and I absolutely hate it because I
was fortunate that I had 12,000 pounds
left in my account which I spent on the
education I still believe I would have
been where I am now without that
education because in hindsight it wasn't
as good as I've published sin so since
then I have probably
move people away from the education and
I've offered my free service I've given
my course material that I've paid
thousands for because I'm like listen
you can learn all this yourself you
don't need this shiny book or this
course that's gonna change your life
because I've done it I joined this
course thinking twelve months time I'm
gonna be a multi-millionaire blah blah
blah all of that so you've obviously
seen these kind of and I put crooks I
don't call them houses but appearances
is probably a better word and it really
really it gets it gets to me because at
the same time I also feel I have value
in some of my skills that's where I can
go out and coach an extensive amount of
people but then I almost getting this
impostor syndrome myself thinking I
don't want to ever be seen like these
people out there exactly doing it the
wrong way so I fully get there and
obviously we're at different stages in
life you're a lot more advanced and
experienced than myself and I get that
and at the same time I'm like I'm seeing
people with less experience than myself
who have fabricated their results taking
good selfies on one Facebook and then
all of a sudden the selling weekend
courses for two thousand pounds and I
read a book recently on it and it was
about neuro linguistic programming NRP
called the dark psychology and there was
a brilliant quote in that and what it
said was you can either manipulate
people or persuade people basically and
the people there's a lot of people who
say I want to help you I want to do this
for you and you need to be able to
assess are they trying to manipulate you
I looking at their own self gain
irrespective of whether it's going to
actually get you what they're promised
in you or are they're just trying to
persuade you to abandon life and I'm I'm
grateful that I've managed to have this
interview with you and lets you connect
with you because you're one of the good
people and it's nice to see somebody
doing it the right way and I do feel
that sometimes we may not get there as
quick as other people and we may have to
probably face more obstacles but I just
believe it's just so much easier to go
to sleep at night doing things the right
way well it does it goes back to what
you said at the beginning about your
core values and and and whether you can
sleep itself you know these CEOs that
Sam you this someone was telling me they
coach it said the CEOs are in fear of
losing their jobs or their business
because all around them they have no
la they've just lost everything we've
lost their wives they live no
relationship with their children in
their strife for success of whatever
they decided success would be when they
were young they have and now they sit in
fear in these big jobs because if they
lost their job or they lost their
business they have nothing else left and
I think we have to think about what is
it we want to surround ourselves with
Tomas and I have lost everything and we
still had our marriage and our children
and it's it's all that matters that's to
me that's the possible and I think
people need to go deep into their values
but they chase this ambition or this
dream or this comparison or whatever it
is that's confusing them yeah absolutely
I think that's a fantastic message thank
you for sharing that penny I really
appreciate it
so now that you're you're definitely an
entrepreneur I think I don't think
anyone's gonna disagree that you're an
entrepreneur whether it is by accident
or whatever I mean I feel I'm a big
believer that everything happens for a
reason and if we choose to we can find
our own way and I'm grateful that you
found your own way but what I want to
ask is so for somebody who's been
through been through it all should I say
in terms of the journeys of ups and
downs what's your daily routine like
because I'm a firm believer that
motivation doesn't last forever and I am
strongly I'm strongly for sorry and that
we should discipline ourselves in
certain aspects hence your nutrition or
the thoughts you tell yourself
affirmations being grateful all that
sort of stuff in order to get through
the darker days and not everyone speaks
about the darker days but what's your
daily routine like Monday to Sunday um
so I am always been an early Waker even
as you know child when I was teenager
did my revision early I always wake so
does my husband around 5:00 o'clock and
we love that and we go down and get two
cups of tea each one of us goes and gets
four cups of tea
and we do have that television in the
bedroom which we absolutely love so this
morning we watched we loved all the
dramas we watched the final of mother
father son for example and we lie in bed
together and we hole
has and we have a cup of tea and we
watch that and then we do that from our
now this is I'm not rushing to London
for trade and then I share and then I
for the last six years I have made a
very lovely drinks which contains
spinach kale berries chia seeds flax
seeds hue carrot and and then I start
work because I love work so either start
work in the office or I will go to
London I do try to go to London after
10:00 because hey the trains are so much
cheaper oh I go on the train I mean it's
you know how much that makes a
difference to your monthly outgoings if
you if you do have a discipline of doing
that and I just feel better if I do that
then I get a good start in the morning
and then my ideal day is to coach one
client today about three times a week so
in the afternoons
I'll meet at this lovely place and coach
them if it's better in the mornings I
will do the morning because it's really
down to where they when they get their
best energy of course Alice and three
times a week I'm really grimacing here I
try to go to the gym okay Red Mill and
do some weights but I'm not achieving
that very well moment and I do have a
yoga routine that I try to do every
morning before I get dressed that's it
fantastic do you do any sort of them I
mean I know you've touched on yoga there
do you do any meditation or any
gratitude journaling or writing your
goals down is that so I do I am I have a
attitude of blessings and gratitude all
through the day and I do start my day
with that I definitely don't even have
to consciously do it I just comes into
my mind that I have not that I feel it
now it's I think it's incredibly
powerful that mindfulness meditation
that would completely elude me I just
don't have you do that but mindfulness
I'm trying to learn that my son who's
studying psychology at University who
and there's quite a high performing but
very him puts a lot of pressure on
himself a lot of pressure on himself
he's learnt mindfulness and he's
actually done a certificate in it now
and he has it's it's incredible how its
transformed him he said he can't live
without it and so it is that's an
discipline I'm trying to bring into my
life like I've got it
fantastic and just actually if we may
just going back to something we touched
on earlier we touched on mental fitness
and I know we spoke about this before I
click the record button yeah do you want
to just briefly elaborate on that as
well because I think that's going to be
very important for the lissa so I when I
had this sort of breaking moment I
ultimately took a while but in the end
the psychologist diagnosed me with PTSD
which I always thought needed to be a
huge trauma you know something it
directly happened to you but PTSD is
basically anything that everyday comes
back into your mind and it is and it
fills your cup before you because at
work Venus that started today and I had
12 things that from the age of 3 through
to about 3 years ago that were still on
pains that I hadn't accepted and
reconciled and I wasn't a victim of them
but they were still front of mind and I
had to go through a process called EMDR
to work through them which was a hard
exhausting painful process of acceptance
and letting it go and then when you do
it goes into your you might back in your
mind the other thing that I got
diagnosed with is a form of depression
called cursive strong which is a bad
book by dr. tim cavanaugh on
he owned a Mazon he worked for the
Priory and he found that people that
were coming to him who were very dynamic
very hardworking high levels of
discipline were he'd ended up diagnosing
hit them with this and what I got
diagnosed with and it's basically a form
of depression that means you will not
self care and look after yourself right
if you just get up every day and you
just keep pushing until until you just
you just just exhausted and so when I
was going through my psyche my group
therapy and times with my psychologist
which talked about in my book
there was healing triggers and emotional
mental repair that I talked about in my
book that I feel is relevant to every
entrepreneur every human yeah I believe
around your belief systems your values
to thoughts your feelings your
personality type etc and what I then
thought was actually if I had no in this
twenty years ago before I became an
entrepreneur or even younger I would
have focused on my mental fitness not
moment I'd not got to a point where I
had mental health issues so now I'm an
advocate of mental fitness because I
think that there are things that we
could learn about ourselves so to me
resilience isn't about how hard the
punches are that you are willing to take
and bounce back from resilience is like
a boxer you learn what to dodge you've
done the things that your personality
and your who you are and what matters to
you that you do not want to be
confronted by and you dodge and that
would enter Fitness to me fantastic
actually the first time I've heard it
explained like that I think I think the
message is clear though and I'm quite
fascinated now you've got me intrigued
into your own personal book so I know I
don't read books in terms of the
hardcovers but I am an advocate of
audible and listening to books is your
book available as an audible version or
is it strictly a hardcopy
no it is I went into studio recorded it
so it's on audio it's on Kindle and it's
on poppy yeah okay fantastic so there's
no excuse for me not to buy that then
I'll definitely be checking that out
thank you for that thank you okay so the
next thing I always ask my guests and
again this is something that will
hopefully give the listeners maybe
lessons that they can take on or some
sort of advice is about adversity now
you've obviously been through a lot of
adversity some of it we probably haven't
even touched in this very short episode
so I know you mentioned briefly and you
lost your house you mentioned I think it
was November you were having these
mental health challenges if you could
either choose one of those or something
else in your life where you've been
through adversity and just tell us how
you've basically overcame that and the
lessons that you've got from it just to
kind of give the listeners maybe some
tools that they could perhaps use yeah
y'know happily so there have been I
mentioned that there were I think I
mentioned there were twelve things on my
list when I went to the psychologist
that bothered me that was still throw
front of mind went back to his childhood
not that I was abused or anything but
there was something you know things that
bothered me and all the way up to adults
so I think one of the greatest learnings
was that the second business that I
started digital youth academy I got some
investors involved I didn't do any true
diligence on them but because I had
known of them and they certainly seemed
to have my best interests in the passion
of the business in their hearts when
they invested but I think I was at a
point of scarcity when I went into that
relationship which is always dangerous
whether you're taking on a client or a
supplier or a marriage whatever you owe
into it in a scarcity fear mindset then
it's going to be very difficult and so
ultimately I had to work my way out of
that relationship even though I loved
that business very much we had to exit
and sell that business and the issue was
that because I was in scarcity and
clearly was lacking in personal
self-worth I enabled them to have
control over me and one of the things
that strapline of my book is how to lead
the life and business that you want and
I was told by actually somebody who
worked for me in that business Russell
who now runs the Starbucks
apprenticeship program across Europe he
was a brilliant guy he was ops director
working with me and he said to me pet
one day penny I can tell and when I
first met you two who you are now things
you're not as happy as you used to be
I said well that's a real shame and he
said I watched a documentary last night
and they said there were three parts of
happiness and they've done a big study
globally and three parts were 50% of
happiness is your Constitution are you a
happy person he said penny you always
happy and you are a happy person
10% is the achievement of the things you
want and you know in this study we know
that we all always want something else
soon as we got something we always want
something else that's why us so much and
innovate and keep going you know we're
not happy
why we're not animals and that's why we
are so progressive 40% of happiness is
how much control you have a have over
your own life and decisions you make and
he said clearly you're being controlled
and I was now I had to then unwind that
and I talked about this in my book how
sometimes you have to positively
surrender to a situation and I realized
that I wasn't going to change a pattern
that we had created between us as a
relationship where they were assertive
and I was passive where they were the
adult and effectively they were treating
me as a child and it was my own doing
because I went into this relationship
already in a bad place yeah and so part
of the learning I had to go through is
I've got to a point in my life where
anybody who was assertive with me I had
was labeling them in my head as a bully
so I was catastrophizing anybody who
seemed to want to have control over me
anybody that had an opinion that was
strong I saw as bullying and I had to
learn as a naturally not assertive
person anyway I had to learn to be more
assertive and realized that being
assertive is actually a very adult
communication style it doesn't have to
be angry that's one one lesson I can
pass on absolutely I think that's a
lesson that I've had to learn myself as
well because when I first I property I
was very probably a similar situation to
yourself as our kind of put people on a
pedestal yeah I think thinking that I
wasn't worthy or didn't have in much
knowledge yeah yeah in fact I probably
did in hindsight now the funny thing is
I got ripped off I got builders running
away taking advantage of me I had
potential business partners see me as
naive and trying to make me do more work
than initially agreed to so I had all
these kind of problems and teeth and
issues initially as well and I remember
my mom actually saying and you need to
you need to be stronger you need to stop
being like a walk or a pushover and I
was just like it's just who I am as in
and I was always confident that if I
didn't become this again I assumed it
had to be a nasty dictation person and I
was as long as I just be myself
somewhere along the line I will get the
right
kind of people around me and and maybe I
have developed some level of
assertiveness over the last few years
but I've certainly now got a team around
me who I can trust and they know me from
my skills I know them for their skills
and it certainly helped but I think you
hit the nail on the head there where you
said it's a skill to learn and and in my
head it's always been if I come across
too assertive are people gonna think I'm
a bully or embossing axe or whatever it
is so yeah that's really interesting I
think I think people can definitely
resonate with that good yeah definitely
so penny what's your biggest fear um
I suppose my biggest fear is currently
is long-term sustainable income because
we you know when you lose everything and
I'm it's amazing some people I'm
attracting now as co2 coach them is a
lot of people in their 50s that have
huge skills and but they haven't really
been able to manage their business life
the way they needed to and and create
that sustainable income so I love
working so I'm going to be very happy
working well into my 70s and Beyond if
people still have me but creating some
sense of security into my old age is is
probably what what I suppose drives me
but also drives me negatively because it
is also a fear okay that's interesting
so a bit of a shameless plug here have
you thought about property investing as
I sort of yes I've not anywhere near
that place to be able to even consider
that well if you ever ask them please do
reach out yeah I will I appreciate that
and I will and I think we'll definitely
do that much thank you so much what
we're gonna do now is actually we're
going to completely mix it up now we're
going to go into what I call the fun
part of the show so at this stage of the
show all I'm gonna do is literally ask
you the most random questions that I can
think of from my list in front of me
you've got no idea what I'm gonna ask
you we're gonna do the buzzer for about
60 to 90 seconds so there are no right
or wrong answers so literally just say
the first thought that comes into your
head oh gosh that's very good god yes no
no you'll be absolutely fine okay we're
gonna start in three two one
what did you eat for breakfast my shake
the ability to fly or be invisible lie
what is the best thing about being an
entrepreneur Breeden if you could
eliminate one thing from your daily
routine what would it be
exercise what is the best gift anyone
has ever given to you my children would
you rather have a rewind button or a
pause button on life pause don't say
where your fame o'money
your proudest moment my children
graduating your favorite food choice
okay Netflix our YouTube Netflix your
number-one goal this year to help 34
people achieve their dreams your
favorite TV show ever pride and
prejudice
would you rather know how you would die
or when you were dying how if you could
sit with one person in the world for an
hour who would it be my husband speak
all languages or be able to speak to
animals all speak to animals and finally
if you could abolish one thing in the
world what would it be
religion okay fantastic so that's the
end of the fun part of the show it
wasn't that hard was it
no that's very good okay brilliant so
we're almost at the end of the show now
I just got the last final few questions
I just want to ask you penny and now the
next question is about reflection so
obviously hindsight's a wonderful thing
where we can always think of ways to get
ourselves somewhere quicker easier or
with less heartache but I guess the
journey also teaches us a lot as well so
what I want to know is if knowing
exactly what you know now you could go
back to a younger penny and maybe
whisper something in their ears to
inspire her for the journey that lies
ahead
what would you say it'll all be okay I
think I've probably just give her that
comfort really just that reassurance
it's just the reassurance yeah and that
actually suddenly brings us to the last
question then what for the show and
again this is something asked for all of
my guests and it's about legacy so if in
150 years time science fails to save us
all and all that's left is this book and
this book is about penny and her life
and everything she's accomplished and
all of the great wonderful things
firstly what would the title of the book
tell us and secondly what would the
blurb at the back read to us cost I off
the cuff yeah well the first the title I
thought was love okay and it would just
say that that love is the most powerful
force in the world and the more that you
can live within that energy and be that
energy and give that energy the better
your life will be thank you for sharing
okay brilliant so that brings us to
literally the end of the show and just
before I leave penny what I want to do
is give you a chance to connect with the
audience so if you wouldn't mind could
you please tell everyone listening how
they could reach you and maybe if you
have time and the capacity for them to
maybe engage with you that's very kind
thank you so I'm on Twitter so at penny
power I'm on LinkedIn so I'll be easily
found as penny power I'm on Facebook but
unfortunately I think I've just about
reached that five thousand limits and
I'm absolutely rubbish and got to put my
page right but I don't have a page I've
got a lovely community on Facebook
called the business cafe global and
that's a very caring very honest and
real community of small businesses I'm
on Instagram as penny F power and then I
have a website which is penny power UK
and on there there's different contact
forms that's fantastic and what I will
do is I will put all of those details in
the show notes thank you that's very
kind
no no you're very welcome I'll also put
a link to the book as well because I'm
looking forward to reading that myself
and I just want to say once again penny
thank you so much for your time today
it's actually been a fascinating talk
even the stuff we spoke about before the
episode and I just wanna thank you for
your time I want to thank everyone at
home as well
thanks for listening wonderful and
remember this podcast is absolutely free
so all we ask in return is for you to
share this with a friend and drop us a
five star review over on iTunes have an
awesome day
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Find your voice - Episode 19- "How to control your thoughts and manage depression" - Alex Roberts #19
Tagline: "Do what you want to do, not what people want you to do "
Alex Roberts, was a recommended to me by a friend and little did I know he was actually a neighbour...well almost! Despite sharing the same postcode, love for personal training, fitness, heath and mindset we also shared a lot of personal stories in this episode.
More so from Alex who bravely who showcases his vulnerability by openly talking about depression, anxiety and his struggles with grief and the loss of his father. A genuinely humble guy who has achieved success by just being himself and helping people on a daily basis. His approach to self talk has inspired and motivated me, and he hits on so many key aspects during this interview that we can all implement and take on board to enhance our levels of happiness and mindset
A shining example that what you see, isn't what you always get and the importance of never judging a book by its cover.
I thank Alex for his openness, his bravery and for being an all round great guy. I urge you all to support and follow his journey as he is a great person to know and connect with.
Thanks for listening
Free Audible book sign up:
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Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/findyourvoice
Links to me:
Website: https://www.arendeu.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aren.deu/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/arendeu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aren.singh
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aren-deu-65443a4b/
Podcast: https://www.findyourvoicepodcast.com
YouTube: http://tiny.cc/51lx6y
Links to guest:
Website: https://www.alexrobertsfitness.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexRobertsPersonalTraining
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliro898/
Have an awesome day
#JustDeuIt #FindYourVoice
[Music]
welcome to an episode of find your voice
a movement led by yours truly
Aren do a guy who has overcome
crippling anxiety adversity and
difficulty like so many of you in life
whose main goal now is to help you
combat your excuses take control of your
life write your own story and most
importantly find your voice so now
without further ado I welcome the host
of the show himself mr. Aren do what's
going on people thank you for tuning in
to another episode of find your voice my
name is Aren and as always I am the
host of the show so I'm extremely
excited to be bringing you Alex Roberts
to the show today and Alex is somebody
who was actually recommended to me via a
friend now alex is a personal trainer
similar to myself we have similar
interests but what really struck a chord
with me when I spoke to Alex prior to
him coming on this episode was he's
battled with anxiety over well and
depression now I can't diagnose myself
in depression because I've never been
clinically diagnosed with it but when it
comes to ins ie a novel one boy can I
relate so it was extremely interesting
to hear his side of this and I suppose
when many of you follow his journey
after this which I'm very soon you're
gonna want to do you're gonna see his
social media profile and think wow is
this the guy on the episode because like
many of us we judge a book by its cover
and Alex when you see his cover on
Instagram you wouldn't necessarily think
this is an individual who perhaps
suffers in the way that he explains on
this interview so I think without
further ado we're gonna get straight
into this and once again I just want to
thank everyone for their amazing support
we've now hit well over 100 reviews
thank you so so much for that
okay so firstly I just want to thank
Alex for coming on the show today how
you doing today I'm fine
you good where is good fantastic yeah
I'm not you're coming you sure it's
alright that's good stuff so I know Alex
briefly we've spoken obviously on social
media that's where we connected we're
actually neighbors we don't live too far
from each other actually five minutes
literally yes so I think it's important
for the listeners who are listening to
this
today to get to understand a little bit
about yourself so a little bit about
your story and basically what's brought
you here in your life situation today
I've recently been doing my own sort of
videos and songs are in depression
myself I've never really experienced any
mental health problems at all until I
lost my dad four years ago now yeah four
years ago I didn't had a single problem
didn't really suffer from anxiety
depression or anything but it seemed to
be that significant sort of traumatic
moment and brought brought a number of
problems okay as such so yeah I'd say
the 1 4 Matic man was obviously losing
my dad which then spiraled on to a
number of other things later down the
line a first sort of new heir sort of
mental health problems was funnily
enough when out in New York the
Christmas okay after I'd lost my dad
I was literally walking down one of the
streets going towards Grand Central
Station and I'm I just felt so like
overwhelmed it was said he was so
strained and that felt anything like had
just overwhelmed and I was just like
Bestway describing he was trapped inside
my own head rocky do you Jonesy no I
mean I sort of trapped in my own head
and I was I was just really overwhelmed
for no particular reason at all and
that's when that's um the main sort of
defining defining time where I sort of
felt and knew but I was suffering from
sort of mental elf right and this was
four years ago yeah how old are you know
if you don't want me that's for 27 so
you're 27 so around the age of 23 was
you so just for the listeners now
obviously I know you're a personal
trainer you've been doing personal
training for how many years five or six
five six years so you actually a
personal trainer at this point as well
yes okay so in terms of we'll jump back
to where you are now so in terms unlike
your general life going up to say 23
before this moment happened what kind of
stuff was you do was it was you always
into the training the model those inter
trained not not so much to mine okay so
the mind absolutely not I don't think
many of us know what
no I'm not yeah not a thing I was very
sporty I play good level of rugby player
after County fantastic I was at
university very very very carefree okay
I'd say I really didn't give it yeah
absolutely
very carefree very still I'm out going
to an extent now but slightly a bit more
reserved let's say we're very bubbly I
was on track with with Union stuff but
yeah in terms of tuning into the mind or
so into is my intuition if you if you'd
like and then when you had that tragic
moment when you lost your dad that's
when I started realizing order in a
second it's one thing training our body
it's another thing yeah yeah later
percent and have you so what have you
done then since then cuz obviously
you're similar to me in that respect so
I we touched on it briefly before this
sometime personal training myself right
yeah and I understand the importance of
you know looking after yourself
physically but more so now I train every
day more for this ya know Mike and
people don't get that people might think
is for aesthetics or for a six-pack or
something it's truly not yeah it's truly
two combines ie not have that V anymore
yeah is that something that you do as
well so I think now yeah training is
very much a part of me improving my
mindset as well now it's probably the
most essential thing for me now
so I know it's a difference when I don't
train serotonin levels drop in except I
know some big difference
lack of energy that's not now was the
that was the main one for me cuz I had a
week off my own training a couple of
weeks back and I was just tired and
waking up tired going to bed tired it
was just yeah boy it's one of them like
but then you start self sabotaging
yourself don't you for not draining them
well in reality your body needs to rest
but yeah I mean it's very important for
the mindset nonetheless and the more
people can recognize that yeah the
better creasy's yourself were you've got
goal you've got a target point you gotta
you've got a goal point focal point
mm-hmm so in terms of briefly you meant
like the mental health thing would you
call it anxiety and overwhelm or would
you actually call it depression have you
been diagnosed or is it something that
your yeah I mean oh yeah well I suffered
well still suffer from anxiety now okay
but I had my main by that bad episode
last January I have nowhere right
absolutely out of nowhere so obviously
when I lost my dad I was quite low and
Bobby that will be the best time very
numb okay maybe didn't understand as
much as I should have done what was
going on maybe so I sort of known to the
feeling's boffing last January that that
was a real scary moment or a scary point
I think my sleep started to go and once
you sleep starts where you don't deal
very well with all our suffering with
insomnia this was about two weeks so I
jumped on some medication friends are in
depression and slowly slowly start to
lift okay and it was quite amazing
really because we've in the space of a
year
I don't it's mad mad to think about a
bought Mustang right I traveled over I
know another free countries child
another three countries changed
workplaces again and I'm not saying this
was from the tablets whatsoever but I
also think another defining thing I
bought some of Tony Robbins he's content
okay a big mindset guy guru and I bought
his content and did that for three or
four weeks and that was a bit of a game
changer as well that's brilliant
so in the space of six months to a year
and switched from literally rock-bottom
I mean when I say rock-bottom I was I
had to move to my mom's for about two
weeks would you say you were ever
suicidal I had thoughts I've never had
never come tried to commit now I did
have thoughts but I would never do okay
I know but never done it but and yeah I
got to that I got to that sort of very
low point
just lying on a sofa watching the TV and
he was he was a terrible terrible part I
think my mom was really shocked as well
that I've gone from that to that point
in course here it was crazy
Wow and I was helpless to it mmm it felt
like I couldn't do anything like now
obviously in hindsight you can recognize
you were in this kind of slum yeah yeah
so in that particular moment would you
oblivious to it like how you acted right
okay not clear okay couldn't do a thing
it's crazy it was literally at zero Wow
and it was a kind of Tommy Tory Robin
sorry Tony well and it's fully enough so
watch these pearl he's got he's got a
program on that let's call them I am NOT
your guru yeah and I watched that every
day for like five days I'm going to cry
a lot yeah I was crying there's one
scene with it with the lady who had
suicidal woman yeah yeah that's what
pulled me out of it okay the suicidal
woman when she said like I can't cope no
more a car and that was a turning point
I vote no more of this now yeah yeah got
myself back into work so obviously at
this point I was in Ireland
okay I'm self-employed or wasn't earning
I'm off work I'm in January a really
busy periods of all these sports all
these sports are going on yeah yeah but
yet just completely overwhelmed felt
like I was way out of control
Wow didn't have a clue what was going on
how to tackle it so this six-month
transition now you've got you've got the
Mustang you've gone travelling you've
sort of lifted yourself back up again
yeah sort of finding your way again
yeah is that a recent event now are we
talking is that now her arm
how's your position right now good
strong fantastic strong I mean from last
January to this January's been very
strong okay and so on food threat this
year and just find that then so I
followed Tony Robbins I follow a lot of
pa yeah because I have to how I put food
in my mouth how I lift weights I have to
also put stuff into my mind yeah Bagon
on that sort of stuff whatever it is
whoever you you know you resonate with I
think you should put it into you yeah
yeah because otherwise you start
watching the news your thoughts are
completely the wrong way yeah in with
the way that I wouldn't recommend if you
want like a strong mindset yeah so so
that's it
and so what I want to know now is
obviously you're in a good place now
touch briefly on the gym stuff what's
your daily habits like now because I'm
thinking there's probably a thousand
people listening to this who can
resonate with what you've just gone
through the anxiety that feeling of just
being in a rock yeah and I believe that
motivation doesn't last forever and it
comes down to a level of discipline to
kind of just get over those bad days
yeah so what kind of routines do you do
on there like a daily basis I mean I try
my best to sort of get up the same time
every day quickly c'est quoi best 7
Harper 7 mmm saying you've got that
solid routine
I normally have breakfast as normal I
won't so I'll prep the food for the day
ahead or the on coming days because I'd
normally have gaps ok in between clients
I can pop em and prep all the food yo D
it's fresh then as well of course I'm
fortunate enough that I can come back
home and get obviously so I've got a
stress with crap not saying it's a bad
thing to prep into brilliant things yeah
absolutely I don't do that anymore I
could do so close myself yeah I can just
come pop back so they're not all go to
work do like my morning sessions maybe
straight through into the afternoon then
train and maybe come back then a few
more you need depends on what the
Diaries looking like okay nighttime I
don't really have caffeine past 2 3
o'clock ok I cook caffeine off I'm not
too picky with food late at night
doesn't it doesn't really bother me yeah
as long song again and that calories
that any impaired a that
really matter fury at 11 o'clock or not
more so more freedom like yeah I like to
sleep like yeah yeah say yeah
then I'll obviously do what I was going
on meeting where the chat with friends
girls whatever whatever's on the agenda
I don't normally train in evenings okay
not normally I'd normally have it
wrapped up by get out of the way free
p.m. yeah training do you listen to
books do you read books do you do any
gratitude or goal-setting or anything
like that yeah it's funny enough for all
you're gonna see this is mad as well
oh I'd actually vote when I was in this
row yeah or as I was just coming out of
it last year I droped some goals down
and every single one was it happened it
was AMA I wrote it down on piece of
paper and stuck on the side of my bed on
the cupboard and one was buy a new card
said Range Rover originally why don't I
upped it out a lot but that was one I
got a new car yeah trap wait this is so
weird since it said travel to free
another three countries you've never
been to yeah we're not in trouble I went
to Dublin I went to Budapest I went to
Zurich Switzerland
damn what was the other Craig this is
the craziest one I think once said moot
move Jim places because it will change
the game this was these worldwide okay
Andy
I did that you spoke about the lid yeah
plastic my mindset was gone from there
to learn so I wasn't particularly happy
at work yeah mr. just was not helping
matters whatsoever yeah but it was just
weird and every single one that I wrote
down yeah yeah and I didn't refer back
to him all until one day I just looked
him before yeah yeah well this is the
thing so I'm very big on personal
development like I pride myself on my
last job think I read like 50 books or
something okay and the first ever this
is this is why we were quite similar
when I was 25 I was working in London at
the time and the first person
development guru I ever found was 20
Robbins yeah so I was listening to his
stuff I mean one of these tapes he
mentions writing it down and the
importance of goals and I remember I
that particular point I wrote down
I think it was like two three cause a
common belief there Birnam the phase 2
and it was 2 1 buy a house and two to
buy a golf always wanted a golf croquet
you could never afford one like mom and
dad blessing they brought me a fiat
punto which is like the best time ever
yeah it was all we could afford and is
your first car loved it to bits but in
my head was always like if I can get a
golf kind of made it yeah and at that
time again in a row tip I forgot about
it until about two three years later and
I'm getting a Scirocco cuz they've just
come out a stroke I look hard before
yeah they are amazing my kind of the
fault of sure up so ever so I'm meant to
get involved it's just kind of like in
my eyes a bit man upgrade yeah and I've
got buying my first investment hold and
so it was weird because I remember
finding my books women burrows moving as
a what's this and I'll pretend it's my
goals and that's why every time I've
done it it has worked so now one of my
kind of practices on every morning is to
what my goals now nothing you've just
proven that yes yes because what happens
subconsciously you're almost seeing the
opportunities out there and you're
probably driving more towards a 100
percent so yeah yeah I mean I write
goals down and what was everything was
talking about I meditate 39 ok yeah it's
when I was struggling in that bad past
I've seen tell okay can ask what your
meditation process is I just use a any
YouTube app that I really can we're rich
one for grieving cried she just loved it
I mean this loads so simple it's a
simple matter of I'm just thinking for
the listeners get on YouTube the stuffs
out there type in minute yeah yeah for
however long you can do it yeah yeah and
until you fall asleep
really that's why also you do at night
yeah I do it at night I don't really
tend to do a probably a good idea
because if you're anything like me but
I've got to sleep and I'm worrying about
other things I've got to do the name
yeah that's how the brain works so it's
very seductive at night isn't it yeah so
I tend to do it at night and sometimes I
won't use it if I'm quite chilled I'll
just go straight to sleep
it'll depend yeah yeah so your food
obviously you're a personal trainer and
I'm probably the worst person trying to
give food advice because I used to
suffer with binge eating I would be very
flexible with my diet so if I fancy
something I'm just gonna eat it because
I don't have been doin it later yeah so
my diet is a bit like I do get responses
on Instagram but how are you eating this
again to me it's all about calories yeah
you know what goes into your body you
barely enough effectively European K
yeah yeah body composition so have you
got any particular foods that you eat or
again um now I mean so up more flex
we're gonna try and cut down like so
obviously I've been bulking for Trump on
some mass a while now I finally hit 15
stone plus now so I think I'm back down
to 15 stone now was 15 stone fight four
weeks ago
yeah I'm 15 stone now so I'm quite
regimented leave it now as I cut down
when I'm trying to bulk up I'm not as
recommending I'm still in terms of the
foods I mean I'll keep the same foods
like every I'll change them up every two
weeks so if a breakfast still be oats
whey protein powder and not salt Ana's
milk yeah then two big meals of like
chicken noodle stir-fry and the last me
that we salmon I'm right and I'll be the
same for two weeks and ostrich eat of
wire okay it seems to be working
yeah and then obviously hydration is
asleep yeah I have loads I only drink
water really water and tea I could
pretty much have the same food I suppose
on all the time my only thing is when I
first died I took a everything that
you'd consider open commas here a bad
food yeah and then what was happening
was I did that for about 18 months I was
so strict and the moment I stopped
dieting because I gave up boxing all of
a sudden mate I was in like 10,000
calories a day to that to that really
honestly to the point last um what would
be here I'd be out with the missus and I
couldn't buy the car back because I was
just like glued up like the night
professor horrible and what used to
happen was I used to beat up for two
days Friday Saturday sometimes
absolutely hate myself swear at myself
in the mirror and I used to go to the
gym three times a day up until the
following Thursday and then what I do is
I use down to like 1800 so I'm wondering
in overtraining and then all of a sudden
come Friday again when I go out for a
drink
I'm drink and obviously then you lose
all your common sense and I've do the
10,000 Kelly thing again slow so I'll
use this thing called my fitness park
which yeah mate he was like this just
like you all the time so I've got over
that too hypnotherapy and why I did it
and then that's why now I'm very
flexible in my process of said that you
percent my diet is like nutrient-dense
food you know that the stuff that you
years they're talking about but then the
last day if I want a biscuit or a
chocolate you're gonna see me do it
basically okay so yeah it's interesting
yeah yeah why were we accessible it's um
it's crew shoulder yeah I mean I wish I
had more of a nutrient-dense style at
yourself I just think there's also an
argument for sustainability as well yeah
you've got other diets sustainable and
you've got to enjoy it because that's
gonna have mental implications if not as
well if you're not enjoying your food in
it everything looks back to the point if
you're not enjoying your food you're not
gonna sustain it yeah therefore your
body's not maybe where it's supposed to
be or where you want it to be therefore
the mental problems coming it's all it's
all interlinked of course everything's
interlink to it and just on the mental
health thing there that you that you're
on about so would you say that's
probably the biggest adversity that
you've been through during that time and
for the listeners because I'm sure
through our life we're all gonna lose
somebody very close to us and go for
that sort of patch in our life
what were the lessons that you learn
from it and how did you fully get over
it god Jerry's the 100 percent the
biggest adversity I've never experienced
anything like that my entire life not
even when the day my dad passed okay I
didn't feel as bad right as I did last
January the emotional pain was just as a
sailor's overwhelming do you think it
was a build-up from I think every what
happened was rock so I went see a
counselor like last and late last year
going into early this year because I've
never I never had a proper bereavement
counseling and I still had loads of
stuff underlined and I think that's what
the bill that was okay so imagine having
that much emotional pain build-up for
what three years and just explode an
alpha to correlate shape yeah it's just
it's just gone explode in the air yeah
and I tell you in terms of the lessons
learn I think the bereavement counselor
definitely helped me to understand as
interesting the stuff and the lessons
that I learned were the grief has no
timeline
it's now got a time line there's no
proper way to grieve yeah yeah it's okay
to feel back you've got it you've got to
feel these emotions you've got to feel
the emotions and not subdue them okay
see if you subdued him you have an
episode like I did and that's I wouldn't
wish that wish that were my worst enemy
[Music]
another lesson was probably I learned
that I'm strong a lot stronger than a
fault of I thought you were yeah yeah to
get through that I mean there's not much
to phase me now to be honest if I can
come over that they're in the fin and
and this is one of the things I've tried
to do with this podcast as well
is I don't want somebody to go through
what you've just been through you know
to lose their parent and then go through
the pressure what I wanted to do is
realize the last point you said that was
just amazing it's but stronger than we
we know we are and that we think we're
capable of and I think the only way you
find that is by going through some
adversity or yeah I should never know or
should I be no no this is where I love I
love the gym and I love people that are
into the gym because when you go to the
gym you don't go there to have like a
luxury time you go there you put your
body in distress yeah provided how you
train and then you you're almost trying
to grow in that moment and I urge people
not just to do that in the gym to do
that through life as ah yes why I got to
probably speak in sessions when most of
the time I choke oh you go you're going
to like help you absolutely opt that
does I mention that the other thing
that's been really good especially for
yourself with anxiety as well I think
that's brilliant and the first few times
I've been there and they've asked me to
say something I'm just looked out every
wannabe luck don't say it's in number
one public fear though isn't it it is
and I thought in my head if I can
conquer that I can conquer anything and
I wonder way there now and I think like
two weeks four actually won the best
beat of the day coach me if you ask me
three months already left yeah you know
chances that's amazing though man yeah
so hence white but you're doing the same
things like you've had to come out of
this sort of dark hole and you've done
it and you've said some amazing things
they're like it's okay not to feel great
grief has no timeline and I think coming
from a male and most of you know if you
could follow Alex
paid so like Instagram in great physical
shape you're training people you're
going to come across as a sort of alpha
male or suppose yeah yeah cause there's
a vulnerability in what you're saying
and I think as a guy I think we need to
obviously it's best that more yeah
because we have this thing like bravado
like our culture our weaknesses and I
think especially meant to have one of
the things I'm working on this year as
are is really trying to raise awareness
for mental health yeah because my mom
suffered with it support people with
mental health and I think people are
yourself it make other people who may be
in a similar situation to yourself think
if alex is it 100 yeah yeah now you
won't believe the amount of people that
have told me to have gotta do you won't
beliefs add isn't it like I honestly
think most of the human race has it to
some probably got it some degree yeah
where some people just say you how about
a few years I've had people just come
out yeah about it for about ten years
right but I'm the on the surface
everyone's got masks everyone's got a
mess yeah some of the strongest people
are no wood on the surface successful
and they've come you have been
absolutely struggling for 10 years it's
crazy my anxieties but today I'm strong
yeah yeah and this is this is what I try
and be as transparent as I can on my
social media with everything I do
so ridership there something's gone
about try and say not to sound like
depressing because I don't want to come
across as a depressing life yeah and
it's almost like guys it's okay not to
be okay yeah or to have a shit day where
you just feel like you're in the funk
but I get those days but if course he's
gone wrong like I probably had the best
day before and I wake up the next day
feel absolute shit for note-for-note no
that's that's unfortunate the horrible
thing about yeah anxiety and stuff it's
it can just creep up on you for
absolutely no reason
hence why it did two years off well yeah
this was exactly and I'm overwhelmed
feeling as well oh there's there's been
overwhelmed moderately than has been
overwhelmed
completely with everything that you
can't control anything you you can't
even function under the day-to-day
routine if you ask me a question I reply
a very about ten-second
later Wow it's a serious very serious
thing very serious thing and you're
working on it now though yeah I think of
my massive yes inroads to it to be
honest and I honestly put that down to
the bereavement counselor okay so you'd
recommend anyone going through that to
at least talk whether it's with the
counselor you know some people have a
stigma attached to that but I think talk
is probably one of the most important
100% I mean I wouldn't see a really good
woman called Elaine at Walsall
bereavement center which is free yeah
yeah free of charge so I mean that the
system she's got there she's very she's
very very good I mean it just made me
understand my emotions more Jamie and
cosy I think the trouble with anxiety
feel completely alone with it down yeah
and you think the only one in the world
yeah yeah absolutely ten times worse
yeah see people need to understand that
you're not the only one going through it
and that in itself makes huge
improvement because you feel sort of
like the most worthless one in the room
is not make sense so yeah it's nice and
other people are soft it's nice to know
in a way people are suffering as well as
horrible as that I know what I mean by
that though I know it's nice to know
that people have the same infusion
problems yeah and I think if we lick
about twenty said earlier that's
probably the problem with society today
especially when you're hearing about
kids with like depression or kind of
symptoms they go I don't like social
media and seeing this perfect life that
everyone's portraying yeah that's not
that's not it it's like somebody might
post every brand new car or they might
post a holiday but there might be in
debt there might have had a bereavement
the day before so anything would have
happened absolutely and if what happens
is we see that as a snapshot now you got
to remember 99.9% of people on in the
world are already gonna post highlights
them on this follow us has great
reception we've see the good side
absolutely and and that's kind of like
the gift and the curse I think with
social media which is and again another
reason I do this is
say look yeah you got fantastic stuff on
your histogram you can learn a hell of a
lot about fitness and personal training
and stuff but there's a real person here
and you could probably learn more
valuable life lesson yeah yeah by this
interview that since 100% I think I
think the kids of our generation now
that didn't set up to fail that garbs
I'm sure they've got no chance because
they're coming to a world where they've
been handed this this phone here this
tablet here yeah and I think I was
listening so glad you know simon Sinek
yeah yeah yeah I was listening to some
of his stuff I mean he's basically
saying there's no way like kids now can
handle the dopamine fix of what they're
looking at the big good hormone fix
because they're they're obsessed of it
that as soon as air phone pings after
happy it's crazy
pick it up when they don't want you to
be happy about his own when you think
about it the grand scheme of things it's
just but I was just I was driving
through some place near Warsaw a few
weeks ago and I was just looking and I
was like the kids coming out of school
and every single one on the street was
on the phone I'm not talking about
one in ten every single one of them was
on the phone and a fuck I just refer
back to when I just call I was running
around
I mean running around and doing just
crazy stuff like I look at them now and
I think that you just been cell phone
it's not their fault I don't think it's
their fault it's not their fault
I think leeches are allowing some phones
into lessons are they now it's like you
said potentially setting them up to fail
isn't it I think we're kind of like a
good generation where we lived before
the phony era but also now we get to
benefit I suppose from like a work
perspective yeah so I fell into the trap
initially of like say like Instagram you
know you looking who's engaging my post
and stuff yeah I do now and I probably
said for the last four months is
whenever I write a post unlike what the
Facebook I use quite a lot I just turned
my phone off them and I only ever got
back to reply what I don't do is scroll
through Facebook and like other people's
stuff will follow other people's stuff
too much yeah is it all supportive but
because I don't want to put my mind in
that in that moment or no rage yeah
agente really thinking yeah
I'm doing enough or I'm not enough
because someone's always doing this so
just on my own something you have to be
a bit selfish that look this is what I
want to say if you resonate with it
fantastic if you don't mind past it but
I just want to get off my chest so are
you social media especially prayer
that's a way I just talked it to myself
and it's kind of like my journey yeah
yeah I can be like oh yeah you should
say that then how much I've got grown
since yeah if that makes sense
and that's helping massively because I
reckon if I was constantly on Facebook
and I've done it where I'm just watching
everyone and everyone's buying new cars
and doing crazy things and I'm like you
almost been inferior a little bit yeah
but as you said those points would
follow up at the same time how do you
know that person is in hasn't taken a
huge loan to pay that you just put on
the Instagram of the face but of course
yeah they haven't been given that
haven't won the car you didn't it might
be one those free options
you're never know any plug you
automatically think are their doing well
they're doing it right that's the phrase
new reality probably haven't got much
self worth custom I've been given the
car so Duty absolutely and I think the
most important thing is probably like
happiness that how happy are they really
oh yes well of course this is this is
the issued so it's all false
representations what they do is take it
on face value isn't it yeah this is it
as you say it's the the pros and cons of
social media media but I think now what
what annoys me is that I have to use
social media for business for business
at the same time I hate it yeah
Bono's gotta be done 100% that's that's
where oh yes stuck between ever to let
go of social media and just try and find
a way that you can live with it yeah
because it's only gonna get worse yeah
of course I mean we spoke about voice
hence the podcast yeah everything's
going to probably voice-activated
apparently there's a massive statistic I
don't know if the top of my head that
most people when they search into like
Google or Syria or something and I'm
probably talking about younger
demographic yeah they do
via voice so that's how much is changing
I mean that we're probably still used to
typing stuff and it's it's incredible
really I mean it's incredible how much
we've developed break I just wish you
know their whole mentor half side and
that sort of it was developing at this
yeah we said yeah it's um it's very very
scary for them yeah I don't know if your
clients on any one set stuff or yeah I'm
pretty much to go to guy oh yeah
fantastic yeah pretty much do you be a
good great advocate but very very very
much so and i've i've had people like
i've pulled people a depression i pulled
them have things by just doing what I do
really don't rely telling going from my
experiences etc regardless from younger
than them or not doesn't matter have
another different experience absolutely
but you have massively change people
it's mentally physically got more the
best periods
yeah what you do what you do but I mean
I'm not gonna name names I don't know so
enough like I mean there was one guy
trained is literally where I was in
terms of rock bottom he didn't lead the
house that he didn't leave the house and
he hadn't trained in how long and I
pretty much pulled him out of it he was
in this last year I think he was in it
they're not then I didn't know he
dropped before he was it fell a bit low
and poor mentally before I did so I I
fell into I fell into it I got back out
of it and pulled him okay sort of out as
well which is commendable because it's
probably the hardest thing just putting
yourself out yeah and I just remembering
like I was trying to I was trying to get
into work but couldn't write I was tell
himself yesterday I'm going back in and
fire comes to it and I can get back in
and I remember I'm just saying you just
take your time etc so eventually got
back in and now he's here and of a three
or four stone down fantastic at work had
a baby oh wow I love that me had a baby
yeah yeah loves these training so good
stuff good on you mate
so yeah he's on it now yeah I think
because obviously I did my qualification
I think about eight years ago my last
few clients I stopped at the back end of
last year they used to say the training
and everything yeah it's fine whatever
but they say we enjoy like the mindset
porks and stuff that I used to give him
love that side of it because you don't
know what people what stresses have got
on the life and you don't know what in
that hour our slot or whatever you have
yeah you don't know how much you'll
benefit directly because people I'll
tell you after G that you don't even
know what you do yeah you don't see no
yeah you don't see it yeah do you know I
mean and that's a special thing I think
that's a special thing about the job I
agree if you can change someone's life
around like that it's pretty bit there's
no better feeling better than earning
millions for some companies lately
absolutely you're gonna see not much of
oh yeah so would you say that's your
kind of motivation now like moving
forward or I mean what what keeps you
going now on a daily basis
that in itself only percent that I mean
I think you have to get to know people a
little bit more don't you their personal
goals what the one thing you can start
to build that rapport yeah and once you
start to build that rapport it means
even more to you doesn't it because you
lied the pass and you become be the best
digital yeah my similar so you're
rocking up into work and it's not even
work Jeremy you doing it for them and
let's just see the seem so grateful yeah
you made me want to go back there yeah
that's a big finger isn't it I mean if
you can if you can do that that's pretty
special I think of course but if you can
start to retune people's minds and
relationships with food exercise with
themselves it then impacts on the
personal life and other stuff like that
yeah you create a butterfly effect yeah
positive because I think if you if you
can start to improve that that there's
gonna be good things that'll topple over
absolutely from that closing the hardest
workers in the room in the gym and
normally the heart the most successful
people financially your family wise
relationship probably if you take that
level of discipline and work ethic into
the world it's all a discipline isn't it
under the most disciplined people are
most successful people and if you can
prove that in the gym probably one the
hardest I agree scenarios are going to
be ok I always look at someone and if
they're physically in good shape
you know you've got some good level of
disappeared another half hours yard work
I know you've had to probably go to
social events and not eat what everyone
else is eating or drink what everyone
else a drink lot you've had to make
sacrifices so I fully appreciate that
yeah a lot of people don't understand
that they'll call those sort of people a
gym free cause yes absolutely yeah
when you think about it now the matter I
always you've probably have to do to
change a physiques and our bodies and
it's incredible incredible amount yeah
but a lot of people don't understand
that and there are a hell of a lot of
lazy people yeah yeah hell of a lot of
lazy people which I can't understand I
don't understand how they've got to that
yeah how about that stage whoever its
tuning from a young age or Parenthood or
fell in with the wrong crowd
I don't know yeah do you know I mean so
I don't know it's one of the pillars
that are you so I was in corporate first
I went straight into business one of the
things that I wanted to do was to work
with people on a one-to-one basis so yes
I love the person training I do it more
and I sort of mindset basis as well lie
especially property and stuff but can
help them yeah develop and one of the
first things I'll say before I start
working with them is you gotta get a gym
plan
don't be talking to liver yeah one thing
for you to do before you do anything
else is work on yourself first so all of
them will have to do some level of
physical activity now whatever that is
it doesn't need to be lifting weights it
could be yoga ISM going for runs
whatever they want to do but you have to
do some level of activity yeah yeah I
mean that almost be any discomfort in
order to grow yeah and always do that
face because then I think like you said
if they're if they can work really hard
to give 100% on that they're nothing
okay that's a great trait with that
could work with that person's got
working yeah yeah whereas if they've
turn around but no I just want to learn
about this or making money but I
wouldn't do this I'm not okay I'm
probably not the right code for you yeah
because my coach is gonna be holistic
it's gonna be about everything yeah yeah
and I think you'll be great at that
I think obviously as your business
starts to expand in your personal
training you could potentially I don't
have your own franchise I don't know
what your goals are but because you have
both aspects of it I think you're very
really well yeah yeah it is a good thing
to tap into niche it's all interlinked
isn't it and it's only gonna get it's
only gonna get more
prevalent in society a hundred percent
so what's your fear now death right okay
I spoke to my Cantrell about this
because she was like when when you lose
people close to you rather than extended
family or someone who's not particularly
close to you you realize mortality cuz
until then you're immortal our ninja
know I mean you don't fit nothing you
really think cuz I it doesn't really
cross your mind you're invincible
through more so that death scares me
okay now yeah that scares me and I think
you just you've hit the nail on the head
there because if somebody hasn't gone
through death listening to this podcast
they're gonna think nice not really
resonating somebody who's been through
it it almost comes in your head on a
daily basis so I think everyone
everyone's going to lose some worth some
stage that's just the way the world
works you know we haven't worked out how
to survive forever and I lost about
seven people within 18 months no friends
or family
but prior to that I'm not really lost no
one so for me is like here soul and soul
has lost their granddad or the grandma
and I feel sad but that was it it was
very short-lived
whereas now yeah that whole death thing
I suppose it does scare me because I
think I don't know if this is my last
day hence why I try and like bust my ass
and work as much as I can to make sure
that if I was to leave today I've left
the world in a better place yeah if that
makes sense so is motivation it is right
it is you become more instantly you feel
like most things scarier and what was it
kind of saying now she was like
obviously once I lost my dad I felt like
I needed to do everything fast needed to
buy have sat down rah-rah-rah all of
these things because she doesn't know
how much time you've got and that's
that's unfortunate thing of this whole
realizing mortality send you in a rush
yeah that's where the anxiety sets in
yeah whatever nothingness by then that
resonates with me so much because I feel
I've got so much to do so many people I
want to help and I'm like I could be
gone tomorrow
and it scares me yeah so you're trying
to rush into it everything yeah and I
know that's probably not the right place
I I follow of course it's not yeah but
we know we know this for your tower
we're
president absolutely well yeah that
that's what she was saying if she felt
like oh my dad died at this age am I
gonna die at this age now yeah I've
gotta do this I gotta do that harsh in
order to this yeah and in reality you've
got all the time in the world really
yeah but in that moment in that
channeling yeah we exact it in your head
yeah but you can't get out of its it's a
parent and that's the UM
that's mortality isn't it do you follow
Gary Vaynerchuk a little bit yeah well
he started to grind on me after was it
yes he's a mob like Jota but one of the
things he says he's really good is he
says you should be impatient in there in
the micro I either short-term or patient
for the macro for the long-term which
when I think about it and why he says it
makes sense so it's like yes you should
work absolutely like 100 percent every
single day as if it's your last day but
still know your goals that you want to
achieve and stuff are gonna take longer
a bit like I suppose bodybuilding for
example yeah you're now on a cot for
example to get t-they it's not gonna
happen no matter how hard you train
today you're not going to get to that
body today yeah even if you've had the
best I ever today something happen but
what you can do is absolutely crush it
right now and then tomorrow repeat next
day repeat and then all of the sudden
you will you will get there as well yeah
so like that's one thing he says that
really resonates with me yeah but like
you said when you get that level of
anxiety and it it overwhelms you it's
difficult to think you're like you're
not thinking there's no clarity
basically your thoughts yeah yeah and
what what people need to realize like
you're in control of these thoughts you
can still control them you've just
you've gone down a path where you think
you can't control them do you know I
mean except every four is well within
the control we just don't know it like
when you're in that bad patch yeah
that's right and that's what I learnt as
well and that was with the bereavement
counselor yeah yeah that's powerful but
like you are in control of your thoughts
it's just a belief that you're not that
means you're leaving that you're not
when you are should we were before we
were before
before we had events and one not so many
I think about it a lot we were kids the
thoughts we have you're invincible you
know we were going to
Kaizen our heroes why can't we have that
an absolutely because somewhere along
life somebody's told you you can't do
something or you've fallen down and
rather as a kid where you keep getting
back up you've actually said you know
I'll stay down we're just going the
opposite way yeah yeah that's a problem
in it and it does take certain things
like these events traumatic events and
other events in your life that obviously
make up your thoughts do you know it
means in your beliefs your beliefs are
the one you start believing certain
things about the world and yourself that
comes out in your actions and your
beliefs are just a combination of the
thoughts yeah cause this is why you've
got a control everyone everyone's got
different millions of ways it's not just
us yeah of course
trust me when you get to a deep
conversation with someone you really
know what the thinking about you they
actually thinking that you know I mean
so you know we're not alone with that
that's what we've got and you are you
are in control you've just got to try
your best to control them it's a good
affirmation tough so I do affirmations
in the morning as well
so I say stuff like I'm no longer
anxious I'm not shy yeah yeah I think
you have to consciously make the effort
which is a viewfinder so you have to
consciously make yeah yeah because if
subconsciously I'm I'm not in I'm
potential everyone has to do this yeah I
can't see how you can you cannot do it I
think everyone does do it but we assume
the people at the top like you know
you're Dwayne Johnson you're Kevin Hart
celebrities they don't do it but they
did Wayne Johnson suffers yeah dad yeah
really badly rock is that everyone's
Idol
it's amazing mean yeah and you are you
are approaches of your your thoughts you
are you are your thoughts on powerful me
yeah but like people need to understand
you can't control them yeah if you want
to if you just let them spoil problems
isn't it absolutely yeah but what
they've got understand if you do have a
day like that that's fine push it into
the car but that's all and as well are
you better start to continue to beat
yourself up for another few weeks
that lifestyle enough disease we've real
saturations and without you behind some
horses or absolute making up these these
problems yeah which is what humans tend
to do we can we can sabotage ourself as
much as you want but we don't tend to do
to us so why should we do it to
ourselves but we Dukes it's easy
it's true though innit nice I'm not
gonna say to you what's going on in my
head about I won self-sabotage myself
then say the same stuff to you it's
deeper nasties or what to do yeah yeah
isn't that weird
do you know what I mean what so why why
why why do we think it's right to do it
to us ourselves he's probably the most
important at the end of the day I'm yes
sir if you think about it logically we
are actually the most important people
to ourselves yeah so yeah but it's it's
easy and it's easy to say to yourself
it's no one's gonna question okay we're
gonna go in three two one
what did you eat for breakfast squats or
deadlifts squats the ability to fly or
be invisible fly if your favourite cheap
meal Peter when your fame money your
proudest moment getting into the cam
here everything your favourite food for
years number one health to stay
disciplined biggest Fitness to me there
are certain foods that convert back
yeah definitely achieve your number one
goal this year travel more your favorite
TV show ever sons of anarchy
would you rather know how you will die
or when you were dying when your
favorite hobbies Jim if you could sit
with one person in the world for an hour
you would it be oh my dinero your worst
fear is a child dinner for your favorite
place in the world okay if you could
abolish one thing in the world what
would it be
murdering your favorite song ever death
match
order number read boys or predict the
future three times your favorite super
Europe Batman why his minds oh yeah
who's badasses yeah he's IV I'm finally
your biggest sprint organization okay
fantastic so the next question we're
almost at the end actually it's about
reflection so not really exactly what
you don't know because obviously now
you've worked on your physical health
your mental health you're in a much
better place so nobody exactly what you
know now if you could go back to a time
where you were struggling or maybe a
younger version of yourself and you
could whisper something in that person's
ear just to kind of make their life
easier I suppose growing up what would
you say it will pass
it will pass 100% it will pass me I'll
get bad you've got you've got to go
through this to grow and it will pass
very difficult to see the time yeah
impossible to sing yeah yeah
what it will party will pass a lot that
this isn't last forever yeah nothing
lasts forever
yeah so I'll have to send you a podcast
after this made their little East
Bhagwat similar kind of thing and the
guy on it he was talking about chaos and
how he just flipped the script in his
mind to say he enjoys the chaos because
of high resilience and how much strength
he's gonna build from it and how much
knowledge whereas a lot of us were kind
of trying to avoid pain and stuff where
he's that bring me down because I know
in six months time I'm gonna be much
yeah yeah
you almost let it enter right buddy
we're actually at the last question now
so the last question I always ask my
guess is if in a 150 years time science
fails to save us all and all that exists
is a book on the table and that book is
about you and it's about your life and
all of the great and wonderful things
that you aspire to do you want to do you
know you've done it but in order to make
somebody pick that up what would one
that I will say and two what would the
summary at the bat tell us about you tie
it would be something along the lines of
never give up the summary of my like
what yes I think about this wait there's
there's somebody gone to a book store
and they're looking at all these books
and they've turned it around now you
need to make them want to pick it up to
be like oh that's quite interesting
actually that sounds interesting so a
little bit about yourself maybe the
things you want to achieve how do you
want to be remembered but I just wanted
to say that you'd want to meet as many
people as you can make a positive
impression with everyone you come into
contact with never give up on anything
yeah until it's completely done and just
keep trying to live in the moment
keep trying to live in the moment that's
the only one you can control and just
keep do what you want to do not what
people what you have to do do what you
want to do because there ain't no time
for nothing else really absolutely
really I think I'd pick it up yeah yeah
yeah definitely me I appreciate so thank
you for that that brings us to the end
of the show now but before we leave and
I close it off I just want you to give
the listeners a chance to obviously
connect with yourself so I will put all
of this in the show notes anyway so you
can literally click on it by any app
that you listen to this one but where's
the best place to contact you mobile or
email okay I don't know if you want to
put your mobile direct down here yeah my
Instagram okay choose your Instagram
yeah yes let's go for it yeah it's a li
ro eight nine eight
okay fantastic
up or down the shoulders or you want
like snapchat Facebook anything like
that or a more I don't really use okay I
use Facebook obviously just type in Alex
Roberts okay then there should be a
naked man obviously yeah that's the
profile of course you person did but
yeah those two platforms okay brilliant
thank you I just want to say thanks
again to Alex for children to the Shonan
and for everyone else thanks for
listening and remember this podcast is
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Find your voice - Episode 18- "On the other side of adversity" - Tiana Barnwell #18
Tagline: "I don't want my story to be about my struggle...I want it to be Tiana Barnwell helped people, she came back, she gave back, she did it."
Tiana Barnwell is a shining example of what determination and focus can bring you. With a vision at 7 years old to go to Spelman College she achieved graduation via a few years in foster care (kinship) disrupting her life but never stopping her achieving her dreams. As stated in the subtitle, less than 3% of foster care children graduate from a 4-year college degree so its a shining example to all those out there, anything is possible. With such a wise head on her shoulders and a why that far exceeds her own personal goals Tiana is destined for stardom in helping people through her real estate dreams. Now graduating with job offers from Goldman Sachs she pursues her next adventure and continues to grow and shine a light on the world.
I urge you all to follow this incredible story and women who will be a household name sooner rather than later.
Thanks for listening
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Have an awesome day
#JustDeuIt #FindYourVoice
[Music]
welcome to an episode of find your voice
a movement led by yours truly
Aren do a guy who has overcome
crippling anxiety adversity and
difficulty like so many of you in life
whose main goal now is to help you
combat your excuses take control of your
life write your own story and most
importantly find your voice so now
without further ado I welcome the host
of the show himself mr. Aren do what's
going on people thank you for tuning in
to another episode of find your voice my
name is Aren and as always I am the
host of the show
so today's story is one that is very
close to my heart and I'm sure a lot of
you will resonate with this story you
see I was on Twitter a few weeks ago and
I read this devastate in fact that only
3% of children who go into foster care
actually come out with a degree now I
was very very excited and actually
remember jumping up in bed when I
reached out to this individual and I got
an instant response because I
congratulated Tiana having read that she
was one of those three percents who
actually graduated and so she's
effectively gone from foster care to
Goldman Sachs which is the company who
have actually taken her on and I was so
proud of her
yeah at this time I had no idea who she
was I knew nothing about it personally
now the reason it touched my heart is
because four of my siblings have come
from the foster care system and it's
something where I try and be an advocate
for him maybe through this show maybe in
personal life as well where I want them
to know that there are no limits and no
boundaries on what you can achieve in
life and Tiana is a shining example of
that and I hope you genuinely enjoy this
episode because you see a girl here with
so much passion and enthusiasm for
wanting to change the world she's also
from New York so it was always great to
get somebody from overseas on here and
also to give them a platform where
hopefully this can help her in terms of
raising her profile inspiring other
children but I urge you to stay towards
the end of the show because she says
something that's really really important
and it really made me think after
releasing this show because obviously
tiles are important and getting you guys
to listen to the stories and engage is
important and she says something at the
end that really made me think about how
she wants to be remembered so hopefully
you enjoy it without further ado we're
going to jump straight into it and just
let me know your thoughts in relation to
her final words thank you okay welcome
to the show and today I am very grateful
to have Tiana on the show today somebody
who actually reached out to very
recently haven't seen her stories so
firstly I just want to welcome Tiana to
the show Turner welcome and how are you
doing today I'm doing well blessed and
highly favored thank you are you doing
today I'm very well thank you as well
thank you no Tiana is actually from New
York I believe is that correct yes I'm
from New York but I currently go to
college in Atlanta Georgia okay
fantastic so I think it's really
important obviously for the listeners of
this show to hear a little bit about
yourself a little bit about your story
because for me personally I've got a
soft spot for your story but I think
let's tell the audience a little bit
about yourself
so I'm Tiana I was born and raised in
New York and I currently attend college
stomache College in Atlanta Georgia so I
didn't really get here the easier
traditional way I was actually placed in
the foster care when I was in high
school my freshman year of high school
and with that came a lot of baggage
there were court dates there were
therapy deeds there was just there's so
much baggage that came along with being
placed in the foster care and it kind of
discouraged me a little bit from
applying to my top choice which was
filming I kind of just wanted to stay in
New York just relax just just get out
and and kind of just just be me and
initially I before I was placed in the
foster care I had not really told
anybody what was going on in my life I
was just kind of just going to school
going home occasionally staying with my
aunt sometimes and finally I decided to
speak up and speak out about what was
going on and that led to me being placed
in foster care and I wasn't in foster
care and what it's not a typical story
where I was placed in foster care at the
age of two
or something like that was placed in
foster care about 14 and I the main goal
was to return the parent so what I had
to do is I just got a therapy with my
mom go to therapy alone as well and just
work through the issues that were going
on and fortunately I was able to return
the parent and my mom and I have such a
great relationship right now so have you
got any siblings
yes I do have two sisters okay in the
house with my mom and I and my father
also has children so I have about ten
Sidley okay and in terms of going into
kinship ie foster care was that
something that was only yourself or was
it also the same with your siblings as
well
I'm just I was placed into foster care
actually okay well I think the positive
thing is what you touched on at the end
is that you've got a great relationship
with your birth mother how was your stay
and experience with in foster care so my
experience was it was good because
because it was kinship care I was able
to stay with my art I did have to meet
with a social worker every week and I
did have to do certain things like go to
therapy speak with a life coach and the
foster care agency I was actually really
amazing there the New York foundling I
mean they provide they provided
everything I could ever need so I had a
therapist I had a doctor who I could
always go to who was actually located in
the same facility as my therapist and
then I had amazing social workers who
would come check on me and not only
check on me but make sure that
everything with my well-being was okay
make sure that was meant to be okay and
even just take me out and and just talk
to me and also they provided a life
coach it was so amazing because I was
able to talk about different goals that
I had and being able to to just try and
grow as a person so I think for anyone
listening now Tiana you probably don't
know this yourself I was actually a
social worker for a very short amount of
time as well oh yeah so I mean the
reason I reached out to you is obviously
I explained earlier for my siblings come
from the care system so I gave up
my initial job as a project manager to
become a social worker to kind of I
suppose change the world and try and
help children in your situation or in
worse situations I mean I'm sure you've
heard the horror stories so I have a lot
of admiration for social workers sadly I
think especially in this country they're
they're put under a hell of a lot of
stress and it's a very very difficult
job so I'm just glad that you managed to
get some good social workers who were
able to obviously help you help you
develop as you explained earlier so if I
may I mean that's giving me a little bit
about yourself what would you like
growing up because for me I think
there's got to be personality traits
within you that have brought out some
level of determination dedication in
terms of going on in and achieving a
degree because I've done a degree and
it's no easy feat so I think firstly
congratulations on that but thank you
what was life like growing up was it was
it difficult or was it just this bad
spell around when you turned 14 pretty
much an average life I moved around a
lot so I was able to make friends the
bad spell did just happen when I turned
14 and that's when things kind of got
different but as a child I was always
determined
I always knew what I wanted like I
wanted to go to Spelman since I was
about seven and I knew that I had goals
that that were bigger than them being an
astronaut or being being something of
the such I knew I wanted to do something
that that was gonna make a difference in
the world and like like I currently have
my goals and everything and then when I
turned 14 that's when I kind of just was
unsure myself and I was well I don't
know what to do I don't know if I'm
gonna do what I actually want to do I
don't know if I'm gonna go to the school
I actually want to go to so that's when
I all of the kind of negative thoughts
set in and crept in and I was able to
talk them out like through therapy and
everything and kind of just say well
this is hard for you and this is what
I'm going through you know I had so much
I had so many goals I wanted to
accomplish I had so much in me that I
just wanted to get out and spread and
from between the ages of like 14 to 17
it was really hard for me
lashing out and just not being the
question that I was destined to be okay
well that's interesting
firstly I think you've got a very wise
head for a 21 year old to be writing
down your goals and having such big
aspirations I know when I was 21 the
last thing I was thinking about was my
goals it was more about where's the next
pie or what we do tonight so it's nice
to know that obviously you yes you've
been through adversity during the period
of 14 to 17 but I think it's important
that we stress especially for the
listeners here that the importance of
goal-setting and this is something I
suppose I do now as a slightly older man
is writing down your goals because I
think there's a power when you write
down your goals and especially yourself
you knew that you wanted to spread
something else you knew you had these
goals where you really wanted to make a
difference in the world similar to what
I'm trying to do here in this podcast
could you share any of those goals if
you wouldn't mind yes so my main goal is
to actually open a chain of hotels
internationally I'm starting in Trinidad
and I want to do hotels because hotels
are not going anywhere
even with disruptors like Airbnb VRBO
and things of that nature
hotels are always gonna be around and
they can always adapt to fit onto
platforms such as Airbnb and hotels or
something that is that is gonna bring in
a lot of money and I and I need requires
financial stability because once the
hotel is thriving I'm gonna be able to
put some of that revenue back into the
community that the hotel is located in
about four to five percent of my revenue
from that hotel and then I also want to
take about six to eight percent of the
revenue and bring it back to communities
like the one I'm doing in New York or
some of the communities that I see
around Atlanta so that way I can create
economic stimulation in environments
where people don't really have all of
the resources they need so I want to
open up job centers recreation centers
and park so that everyone in a community
can benefit from this hotel that I have
rather than whether they're young or old
or unemployed or employ and just have
a backbone unity in the community the
type of community that I grew up in now
that's really my goal so that way so so
that way the community that I'm building
in is benefiting and in the community
where I came from is benefitting so that
there's no one left out that's so
inspiring
that's incredible I'm sitting here
smiling I mean I know you can't see yet
then really I'll just say there's one
ticket she caught me 21 just here and I
mean actually giving me goosebumps
because there's a couple of things
actually I want to touch on that so
firstly your awareness to the
marketplace so I'm a property investor
as well full-time so I also deal and
double in air B&B and book it calm so
the fact that you're aware of their
potential threats to the competition I
say as a hotel is fantastic I assume
you're going back to Trinidad because
that's where your roots are initially
I've had some friends from there and we
go at least once a year and visit and I
just heard such amazing things and I
know that the hotel industry is booming
over there especially with things like
carnival okay that's really interesting
and then the fact that you still want to
bring that back to where your current
community is right now and that's in New
York I believe yes communities that that
mean mmm I love that I love it it's it's
funny you said that actually because I
wrote I was doing when I'm a Instagram
post this morning now I always try and
say like inspirational motivational
stuff and a lot of the reasons I do that
it's kind of like must me talking to
myself if that makes sense so I'll throw
something out into the atmosphere and
it's kind of just me basically trying to
motivate myself in that moment if that
makes sense and one of the things I said
today was like I think it's an old quote
is be the change that you want to see in
the world and I just get that from you
that what you're trying to do is trying
to create this almost like a ripple
butterfly effect within your community
and I just think that's really really
inspiring and I'm sure people listening
to your story and watching you do these
amazing things which Tom I'm confident
you're gonna do I think it'd just be be
wonderful to see thank you thank you so
much absolutely so I'm quite eager to
find out about
people in terms of their routine and the
reason I'm very sort of focused on
routine is because I believe motivation
wears very thin in life and I think
discipline is very very important
especially if you want to achieve
substantial goals a bit like yourself so
could you just kind of give us a day in
the life of tiana and the kind of things
that you do maybe that younger people
listening to you now who maybe want to
follow your footsteps or take
inspiration from your story can perhaps
implement well so my daily routine I'm
away at school right now so I don't
really have to say anything day-to-day
but I do start my day the same way every
day and what I do is as soon as I open
my eyes I checked the time and once the
same prayer I say you know good morning
Donald thank you for putting life into
my body for breathing air into my lungs
for putting a beat into my heart and
then from that from there I go on I talk
to God about different things I want to
accomplish throughout the day I talk to
God about my friends about my family
only just different things just so that
I can maintaining and continue to
strengthen my relationship with God so
after that I get a find my clothes I
lived with my best friend on campus so
typically after I like get up and
stretch and everything I walk into her
room she thanks God for open your eyes
sister chat we talk it doesn't matter
about what we just talk and we get like
energy flowing happiness flowing going
and some marriages do my daily routine
to get ready and everything and then I
go outside and I I'm gonna mount us so
typically it's sunny I got outside and I
sit in the side for as long as I can
just so that I have energy from the Sun
just so that I'm happy because you know
it's like instant happiness
absolutely absolutely really so I make
sure I'm saying the Sun and I stand in
the specific spot on campus directly in
front of the stomach college mouse in it
and I talked to my friends they'll come
join me or something like that and then
I just go about my day and stay hydrated
doing random word when the finance
throughout the day I'm in my senior year
currently so a lot of my a lot of my
random data bank finance are things just
kind of the last-minute things I need to
graduate like different surveys I have
to do different checklists I have to
look at things like that
and I always make time to spend my
friend starts and then throughout the
day make sure I'm begging God throughout
the day and focusing on my goals like
whenever I lose sight of why I'm doing
something just say you know Tiana it's
bigger than this it's more than this so
course you know I just keep going just
keep going I love that I love it that's
so powerful I mean obviously your day to
day is gonna change once you fully
graduate and then you're going to
employment but I think there's certain
characteristics you've said there such
as your gratitude and your goals and
obviously that's probably through your
connection with God way sort of portray
those I think that's really really
important it's something that I've
started doing recently myself I wake up
every morning and I write three things
that I'm grateful for and then I will
look at my goals and I just think
especially in life when life doesn't
always go the way we planned just having
that rooted at the start of the day it's
only helps move us forward so I think
that's really really powerful that you
do that so when things are going bad
then if we just go back to that in that
period say for instance where you were
14 to 17 you were feeling lost slightly
off track I suppose in your life was
this gratitude element of your life
something that you kind of sidelined or
was she just very difficult with all the
toil more that was going on honestly it
wasn't there okay it wasn't there I was
just wake up go to school
jab court no drug therapy okay what I
have to do today is like I wanting it
for example a sophomore year and the end
of freshman year I played sports so I
was like can I even go to practice today
or do I have to do something else oh
great I have to do something else
perfect let me just tell coach I can't
make it again and there was just kind of
like frustration like you know I can do
this I have to do that alright I'm just
ready to go to bed I just want to go to
sleep juice like the only place I really
want it to be one school and there would
be points where I couldn't go to school
because I had to go to court or
something it's a I've to go to court or
maybe the doctor to get checked out or
something like that and all I wanted to
do was go to school I have a good time
with my friends and see my friends and
my favorite teachers okay okay that's
interesting so again something I just
want to pick out there the thing that
keeps you rooted now and so focused in
terms of achieving your goals was
missing during those four years yeah and
this is an important thing so I always
when I work with people I try and get
them to have some sort of good routine
ie through discipline so for example
working out staying hydrated being
grateful and I think these things
although they might seem tedious at
first if you let them slip by the
wayside life can kind of become a bit
chaotic and I know myself especially
when I'm up in the morning I try and get
these small wins in first thing in the
morning and that certainly helps me
I suppose tackle the day and I think
you've probably noticed that Nabal with
yourself as well yeah okay so just going
back to the whole 14 to 17 year old
common I graduated looking at where you
are now what would you tell a child who
may feel different who may recognize
that they're from or they've had to go
into kinship or foster care maybe
struggling through that level of
adversity would you give them any sort
of advice or is there anything that you
think you could perhaps recommend to
them so they don't really lose focus and
go down the path I suppose 97% of the
other people do where they kind of fall
back into the system again yes I
definitely have advice when you when you
start to feel yourself like becoming
somebody who you know you're not that's
when you got to step in and you got to
say you know what this is
me this is not who I am this is not how
I act and you have to really just catch
yourself you have to you have to be able
to take notice when you're changing and
from that point that's when you need to
start talking to yourself that's what
you need to start writing your goals
that's when you need to start planning
things and once you start planning and
once you start talking to yourself and
once you start talking to other people
as well that's when things are gonna
change you're gonna want to set goals
you're gonna want to have hope you're
gonna want to think long term one thing
that really helped me was thinking long
term I knew that I wanted to get to
Spelman and for for a few years I didn't
lose sight of stomach but once I
realized Spelman is where I want to be
and I know Stormin is right where I want
to be that's when I was able to get the
help I needed us and I was able to talk
to people and do exactly what I needed
to do to get this film and despite like
big years I've struggled in the years
that I didn't really have what it what
it took to get me to spell it I mean you
also gotta just be prepared because it's
very difficult it's difficult because it
seems like you're all alone it seems
like you're not you don't have anyone in
your corner you don't know what's going
on you don't know what's coming next but
you always have to have hope and you
have to have faith you have to doesn't
matter which God and pray to you have to
have faith in you have to try to
establish a relationship one thing that
I can say is I didn't really have a
relationship with God that day I really
didn't get such a strong relationship
with God until I got to college that's
amazing that's erm that's really useful
thank you for sharing that so there's a
couple of things I've just taken from
that is the first one is obviously
having hope or faith and I think you hit
the nail on the head there it doesn't
matter what God you believe in I think
just having faith in a better future in
a better circumstance or not an outcome
somewhere in the distant future is going
to keep you inspired and I think you
touched on it earlier as I when you said
Tiana this is bigger than you and I
think when you have a purpose that's
maybe slightly bigger than yourself that
can keep you going as well definitely
that's really really important but
another thing you touched on there and I
suppose I can relate to it to some
degree is when you said
feeling of being alone and I can relate
to children in the care system
especially within the UK because I feel
that do you feel that they're alone
sometimes and there might not
necessarily have that support network
and I assumed you obviously had a very
good network around you I know you said
you had good social workers you had a
life coach how was your friends or your
extended family within that time as oh
did you have a good community there as
well who served as my foster mom through
kinship care I had a great relationship
with her and with my grandmother and I
maintain the relationship my sister um
my extended family they didn't really
know too much about what was going on so
I did rely on my relationship with the
family that I had in New York and I rely
on the relationship with my therapist as
well you're probably fortunate that you
had that relationship there because your
network can determine your situation so
much if you've got a bad Network then
obviously you're almost destined for
failure I suppose yes yes okay so where
you are right now things are obviously
going the way that you wanted to you had
this dream from a seven-year-old that
you want to go to Spelman you had a
little bit of a wobble in between but
where you are right now you've picked
yourself back up you're now focused you
found God you find this new sense of
belief what in this current moment now
scares you I'm graduating in 33 days and
what scares me is that I won't be ready
I'm not prepared to go into this world
and live as an adult and handle
everything that comes along with being
an adult that's that's one of my biggest
fears right now I'm kind of I've been on
this campus for four years I'm kind of
scared of course no man has prepared me
for everything and they've given me the
lessons that I need to go anywhere but
I'm still afraid of what's waiting for
me outside of these gates beyond filming
and ex-kgb cable of course I plan for
this is my I'm trying to get out of here
I gotta graduate but there's next year
if something that's so unknown I've been
in school my entire life
and I'm leaving and starting somewhere
new I'm sorry fries I'm just I'm cutting
that that's my favorite I'm gonna fail
I've been waiting so long to get here
and I'm gonna leave the gates yeah
that's so interesting that you say that
because here you are having this dream
as a seven year old you know literally
on the cusp of you've achieved it you've
done it now all of a sudden you've got
this new sense of fear and I suppose one
that shows your vulnerability which i
think is it's nice that you're you're
displaying that because I think whatever
transition you go through in life it's
an element of growth and you can never
really be ready for growth so it is
daunting whether it's getting married
whether it's having a child or whatever
that particular circumstances but from
this very very short encounter with
yourself let me tell you something you
are a hell of a lot more intelligent
than I am I seem to do okay after I
graduated I went to university twice so
I went back to study my Social Work
masters again at transitions so your
emotional intelligence is fantastic I
think also you have an advantage and you
should always remember this is that the
life lessons that you've been through
even during that short period of time
from 14 to 17 to 21 it's built a level
of resilience in you that you may not
know that you have yet but I am
confident that if you continue your
faith in God and your spirituality and
you keep having these goals to produce
these incredible hotels in Trinidad you
will be absolutely fine you've got
nothing to be afraid of you're very very
intelligent thank you so much that means
so much hopefully in about six months
time I want to get a message from you
whether it's on Twitter or Instagram and
just tell me how easy is because I'm
sure you're gonna fly wherever you go
absolutely I'm looking forward to
hopefully we maybe get you back on as
well just to kind of see the word that
you're doing as well so that would be
fantastic as well absolutely so I
suppose we kind of touched on this next
part a little bit I'm always fascinated
by the way people think and one of the
things with myself is I have this crazy
thing where I motivate myself by
thinking about the worst things that can
ever happen
so I call it morbid nightmares and I
will wake up in the morning and I would
think of like
the worst thing that could possibly
happen and what that does is it kind of
shifts my ass into gear to go out there
and seize the day and really try and
make a difference try and help as many
people as I possibly can and really try
and leave nothing to chance
so that's just my kind of thing that
keeps me motivated what kind of things
in this current moment right now keep
you motivated to go out there and build
these hotels and then change the world
I'm not gonna get employment after
college so maybe I should get up so I
kind of use days where I'm kind of
slacking I don't know I gotta go to this
class because if you don't go to this
class then you're going to fail and if
you fail then you can't graduate if you
don't graduate you're letting your old
family down if you let your family know
you're still gonna be at Spelman for
another semester and somebody has to pay
for Spelman for another semester which
is not gonna it's not gonna fly with
anybody so I'm not yelling me didn't get
out of bed her name is MIA okay and
she's actually so when I was in kinship
care she was in the house as well she's
my daughter okay um and she's really
someone that keeps me going because
she's she looks up to me and she's one
of my favorite people in the world I
mean and I'm I'm really excited cuz she
actually let me want to spell me but I
see you know this shot is so bright and
I know that she looks up to me I know
this child is so destined for great news
my under sisters she's eight yeah it's
not setting you of course Oh
but my younger cousin is 17 and I got I
want to be there for her and I want her
to continue to look up to me I want her
to see me and say you know what that's
Fiamma this is my family I wanted to go
beyond what I'm doing I want her to be
better than me stronger than me and and
I just love her so much I just love that
so I've got three points I want to touch
on just from your answer there so the
first one is it's nice to know I'm not
the only person thinking of morbid
nightmares in the morning so there's you
and me there so that was fantastic
because it does really help I mean I
suppose some people have a
fight-or-flight response and knowing
your personality is probably similar to
mine that we have all these kind of
morbid nightmares or thoughts and then
all of a sudden we fight it as opposed
to running away from it so I think
depending on your personality I choose
which way to go the second thing is I'm
sure Mia is so proud of you and I'm sure
you're a great great role model to her
so you should be very proud of yourself
that you have someone who looks up to
you and I'm sure you're doing an
incredible job with that the last thing
that I really love that you said is
there's a brilliant quote and the quote
says they want you to do good but never
as good as them right and I I get that
because I see it so often within like
the industry and I suppose when you go
into corporate world or whatever you do
in life you're gonna you're gonna see
people who will help you up and in the
moment they might see you surpassing
them they will automatically either
switch off or their will their won't
help you as much if that makes sense and
it's beautiful thing that you want Mir
to be stronger than you to be better
than you because that's exactly how I am
with my siblings so my siblings are all
younger than me and my dream in life is
for them to have it all figured out by
the time they hit my age today and I
wanted more to be financially more
secure I wanted to be physically better
mentally better so it's just lovely to
hear somebody say that and hopefully if
Mia hears this back as well I sure know
how important she is to you as well yeah
absolutely yeah just don't start crying
I can imagine you getting emotional
about that's lovely
what we actually do now is we go into a
little bit of a fun part of this show so
if you're ready I'm gonna literally jump
straight into that we're gonna start in
three two one
what did you eat for breakfast water is
that it okay sorry doc the ability to
fly or be invisible your favorite
subject at school money your fame play
your proudest moment your favorite food
prayer words Netflix or YouTube Netflix
your number-one goal this year
favorite TV show ever would you rather
know how you would die or when you were
dying how your favorite hobby love or
money love books or movies if you could
sit with one person in the world for an
hour who would it be your worst fear as
a child being forgotten words what is
your biggest addiction my phone your
favorite place in the world that's
outside speak or languages will be able
to speak to animals if you could abolish
one thing in the world what would it be
and finally your favorite song ever um
it's called it's supposed to be a
favorite song okay okay I've not heard
that one but I've just written it down
so I check it out afterwards alright
I'll check it out anyway okay brilliant
so back to the interview part we've got
two more questions I would really want
to ask you so knowing exactly what you
know now Tiana with all the knowledge
and all the wisdom that you've acquired
in your short 21 years on this earth if
you could go back to a time let's use 14
as an example where things had just
started to take a turn probably for the
worst knowing what you know now and you
could whisper something to a younger
Tiana at 14 years old what would you say
I would tell her to keep fighting keep
fighting keep trying and I gave up for a
period of time so I would stress don't
give up just keep going you know as
as instead of finding Nemo just keep
swimming just keep swimming and I would
I would tell me that I'll say it's all
worth it it all works out and you just
have to keep going and keep pushing keep
striving I love it just keeps him in
Nemo style I love it okay brilliant
suddenly that actually brings us to the
last question and the last question I'll
again always ask my guess is if in 150
years time science fails to save us all
and all that is left is a book and this
book is about Tiana and it's about your
life and everything that you've achieved
all the wonderful hotels and everything
amazing that you've done in the world
firstly what would the title of the book
say and then secondly if the person was
to turn over to the back what would it
tell us about you I think the title
would be on the other side of adversity
or life not according to plan and the
blurb on the bag would kind of they
would talk about it would talk about my
greatness as opposed to like everything
that I've been through my struggle would
be such a small portion maybe two
sentences but I really want my story to
focus on not what what I was able to
accomplish and who I was able to help
and how my plan my businesses were able
to give back and create something in
various communities and multiple
communities across America I don't want
it to be this girl was in foster care
and she made it out and now this is what
she did I wanted to be Tiana bond will
help people Tiana bar wolf came that she
came back she gave back and she was she
was there hmm I don't want my story and
foster care to be the main focus in my
life I just love that I think that's so
so powerful and I think so many kids
from foster care or people that have
been through so much adversity probably
want the same thing so thank you for
sharing that actually because that's
what I think the world should have more
of but I think we're also in a society
where if you say TR and Obama came from
foster care and achieve this it kind of
sells more papers it gets more retweets
it gets more teaching
well I think is brilliant because just
thinking about this episode that we've
just recorded now it's been a very happy
inspiring episode and I'm very grateful
for you taking that approach as well and
steering the episode that way as opposed
to we could sit here we could cry about
the year of what it was like going into
kinship care for example but instead
what you said is this was a wobble in my
life you reflected on it you realized
this was the person that you wanted to
become the person that Tiana was meant
to become is kind of strive and do so
many more amazing things and you managed
to change that you change your habits
you went to university you're now
graduating and I just think I stand here
and I mean to be honest we're complete
strangers but I'm just very very proud
of how far you've come and once again I
think you're gonna do amazing things
thank you for sharing your story thank
you thank you so much for reaching out
thank you for giving me the opportunity
to come on podcasting and talk and you
know potentially touch so many people
who are in a place where I was
absolutely I think we should all
actually take one great lesson from what
you've just said is that we shouldn't
just look at people for their
circumstances or how they're positioned
in a family we should rather look at
their greatness that they already have
within them and I and I've tried to do
this with my siblings as well because
they all have their own unique skills
and like talents and I think you've
shared a very very valuable lesson there
so before I close the show Tiana what I
want to do is give people an opportunity
to maybe interact with you who have
followed this story who resonate with
your story to maybe follow you on
Instagram Twitter or whatever other
social media platforms that you use so
if you wouldn't mind could you please
share some of your platforms yes so my
Instagram is underscore CIA and a K V
underscore and my my Twitter underscore
TK V in Gigi okay fantastic what I will
do is actually take the exact addresses
and I'll put them into the show notes as
well so people can literally from the
episode click it and then follow you and
hopefully engage
via that I think also if you wouldn't
mind as well let's keep in touch because
if it's anything to do with real estate
I'm always interested in perhaps
investing or being a part of it and
again if there's any sort of social
enterprises or anything you want to do
socially I'd always try and find time to
try and make an impact on that as well
so certainly please do you keep in touch
I will I will definitely keep in touch
with you an amazing yeah yeah I thought
I always like to try and mix it up but
honestly I just want to say once again
thank you to you I want to also thank
the listeners at home thanks for
listening thank you and remember this
podcast is absolutely free so all we ask
in return is for you to share this with
a friend and drop us a five star review
over on iTunes have an awesome day
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Find your voice - Episode 17- "Wonderfulness of Life" - Louise Blyth #17 Part 2
Tagline: "Be the captain of your fate and master of your soul"
Louise Blyth, is an incredible lady who has experienced losing the love of her life, George Blyth tragically from cancer. With cancer now affecting 1 in 2 families it is a common occurrence so many of us face in our day to day life. But unlike any other story Louise world took a massive turn upon the sad death of her spouse and soul mate.
Experiencing a supernatural event during his last few days Louise beliefs, perceptions, outlook and whole world had been turned around where she found herself finding, what she describes as "the greatest love all of us could ever know"
A 2 part special episode, this incredible story does not lean on an emotional tale which will have you in tears of sadness, despite its tragic theme. Instead, tears of happiness seeing someone recover from grief and finding a bigger purpose and understanding of her being in the world takes over the story's narrative and leaves you feeling rather refreshingly happy that in such a sad circumstance someone can continue their life in a positive, fulfilling way.
Now a widow of 2 children, Louise has created The Wonderfulness of Life which focuses on, Happiness being a choice and a state of mind.
I am sure you will all agree this story truly warranted two episodes and if anyone can take anything positive away from this, it is to cherish all the moments we have with our loves ones and find blessings in whatever cards we are dealt in life.
Thanks for listening
Free Audible book sign up:
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Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/findyourvoice
Links to me:
Website: https://www.arendeu.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aren.deu/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/arendeu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aren.singh
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aren-deu-65443a4b/
Podcast: https://www.findyourvoicepodcast.com
YouTube: http://tiny.cc/51lx6y
Links to guest:
Website: https://www.thewonderfulnessoflife.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-blyth-207a7a49
Instagram: https://instagram.com/wonderfulness_of_life
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louise.Blyth83
Have an awesome day
#JustDeuIt #FindYourVoice
[Music]
welcome to an episode of find your voice
a movement led by yours truly
Aren do a guy who has overcome
crippling anxiety adversity and
difficulty like so many of you in life
whose main goal now is to help you
combat your excuses take control of your
life write your own story and most
importantly find your voice so now
without further ado I welcome the host
of the show himself mr. Aren do what's
going on people thank you for tuning in
to another episode of find your voice I
am the host of the show so this is
actually the second part of a two-part
episode so if anyone has accidentally
stumbled across this episode first
please do go back and listen to part one
which was literally I a couple of
minutes ago now this episode is
incredible and I want to keep those who
have literally followed it from Part one
straight to this part keeping it in flow
so I'm gonna stop talking on the jump
straight back into it so Louise ended
the last episode by talking about how
she was in the presence of something she
described is almost supernatural so what
what happened at the point of his death
is I went from not believing in God to
believing in gods in the space of a week
and that has changed my life as much as
George's death has changed my life which
has in turn changed my daily practices
if that makes sense and my day is now
rooted in some practices around faith
because of that because I've never been
more certain that God exists say could
you elaborate on that I mean I've got no
problem missing out some of my pointless
questions because this is this is more
prevalent if you wouldn't mind so what
what would you like me to elaborate on
the which part of the story just to put
context into one interested in this
little bit in particularly I am an
atheist and the reason I say I'm an
atheist now is because I grew up as a
Sikh and I was very I say somewhat
religious and when I heard I had it in a
space of 18 months I lost seven people
66 family members and what and one
friend and I had a very similar outburst
in
private which have never cheat on Norma
where I had the kind of it was like it
was like when you shake about sorry
apologies I said when you shake a bottle
of coke and then all of a sudden tell
you you know whenever you talk about God
you always get interrupted that's so
funny that your favorite so good you
could touch a rafter with us so weird as
well because that's never happened in a
podcast previously yeah whenever you
talk about God you always get
interrupted Wow
for me my logic is just simple it's
stick to science and it's if there was a
god then kids wouldn't suffer kids
wouldn't just be killed there wouldn't
be all this horrible stuff happening in
them and I've kind of justified it that
way but I just want to bring this
straight back to you yeah so like I said
you know I was an atheist I didn't
believe in God I didn't think God was
real I thought that you know so I've
obviously grown up in the UK where I've
been to school where I've learnt Bible
stories so I knew some of the Bible
stories I knew about Jesus but I didn't
think Jesus was the son of God I thought
Jesus was a good guy from you know two
thousand years ago he'd done some great
things and maybe over time his his his
achievements have maybe kind of been
exaggerated is how I it's genuinely how
I looked at you know the gospel in the
New Testament and you know religion
wasn't something that featured in my
life at all so the very fact that I felt
I felt like I had nowhere else to turn
was and the fact that I tend to God I
mean I can't still explain what it was
logically that made me do that because
at that point in time I wasn't my brain
wasn't working in a logical way it was
all based on heart not on head if that
makes sense in terms of the actions that
I was that was undertaking but what what
then led me to believe that God was real
was incredibly powerful so essentially
and I'm really mindful now that I'm not
going to do this survey at this story
it's justice which is why I'm writing
the story down because essentially what
happened was I was introduced to
somebody who I didn't know through a
really really good family friends who
asked if they could pray for Joe
which you kind of go okay that's not
that weird that's that's that's not that
odd but what happened was and what and
what I've realized since I picked it is
that that introduction came after I'd
made this cry so after I'd made this cry
this family friend got in touch with me
and said look I've met this girl and she
seems to be like a really devout
Christian and she didn't she's she
thinks that maybe there's some level of
of healing prayers that we can do for
George now what I didn't know at that
point in time was their healing is you
know central to all of the stories of
what what Jesus did in the New Testament
so obviously Jesus did a huge amount of
miraculous things which I always talk
about to get my head around like this
how can this person be doing all these
things okay but there's a lots of
stories in the New Testament where Jesus
heals people who have paraplegic who are
blind who have bled for 12 years all
these different things so healing is
essential to Jesus and the way in which
Jesus can work and again I knew non of
this and this girl had offered to pray
for isn't and offered prayers of healing
and at this point in time I'm literally
like I'll take anything I'll take any
one course to give us anything we were
so desperate and again to cut a really
really long story short we ended up in a
situation when George was quite
literally on his deathbed and it was it
was hideous our and like he was he
declined incredibly quickly so again I
don't want to sort of put fear into
people's heart because this is a story
of beauty but you have to understand the
pain that he was in to be able to
understand the beauty and the miraculous
of what happened because he was in an in
an inordinate amount of pain so he
basically after that day when I went out
and told me he wasn't gonna die anytime
soon
a few days later was admitted to
hospital and just went downhill day
after day after day and it was it was
disgusting to have to watch him I mean
he he was in he couldn't eat he couldn't
drink because his liver was so enlarged
it was basically pushing against his
esophagus and his stomach and pushing
kind of bile out of his mouth 24 hours a
day which I'm really mindful that this
is kind of like quite Gorian quite
brutal but it was awful I mean this this
was a man that was that was broken in
front of me you know the guy that had
eight weeks before
go to Paris and I and I was kinda like
whereas my husband like whom is he like
he looked he looked like death like his
cheeks will concave he was so weak he
was crying the whole time he his mum set
with him in the hospital because he was
absolutely terrified to be left alone it
was it was every parts again you know if
you think of sort of movies and stories
it was all of what you've seen on TV and
in a film around what you think it's
gonna be and worse I literally just felt
numb sitting on watching him and I
wanted to this is gonna sound really
awful as well I wanted to put him down
so I I remember I had never been a
believer in euthanasia and actually I'm
not now because of my spiritual beliefs
I'm not a believer in euthanasia but at
that point in time he was so ill but I
remember just being in the hospital
thinking this is horrendous there must
be something that someone can do how is
this okay yeah human can sit here in
this much mental and physical pain that
this is not alright of course so and
that and that also led me to keep
looking into other things and I was
looking at like I actually looked at
could I even like get him in my car and
drive him to Switzerland where there's a
euthanasia clinic oh yeah I even looked
at that one point it was so desperate so
in amongst all of this absolute
desperation this kind of narrative with
God continued and this girl who I didn't
know who had met a friend basically
offered to come and pray with us in
Nottingham so she came all the way from
London on the train for the day ask for
nothing
and I met her in the in the canteen of
the hospital and I remember so nervous
meeting her as I thought oh my god is
she gonna be at one of these really
weird religious fanatics like is she
gonna kind of try and brainwashers is
she is she a bit odd she can ask me for
money these are all of the thoughts that
I had in my head and I remember I sat
with her and I said to have really
really once believed in the healing and
sort of stories and and powers that
you're speaking of I just I've got to be
honest with you like I don't really
believe in God I just don't think that
God's be all like her just think it can
be and she she had a Bible out and she
she held my hand and she just said to me
look you know
I've got enough face for his face like
don't you don't need to worry about that
like just relax like I can carry you
like I can believe for you and I can
believe for George is what she said to
me which literally felt like someone had
lifted this way because I felt like I
was lying a little bit as well kind of
thing I can try to pretend that I
believe in this thing I don't know
anything it might in case it might work
you know so that day we prayed in George
is really in which again I probably
don't have the time to tell you all of
the detail of what happened but this
girl who came and prayed is now a really
really good friend is something called a
prophetic Christian and that means that
basically they can hear God in a way
that not maybe everyday person can and
they can hear really really clear things
from God sometimes absolutely
crystal-clear messages like what your
bank account number might be just a sort
of prove a point you know and it is at
the time I remember they're thinking
this is odd this is like psychic
mediumship I'm not really sure how I
feel about this so we did these really
really beautiful prayers with her and
then during the prayers basically she
she said look I've got a word for you
and at this point in time I was like how
do you know where it is like you know
what's word so I've got a letter for you
from God and I remember wanting to laugh
out loud and it was this black comedy
moment because my husband sat on a bed
dying and I'm there with this girl I've
never met before who's praying and
telling me that I've got a word which is
basically a letter that she's written to
me from God and I was sat there thinking
you know this girl's off her rocker you
know this is absolutely mental but
honestly Orin what was written in these
letters so she'd written a letter to me
and she'd written a letter for George
and what was written in these letters or
was just so us it was someone the new
our hearts it wasn't it wasn't someone
that had looked me up on Facebook or
Instagram and gone oh you Louise and
you've lived in Windsor and you've lived
in France and you you've worked here and
you've got two kids it was things about
me small details that I thought
inconsequential that God knew it was my
heart he spoke to my heart that day so I
was amazed the word that was written for
George was equally as amazing and then
there was sort of several things that
happened after that maiming so we walked
of that room and after that moment when
she came and prayed in the room
the-the-the sort of atmosphere in the
room tangibly changed and it wasn't it
was the it was the sort of spiritual
atmosphere if that makes sense it kind
of went from feeling dark and heavy to
full of life of an openness and I I was
just on my knees literally exhausted and
I remember saying to carrying that I
just love what you've done I don't know
how you've done it but you have bought
some peace and it was it was tangible
the creep the peace that she brought on
that day because it was the first time
that I'd seen George sort of soothed if
that makes sense in all of the
medication and everything that you've
been given so I just kind of said to her
like we maybe need to do a bit more of
this she said to me but you can pray you
can learn how to pray like they're going
I can't pray I don't even think I
believe in God I don't know how you pray
like what do I do with my hands how do I
stand
what do I say like I don't know how to
do this you're gonna have to find me
someone else that knows what they're
doing
and basically what then happened was the
next day I went into the hospital after
that night when I went home and put my
kids to bed and done all the other live
things I still had to carry on doing I
tried to pray for the first time and I'd
really struggled and I couldn't do it I
was like this just feels like I'm a
complete fraud I'd tried to kneel down
in my bathroom I remember like kneeling
down in my bedroom and putting my hands
together and I'm thinking what do I say
I can't do this this is already odd and
then the next morning I got up went to
the hospital at all walked into the
hospital and that morning when I went in
George was laid on his bed and the Sun
was beaming into the room like onto his
face and he's laying with his arms open
and he looked at me and he smiled and he
said to me no he's what they're giving
me I feel amazing
I just feel amazing and I just started
to cry but I knew in that moment that he
hadn't been given anything and I went
and spoke to the nurse and the nurse
looked at all of his you know details
and said he's not had anything he had
some morphine at 1:00 a.m. it was now
like 11:00 in the morning and she was
like it was enough morphine to maybe
last him a couple of hours he's
definitely not had anything so I went
back to his room and I didn't say to him
you haven't had
because I kind of thought I don't want
him to know that he hasn't had anything
if he thinks that the effort that he's
had is making people better I just
didn't want to sort of distract him from
the absolute peace that he'd
miraculously found and he literally laid
on the bed that day and just said to me
it's all gone the pain is gone
the fear is gone we'd had these
heartbreaking conversations the day
before before this this girl had arrived
to complain with us about what we did
with the kids like to be bringing the
kids in to come and see him to say
goodbye and it was probably this sounds
really awful it was less than the kids
but it was more for him because we knew
that our children was so little that
they wouldn't remember it and he and he
was really emotional about that because
he just didn't think he had the strength
to say goodbye and he didn't think he
could do it and he said to me I just I
don't he said that everybody is here now
with me you know and honestly he wasn't
the kind of person that spoken this they
already he was not a spiritual guy like
he layed on this bed so at peace and
said to me everything now is in my heart
the boys are here my love for you is
here my love all of my family is here
and it's like a bright burning ball of
energy that's never gonna go and I was
just I was absolutely overwhelmed
because I remember thinking who is this
person that's laid here because this is
my husband but it's not my husband and I
really liked what he was saying to me
was completely the tree so I knew that
he believed it you could see it
physically in his body and that that
then propelled me to go okay there's
something in what we've done here this
prayer whatever this prayer thing is
it's worked there's something in it that
we've got to do more of it maybe this
can help him and that triggered me then
to start writing letters to God so I'd
already been writing letters to George
because I've mentioned earlier I was
seeing a psychologist and she'd said to
me look like how do you communicate I
said look I like to ride she said why
she can write write write about the
trauma journal about it and I'd been
writing letters to George every day in
hospital all the things that were on my
heart that I wanted to tell him that he
didn't have the energy to hear because
he was so sick but I needed to kind of
let bubble out of my system so that that
that night I went home and I wrote my
first prayer to God and then what what
ensued was every time I prayed and wrote
a letter the girl in London who I didn't
really know who that well at the exact
moment that I would finish praying would
write a response so she'd write back and
it would be like it would be a response
to the prayers that I wrote and she
didn't know that I was writing them it
was just the most unbelievably beautiful
story so we had this you know we had
George laying on his death bed in this
state of peace in this state of perfect
bliss and he was quoting scripture okay
so George never read the Bible or
anything and he was talking to me about
perfect love which is alone for John in
the gospel and so we had that going on
so we had the sort of miraculous bodily
visible you know George George has gone
from being in pain to being at peace I
had this girl that I didn't know who was
somehow supernaturally connected and in
sync with me responding to my prayers
every time I it was like that old Tom
Hanks movie you've got mail I write I
write I write on my iPhone I ordered mr.
for my notes on my iPhone and every time
I literally press turn on the top of my
top right while I faint screen I'd get a
text it would be just like you know
scripture responses words that gotta
push you is used to frame as this is
what God's put on my heart so that
happened and then there was just this
unbelievable
presence in the room that everybody was
drawn to sit everybody at the hospital
was drawn to George's room which I now
know was the sort of you know what would
call in Christianity the Holy Spirit it
was the Holy Spirit was there it just
was pulsating through the room and what
what I find interesting now is that I
know that we all actually recognize that
if that makes sense but we don't realize
that we recognize it because it is in us
we just don't know it and and everyone
who was there you know some people were
religious some people weren't but
everybody knew there was something going
on if that makes sense that the only
universal recognition was that there's
something bigger at play here at the
hospital you know they said to me after
George died like we wish everyone could
die in this way like we
we could document it and process it so
everyone could have this des nurses were
coming in on their days off to sit with
him and just be with him because
incredible presents were so calming it
led to a great friendship that I've made
with a with a pastor of a church and not
something that we now go to every week
as he he was basically the person that
then came and prayed with us every day
because I had sort of said to this girl
in London you're gonna have to find me
someone to pray with because I knew my
friends I wasn't a person he was
religious and so yeah it was just the
way I frame it to people is I lost the
love of my life but I've gained the
greatest love all of us can ever know
and it was just so incredibly beautiful
and I'm still trying to pick the story
two years later and question you know
how why you know what does this mean all
of those are the things but ultimately
all I know is that God is real and God
is good and you know Jesus is real too
you know all of the stories that happen
in the Bible now I have now I've got
this understanding of the supernatural
that I saw in that hospital room I can
read those stories with the lens of
acceptance that I never had before and I
understand them and get that they did
happen and but I think we just I think
in the society that we live in now we
want everything to be like Amazon Prime
timelines you know and actually what
I've also very knows is that the timings
of the supernatural and the holy spirit
are just not linked to earthly timing so
you know I can never answer questions
like you know why did you need seven
people in a row why did I lose my
husband and then three months later his
mother died she dropped dead and
simultaneously to my husband dying my
dad was diagnosed with stage four cancer
you know says we it wasn't like life was
beautiful on any show yeah it really
wasn't but what I did what I do you
think I'm what I do maintain is there
you know cancer is not god-given and if
you look for God he's always there even
in the bad situations but the bad
situations are not always given by God
you know like it's man's got three will
right and some
and the way in which we behave in in the
world that we now live in is driven by
all three well it's not driven by God
because he made us that way so yeah Wow
got goosebumps yeah just a remarkable
story this gonna be in your novel yeah
this is gonna be in my novel and what
would be amazing so I'm actually doing
some edits at the moment so I'm hoping
to get the book out this year that's the
last thing so it would be it would be
really cool to like speak again might
wants the books available so I can say
to people yeah because there's so
there's such steps is the story on save
me levels and I also I'm hugely mindful
there you know like I I like they say I
can't believe what's happened to me
because I kind of look at it and go what
why like why was all of this way it went
for us but it was and it is and I just
now feel really strongly about the fact
that I have to do something with this
tale and with this story you need to
raise awareness of cancer to raise
awareness of what it is to live with
cancer that it isn't the end of your
life to raise awareness of the fact that
death is it's gonna be something that
happens to all of us and could be the
most unbelievably beautiful experience
you ever ever imagined and they're also
you need death is at the end and that
God's God is real and God is here for
you and and loves you but I also
recognize that just because I say that
doesn't mean that I can impart that
belief into life yeah I mean your your
truth is your truth and everyone's got
their own kind of truth I'm always open
to anything really I mean you've said
some certain things there that make
obviously make me think because from a
spiritual perspective I have sinned and
I have tail as many of them of stuff
similar oh yeah I'm absolutely in
cheering my spiritual stuff and even
like in terms of psychics and mediums
and I'm going to find a tangent here but
I do believe in that supernatural power
I suppose or just the whole the fairy
tale story of this person just one
person they're kind of I don't know
maybe I've just got the wrong image of
of God when I said it you knew what they
were and I think that that's the case
like I think go back to the point that
you made earlier about we have this
vision of our life should all be very
tom
kostik and we meet the dream partner and
we get the dream house and we get the
dream kids and we do things by certain
ages and I think we're all for whatever
reason book to believe that God is a
person on the cloud somewhere and I mean
I'm no theological expert you know I'm
two years into my journey of faith and
I'm still understanding the Bible and
getting my head around there and what
that means to me and how I live my life
but equally I kind of go it's not the
way that I ever thought it was if that
means I should be passionate about
because I kind of have now reflected on
my life because of everything that's
happened and gone well I mean what God
was actually there the whole time
I just didn't know him I didn't know no
I didn't know how he worked I didn't
know how he communicated I mean I if I'm
honest as a feminist have a huge beef
with the fact that he's always referred
to as a man I mean I'm not I'm not
disputing that Jesus Jesus was a man
okay but but God you know God is what he
is and that's what it says in the Bible
like he is not man he's not woman he he
is what he is and but he is called a he
because of the time in which the Bible
was written which is when you know men
ruled the world not in the way that not
that the hopefully not yeah there's a
certain but you said that you lost the
greatest love of your life or you did
then find the greatest love that we
could all will ever know and I just yeah
I was so powerful food for thought for
me absolutely because there are that I
think I think we could know how you
mentioned in that room and I was kind of
imagining like almost like watching a
film you know when you see him you Jobs
and then the sun's beaming and then
we've all probably had that feeling of
euphoria with this dis just isn't normal
life let's something else is here yeah
and I get that and if anything is weird
because although I sometimes say okay I
don't believe in God anymore
I believe in every other thing like all
these miraculous character things so
it's kind of okay maybe again is just my
language that I use language because I
find that so fascinating and I could
talk to you for hours just on that and
some of this stuff I've seen people do
like how you mentioned he was speaking
Scripture and stuff I've seen people
speak a different language that they've
never heard of yeah yeah yeah what
yeah yeah yeah is amazing Wow I'm just
I'm just so happy that it's such an
unfortunate circumstance that you've
managed to find some level of happiness
yeah life life can be found in there
like it really really and I I feel like
I've been given a second chance at life
through my husband's death which is so
desperately sad and you know my greatest
wish is that I could have this
perspective with him by my side but for
whatever reason it wasn't meant to be
that way and I'll only ever know that
reason when I am living and having with
him you know so and until then I have to
live the best life I can and the
happiest life I can for me and my
children because that's all he wanted
for us and that's what God wants for us
too so I just kind of go you know what
it's my choice you know I can choose for
this to be miserable and this can break
me or I can choose for it to make me and
I know how to do this let it make you
and let it also inspire you to share
your story with as many people as
possible yeah with the perspective you
have so yeah yeah that's fantastic Wow
okay fantastic this is actually gonna be
my first ever tea pot podcast because I
it was almost too good for me to kind of
quit off so I'm gonna actually make it a
two part show okay I think we could fit
everything in two parts as well and yes
it's fantastic so you're actually the
first ever two-part show and it's been
worth it honestly yeah could just
resonate with so many things I'm sure
they listen as well as well yeah so
adversity I think we've definitely hit
that yeah I'll on the head there a
million times over and I'm done like I
said early I'm just so happy that you're
in a much better place now what now then
now that you've found God and you've
you've almost found this new perspective
I suppose what scares you now my biggest
fear is not being able to live a faith
filled life so I I fear that I won't
that something may happen that imbalance
is this faith because actually I feel
like with my faith I can and nothing
scares me
does that make sense my biggest fear
would be to not for whatever reason to
not believe in God anymore absolutely
because of what you believe God has
given you yeah and God has for ISM for
all of us so I kind of feel like with
God by my side I don't fear anything
feel invincible I'm not so not to say
that it wouldn't be difficult and
incredibly painful and all of those are
the things but I know that God would be
with me but if for whatever reason I
lost God or I lost my connection with
God that that's my greatest fear now to
not not have that okay I understand that
okay and in terms of so your motivation
I suppose we kind of touched on it
earlier in terms of persevering and
going forward is that now to kind of
share your message further and try and
enlighten other people yes and why I
suppose my purpose now is to is to share
my story so I always say to people I
don't wish the circumstances that I have
found myself in upon anyone it's been
hell to live through but what I do wish
is the perspective if it's given me and
I realize that I've always been like
this fast track version of life yeah so
because I've had something so bad happen
to me it's maybe meant that it's
exploded in a way that's been so good
does that make sense yeah yeah maybe
think about the situation logically and
what I'm hugely mindful of and I know
I've said this already is I don't expect
that other people I mean you're gonna
come to faith with the same power and
passion that I have but for me if people
listening to my story and hearing me
talk about what I've lived through can
make them maybe think about how they
behave with people that they know with
cancer differently or lean in and help
them better or think about what they can
do to build their resilience muscle or
ultimately think about is there more
like what what isn't this life like why
am I here are you I mean ultimately you
know if I'm talking in corporate
language you know like my ultimate
optimum success would be that people
find God nutri through hearing my story
and then it kind of sparking a journey
of interest in themselves and kind of
wanting to to sort of know more and
understand more but I think there's
loads of other stuff that it could spark
for them as well so for me it's kind of
wanting to share the sadness of what's
happened to me to make people realize
they're you know there's so much life to
be lived and you've got so much more in
your tank than you ever know that you've
got until you have to be in a situation
where you're forced to use it so
yeah that's fascinating that's why you
were saying that Episode five Ashley
Nixon I think you're really really resin
L not I'm not trying to give you money
Felicity yeah he was a boxer yeah and he
found God yeah look I've shared it with
all of my it's incredible because that
one yeah okay like I said I mean I'm
here saying I don't necessarily believe
in God but that episode was so powerful
that I remember I mean I didn't put it
in the actual episode where I was
actually like screaming kind of like I
get it I get where you're kind of saying
you know how you see put in the church
and they're all like yeah yeah yeah yeah
I'm kind of getting that now with
yourself and I'm just thinking they're
encouraging I think not be a great
connection as well because I know he's
doing fantastic things I think he might
be up north now he's working yeah he's
not really on social media which but
he's just such a beautiful soul yeah
anything yeah what we're gonna do now
we're actually gonna just completely
flip the script
okay go into a segment of the show that
I just put in here just for a little bit
of fun and this is people obviously know
you now in terms of your story and
everything but I know there's also you
know just a little fashion stuff that
they could probably play from just
knowing so you ready yeah I'm ready okay
we're gonna go in three two one
okay what did you eat for breakfast
shreddies and granola the ability to fly
or be invisible be invisible money or
fame fame so I could impact people's
thoughts your proudest moment can I have
to both both of my boys face am i
achieve all those face of my boys your
favorite food
Oh chocolate Netflix our YouTube net
legs okay your number one goal this year
to publish my book to your coffee tea
your favorite sport oh gosh I don't have
a favorite sport to watch I'd probably
say tenants okay so you participate in
oh I don't really do sport I do I like
like sir
Jim can we call that a sports boys'll
why not there's no rules here fantastic
okay if you can sit with one person in
the world for an hour who would it be
Jesus your worst fear is a child Oh
probably something to do with snakes I
really don't like snakes they scare me
your favorite place in the world lake in
New Zealand South Island of New Zealand
sounds amazing speak our languages we'll
be able to speak to animals speak all
the languages if you could have punished
one thing in the world what would it be
poverty would you rather than on how you
would die or when you were they how or
when I probably say when because I think
the power of being able to say goodbye
is unbelievable and it's interesting
actually because I remember someone
asked me this question before George
died and I always just said I wouldn't
want to know I just want to be shot and
actually what I would say to people now
is it's just so unbelievably powerful
and to have the opportunity to say
goodbye and even though it's sad it's so
so healing to be able to do it say that
I think you know when you're gonna die
so you can prepare for it emotionally
financially is a huge blessing yeah
absolutely I think we're gonna leave it
there and I think that's it that's a
great that you said because I think with
death it's more the uncertainty and than
the shock of it that really just throws
people into a whole whirlwind yeah yeah
we're almost at the end of the show no
sadly just got two more things I want to
ask you and I think this would be an
interesting answer from yourself because
it's about reflection and I'm not used
to turn it easier how you wish you had
your perspective when George was around
so my my view is always the same
hindsight you know it's a wonderful
thing we can obviously learn ways where
we can get to places quicker easier with
less heartache but like yourself which
I'm sure you'll agree it teaches us so
many lessons yeah access to people that
we are so knowing exactly what you know
now if you could go back and take
yourself back to a younger Louise you
can choose whatever age you wish what
would you what would you whisper in your
younger selves is I'd whisper in my ear
you're loved
God is real he's for you he has a plan
for you he's with you and he wants you
to surrender to him in a way that only
is right for you I love that I think
obviously because your experience with
God knows if you were able to have that
then yeah yeah absolutely yeah
suddenly were actually at the last
question now and again this is a
question ask all of my guests I'm always
interested to kind of know how people
want to be remembered and I'm always
eager to get as many people to share
their stories as possible because at the
end of the day I truly believe nobody
really wants to be forgotten and I think
we've all got a story out there so if we
say in 150 years time science fails to
save us and all that is left is a book
and this book is by yourself and it's on
the table and you've got a I suppose
kind of make people want to pick it up
so what firstly would the title say and
secondly the blurb at the back of it
what would it tell us about yourself
well this is easy re because I'm right
looking I want to write more than one
book so the series the series of my book
would be called the wonderfulness of
life and which is actually a name that's
taken a lot of letter it's a name that's
taken from a letter that George wrote
and before he died reflecting on the
wonderfulness of life the first book
would be called he heard my cry and
that's the story that I've sort of told
in part today so if we take that first
book which is the book I'm hoping to
it's obviously kind of published this
year and that story is a true story
about love's exploding into my life a
moment when I was least expecting it and
you would maybe say that I was like
Bridget Jones meeting God tragic about
that backdrops and it's the tale of how
I was gifted a front-row seat to a
real-life miracle the tale of how I lost
the love of my life that gained the
greatest love we can all ever know and
it's a tale that I hope and wish will
impact the thinking of a generation wow
I love that
a real-life miracle yeah it's a
brilliant tagline just in relation to
your book and I'll keep jumping back to
this are you gonna be releasing an
audible version I haven't even got that
far that's a good idea
I'd like to yeah like I'm just being
selfish here because if I read pages
from a book I'm asleep within three
seconds so I listen to a lot of my stuff
i podcast and I would take that as a
sign are you amazing please do that I
think you're being credible and just
before you leave then I'd like to put in
the show notes obviously for people to
be able to contact you and then yeah
hopefully by them contacting you can
obviously keep them up to date with the
release of the novel but then I'd love
to get you back as well
closer to that release or after you've
released it as well because I just you
know this is an incredible inspiring
remarkable story I think you're
fascinating the way you've you just
found this bliss and I can hear it from
your voice all the way through because I
was expecting and I'm quite an emotional
person to get choked up during this
interview mm-hmm if anything you're
making me just I've just been smiling
just hearing it although there's a sad
element to the story it's just almost I
just feel I just feel happy for that so
if you caught my husband used to always
say say be sad but she was happy yeah he
always she's happy I love that yeah yeah
so if you could just give us where the
listeners can find yourself yeah I say
the best the best place to find me is
probably on Instagram so I'm on
Instagram as wonderful nurse underscore
of underscore life so it's wonderfulness
of life the two underscores I have got a
website that it's being built at the
moment and and yeah I'm also on Facebook
as Louise Bligh is but I post on
Facebook cause wonderfulness of life and
that's kind of my reflections on life I
suppose and the wonderfulness that we
find in in every day in everyday joy you
know so it's me talking about how I you
know I think it's an invitation to come
and see life through my eyes almost
certainly I didn't knew this afternoon
as well when I get back from my next
meeting I'll add that all in the show
knows and once
or website is sell and please do let me
know because what I can do is go back
into the show notes and edit it because
these episodes they get listened to all
sorts of weird and wonderful it's just
not it is www.hs wonderful nurse of life
calm I think computer I think that's it
my it's there there's a holding page
there and there's a picture of me it's
linked to my Instagram but it's not got
all the content on it at the moment but
if you put that on it is it will take it
will take you somewhere to me and you
can send me a message that I'll get on
that as well so fantastic ok so this has
actually been our first ever two-part
episode thank you thank you thank you
honestly thank you so much for sharing
your story I'm sure it's gonna resonate
with so many people it's been an
absolute pleasure for the listeners as
well thanks for listening oh you're so
welcome
and remember this podcast is absolutely
free so all we ask in return is for you
to share this with a friend and drop us
a five star review over on iTunes have
an awesome day
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Find your voice - Episode 17- "Wonderfulness of Life" - Louise Blyth #17 Part 1
Tagline: "Be the captain of your fate and master of your soul"
Louise Blyth, is an incredible lady who has experienced losing the love of her life, George Blyth tragically from cancer. With cancer now affecting 1 in 2 families it is a common occurrence so many of us face in our day to day life. But unlike any other story Louise world took a massive turn upon the sad death of her spouse and soul mate.
Experiencing a supernatural event during his last few days Louise beliefs, perceptions, outlook and whole world had been turned around where she found herself finding, what she describes as "the greatest love all of us could ever know"
A 2 part special episode, this incredible story does not lean on an emotional tale which will have you in tears of sadness, despite its tragic theme. Instead, tears of happiness seeing someone recover from grief and finding a bigger purpose and understanding of her being in the world takes over the story's narrative and leaves you feeling rather refreshingly happy that in such a sad circumstance someone can continue their life in a positive, fulfilling way.
Now a widow of 2 children, Louise has created The Wonderfulness of Life which focuses on, Happiness being a choice and a state of mind.
I am sure you will all agree this story truly warranted two episodes and if anyone can take anything positive away from this, it is to cherish all the moments we have with our loves ones and find blessings in whatever cards we are dealt in life.
Thanks for listening
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Website: https://www.arendeu.com
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aren-deu-65443a4b/
Podcast: https://www.findyourvoicepodcast.com
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Links to guest:
Website: https://www.thewonderfulnessoflife.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-blyth-207a7a49
Instagram: https://instagram.com/wonderfulness_of_life
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louise.Blyth83
Have an awesome day
#JustDeuIt #FindYourVoice
[Music]
welcome to an episode of find your voice
a movement led by yours truly
Aren do a guy who has overcome
crippling anxiety adversity and
difficulty like so many of you in life
whose main goal now is to help you
combat your excuses take control of your
life write your own story and most
importantly find your voice so now
without further ado I welcome the host
of the show himself mr. Aren do what's
going on people thank you for tuning in
to another episode of find your voice my
name is Aren and as always I am the
host of the show so before I begin this
announcement I just want to say a
massive massive massive thank you to
every single one of you who have
listened to this show I also want to say
a massive thank you to anyone who has
previously listened to his show and left
a review because it's your reviews that
I've helped us get into the news and not
worthy on iTunes now this is no small
feat this is actually an incredible
achievement and the more I research it
they're more proud I actually feel but
more importantly I'm so proud of my
guests and I'm so grateful that they
were able to share their journey but I'm
also so happy to have such loyal
listeners like yourselves to really
support this movement and that's exactly
what it is it's a movement it's about
trying to inspire people try and put a
positive beacon of light into the world
and really try and get everyone to live
their best life combat their excuses and
really change their perception and
mindset so without rambling on too much
we have a really really exciting
two-part episode coming up for you now
now this is actually our first ever
two-part episode and conscious of your
time which is obviously our biggest and
most important commodity I'm gonna jump
straight into this one okay so I just
want to start by thanking Louise for her
time and coming onto the show today to
share her story which I'm sure you're
all gonna find absolutely inspirational
so Louise how are you doing today
I'm good thank you I'm good fantastic
fantastic so I just want to say thank
you I appreciate you and I'm really
looking forward to this one so this was
actually a recommendation from somebody
else you may have
one heard previously on a podcast it's
episode number fourteen and it's my bet
daily Rylan it's something that I urge
all of you to check out because it was
actually within the first four hours it
got the most number of listen
straightaway so it's a great hit and I'd
recommend you all going back to that
however moving on now we have another
fantastic guest in Lewis so Louise I
think it's really important for the
listeners to understand your story and
understand a little bit about yourself
as well if you if you wouldn't mind if
you could just kind of give us an
insight into yourself a little bit about
your journey and what basically brings
you here today yeah no worries so and if
I'm completely honest I never thought
three even four years ago that I would
be someone that would be sat being
interviewed on a podcast talking about
the subject that I'm going to bring to
the table today which is loss
bereavement and life after living
through sort of that kind of trauma so
so my story is from nottingham from
robin hood that's where i kind of grow
up grew up and spent my childhood had a
fantastic childhood my parents really
sort of put myself over the first I was
kind of one of those people at school
that was not really super cool but also
I hope not too much of a mega geek and
you know you did did the normal stuff
kind of growing up going into nightclubs
probably too young being carried out of
nightclubs after having drink too much
so my friends before say probably too
young and went away to university at 18
where I studied French and actually
lived abroad for a year when I was 19
which was quite young and that was I
suppose my first experience if I'm being
brutally honest of life if that makes
sense so in terms of really realizing
things around loneliness relationships
being able to kind of go it alone and do
things for yourself because essentially
when you're on your own in a foreign
country you have no one else to rely on
other than yourself and I and so that
was that was really really kind of big
experience in my life and graduated in
in 2006 probably like many so you really
expect it about what life had to offer
me and had one of these huge plans
around what I thought I was gonna be and
what car is thought I was gonna drive
and what house I wanted to have hadn't
met kind of anyone special at that point
there's been a few a few boys but no one
who'd kind of really made me sort of sit
up and take notice and in 2006 I was
accepted on to a training scheme a
graduate training scheme and that was
kind of a supposed to start of where my
life really really started to change so
I I started there in September and on my
first day in fact before my my first day
on the induction day I met George who I
would fall in love with and marry so we
were part of a group of about 30 people
he will join together and we had a great
time it was like being at university you
know me we were there training together
living together all became really really
great friends but he was the guy that
kind of more than anyone else you know
was not never first I on any level I you
know I remember thinking oh my gosh this
guy's so confident you know he's really
sort of sure of himself but we just
became really great friends and we used
to would talk all the time and then it
was that that Christmas so this is the
September when we started our job and it
was that Christmas when we actually kind
of had our first kiss so he'd he'd
really really raison he said when he
first were in the business oh well I'm
gonna be I'm gonna be in Edinburgh so
I'm gonna have a hub burn a party and
we're all gonna come to Edinburgh and
have this holiday party and I remember
thinking oh my god who is this guy like
they're so confident
so anyway true to his words you know
four months later there we all were sort
of twenty or so others at his flat in in
Edinburgh and that's kind of where
George and I had our first kiss
New Year's 2006 2007 and after that you
know my life my life changed in an
instant I know for people that are
listening that of maybe you know you've
met someone that they know that they
won't spend the rest of their life with
when you meet that special person you
know really it is everything that you've
ever hoped for it is kind of like the
movies and the songs
and it's it's truly beautiful it's a
really amazing experience and we knew we
knew from the outset that we had
something special I think that often you
do you know it was more than just a
friendship it was a kind of deep
respectful sort of love it was it was it
was powerful you know and so we kind of
went on living our lives together you
know as what happens when you meet the
person that you want to spend your life
with you know you stop being you stop
being as our lives became more and more
intertwined so we we lived apart we
lived together
we vented together we bought a house
together his kind of his career went
from kind of great amazing as he kind of
charged through the ranks from corporate
perspective we were engaged in 2010 we
were married in 2011
I felt pregnant we had off this baby
quite quickly which was just a huge
blessing and we it gave birth to of this
son in 2013 so for all intents and
purposes we were the couple that that
had it all we were probably the people
and I hugely recognize this that people
look to in kind of discipline oh how
they got this you know like they've
they've met young they've both got good
jobs they're doing really well hopefully
they thought we were nice people you
know we had we had a nice house we drove
nice cars we had a you know we had we
decided we wanted to have a baby and it
just was easy we got pregnant and I had
no problems with my pregnancy so you
know we were on to a good thing life was
life was really really great and then we
decided to have another baby and I got
pregnant very easily again and shortly
after office and was born we moved house
so we relocated back to Nottingham sure
because by this point we're living down
south because that's like the street sir
I paid gold and then whilst I was
pregnant with our second son George just
had this overwhelming feeling which I
can come back to and talk about some
more and as we kept kind of maybe deeper
into the interview there that we had to
move that we had to move back to my
hometown and
um so we we bought a house when I was
six months pregnant and moved after our
son was just born to me with an 8 week
old baby at that time that's when George
started to be presenting with symptoms
that just weren't you know wasn't well
and we couldn't get to the bottom of it
he was wrong he constantly had a cold he
was always tired
he was really rundown he had low really
really low energy levels and because of
the stage and the circumstance of our
life in that we had two incredibly young
children Zoey at this point you know we
had a three-month-old baby and a
two-year-old son and you know just
Newhouse
George was commuting to London from our
house and Notting Michelle it is a big
commute you know said not you know not
for the faint-hearted
we just continually put it down to the
fact that this is what life is in your
season and you know you try and have
yeah we're rundown you know this is
having kids everyone whinges about the
tiredness and the exhaustion which is a
you know it's part of the territory of
you know you don't live with your
children but it just didn't sort of seem
to get better and there was this
continual niggle that was there and
essentially basically we pursued it and
to cut a long story short of how we
actually came to this conclusion we
decided to send George for a colonoscopy
which is a process where you basically
have a camera put up your bottom it's
not that unpleasant so he went off and
had this procedure and I mean this is
what our life was like at this point in
time our and so he decided to have this
procedure in London because he remember
him saying to me
you know I'm so busy at work what I can
do is I can go to work and then I can do
this after work and I can come back and
I can still behave at that time we
genuinely didn't think that there was a
big you know big big reason to be
concerned all of the health care
professionals had said to us there's not
a reason to be worried he's so young
he's 33 it's definitely not gonna be
bowel cancer and basically that day that
you had the colonoscopy which was the
the 9th of December 2015
he called me I was at home literally
kind of quite literally walking around
the Christmas tree and my little boy
answer and with a little Senate nurse we
putting all my fairy lights out thinking
wow you know life's amazing this is gray
and he called me and that phone call was
the moment that just shattered my life
because having your husband ringing and
say the words I've got cancer ah it was
just it felt like a time-space continuum
and I yeah it was just hideous and I
remember saying to him oh my god she
can't know this already how do you know
like it can't be which was actually the
route that I went domine when he told us
was exactly the route that all of our
friends went down afterwards when we
actually had to then tell them the news
which was just as difficult as him
having to tell me and I know now that
that's the kind of psychological
response in terms of you know plausible
denial you want to commercialise with
what you're hearing and you want somehow
to be like this isn't true this this
can't be the case this isn't us you know
do you not know who we are today and I
remember you know being on the phone
with George and crying and him saying to
me it's fine like he'd managed to have
the force I mean this is the kind of
incredible guy he was he'd had the
foresight to call my parents tell my
parents what happened before he ran me
so he could say to me after he told me
I've got cancer your mum and dad are on
the way
your mum doubt of coming over and
they're gonna be here any minute and
they're gonna be they're gonna be here
they're gonna scoop you up and I'm on my
way back from London it was just so so
so kind and so thoughtful which was just
who he was to his core
so that was December 2015 and our lives
in that instant you know I often joked
with people and say I sing the song from
Fresh Prince of bel-air oh it's probably
shows the kind of generation that I am
it was you know this Oriole upside down
because in that instant it was my life
was flipped turned upside down and yeah
it was just everything that we knew
about our life was thrown thrown on the
floor but then that you know that wasn't
the end that was the beginning of a new
life and a new existence which went on
for 11 months
so we then lived in a season of stage
four bowel cancer so when George was
diagnosed he had metastatic bowel cancer
which is base
we can circle of lingo for the fact that
the cancers bad and it spreads to
different parts of your body and in
George's case it spread to his liver
which is not good news obviously it's
one of our major organs that you need to
function so George then lived through I
think it was eight rounds of
chemotherapy followed by six weeks of
really intense radiotherapy followed by
a season of kind of watch wait let's see
where this where these horrible cells
kind of come back then he did a huge
huge surgery in the summer which is
something called the liver resection
which is essentially where you get
chopped open and all of your liver
there's got cancer and chopped out which
is kind of just the most epic surgery
you can imagine before he did that he
cycled around London and raised a lot of
money for bowel cancer UK and then he
said I remember him saying to his
oncologist you know just before he had
this liver surgery I'm gonna I'm gonna
do more bike riding and then this sort
of all looking at him like he was
completely mental eight weeks to the day
after he'd had his liver resection he
cycled from London to Paris released
more funds for Bar Council UK and then
shortly after returning home from that
boat ride he started complaining again
feeling unwell and we you know we
genuinely thought that we were on the
sort of positive track with this disease
and literally eight weeks the day after
he'd stood in front of the eiffel tower
you know holding his bike you know in
this kind of really momentous epic
photograph that I've got of him he was
dead so he he went downhill incredibly
quickly and peacefully passed away on
the 18th of November 2016 so I was 33
and I had a three year old and a ten
year olds and yes it was incredibly
incredibly hard yet was incredibly
beautiful and a moment of glory that I
never expected at the moment of his
passing so I suppose that was a real
game-changing moment when he died which
was just absolutely beautiful and
there's no other word to describe it
which is I suppose why my story's a bit
different because I think probably most
people are going to be expecting me to
say and then it was him
yes and then it was all for and I love
this season of grief and and it has been
and it was all of those things but it
was equally really beautiful because of
their the way in which George died and
what happened to all of this at the
moment of his death which I'm sort of
really excited to talk some more with
you about say and just stunned that last
bit and which we will touch on just in a
few moments time I can tell that you
were going to have that response just
from the way you were explaining your
journey and everything that you've been
through so but when I think of concern
what it's done to my family it becomes a
more of an emotional thing and it's
quite like even when you talk about it
like demeanor and everything changes
when you say you can see that you've
actually found the silver lining in this
in this journey that you've had to take
and I just find that incredible so I'm
looking forward to hearing just a bit
more about that have balls and know
about how it was one not only incredibly
hard but also incredibly beautiful I
mean I'm taking notes here because I
don't want to miss anything and I'm sure
listeners I probably think ask her this
ask her this because it's so fascinating
because what you've literally described
is a fairy tale story and it's kind of a
story that I suppose when we grow up
there's there's a thing and I was I was
doing a speech recently and I was saying
how you know how we go to school and
yeah you get your results and then you
go to secondary school then you have the
I love is then you go to university then
you get married and you have kids and
then you retire at 65 it's almost like
somewhere in a in our subconscious I
suppose we reprogram to believe we're
just going to lift or 65 when
everything's just gonna fall in place
and then what happens it comes in boom
it hits you how is he so hard yeah
that's why people struggle and I just
think yeah it's a I'm grateful that
you're sharing this story because it
would just wake people up yeah I'm very
fortunate that nothing like that has
happened to my wife or myself at this
moment but I do try and live as if that
could happen tomorrow oh yeah it would
that the nightmares that could
potentially happen so oh you mentioned
that you've been travelling for a year
as well not obviously generate so where
did you travel so I didn't travel so I
lived I mean sorry you lived you live
yeah yeah yeah and I said friendship
University and I lived in fret in France
I actually lived I need to be honest I'd
love to go back now as a 35 year old and
do I did then I lived in the noir
Weinberg
which at the time as a 19 year old he
basically like drinking wkt blue it was
completely lost of me as like a kind of
cultural experience but it was part it
was part of my my studies in terms of
what I had to do to kind of learn the
language but yeah that was that was
interesting and it's been really
fascinating actually as I've taken some
time particularly this last year because
I've been taking some time out of work
to actually I'm writing a novel actually
so I'm writing the story of what what
happened to is in that in detail because
I'm really mindful that to try and relay
it in you know an hour even in two hours
it doesn't do it justice which is why
I'm writing the story of exactly you
know all of the twists and turns and the
beauty of what unfolded but essentially
you know I've really realized that that
experience that I had in France was
really formative and actually was
equipping me with skills that I would
need kind of in the moment of George's
death and it was also interesting in
that some of the corporate experiences
that I'd had as well so often you know
people always saying it's very cliche
isn't it you know when you're having a
difficult time people often say stuff to
you like you know this all happens for a
reason or you know it's in difficulty
where you learn and you know what I
hugely believe in both of those points
but actually when you're in that
hardship and you're in that season of
struggle and people say that to you if
I'm being brutally honest sometimes it
feels like a slap in the face because
you just you just feel kind of like well
you don't know what is to be in the
situation I'm in and how do you know
that I've been positioned for such a
time as this but I think you have to I
think you have to come to that
conclusion yourself I don't think other
people can kind of impart that wisdom
into you and it's taken me to live
through the experience of my husband's
cancer and his death to wake up to life
does that make sense
and I now look at all of these
experiences that I've had the good and
the bad and go wow like I was being like
trained I was being because I was
positioned into that set of
circumstances the reason why that
happened was to serve me later and when
you start to reflect that in that way
you often see that you've done that you
did do some really great learning in me
seasons of struggle and they and they
have served to make you a more full kind
of person that can then cope and be more
resilient in times that will be even
tougher may be that you face in the
future say yeah this interesting I just
love that I just love your perspective
on things and I think because I believe
everyone gets these potential lessons
and I call it potential lessons because
yeah it's what they take from it really
and yes that you mentioned resilience as
well and yeah I I've had
I mean I'm day two you know and I feel
like I've had some ups and downs as well
in my life which I'm sure every single
person has yeah the grass is never
greener on the other side yeah
absolutely yeah I mean that's one of the
reasons for this podcast but I'm
grateful now especially in hindsight of
all the adversity and everything that
I've been through because now when
something trivial happens say for
instance in my day job or you got a flat
tire or something that would normally I
suppose dress me out five six years ago
yeah yeah it just doesn't faze me
because in the grand scheme of things do
you know what I mean you you snot
absolutely 100% yeah I'm interested in
this novel Azure which i think is gonna
be fantastic because like you said we
can't touch on everything within this
short amount of time but I think just
from listening to the opening 15-20
minutes people are going to be very
interested in hearing more about this
myself included and I think you're not
alone in what you've experienced but I'm
sure that you're very unique in terms of
how you've change your perspective and I
think if you can hopefully help other
people who have maybe been through a
similar situation to maybe look at it in
the way that you said so I want to go
back to that bit where you mentioned how
incredibly hard it was oh but then also
incredibly beautiful if you yeah yeah so
let's talk about the hardship and the
struggle first I think you have you see
that fully fully understand that then
understand the beauty if that makes
sense you have to source it in the
darkness to feel to feel the light which
sounds quite cheesy but I think it's you
know that's kind of essentially the the
heart of this story and you know that
moment that if we go back to the moment
that I described to you earlier when you
know George was diagnosed with cancer it
was hideous
and I often say to people actually that
is when my life changed and that is when
I started to grieve
because that was the moment that our
lives changed forever at that point we
were obviously still hoping there George
was gonna live to tell the tale
but even if he had lived to tell the
tale he would have been living to tell
the tale with the with the scar of
cancer and I think this is the part of
cancer that is so widely misunderstood
people want to treat it like a disease
there is a heart problem or an
orthopedic problem which is you know you
go to the hospital you have some
medicine and you get better and your
life's all okay again and actually the
reality of cancer at any stage that you
get it is that it alters the check that
your mindset and the course of your life
forever because it fundamentally makes
you realize your own mortality in a way
that you've never had to realize it
before and it also therefore because of
that makes you live your life very
differently it makes you live your life
in fear it also makes you live your life
with joy because you appreciate and have
such a broader perspective for the
amazing and wonderful variety of what
you see in everyday life because it is
you know that is where you live and in
in the everyday not in the holiday that
you've got planning for six months time
or the night out that you're really
looking forward to a couple of weeks and
and cancer really has a way of sort of
shifting your perspective and I think I
think this shift of perspective is
universal but obviously I think from my
own experience is not fertile for anyone
else he's impacted by this disease but
what's interesting is you know once you
kind of take some time to let the news
settle which you have to do and you get
news that big you know I remember for
George and I we had the classic
fight-or-flight response and we actually
chose flight so we ran away essentially
to the yorkshire dales which was where
George's mother lived and basically
spent sort of two or three days almost
in hiding trying to figure out what we
were gonna do so yeah we we ran away to
the oxidase and there we sort of like
tried to look at the situation
pragmatically so both of this had sort
of a spaceman entrained in the corporate
world because of the circumstances in
which we
which was on this kind of management
training scheme unit we'd both been
through quite vigorous corporate
training so we've done all of the you
know separate the people from the
problem how do you make a decision all
of that kind of stuff and actually we
kind of said you know what we've got to
kind of implement some of these skills
that we've been taught in terms of
facing this this beast that is cancer
and that and that's kind of what we
chose to do so when we actually sort of
approached it as if it was almost a
corporate problem and and I and I feel
like I'm I'm I'm even laughing as I say
this because it because essentially this
is what we had to do we had to look at
it as not a black dark disease that was
gonna claim our life we had to look at
it as a unwanted guest that maybe moved
into our house which is how it fell and
then it was kind of like what what we're
gonna do in this and once a guest
how are we gonna how are we gonna make
you feel part of the family and then we
don't really want them to be here but
accept the fact that they are gonna
probably eat our table now for the
foreseeable future and we can't make
them leave they're only gonna go when
they want to you know so we we looked at
you know what we could do and one of the
first things actually that we did was
and it was George's this is all
different by George not by me was he
sort of said well I'm not having cancer
and I remember saying to him what are
you talking about you know you've got
cancer like we can't we can't get rid of
it just like that and say no what I mean
is I'm not I'm not calling it cancer I'm
not I'm not going to be named as having
cancer because there's a lot in the name
I mean there's even a you know there's
the beautiful Shakespeare quote of you
know if Rose has anything else you know
I can't I can't remember it and the
baton but it's about you know if it was
caught if it was still called over but
it was cannot call the rose but it still
smells so sweet and that same that same
thinking and that same mindset is so
true cancer because the problem is is
you say cancer to people and people
think death because people are so scared
of death and actually the reality these
days is one and two people will get
cancer and also lots of people have
cancer and go on to live really
beautiful long lives also have cancer
and live really successfully with cancer
for a good number of years
but we all have this fear you know it's
essentially the Millennial tuberculosis
that you get cancer and it's literally
like then the Grim Reaper is their door
yeah so George George said to me from
the from the outset I don't want cancer
I'm not gonna have cancer I'm gonna have
a project name so we we we were sort of
like I was like okay so it was it was
like a awesome cheesy episode of The
Apprentice we were driving north and he
we were there thinking of names and
every name I came up with which I can't
remember any of the names I actually
came up with he he was beating of
dallying no that's awful that's that's
horrendous I kind of thought I can't
have this then he said out of nowhere
Invictus what about Invictus and
honestly when he said that name it was
literally like a thunderclap in the car
it was amazing like it shot waves
through my heart and I was like that's
amazing I was like why do we both know
this name a week googled it and we're
like oh it's an aftershave and then we
would you know laughing joking which
again is another you know like that is a
real great way of building resilience so
it sounds so awful and crude to say but
to try and find the fun and the smiles
and the everyday humor in amongst you
know this car crash that is your life is
so important because you're still
yourself when you still find the same
things funny and you like eating the
same sweets and the same places even
though you've got cancer
I remember we're in fits of laughter be
kind of like you know why on earth have
you chosen an aftershave advert this is
just really cheesy but then when we went
further into it we found out that
actually the original naming conventions
are coming from this amazing poet and by
Ernest Hemingway which actually I now
having a frame on my wall at home and
the line the closeout line of the poem
is this really sort of like thunderous
clothes which basically says I'm the
captain of my fate and I am the master
of my soul and those words we were just
like they were literally like boom to
our hearts we were like yes okay this is
it now we we are not having cancer so
we're having sort of project and victors
and that was the start of is I
suppose time to refrain what was
happening to is but that also didn't
mean that what was happening to us
wasn't horrible you know like there's
lots of cancer there is hideous there is
absolute sleep deprivation because
you're so anxious about everything that
you you go to bed and you can't sleep
and you're wide awake you wide awake
there's there's an easier because of
that because you're so exhausted you're
and you're trying to keep the show on
the road
you can't remember sometimes the most
simplest of things there's the the huge
impact that it has on your daily life I
mean essentially I was still on
maternity leave you know we had an eight
month old baby so I was supposed to be
the one that was being looked after
because I was up at night you know still
with a baby that didn't really know you
know day from night if I'm being
brutally honest yeah and you know then I
had to switch roles into this person
that wasn't just caring for a
two-year-old and a eight month old it
was also caring for a guy he was there
two three who had cancer which for him
was just as difficult as it was for me
because he was the the dad he was the
father figure of the family he wanted to
be able to provide and support his wife
at his children and the reality of the
cancer treatment that he had was there I
mean he had really really top-drawer
chemo which was like I remember them
saying the hospital is it's pretty much
like we're putting bleach in your veins
and he had it every 11 days so he didn't
have much downtime between treatment you
know he'd go on it he'd go on his go and
have his infusion and actually he then
had to come home with a with a bottle
attached to him which is a type of
chemotherapy that lots of bowel cancer
patients if anyone who's had bowel
cancer is listening will be familiar
with and you then basically take the
pump it's called a pump home with you
for three days so that was you know that
was a man mindful in itself because we
had to explain to our kids what was
going on that they couldn't jump on
daddy and it wasn't ever that we kept
anything secret from our children but
you know our oldest child was two years
old you know how do you explain to a 2
year old dad daddy's got cancer that
he's got this medicine on him I mean
actually and that is what we explained
to him and we had to explain what the
words meant to him but you know they
don't
at that age they don't understand what
it means they it means nothing to them
you know for all intensive purposes for
them it was like daddy had a bottle of
Cal Poly attached to him you know they
didn't get the severity of it and it was
really tough and it brought up a lot of
stuff for me around you know what do I
do in terms of work so obviously I was
off work on maternity leave I actually
went back to work because I felt so much
pressure because I was thinking you know
I don't we'd have no idea how long this
cancer journeys gonna go on for and even
though both of our employers were just
the most supportive employers B could
have ever asked for
you always have that niggle in the back
of your head that actually if this goes
on for six years seven years are they
still going to be this supportive and
list understand a and I remember saying
to George you know I've got to go back
to work George because we might be in a
position where we're only rely you know
we're relying upon my salary and you
know you can't work which he never
really wanted to face into so I went
back to work and even when I talk about
it now I genuinely don't know how I did
it I went back to work with a
one-year-old just three year old and a
husband with cancer and was kind of
doing my job as well as commuting to
London and you know running a house you
know it was absolutely exhausting and
exhausting in a way that makes your soul
eight you know it wasn't just it wasn't
just sort of tired of the way that
people say I'm tired you know it was
exhausting and it was the relentless
sort of tsunami of it all because the
way that cancer works is you kind of it
is it's a long boil disease you know it
isn't a disease there you know it goes
it doesn't go away like an orthopaedic
you know injury like I said previously
and it and it's it's always there
simmering in the background and every
now and again you get these huge waves
that crash over you and they sometimes
absolutely come out of nowhere and it's
about then how you how you protect
yourself and what you what you do - I
suppose build that resilience and that's
what we learn in that 11 months
essentially initially it was like we
were all at sea we have no idea what the
hell we were doing and gradually as the
year
went on we built that resilience muscle
and we learned the techniques around
what is it that's gonna help us and we
knew that there were certain things that
for us as a family he with the things
that work but that took some time to
figure out it wasn't like the next day
after George I can't sir we went yeah
this is this is what we have to do this
trick is it yeah
no no so it was so hard it was so so
hard so hard yeah
firstly what a wonderful person he
sounds like and I just in your
relationship the way you were just
feeding a feature then you had this
whole story behind Invictus Sol Invictus
for me initially yeah Paco Rabanne it's
the which is what I remembered but also
there's a film money as well yes and
it's happened to feed on conquerable so
Wow
yeah you actually said it in this moment
that's what I was feeling and I was
getting almost goose thinking yeah
that's it how you guys have done it and
it just shows the power of like the
human will and the importance that words
because just by changing that name
you're not you're not necessarily saying
to listeners here listen let's brush
cancer under the copy and pretend it's
not here what you're saying is okay we
acknowledge it's here and some days
we're facing it but we're gonna just
face it in a more positive way to help
us move forward and I think that's
really really yeah the way you've done
that and in terms of exhausting I mean
we all sit here myself included and
we'll have a 14 hour day or a 12 hour
day we've been asked to do some overtime
and we feel you know what I'm tired I'm
tired and here you are with no actual
choice with your back against the wall
just showing how powerful the human mind
and body in sync how much we're actually
capable of doing and that also goes sexy
when you mentioned George who did that
running I mean who in their right mind
if you think about it from a logical
perspective things after being chopped
up I'm go go go raise money wait you
know you know what there are what I
would say is I follow some really
inspirational people on Instagram and
particularly love the the three women
and who created the you me Big C podcast
and Rachel blance or sadly passed away
in September last year and I follow I
follow the girls actually that do that
show on Instagram and they ones a cancer
survivor one one is living with stage
four cancer
they are always out exercising and
actually what I would say is it hey
for you to realize that your body is
fragile and that you have to look after
it to want to look after it sometimes
and actually the irony is is that George
actually was a fitness fanatic even
before he had cancer so he was on these
people that would go to gym gym and I
would always be like what are you doing
but I had to say since he has had cancer
and obviously lost his life to cancer
it's made me go as well you know your
body is so precious you have to look
after it you have to be mindful of what
you're putting in it in the way in which
you're using it in the way in which
you're nurturing it because it's it's
precious to you and it's your only
rocket ship you're not going to get
another one so you have to look after it
and I think incredibly there is this
mindset amongst the cancer community of
I am gonna do the stuff that like you
know that we run a 5k or run a marathon
because almost as well you know everyone
knows the healing benefits of fitness
it's it's proven right so there is this
mindset of just you know well I am what
I want to do this mentally even more
than I've ever wanted to do it so I do
you think it's crazy but I also think
you know not taking anything away from
George because it was incredible what he
did but I also think you'll find that
there are lots of people who are
impacted by cancer that also have that
absolute mindset of no I'm gonna go for
it I'm gonna raise this money I'm gonna
go and do this and I think you're right
and I think but this is kind of what I
want this podcast to do is not let
somebody have to suffer with cancer see
somebody also for with cancer to really
understand what they're actually capable
of because we're so much we're living
just in the comfort zone all the time
and health and fitness is one of my
biggest passions so yeah I've always
been into it but then when I went to
university was it was more about vodka
commands and hangovers sure yeah it was
that kind of stuff for generally
speaking up when I was about 25 I think
that's when cancer came into into my
family only affected my own cause yeah
and one of the things I started doing
then was really taking my health and
fitness seriously so I blogged on
personal training since then I've
trained over like three 400 clients and
I always know my analogy is I know the
circumstances for instance similar to
Georgia where you can be healthy you can
be doing
right and then it's just not meant to be
I can just come for what I always try
and do is just put the odds in my favor
and I always tell all my clients just
put the odds in your favor you know when
you lift some weights or you do any sort
of CV exercise cardiovascular you're
you're you're reducing the chances of of
illness and that's kind of what I do so
every single morning without fail and
unless some literally on my deathbed
sorry or I'm traveling I'm training and
I don't have to enjoy it but for me you
know it's 4% on my day just after
yourself and you touched on something
there by what you put into yourself and
I think it's important for the listeners
just to know it's not just physical
consumption like food and water it's
also what you say in your monitor yeah
absolutely
so the project Invictus that kind of
stuff is it's empowering and if you can
just so I just think there's this I
could talk about what you said now for
another five hours because I'm sure
people are going to pick up on thank you
thank you for sharing all of that what I
need to move it forward just slightly
otherwise we'll have a six hour podcast
but what definitely can get you back on
so nice obviously change quite quite
significantly now yeah yeah and it's
something that you obviously you're
never prepared for what is a day like
for yourself now and what I want to ask
more in particular is obviously life's
taught you so much so quickly
already are there certain habits or
traits that you maybe do on a daily
basis that you think people listening
could potentially benefit from yes so I
mean the part of the story that haven't
got into and maybe isn't one for the
dates move maybe at halftime is the what
actually happened when George died which
in which I suppose was the absolute
beautiful firework finale to this whole
year so if you imagine this 11 months
when George had cancer was like us it
was a slowly learning how to overcome
adversity and build resilience in a way
that I'd never had see before and then
when we realized that you know the end
was nigh when he was told there was
nothing that they could do and he was
going to die but we
you know how long it was going to be and
what that what may or may not look like
and how painful it may be and all those
other things that was the moment where
if I'm really honest and being really
really vulnerable
I hit absolutely rock bottom because I
kind of when I don't know what to do now
you know like all of this other stuff
that we've taught ourselves this far in
terms of you know finding three things
every day to be thankful for doing
exercise you know renaming things to
make them feel more palatable you know
eating well to make sure we're we know
we're making our bodies feel as great as
we can sleeping where we can in amongst
near the chaos of TV and children all of
those things that other sort of things
if you pick up any book on on resilience
and how to and how to kind of you know
build and and and work that muscle they
just didn't work and I I remember just
thinking oh my gosh like what what do I
do and it was it was awful and it meant
that we were both in a really
emotionally low state which as I'm sure
again lots of people will identify with
when you're in that place what happens
is you lash out or the people that you
love the most
so we're in this hideous set of
circumstances which was you know we knew
that George was gonna die and we had
what was probably the biggest row I
think we ever had of our whole marriage
our whole relationship because I was
really angry at him and actually you
know what I was actually angry about him
what I thought I was angry about him was
not what I was angry about at him at all
I was actually angry at him because he
was dying and that's what I now realize
with hindsight you know I was at I was
angry about him about something that
he'd said to us mom or not said to his
mom but that wasn't you know and I've
gone back and rabbit reaction man that
wasn't the reason the reason I'm so
crossed with him was because I was angry
that he was leaving me that he was gonna
die that he was not going to be here to
bring up my kids that I was gonna have
to do life on my own in a way that I've
never ever expected to and that night I
went out I literally ran out of the
house into my car it sounds Hollywood
dramatic and it actually was a little
bit that way and I got in my car and I
drove it was dog
evening it was raining and I didn't know
what to do and I just felt lost really
really lost and in that moment I
remember thinking in my head where am I
gonna go who do what who should go and
see if it goes to my mom and dad I could
go see like my aunty best friends who's
the person that I need that who do I
need and I was I was sort of trying all
these people in my head to see if they
fitted with it the way I thought in my
heart and none of them felt that they
worked and actually at that point in
time was seeing a psychologist and I
thought do I bring her like do I go see
her I couldn't even bring myself to go
see my psychologist he was the person
that really you know I employed to sort
of be the person I could take all these
things to so I decided it in that moment
that I needed to go to a church and then
I was kind of like right really go to a
church and if I'm honest again I think
it was rooted in some level of utopian
memory that I've got from childhood
probably movies like home alone where
Kevin goes to church and yeah has that
like magical moment when he's missing
his mummy you know I was right I'm gonna
go to church and tried that and to go to
a church on this like rainy October
evening at about I think it must have
been about five o'clock everywhere I was
locked her and I was so angry oran I
can't tell you how angry I am
I was literally raging so I remember I
pulled my car over on a hard shoulder
and I and I said at least she got out my
car and I screamed and at this point in
time I was not a person of faith so
there is a purpose behind me telling you
the story and so I pulled over my car
and I literally got out of my car it was
raining I was screaming and I literally
it was like I was boxer in a ring that I
was a mad okay and I literally screamed
at the universe if you are real if you
are real you have to bleep bleep bleep
bleep show me there was a lot of swear
words yeah I was crying I was crying so
much you know I couldn't even really
speak I was coughing
it was awful I got back in my car and
George text me two words that just said
come home and then I just wrote back
okay he wrote back I'm not planning or
dying anytime
Sene and i just hysterically burst into
tears and went home now that that moment
was a absolute another kind of
life-altering moment but it wasn't
life-altering in that exact moment if
that makes sense because then what
unfolded in this or three weeks
following on from me going out and
having this moment where I went for it
and said to God you know you are real
it's now or never because I don't know
where else to turn it and God had never
been someone a force and an energy that
I had ever looked to previously but I
was I felt like I had nothing left in my
cup I had no place else to go
he was the only viable option left for
me to go to and what then happened and
what unfolded around George's death
which we maybe don't have the time to
discuss today was just supernaturally
unbelievably beautiful he died the most
glorified beautiful miraculous death
that was completely driven by sort of
the Holy Spirit just moving in and
taking residence in his room okay people
I'm just gonna play the out role now for
this part of the show but the next
episode should be available straight
away on your feed whether you using iOS
or Android and I hope you enjoy this
just as much as you've enjoyed this
first part of this incredible story from
Louise I know the next part certainly
gave me goosebumps especially when she
spoke about the supernatural stuff that
she experienced and I hope you enjoy it
too and once again thank you for all
your support and if you do get a chance
to leave this interview at the end of
the show I'd certainly appreciate it
thank you so much and remember this
podcast is absolutely free so all we ask
in return is for you to share this with
a friend and drop us a five star review
over on iTunes have an awesome day
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Find your voice - Episode 16- "The Keys to Live The Life" - Jen Elyse #16
Tagline: "If you're not laughing, you're not living"
Jen, struggled with debilitating back pain and chronic fatigue and found no answers to conquer her condition. Having numerous consultations with doctors and specialists she was left to take control of her own life. Taking it upon herself to fix her condition she began to explore the importance of nutrition, holistic health, diet and movement and found herself regaining her health, wellness and living a life of authenticity and happiness.
She is also Find Your Voice's first oversea guests and what a way to kick it off with a story of someone who makes no complaints about their life, seeks happiness in every opportunity, loves to laugh and make others laugh and continues to write her own story at her own free will.
I hope you can all resonate with her story and take note of some great nutrition tips and tricks she mentions in this podcast that can help you all live a healthier, happier and higher energy lifestyle.
Jen is also a holistic health counsellor, Reki master, actress, MUA, comedian and a lover of all things health and wellness and I can see this list growing! Be sure to check her out over at the show notes below:
Thanks for listening
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Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/findyourvoice
Links to me:
Website: https://www.arendeu.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aren.deu/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/arendeu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aren.singh
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aren-deu-65443a4b/
Podcast: https://www.findyourvoicepodcast.com
YouTube: http://tiny.cc/51lx6y
Links to guest:
Website: https://www.fthelifewithjenergy.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenelyse/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelifewithjenergy/
Facebook: Jen Elyse Feldy
Have an awesome day
#JustDeuIt #FindYourVoice
welcome to an episode of find your voice
a movement led by yours truly
Aren do a guy who has overcome
crippling anxiety adversity and
difficulty like so many of you in life
whose main goal now is to help you
combat your excuses take control of your
life write your own story and most
importantly find your voice so now
without further ado I welcome the host
of the show himself mr. Aren do what's
going on people thank you for tuning in
to another episode of find your voice my
name is Aren and as always I am the
host of the show so we actually have our
first international guest on the show
today and yes we have gone over to the
states so it's a fascinating story
actually because it's a story of
somebody who are supposed reminds me a
little bit of myself in terms of she's
basically writing her own story she's
doing the things that she loves to do so
whether that's in health and fitness
whether it's in comedy or whether it's
actually in acting as well and she's
doing quite a few other quirky and
wonderful things that we explore in this
episode and again the purpose of this
show and find your voice one of the
meanings behind it is that we all use
that as a metaphor in terms of finding
our path in life and then obviously as
the tagline States write your own story
and that's kind of what I want people to
do I want people to find out who they
really are and Jenn is certainly an
example of that so what I'm gonna do is
jump straight into this episode because
you're gonna find it fascinating plus
you also get to hear a much better
accent than myself
okay so firstly I just want to welcome
Jen to the show and thank all the
listeners for tuning in today so how you
doing today Jen I'm pretty amazing yeah
I got a wake-up call from my buddy
Howard Hoffman at fresh green so he's
kind of like I think he's better than
Tony Robbins so everything's good oh wow
wow is that a working relationship yeah
yeah we do over more like friends
honestly we're probably like he's one of
the rare companies I'd say our only
company's a traction buddies yeah I'm a
big fan of him in the products yeah it's
cool fantastic okay um so I obviously
know a little bit about yourself where
friends over on Instagram that's kind of
where we had this conversation - perhaps
record this episode today I think it's
important for my listeners to obviously
get to know you a little bit so if you
wouldn't mind if you could just kind of
explain how you progress through life
and kind of ended up where you are today
mm-hmm okay I mines no I'm kidding okay
let me see well I do a lot of things I
wrote comedy last night for four and a
half hours so I'm in a few different
worlds that a lot of people would think
don't really make sense and the but but
to me if you're gonna live a full life
you need to be fit and healthy and you
can't have back pain I've had crazy
debilitating back pain you can't be so
tired you can't get out of bed and you
have to laugh and you have to feel good
and maybe you want to look good so what
I do now is I do hair and makeup that's
cool
I'm most important thing is my health
guidebook I'm a whole health guide book
for moods immunity energy and aesthetics
I'm going backwards by the way because
you know I think people kind of need to
know where I'm at to be like oh okay
and then reverse engineer yeah I like to
reverse engineer things that make sense
so there's a health guidebook so mousse
immunity and imaging and aesthetics
everything from immune disorders to
selling light in apps and fitness
training pretty straightforward but a
lot of different weird techniques and
yeah the comedy writing last name she
will be very absurd so yeah comedy and
health and beauty and fitness and acting
and modeling and some movies are coming
out so that's pretty much where I'm at
now unique and how did I get here um
I've always been in fitness my whole
life my grandparents were like
Prevention magazine before Prevention
magazine ever came out I was at their
dinner table saying what's the protein
so yeah that was always there and then
as far as being so passionate to help
people
I had debilitating back pain from
2010-2013 where I really couldn't take a
nine-to-five job because I didn't know
if I'd be able to walk so when you have
situations like that and chronic fatigue
you you know once you get over and you
learn what causes it and how to prevent
it and how to fix it for me at least I
want to I don't want anyone to go into
that situation so I'm very passionate
about sharing that message so I'd say
that kind of sums it up you know my
passion says yeah yeah okay that's
fantastic so there's a couple of things
I want to touch on there so you remind
me a little bit of myself and this was
one of the reasons that I I reached out
to you in relation to this episode
because similar to myself I'm doing so
many random things as well so I'm a
property investor I'm a podcaster I've
got a separate business doing personal
training then I've got this social
aspect to my life so I'm kind of doing
similar to yourself just kind of
enjoying myself through life and kind of
picking and choosing whatever I feel
like doing basically so that's always
interesting and also you just touched on
you this back pain that you've had and
obviously that going through that
situation is obviously giving you a kind
of purpose or suppose in terms of making
sure nobody else kind of feels that way
so if we could just touch on that a
little bit you mentioned was it 2011 you
said that like I mean I've had fatigue
since like middle school high school and
just not being literally like coming
home from Middle School in high school
just having to take naps and I had to
basically go from being an honor society
and in 12th grade just barely going to
school so I wouldn't want anyone to go
through that and I've had a lot of
fatigue and then the back pain was late
2010 to 2013 and that was pretty bad too
and I'm just looking at obviously your
Instagram profile now where you're in
great shape you're doing all this
fitness stuff have you found the
underlying cause for that was it some
sort of information was it anemic or
what was it yeah that's a good question
um my friend who just caught it would
you sell the back pay and I said no
because it took a million years I'm
dealing with quote if you saw me I'd be
quitting quotes up quote good doctors
and you're the best of the best and good
areas but they weren't helping me so
I've been failed by so many doctors and
experts in the fitness field the health
field nutrition field the back pain
field energy field that I really had to
just take bits and pieces from you know
either things that I'm pulling from the
collective consciousness or downloading
if you're into the spiritual realm and
take you face from books and really
piecing together my own plans so what
caused it is what I found basically you
take a piece of paper and you divide
into two side
the left side look at the left side is
things that cause back pain or cause
fatigue and then the right sinus things
that prevent it in alleviate I found all
these different things that can cause
and prevent it and that I know how to
fix it so Wow
yeah it's I will say that and when I
found the clients because I fixed back
pain would be fear alcohol crappy diets
can I say shitty like there's something
you can say what you okay
but I curse on you yep yeah are you sure
yeah yeah all I do is when the episode
comes out I just label it as explicit so
it's not a problem
Oh perfect let's do it explicit that I
don't eat character it's really stifling
alright cool so like shitty foods should
she know a crappy processed food like
pizza stuff like that causes information
fear over here yeah if you're not
stretching doing tightening contracting
workouts without stretching so like
there's a whole bunch of things but
those are some main ones
oh wow that's interesting so you also
mentioned they're you honest like
clients know who you're working with are
they able to access your services via
Instagram have you got anything for us
UK people over here because obviously
you across the shores over is it in New
York yeah so with Fitness I've done I've
done a few video trainings but I really
I really do think if you're gonna do
training you should have someone that
can physically touch you move you around
but I've had some clients request it so
I'm like alright whatever but um as far
as nutrition and that corresponds to the
back pain I do think you have to have
that nutrition because that's the fear
it's the lifestyle it's relationships
that's to me that's one affect your so
acid it's gonna affect your lower back
in my whole sacral area so yeah I do my
my health guide book that I do via video
so and then I send a copy of the book so
I'd have to literally just send it I
don't do it through an e-book I actually
give hardcopy books to everybody
excellent and the final thing I want to
touch on was a you mentioned comedy and
I've watched some of your videos on
Instagram as well so again it's just
another another unique thing about
yourself what got you into comedy I just
might be a my parents are really really
funny so I'm just that's just the way I
go through life aside aside from
last four months I dated someone who
produces literally produces like drama
all the stuff he does is like drama and
he pretty was found on my life so I was
like oh let's let's try this but no I I
like I like living in a comedy life I
like to wake up with jokes in my head
it's just it's just a nice way to go
through life it's a good high vibration
if you give you're into that
absolutely yeah so are you doing at your
stand-ups then in terms of what weed I
say from the UK we look on junglers or
some sort of comedy show you say okay
well a sketch sketch I do have a
stand-up written but I like I like
sketches I like to do characters
so that's what we did last night we're
gonna be doing I can't really tell you
because I'll ruin it but we're gonna do
some we'll probably some live events but
we'll do a Facebook live and it's gonna
be all these different characters
there's going to be a lot of Facebook
lives going down like in characters and
pranks fantastic well I'll make sure I
do is at the end of the show get your
details obviously we can put that for
the listeners and then obviously they
can smile and what's just there's more
videos yeah only two people laughing
those two people had a kind of smile on
their face absolutely absolutely I agree
okay so I'm a big big believer that we
are a result of the thoughts we tell
ourselves and the habits that we kind of
put ourselves through on a daily basis
myself in particular I have a specific
morning routine similar to yourself is
it's mainly around like health
well-being my mindset and everything
what kind of routine do you have on a
daily basis or is it kind of ad hoc and
you just kind of firefighting your way
through life because you do do a lot of
things yeah kind of switches so let's
say like next week weekend there's
someone from an over show that's gonna
we're gonna have to talk about the
sketch comedy show so that's gonna be
part of me that next one today to
today's you and today I'm gonna be
writing Facebook ads and I'm also going
to be meeting with the nutrition client
so today is one day I let myself wake up
late and I have wheatgrass and sprout so
I take wheatgrass I get deliveries from
you can get that by the way they deliver
I've actually had it before and it
doesn't taste too great but I did have
it for about
great this one's actually better because
the ones I would get in the store I
actually almost threw up
the last ones I had it so this one's
okay and then the sprout cubes like it
sprouts loose too I make them into cube
so I'm drinking sprout cubes and
wheatgrass cubes and fresh greens I have
my greens and the reason I do that is
one your alkaline there's so many
benefits to that there's so many
nutrients but also it potentiates it
really has a synergistic reaction and it
basically just makes your stimulants
more stimulating so I have coffee here
right now - and you're you're gonna feel
the effects of coffee more if you have
greens so that's that's pretty much how
I start the mornings as far as drinks go
in lemon water or ginger water in
turmeric water and then on Tuesdays I do
a lot of cocaine and then I have hookers
waking up so that's what use knees go ya
know a bit of abundance then yeah I
don't pay for it no I tell super by
right movement you know get the looks go
and get the blood flowing get a little
detox fasted cardio I try to do faster
cardio so if I can't get to the gym I
walk around my house in circles and I do
whatever I gotta do so that's kind of
what I did right before talking to you
so that's today Vernon excellent I've
actually just done my cardio just before
speaking to yourself as well because I
find it kind of clears my mind and it
just makes me a little bit more creative
I suppose I'm jealous
what's your momma with you my morning
routine I wake up in the morning and the
first thing I do is like a gratitude
journal and I'd have my day planned out
from the night before so I write my
gratitude journal and I do this really
weird thing so how a lot of people kind
of inspire themselves and want ovate
themselves with their dreams and all
this exciting stuff I kind of think of
like the most morbid nightmare that
could possibly think of I need something
Bad's gonna happen potentially to myself
or my family and what that kind of does
is it kind of fires me up and gets me
out of bed to really kind of seize the
day and not my - excuses yeah yeah I
know it sounds morbid but it's actually
quite motivational any no yeah I just
I use all my adversity and stuff like
through life just to kind of channel
that into your positive then the first
thing I do is go to the gym I try and
train fasted similar to what you were
saying earlier and then I'll come back
and I'll have breakfast with
the wife and then I'll crack on with my
work depending on what I'm doing in the
day and when I kind of hit a slump which
is normally like after lunchtime that's
where I just do a bit of cardio because
it lifts me back up and then I'm then I
I just kind of again I do look at my
goals I write my gratitude again like
second time in the day and I kind of
write like my five wins for the day
because I think sometimes we're so busy
and especially on social media when
you're comparing yourselves with other
people instead we forget the progress
that we've made in life as well so I
kind of use that to just reflect and
it's me just being more mindful of the
things I'm doing I suppose because I
think there was a big period in my life
where I was just on autopilot if that
kind of makes sense but I do try and
incorporate a lot of health foods so
stuff like chaga mushroom lion's mane
coffee that kind of like organic stuff
because I listen to the model house show
by Sean Stephenson and I do try and take
a lot of oh my god he's amazing yeah I
listen to all these stuff and any
anything he kind of recommends is where
I'll kind of go obviously in the UK it's
difficult to kind of get the stuff that
you guys have got over there so when I
went to New York recently I brought
myself some of that coffee obviously we
get wheatgrass and karela and spirulina
and all those kind of good things here
so do you try and put as many good
things into my body but I suffered a lot
with binge eating too many just about me
I kind of find that I have to for if I
fancy a biscuit or a chocolate I have to
have that then because otherwise I'll
suppress my feelings for seven days and
then I'll eat like 300 of them if that
makes right no it's holding if you have
my family is like eating themselves to
death so it's definitely I get it it's a
horrible condition isn't it because it
almost becomes a vicious cycle because
especially I mean I'm not sure when you
had it but when I did it what I would do
is I will train three times a day for
the next four days almost like torturing
myself and then yeah it's horrible then
you keep then you get to a point where
you're absolutely starving and then you
end up gorging againi in 10,000 calories
and you're thinking this can't be right
so for me it's kind of being practical
thinking what's sustainable and so I try
and get all the best foods I can in them
owning hard right train everything and
then if I fancy a treat like just before
our bun on the show with you I had a
couple of biscuits and I'm good I'm
happy so yeah right right but on the
binge eating um it is an addiction
actually I'm going to become a certified
peer recovery coach there's a training
for that I'm going to apply that with my
health counseling because I don't have I
do I did take some classes in addiction
but I want to take more and more formal
classes because what I'm finding is that
like my last client doesn't her name is
not listed so it's totally confidential
so confidential clients to the point
where people don't even know I do
nutrition but um a lot a lot of people
who have the binge eating
you know it's comorbid they're also had
maybe had a history of sex addiction or
alcohol or opiates it usually runs hands
in hands attempt it tends to at least
that's what I see and these people if
you can apply even if they don't have
the substance addictions I'm applying
the principles of addiction for many
different belief systems really helps it
really helps easing you know that's
fascinating so you till you're in the
process of becoming that coach now yeah
I'm going to I'm going to hopefully
hopefully it starts next week yeah did
like you haven't got enough things to be
doing right I know well you know is I
don't have kids
and I don't have a husband so that frees
up a lot of space where I can do a lot
of things a lot of people say you have
to pick one I said well if you don't
kids and you don't go to breakfast lunch
and dinner and you still have hangovers
anymore you can kind of do a lot of
stuff yeah good point
just I'm going off on a little tangent
here you mentioned at the beginning of
the show I think it was fresh coal and
you've mentioned all this nutritious
types of food that you're taking what
kind of brands do you recommend I'm just
thinking for the listeners who maybe
want to just make it a take on a bit of
advice and try something sure sure okay
long list I bounced around because this
is a thing even even if you know the
manufacturer and make highly research
things there might be substances in the
foods that they don't know about you
know it's just like with the world how
it is in the polluted waters so I like
to diversify a lot so with
I'll do fresh cooking's I would do fresh
greens for since 2010 and that I met the
owner and it was like I was already
taking this stuff for eight years I
found that on a podcast while in my
shower and then we became friends so
fresh greens for sure also on Puri
Imperium is a network marketing company
I don't sell it but I am a fan of their
green vibrance green affair um so I like
I really think it's good to bounce
around I do like the period
it's a beat what is it it is a
pre-workout and it's called can't beat
this before pre-workout pretty amazing
so they vasodilator of beet powder love
that beet powder as far as supplement
it's not really a supplement you buy but
you can do this yourself so I highly
recommend this you can do all this with
lemons turmeric ginger and sprout they
do is all for you just take sprouts
lemon turmeric ginger putting a black
they're all separate so the lemons are
just with water in a blender and then
blunt it turns into a pulp and then you
take the pulp and you put it into an ice
cube tray or many ice cube trays and
then you freeze it it becomes ice cubes
and then you take those ice cubes put it
in a bag so every time you have water
you can just take an ice cube and put it
in your water it's already prepared no
mess grilled yeah so that's the turmeric
and the ginger a big one and those are
natural it's not a company see I think a
lot a lot of these brands we don't
really get them in the UK which is why I
was quite envious because I listen to
Sean Stephenson quite regularly and he's
saying and talking about organifi and
all these crazy supplements that just
sound like they're amazing but then
obviously you go to the UK shopping
centres and it's pretty much basic stuff
yeah so yeah yeah it's very difficult
and I think they've started to do like
organic ranges now where you've got our
whole foods and stuff but everything's
so overpriced I'm just thinking for the
regular family well maybe maybe stuff
like you've just mentioned like ginger
tumeric
lemons which is relatively cheap food
that you can almost make some sort of
concoction yourself yeah just blend it
you can do it fresh but it makes a mess
it takes time and if you're really busy
just to go in your freezer and take the
ice cube and pop it in water it's so
easy yeah I'm not gonna grind sour
everyone
is that yeah of course okay fantastic so
we've spoken a little bit about your
life now obviously you're doing all this
weird and wonderful things I want to ask
you something a little bit suppose a
little bit personal and it might again
go back to that situation about your
back or it could be something completely
different I want to speak about
adversity and the reason I want to speak
about adversity is because I'm always
keen to see how people overcome their
adversity because I believe we're almost
faced with the choice when we go through
something difficult we either give up or
we continue moving forward and the whole
emphasis behind this show is to show
that the show must still go on so if I
could kind of ask you to maybe talk
about a time that you've been through
some level of adversity and how you
persevered through it and more
importantly what you learned from it
right right okay so I kind of had that a
few weeks ago breakups breakups will
kind of do that to you but I'm gonna go
up to the back pain I think that's the
best because that was a transformational
time my life I really changed so the
2010 Thanksgiving ish was the back pain
started setting in and when I say back
pain it's it's not just all my back
hurts there's a shooting pain that feels
like there's a needle being stabbed in
your back and it goes down to your feet
wrong so that happens to 50% of the time
from 2010 to 2013 in August and one day
I knew it was gone when I picked up my
juicer with one hand and I didn't feel
back pain I was like oh my god I can
pick a juicer up with one hand and I
don't feel back then and I started what
like jogging through me oh my god I can
tog and I was a trainer I remember I was
a trainer teaching workout classes and
that's when the back pain hit so that's
pretty scary when your full time job is
of cool teaching workout classes and you
can't walk across the room and I
wouldn't even drink water some days
because I couldn't get up to look across
the room to go to the bathroom that's
how bad it was so so um yeah it took a
long time you know 2010-2013 is a long
time but there's a lot of things that
happened I went to a handful of
different doctors that failed me and you
know that motivates me to help people
and put together a cohesive plan that
works that's why I'm passionate about
sharing myself because nobody not one
person
we'll help me unfortunately um switched
my friends around that was really
important I I wasn't um I wasn't an
alcoholic or anything but the lifestyle
in DC was you know it was very normal
like once a week so if you're if you
have a lot of friends and I had a few
people even call me a socialite which is
bizarre but okay so I guess I was pretty
social and teach you workout classes and
those two things don't mix don't ever if
there's any yeah
don't try to drink tequila at a pool
party and smoke pot and then teach at
work you know until God knows when and
go to the MTV real world house and then
try to teach a workout class at 6:30 in
the morning after teaching it quite a
5-man you're gonna die like something's
gonna happen to you that's what happened
I drove myself into the ground so yeah
so uh you know that the drinking I
almost completely quit I realize it's
just a poison for me it doesn't work my
half my family just can't drink alcohol
like our body is just like my function
so yeah it's so the alcohol is really
small the whole diet change the friends
that want to go out and drink and wear
high heels because I I can't really do
that with my with my back high heels are
four sheets in the bedroom you know
going out at night on Fridays and
Saturdays and living a normal life no so
I don't I have my fun in much different
ways now and those type of friends I
have or people want to create with me
you want to write comedy and sketches
and you know just do fun cool stuff like
this you can be healthy and you can be
kind of bad person you can curse and you
can do all kinds of fun stuff you don't
have to live a boring life to be healthy
you really don't
yeah I think that's a great point and I
think it's probably something that a lot
of people go through is especially
myself so when I first got into fitness
it was very difficult because similar to
yourself I was very sociable and I was
always going out for drinks on a Friday
Saturday and it's kind of like an Indian
culture here where you just kind of just
go to the pub on a Friday Saturday and
get absolutely wasted and then hungover
the next day you're eating kebabs and
fast food and then back on it again and
initially when I started especially my
entrepreneurial journey because it's
completely different to a nine-to-five
in terms of you're working more hours so
that lag and that hangover especially
while trying to keep in shape as well
was so diff
when you have in these two or three days
I just continuously going over and then
I almost had to kind of pull myself back
as well from that social circle and
initially it was difficult because I
still found myself coming back but then
like you said I've now got people in my
circle who we can just grab for a meal a
nice healthy meal and stuff like sleep
and stuff I really especially again I
mentioned him again Shaun's demon said I
prioritize my sleep just as much as
everything else that my hearth um and
nutrition so I make sure I'm in bed by a
certain time in order to carry on with
the day and like you said do all the fun
stuff because life for me right now I
probably don't drink how I used to drink
but I'm having just as much fun so it's
yeah it's about reevaluating I suppose
as you go through life priorities change
yeah I mean I gotta say that I mean
today has kind of just started for me I
woke up late but today is I say one of
the best days of my life and necessary
ghosts are the most fun days and there
is no alcohol and there is not staying
up too late but um you know at first I
think it first released for me it was a
little devastating because all my
friends not all of them but the friends
I used to party with for life it looked
like Maxim models they're gorgeous girls
and they were these heels and they could
literally be on a magazine and we go out
at night and 8iv many sneakers I don't
care I had to but it's like you can't I
literally couldn't do the things that my
friends wanted me to do like couldn't
walk and I couldn't be athlete that all
the behaviors of the Fiat Li wearing
high heels you can't help normally all
ruin my back so I had to kind of just
disappear yeah of course for your own
well-being I suppose
yeah and it's better it's just much
better I mean there's a whole bunch of
people that are doing I'm actually gonna
make a list and I can share with you I
make a list of all these things you can
do instead of going out to dinner
breakfast lunch and drinks and there's
so much actually that would be fantastic
if you have got something like that what
can actually put it in the show notes as
well yes so then people that would
obviously give the list of some value as
well thank you I appreciate that
well there'll be a valuable list because
a lot of people don't know what to do
when people ask them to do these things
and then they do it and they feel like
shit and then they're like well this
life is slice Lots it's like they'll
just create anyway yeah absolutely I
think that's a great point that is
because I suppose one of my excuses
actually at that time was are there's
nothing else to do you know it's a
Friday there's nothing
to really do but I think that list will
certainly help people thank you for that
yeah yeah I'm gonna do that and have the
77 they're just absolutely sublime
brilliant fantastic okay so my next
question it's about fear so you're a
very very happy bubbly person who loves
the laugh but what kind of scares you is
there anything that scares you in terms
of everything everything Wow okay bye
that person like hey I think you might
see my Instagram because you can see
watches your stories but I recently
became with on a comical level I'm
obsessed with and then on a comical
level I'm into it like 80% but on a 20%
level I'm really into it because I
believe in it the show doomsday preppers
so like home invasions and security and
looting and the government going or
whatever in the water levels rising like
these are some things that go through my
head all the time right okay
you know in a healthy way because I did
in our environmental event a couple
months ago and there are there is all
this research that shows that in Long
Island there's going to be I think it's
a hundred thousand people that will have
to relocate because there's they're
going to have flooding in their homes
like there are real things going on so
things like that worry me and then
homelessness has always been on my mind
I've never gotten close to it but I
think about it all the time which is
weird I don't think it's weird I just
think I think it's different I think the
fact that you're thinking about
something like that maybe with like
empathy or something is it shows your
your nature in terms of I assume when
you think about it obviously upsets you
and you think that's not right I'm just
trying to figure out why something so
external that's in terms of
probabilities probably not going to
affect you while you're letting that
kind of consuming because it is an
external factor
I suppose consume me but it's something
that like it's just something that you
know I'm not driven by fear but it's
definitely something I think of like for
example I used to give my dad a lot of
shit and you would always have two cars
and what are you gonna do you're gonna
you're gonna ghost ride the whip you're
gonna have one foot on one car one on
the other and sometimes you talk about
saving money and I'd be like what are
you doing just get rid of one car so I
so by psychic and this is really bizarre
but she's looking good you're gonna be
really successful and all this stuff and
blah blah blah you know by the time
you're 40 and you're not gonna have to
watch your money but you're gonna be
very preneur yes because and you're
gonna save money you're not gonna waste
money I was like yeah because I always
think you know what if it's that $7000
1000 dollar purchase and that's why I'm
homeless
yeah right okay yeah absolutely that's
it that's a different way of thinking
I've never really thought like that
yeah weird no no it's not weird at all
it's just it's unique
so clairvoyance I just want to touch on
that as I see do you believe in
clairvoyance oh yeah I do I do I don't
think that I definitely think there was
a lot of BS out there and we're more BS
and there is truthfulness but I'll give
you let's see I'll give you this example
my first my first situation someone came
to my house in my apartment in college
right after college and we had gone to
the University of Maryland and partying
our freshman year with like older people
and it was crazy and she goes she goes
she walks in and I'm smoking a hookah
and my diagram my living room table and
I'm not really paying attention she goes
Jaden do you remember my friend Holly
and I just look up and I go he died like
that was my reflex reaction I didn't
follow him on Facebook I don't have any
friends in common we're at the same
university and she just is like what the
hell he died I just knew so I've had a
lot of situations like that where I just
know things it comes out of my mouth so
something's going on yeah yeah
I don't I don't want to scare off my
listeners I know yeah but I believe in
it as well
and actually did a course for a very
short amount of time I did it with my
mom actually and just to kind of
understand what goes on behind the
scenes of it yeah and yeah it was
interesting not that I saw anything or
anything but he kind of explained how
psychics say what they say ie they get
images and stuff and then it's kind of
like about interpretation how you
interpret what you're being told and
actually there was a lady close to me
and I actually I've probably been to
about ten times in my life and some of
the stuff she's told me stuff that you
can't guess you know it's not stuff like
oh you're gonna have someone die of a
heart
or something very generic it's it's
almost like your great granddad died
because he had an infection in his left
toe and that killed him and then I've
gone home and I've asked my dad and I'm
like wow how is that just happened so
yeah it is some freaky stuff that you
kind of think why there is something out
there but like you said there's probably
a lot more fake people out there which
was I suppose suppose the narrative
really but yet I got stories on stories
from the same psychic who didn't know my
dad at the time and he didn't know his
current girlfriend of like 10 or 12
years they both saw the same psychic and
they described that they would meet each
other at the brick wall behind them and
the whole place and how it would happen
and it happened that I mean that's one
of them is crazy so yeah and I actually
use it with clients I actually I've
taken a few psychic development courses
just because I used to really be
negative about it I used to kind of like
be really mean to my mom because my mom
used to be able to crystals and I was
like listen does it make sense you're
being crazy
the only way to knock something is to
fully immerse yourself in to learn about
it so I was like you know what I'm so
mean about this stuff I'm so negative
my name's like let's just take some
psychic classes in 2014 I met some guy
at a grocery store and he's like
literally throwing business cards at me
so I was like alright let's try it and I
actually um i i've known with every
single client 100% if they're a binge
eater if they're lonely there's certain
things i just know fine yeah that's
fascinating you have to keep me updated
in relation to your journey because who
knows how much they'll take you some
more courses as well myself i think you
know it's just good to know like if
you're in real estate or if you're in
the entertainment business like i I know
pretty much right away now like if I
should deal with this first right not
just you know it's not even psychic you
could even just call it intuition or
just reading people really well whatever
you want to call it it's just really
nice to be able to walk into a room and
wygor having to deal with all these new
people you know as an actress and be
like you know and they gonna that you
know is it should I go to this audition
are they gonna steal my organs and they
get a kidnapped into versus a real
audition and it is a real audition is
this something that I should do so you
got a feel out so much and all these
industries in real estate - you know
that's where's your time just playing
devil's advocate there do you not feel
those sometimes and this is
the response I get from my wife or
somebody is that when somebody tells you
something you almost start acting more
towards that kind of path if that makes
sense so are times where somebody said
are you gonna purchase this or you're
gonna do this and then maybe
subconsciously it's gone into my head
somewhere I mean I don't try and do it
knowingly but you feel that maybe that
kind of and you can't rule that out
yeah I will tell you writing a book is a
lot of sacrifice you know it takes hours
and hours and I've been writing this
since 2010 it's a hundred thirty-five
pages but I've had at least eight if not
20 different psychics who don't know
each other all over the world tell me
that I'm going to be like a global
healer and help people la ville Bluff so
when you have all these people tell you
things it helps because if for me to
write a book and then think you know
what this is a piece of garbage no one's
gonna care but when all these people who
are you know winning awards would be
collecting so they're all telling me
you're gonna change the world and help
all these people it helps it helps me to
go reaffirms it right yeah me too as
well how more podcast is up okay yeah
what helped a lot of people ten thousand
people before I die that's what I
decided oh you do more than that you do
like definitely definitely
okay so you've actually kind of answered
my next question which was about
motivation and I'm assuming your biggest
motivation is probably to help other
people
yeah to help people to be out of pain
and help the people who are struggling
to get out of struggle and to help
others who are pretty much doing well to
be more alphonse really super win that's
a major main goal of mine I love that I
love that tough one as well on the way
yeah you you gotta have fun you gotta
have the vibration for fun actually
you know the vibration of fun is gonna
help you to succeed more absolutely so
what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna put you
through the paces now having heard the
buzzer go off so we're gonna go in three
two one
what did you eat for breakfast we're
spells coffee gold lemon juice the
ability to fly or be invisible invisible
money your fame money your idea job what
I'm doing right now
your proudest moment mmm writing last
night's comedy your favorite food man no
I'm just kidding I know yeah I love so
many things I don't have a favorite I
don't know Netflix our YouTube mmm shoot
you YouTube's getting better networks
right now your number one goal this year
put out at least 20 hilarious comedy
videos and to get my book to at least at
least 30 more people minimum if not 100
tea or coffee coffee your favorite sport
all racket sports where it's tennis
racquetball ping-pong if you could sit
with one person in the world for an hour
who would it be
oh shoot god I'm my dad in second Andy
Milonakis
okay why is your biggest addiction food
summer or winter summer your favorite
place in the whole wide world my home
lately would you rather speak all
languages will be able to speak to
animals animals if you could abolish one
thing in the world what would it be pain
in every single form your favorite song
ever Oh God
okay we're gonna go with what I listened
to yesterday which is not the truth but
it's captain and it's Ricky Ricardo and
the final question is read minds or
predict the future
Finnick the future fantastic it's weird
that the last question was actually in
relation to the stuff we were quite
talking about that's strange
okay fantastic so we're almost at the
end of the show now just got a couple of
more questions I just want to ask you so
I'm a firm believer in hindsight being a
wonderful thing obviously we can learn a
lot from our lessons we can learn ways
to get to where we want to get to
quicker easier or with less heartache
but I'm also a very firm believer that
the journey that we go through teaches
us a hell of a lot so knowing what you
know now if you could take yourself back
to a young agent and maybe whisper
something in her ear when she was going
through some level of adversity even if
we look at 2011 for example what would
you say don't deal with true gas pitcher
yeah basically I mean that it sounds so
stupid but basically in who and that's
not you know at your level or basically
related to the goals at hand and purpose
just don't deal with them I love that I
think that sound advice that's pretty ok
fantastic so that brings us to the last
question and the last question I always
ask all of my guests is if in 150 years
time we are no longer here and all that
exists is a book and this book is about
you
it's about Jen it's about her whole life
everything she's accomplished or the
weird and wonderful things that she's
done firstly what would the title of
that book be and secondly what would the
blurb at the back of it tell us about
Jen oh man well first I'll just have to
interject and say that I would hope that
my how-to guide book would be much more
prolific and well-known than a book
about me because that will help more
people but um that being said to answer
your question um the title of the book
maybe you read this fuck off or the life
which energy and then the eggs blurb
would probably be how to live the life
the life of the life without pain the
life with laughter good all by having
fun in health and having that that draw
the viewer you know yeah yeah absolutely
it's a terrible summary that's not her
thing don't don't destroy it I'm sure we
can obviously work on it when it comes
out but yeah no that's fine absolutely I
think I think that's it that's a good
point you've said it a few times in this
episode is about the fun bit and one of
the things I've always preached in like
especially in health and fitness so I
always say it takes hard work and I say
you need to be consistent with whatever
you're doing but my other two things are
always about sustainability and
enjoyment that's kind of my four pillars
that I always kind of practice I suppose
so it's just interesting obviously
someone else who's in the kind of health
and fitness space as well that you also
say you know you need to be happy and
you need to enjoy it basically as well
because I feel like we're kind of
missing that element in there yeah in
the health effects especially yeah I
would like to add to it though I mean I
live to NTC my own
for ten years away from my mom my dad
and my mom definitely has told me no
have fun but my dad more so you know I
am very critical even though I like to
act goofy and be stupid you know and
just played them
I am very critical I can walk into room
and I'm an artist I was art studio art
minor in college I can see every single
thing that I consider to be a flaw and a
person in a home and I and how to fix it
this is just how my mind works so you
know as I the reason why I'm like this
is my dad would always you know
influence and try to be like you gotta
have fun he'll ask me you know I'm like
I did this and I got an A or you know I
help this client or a bubble blind you
go well did you have fun did you have a
fire mmm it's a brilliant question to
ask isn't it
it's and he's one of the most important
ones as well yeah it's so important so
I'm glad that you know he said he would
remind me because I can be I can get
very serious actually mm-hmm
I think the whole world can't to be
honest and I think I'm not sure what
it's like over in the in the States but
if you if you pay a lot of attention to
the media and the the television and
your newspapers here it's very very easy
to kind of become depressed and just
think bad thoughts all the time because
it's just so much negativity being post
passed around and you're almost just
hearing like bad stories all the time
yet there's so much light in the world
as well and so much wonderful things
that I think need to be expressed a lot
more so it's refreshing that you had
that attitude as well
and I think I think the world would just
benefit more from that so thank you
sharing that I appreciate it before we
go Jen I just want to give you a chance
just to obviously for the listeners let
us know where we can contact you and
obviously are poor or they're the finer
details into the show notes as well yeah
I don't contact me I like my piece um no
no I I like people
oh the good ones the good ones so we
have two instagrams at the life with
generally we have at Jen Elise we have
my website which just got hacked the
life with Jenner ChiCom Facebook Jen
Elise
feldy there's Tumblr and Twitter and the
Twitter is life with Jenner G yeah
that's good and in relation to your
publication yeah I'm gonna have
bits of things on Instagram and Facebook
like if you go to my facebook profile
photos of Congress on there's a lot of
like the major productions like there's
five movies coming up and the next few
months so they're gonna be like you kind
of go through that you'll kind of see
what's going on but I also do have like
a resume four people are in the
entertainment business on backstage comm
and I have like a seven page whole thing
with links and YouTube so you could just
be like okay just what what's going on
like can we just have it in one sheet so
it actually lists everything I'm up to
and it you know goes through voiceover
and health counseling and hosting and
it's totally organize and categorize
fantastic okay excellent so I'll make
sure I put those all in the show notes
thank you for your time today and for
everyone else at home thanks for
listening thank you as us and remember
this podcast is absolutely free so all
we ask in return is for you to share
this with a friend and drop us a 5 star
review over on iTunes have an awesome
day
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Find your voice - Episode 15 - "My Way" - Raj Sallan #15
Tagline: "The only person that should be proud of you, is yourself"
Raj Sallan was the Fresh Prince, before he got shipped off to Bel-Air. His parents swiftly realised he was going to end up going down the wrong path if he stayed in Germany, he was sent to Birmingham, UK where he was forced to learn another language, way of life and develop his own mindset. Having had to learn his 3rd language, Raj utilised martial arts, kick-boxing and boxing to channel his mind and found a passion that would see him travelling the world and proving all his doubters wrong.
Raj explains that your mindset starts from the moment you wake up. He strengthened his perspective and mindset to help him handle not living with his parents for the majority of his childhood, learning English and fighting professionally in combat sports. Realising that nothing is impossible Raj has overcome his own levels of depression, loneliness and now spends his hours helping world-class fighters, girls and boys of all ages in becoming fit and finding their own confidence.
A genuinely loving guy, whose energy is infectious. He explains his daily rituals that have helped him earn a favourable reputation in the fight game, but also as a genuinely humble human being.
A story of adversity, with no excuses and an individual who found his voice and continues to write his own story.
Thanks for listening
Free Audible book sign up:
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Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/findyourvoice
Links to me:
Website: https://www.arendeu.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aren.deu/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/arendeu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aren.singh
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aren-deu-65443a4b/
Podcast: https://www.findyourvoicepodcast.com
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Links to guest:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rajesh.sallan (Personal)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/only1rajeshsallan/
Have an awesome day #JustDeuIt #FindYourVoice
[Music]
welcome to an episode of find your voice
a movement led by yours truly
Aren do a guy who has overcome
crippling anxiety adversity and
difficulty like so many of you in life
whose main goal now is to help you
combat your excuses take control of your
life write your own story and most
importantly find your voice so now
without further ado I welcome the host
of the show himself mr. Aren do what's
going on people thank you for tuning in
to another episode of find your voice my
name is Aren and as always I am the
host of the show so as you sit here now
listening to this podcast I just want to
ask you a quick question now obviously
it's rhetorical
because I can't hear your answer but how
many times in the last week have you
thought about something negative have
you complained when it really wasn't
that bad
have you mould about how little progress
you've made rather than actually commend
yourself for how far you've came my
guess is probably more than you wish to
admit and that's absolutely fine listen
we've all been there but what I find
remarkable about this episode that
you're gonna hear is I guarantee 100% if
you listen to this all the way through
your perception and your mindset will
benefit you will change it you will
start to feel I'll say silly for morning
about the silly things that we often
moan about because this individual has
not only had to learn English as his
third language
he was uplifted as a ten-year-old from
his parents to live in a foreign country
where everything was alien to him and
the only thing he really knew how to
control was his mind and his hands and
his feet and with that he tells a
wonderful story so without further ado
I'm gonna get this interview on the way
so firstly I just wanna walk on right to
the show and thank you for taking time
out of your day to come and have this
interview myself how you doing today I'm
fine right it's just doing well good
good the UK where they're glad to hear
it so I think it's important for the
listeners to understand a little bit
yourself now I've heard about you my
wife's told me about you you know wanted
you on Instagram for some time now so if
you could kind of give the listeners
basically a history of how you've came
about to where you are today
well basically am I was born in Germany
1988 in Frankfurt and grew up in a rough
estate area basically it was there was
no Indians back then it was just if you
name it just like Turks albanian
different all different cultures but no
Indians no Asians my family was the kind
of the first Indian community around
there my uncle and everyone and growing
one went school there stayed there -
lost ten the time there was no people
probably asking what are you doing here
yeah yeah it's just growing up in this
state area it was a rough and tough you
know being through fucking some hard
time and the other day and seeing my
parents there being there and as an
Indian people you know how did German
they say it's not it's not a racist
country but they won't put everyone in
one the cultural people would want in
one area so where this day so this is
their area it was a being a bad kid I
was like a as poor really but the other
yeah okay so I'm getting into naughty
stuff at a young age theft
not going school just no he just being
wrong basically doing the wrong things
that I do you know upsetting my parents
they wasn't happy they wanted a better
life for me so come to a stage where
they decided to send me here because my
mom's side everyone's here my uncle's my
cousins so they had a decision to make
which probably was the biggest decision
in their life so they decided to send me
here to have a better life and today
that's where I stand is here and I'm
being threw me through quite a bit you
know from being alone software
depression this is probably most of the
family members they don't even know
themselves so when they hear this they
probably think we didn't know this but
I've never come up out of it really I've
never told anyone about it because I
like to keep things sometimes myself and
[Music]
I've always always had that little thing
where you know when I was young come on
my own and basically crying by myself
and I was a kid when I come here cuz I
missed my parents because the hardest
thing in my life was probably was going
to that Airport and looking back and see
my mom and I'd cry maybe one else that's
a hard thing yeah it's a mental thing
and that's a ten year old I don't know
where I'm going I don't know what's
happening yeah what's going so you were
ten when you came over I was 10 years
old and was jamming your first language
but job dream dance from Indiana okay
some may not be fast champion easily
should I didn't know I didn't have a
clear barrage you know nothing English
from the age of 10 10 yes fantastic and
then it was just hard time it's just
hard that moment was very hard ten years
old you wouldn't know you took back and
why do you crying like we think he might
have great for holiday of his back of
course I know what they said that you
know going then the plan was to give it
a go see how it goes that's what my own
custom a moment which was good and then
it was hard that day I remember sitting
on the plane at ten years old amount and
it's going to another country to start a
new life and things started and use the
good is better for me basically because
the way I grew up in Germany there was
only one way in a prison gangs or dead
awesome other than something I didn't
want to disappoint my parents because
one thing in my life that could never do
is disappoint them they mean the world
to me and yeah another indeed appear now
in school world screed
come in years six or years five years
almost ten years old I didn't know no
English no English at all basically I
did not think I was that good fresh off
the boat but yeah and had to go through
lot of stuff as a kid because knowing
not know English
making friends was hard but it was just
very difficult to be fair and the way I
just gone through it I cried as a kid I
remember going home walking from school
I had no friends and this is when I
first come over and
that long road in hands of going home
and crying and just being upset missing
my parents 10 year old kid would course
Yong Yong you don't know you know you
don't know how you feel and it's just
very different unexplainable to people
that unless they've been through
themselves they know I feels and it was
hard there's hard times and then slowly
slowly things started changing for me
you know I just started getting thinking
in my head don't one thing I always said
to myself in life is that it's all about
you know your brief you got two arms two
legs
you're not worse than others know
there's people out there in lifestyle
going through lot worse than yourself so
I always that's one thing one of them
second is that the only place that's
gonna believe and use yourself you can't
believe in yourself
and having faith in yourself then you
know I strongly believe that you know
people believe in like North of
Attraction the universe I think
personally you are your universe you are
what you think in it you become what you
think so absolutely things change for me
you know if I didn't have if I didn't
want to become like my parents or
everything I took a lot of criticism in
life as well like you can't do this my
parents up to because they sent me yeah
as if our Asian families are they'll put
you they'll put a lot of people down
they like to say oh he ain't gonna do
nothing course of course being in a
making oh why you sent him there for my
parents after he all that then it was
like a it was me against the people as
one to prove them wrong that you know
what I'm fuckin of made it yeah you know
I am Who I am I'm a good person
I've not turned that wrong a lot of
people expected me to come here and take
advantage oh yeah and film become a
druggie junkie do whatever can you know
make most of it because my parents in
here but um you know you know plenty of
friends we just forget just before this
interview as well I've been mutual
friends we've got as well yeah
definitely is so I think that's
interesting what you've touched from it
you said a couple of things that I've
just made notes of so one is you become
what you think and believe in yourself
this is something that I know is a very
date hero you have to say affirmations
and implant that in my head now and I
think indirectly because you've been put
in that situation you have to develop
that yourself and
giving you some strengths although you
might not have seen it as a strength
then it's brought you into the person
that you are now which I think it's
fantastic because and a lot of people
listening to this probably had a lot
more shout class yeah whereas you were
by yourself and you thinking buddy got
these two hands and legs
yeah and just speaking on those two
kinds of legs now yeah that you knew you
had you've done incredible things with
those yeah which I just wanted to tell
the audience as well it all started with
a fire school basically okay
when I was in Germany I was a bit of a
tempered kid you know it's but I still
gave too loud so when I come here I was
it - I got into a few fights and this is
my first the first few month for you
already
and my uncle goes to meet my mom's
brother he goes you know you got
suspended from school you just come over
here in basically Punjabi because I
couldn't speak English course and so
from there he started and there he goes
well I'm gonna send you to kickboxing
gym and I go ah they don't give me a
coke it's nothing they asked or just
yeah by then I made friends
I put friends by them you know people
that were around me and school friends
and I took one friend with me and said
let's give me a coke see what's about
yeah and who wants me to go okay and
walked into the gym and then from there
never looked back cuz just suddenly I
found a talent I wasn't good mmm yes so
it wasn't actually beating people up but
it's something I had in me and I used
that a lot if it wasn't for that I think
that sports and combat sport fighting
and all that helped me in a way my using
my hands and feet my mentally if it made
me better and it was more energy changed
everything like if I was upset at home
or if I was feeling down
oh go to gym no I'll use that a lot and
then that just made me who I am
from there he just kick-started amateur
fights I went to turn pro in Thai boxing
I had laws of numerous fight all over
the place over India to fight at a pro
MMA fight for winning age and over 20
pro kickboxing fights
it's incredible a mature buck cells as
well as boxing for Saint Francis in
Birmingham
fantastic yes or other good chance I was
even told to stick to boxing and one way
is that gonna be pro in that but I just
love kicking okay yeah so that's where
you all started my hands or feet and
they kicked off then I think that's
where I I saw your Instagram stuff Nick
initially because I know my wife Tommy
love about you because you went to the
same school and she said it's really
inspiring you've come from completely
different country and you found your way
in life and I remember going to be spoke
about this just before the podcast going
to ask them University yeah which is
what ten miles from my house can get
there in 15 minutes yeah and I was
homesick
so Monday to Thursday by the time
Thursday comes I couldn't wait to get
home on a Friday so I can only imagine
what it's like for a ten-year-old kid to
kind of have to do that but I don't now
we've spoken obviously before this you
go home a lot now and you visit in
Germany quite yeah I spend much time
with my family I can I personally think
that nowadays degeneration now they
forget their parents and they forget
about the old alumni like I spend a lot
of time my parents because the
difference with me is that I've not
actually I've lost a lot of time with
the growing of pianos and not being with
them so be going back and then every
time so anytime that means the world to
me now first thing you couldn't you know
a man if you don't spend time I agree
and I'm sure they're very proud of how
far you've come now they are yeah they
are very very proud but the most
important thing is my dad always tells
me is the only place that should be
proud this are you proud you have people
like that that's what matters
personally I'm proud of myself that's a
pretty messy that's the best thing to
you now look that message as well and
that's something that I try and get
through this podcast as well is that
yeah the way we look at ourselves in our
self-worth and stuff like it's the most
important thing yet cuz it's nice
getting plaudits from the person next
door or somebody across the road but
until you start looking yourself and
believing in yourself I'll do something
like this is something I don't are many
Byrne I wake up in the morning and speak
to myself let me read it and there's a
reason why I do it because then I went
to see someone about three years ago
mm-hmm
and he helped me the way to think and
why how to change negativity into
positively I don't you feel great about
yourself so he said do something like
talk to yourself yeah but he actually
works so I realized that your mindset
starts from the time you wake up you
know when you say your feet touch the
floor yeah that is when your mind starts
working and whatever you think what
thought you wake up with so if you wake
up negative your day is going to be
negative if you wake up positive you're
positive so walk to the mirror and I got
this little white top where I just say I
am positive I am rich I am blessed I am
my own God I am this and that so and I
talk to myself yeah and then I said to
her I'm gonna have a great day today
do that and it helps me yeah that's
something that really helps me I know
some people might thinking wow that's
that but that is something like I can
really really help someone it's a mental
thing and this is like a you mentally
getting stronger and your mind you
you're basically transforming your mind
set you straight positive team and
you're looking forward to the day then
it can rain out there because no even
when I'm finished knowing and it's shit
whether I'll say it's a toy don't stop
me doing the finger prize of course it's
the mindset how people yeah and I know a
lot of people that wake up in the
morning say example one day I hate
mondays absolute that's the first
negative word that you say to yourself I
hate why do you hate go and do what you
had to do come home make a plan yeah
think coffee I love that so it's one of
them things I think as you were saying I
just opened up my diary so I have every
morning five thoughts and it's similar
to yourself I am powerful I understand
my own bothy
I am perfect every single morning best
thing and it's only something I've been
doing recently as well but it's so
important like what we feed am I here so
you're an athlete you know what it's
important to feed your body physically
strong but if this is weak that knows
everything there's no point of it's not
point being you know I mean the best
body but if you're my name right it's
the same with the fight game you can be
very good in the gym you can be
you can be whatever but if your mindsets
wrong and you my name in the fight
mm-hmm
you must say you lost the fight yeah
because it's not there lost it before it
started yeah but a lot of people don't
realize that so my mind is a powerful
thing I don't think people realize it I
think you're right there I think it's
becoming a bit more and this is probably
because I look into that fear you've got
a lot of mindset coach and a lot of
people talking about it but when I hear
it from someone like yourself who's put
it into practice in an arena and done it
on an international stage I find it a
lot more authentic and real so I'm glad
you said that and it was actually the
one of the next questions I was gonna
ask you was about your routine and so I
love athletes and if I could if I could
have a separate podcast in this they've
been just interviewing athletes because
I think it takes a certain type of
person to get to the top to stay at the
top to have that mindset because it
isn't like you said it ain't all about
your physical attributes you'll be the
hardest hit but if you aim right here
yeah
and somebody's got more clued on there
they're gonna have perform you throw it
main rhythm as an example indefinitely
so what I want to ask you is this was my
next question what do you do until the
time you go to sleep so obviously you
all can have you spoken to yourself in
the mirror now yeah what are their kind
of rituals or habits do you do in the
day often saying I can go back to when I
was fighting yeah yeah what I used to do
was we stay twice a day or three times
pushing it depending coming to a fight
waking up in a pony go for a jog I'm
just going back when I was at school my
uncle used to wet this secondary school
and I was competing then amateur level
and I was doing then I'd turn pro and I
mean my uncle waking you used to come
from a nightshift 4:00 in the morning
before I go school is to make me go for
a jog go for a run so the technologies
you hear I was 14 to 16 this was and the
dedication was built in me already you
know having that warrior mentality and
that listen you gotta train hard
maintaining one way to so what we used
to do is train three times a day say max
and diet so when you wake up in the
morning you run check your weight come
home eat you gotta watch my eat as well
you have a nutritionist watching what
you eat if you don't have a nutrition
you some people do it themselves which
is good as well so my daily routine is
Bella and especially
all days was going school all day watch
ye at school wow this is the time when
no one hardly knew realized I was in
year eight nine I was just my name was
just coming out and not people knew the
house no one knew that I was doing it
only later on people found that coming
from school finish school come home grab
my bag
don't do no homework come on felt like
training back there go straight to the
gym to our session and then back home
eat food go bed then after that when I
left school it was the only thing that
changed was there was no school time so
that's when three times a day training
started just running in the morning
training from different things like
strength speed and sparring session pad
work different sessions and needs to be
three times a day eating right and he
days used to just go basically and then
I'm coming home in the evening afternoon
chilling with the family and then in the
evening if you feel good you go for
mother jog and this is when it comes to
an eight week camp fight camp your aim
is to get fit get mentally strong and
get your weight down as well depending
on what weight division you find that
and then they just carried on like that
I've done that for a good 15 years to be
fair her
I've been training since I was 10 still
do it now but I'm fond of fighting fit
and fighting professionally I stopped at
25 my last fight was 24 when I was in
India a fourth road and times change but
I still keep the same similar routine I
still go for a jog here in l a-- wake-up
call for one you know in the morning and
I love going running in the morning at 4
or 5 I love that I love that it's the
fresh a door full run go work and
especially with my job now you know we
do shift work so I work everything
around it and the only thing that keeps
me going is my mind basically your body
can get old as much as they want but if
your mind is strong can control your
mind and yeah and the funny thing is
it's your mind that tells you're tired
even before your body is as well yeah
and that's something we definitely kind
of battle with yeah I looked at and I
just sort of touch on that so you've
done this for like 15 years I had a very
very short period and this is kind of
like something that I celebrate where I
train like an athlete as a knight I
got myself under an Olympic coach near
boxing what I was doing with those
copying national champions so when they
were training free time today I was
doing the same yeah because I knew I got
into the game late and I really wanted
to go on a floors so I was training and
I was copying them I was eating the
right stuff and I couldn't understand
what you're saying there I'm not sure if
the listeners will get this but there is
a point where your body and your mind
are in sync that you do stuff that you
think shit how we're doing this because
you're training so would you do so much
and the reason I say that is because now
I'll go to the gym and people normally
is not comparison trained or whatever
but the intensity that I had for those
two years is 10 times more than now what
I can't do is bring that intensity back
here so now when I go to the gym the mom
I'm tired up I don't know I just kind of
think okay let's got that Communists
abuse away and I wish I could transform
those two years of a true athletes
mindset into now are you able to still
do that now so you know how you would
train that 25 can you bring that a
little bit back or is it a matter of
when you're not competing it's difficult
to do I know exactly it doesn't make
sense yeah I don't make sense to do
right there especially the copying part
mmm that's exactly why I used to do
because watching people like the running
I got from sue my uncle told me run in
the mornings and everyone that fight her
mentality and I just watch people like
Tyson and knowing the jog in the morning
and he watched these videos okay and
that's the copying part like just
thought you said yourself you copy it
and do it but that's the only way to
these people are there it's by of course
you learn from them so that's why it
like Mayweather says you know what my
opponent sleep 2 a.m. in the morning I'm
going for it says it's a very good copy
it's not a bad thing it's doing
something that they're doing and then it
works on you but going to transforming
it if I wanted to do that now and
everything I could like I said it's a
sit my head I knew boys the older you
get or do you believe as well
laziness kicks in you know and
responsibilities change appear you know
you have a lot more other things to do
you know work people get you know
relationships and everything just
changes but in your head you got a you
have like a notebook and you write
everything down
today I'm gonna do this tomorrow I'm do
this you know you can write a routine
down and it still can be done it's don't
coming there's nothing impossible in
library people told me I could never
speak English
I've never got to speak English or a
school I get picked on here a day not as
in you know just not picked on but just
laughing you know he can't speak English
oh my cousin's would say oh and I think
you know what I realize now nothing is
impossible even when I was going through
the depression point no I'm sad I just
upset cry
I never should tell my family no one
used to know I should be on my own ice
like be a man just cry and miss my
parents but then while Walter went along
and I got older I realized that you know
what nothing's impossible I could do
anything or what you know what
um these people were standing out there
what am i crying about what is wrong
with me
you know I mean I can do this dusty and
today I'm here nothing today right now
I'm probably in the most longest mindset
I just believe in myself that I'm alive
they feel the good energy yeah and this
good energy but Zampa when you pass
positive energy got me excited here
before we started this you can see how
happy I'll wait that's the best thing to
do is the vibrations between two people
and it's a straightaway you send it to
them and you want to spend time with
people like that
that's it girl one thing I have to do is
the certain people didn't say family or
friends who all they do is negative
negative negative and when it's your
family and friends you can't always cut
them out yeah so after do is limit my
conversations with them or if I'm in
there if I'm in their proximity is
literally like how you doing and then I
walk away because I don't want that you
know what all of these kind of
relationships and this is where I'm
complaining nowadays in life and on the
grand scheme of things and people have
interviewed on this and including
yourself their problems that you know
the trivial the minor compared to what
you guys have been through nobody's been
lifted from their parents do you have to
learn a third language to that you don't
be fired in and they're not
understanding what people are saying
about them to then having to develop
their own - such a young age where I'm
here now as a 30 year old still trying
to develop my
and I'm seeing people who I'm actually
working with now who you are older than
me still trying to develop their Mon so
I think it's you should be very proud
for this yeah I think it's commendable
that you've been able to do that yeah
especially it's true you don't think I
agree with that exam it's that fucking
that did you do so you can't give a fuck
about anything fuck what people think
fuck what anyone thinks really and do
what you make sure you have people yeah
if you work on yourself you're never
gonna get out of that blockage it's a
circle around you like we've seen it a
lot with lot of people not mind coaches
people saying it like they put and die
in the middle then they put circle
around it that is you and you can't get
at that comfort zone you're just in that
middle you have to break through and
that's what he's like I had a friend
make for me two weeks ago saying I wanna
cop
and I said to him you found me to tell
me you walk on
well how about you think to yourself
that I am gonna get I'm gonna have that
car or believe that you already in that
car believe in yourself like I said yeah
yeah there's no one else gonna believe
in you you know I mean you can't ask
phone someone can you believe in
addition of everyone else that's it yeah
cuz I knew this was interview was coming
up and I try and learn about the person
a little bit I took myself back into
those two years and the key to my
success in those two years was a
decision I will just make a decision and
believe it oh there's an analogy when
somebody says I'm trying to quit smoking
for a bit or somebody just says I don't
smoke anymore they're two different
types of people the person who doesn't
smoke and move will not be tempted and
nobody will really ask him where
somebody's that off stop smoking for a
bit the most aren't you're gonna get
asked in a grave you want one or they're
gonna be very very tempted it's kind of
you've got to make your own identity you
do if that makes sense ain't the world
like I'm trying change that try to I am
NOT little words how you think I'm what
you say your language you know yeah you
to yourself what it's raining today or
Congo you know but you say I will go for
when the rain stops to be rain is not
gonna kill you you know it's just it's
the mind thing to be fair it's it's hard
it's hard I know what where people come
from like for me softly from being
judged mean creatures
is going through depression at a young
age you know feeling alone and
overcoming them things it's just it's
not as easy I want people to know that
they're not on their own you know I know
people it's hard to explain to someone
how you feel but they need to realize
that you're not on your own because
first of all these people not worse than
what they're going through you know
second you're breathing you know he got
two arms two legs
you put got a roof over your head get
food on the table and end of the world
never think that and just feel strong
about yourself and even yourself
but never give up and that's one thing I
think in the Asian community is Wally
not all there's nothing wrong with you
don't worry you're just crying all
you're just upset it's a debate know
what's going through yeah you don't know
what's going through the person's head
or what's happening and me as a young
kid I remember them little things when I
was on my own and crying and all sorts
it was quite hard and not family members
don't know this to be fair but all the
comment in a way that it was that fuck
you attitude like you know what I'm
gonna I'm gonna prove people wrong you
know I didn't care what people think but
I used that as a I'm gonna prove a mom
that I'll turn that good and I turned up
doing I achieve things that day car so I
used them as a fuel baby that's why I
used the mass and it carried on like
that and my mind just got stronger and
stronger hmm and anything even today
like I mean people who having a bad day
and I turned their mindset it's just me
talking deception isn't it yes it's how
you see it
and I think you took started this so
you've been doing this since you attend
they pretty much and that's probably why
you're better at it than most people I
think the important thing people should
take away from this episode is make it a
habit yeah so how you go to the toilet
at night how do you go have a shower
every morning it needs to become a habit
the way you speak to yourself from how
you see stuff so another good thing I do
other than these five things I do
gratitude journal is oh so I used to do
every morning which is fine but
somewhere along like the day after a bit
it kind of rubs off so something bad
happens even myself I'm guilty of
sometimes looking at
what I do you know I do have them
tonight as well so I'm doing gratitude
as soon as I wake open before I go to
sleep
it just helping me and my natural vibes
and everything it's very hard for me to
not be grateful for what I have like you
said I've got two hands and a few of my
health
touchwood at the minute got no diagnosis
of any illness isn't nothing I get to go
on holiday I know what I get to live the
life are what I'm blessed
yeah do you know what I mean I convinced
myself of that because because I am
never give up attitude may seem you know
that's the best way to be and being
grateful I've always been grateful I'll
be my dad and like we come from nothing
my parents come from nothing and we have
enough today to keep us happy and that's
all that matters
which is how well you know half is the
most important thing of course and you
know I've always been bought up in a way
to think that stay humble as well and be
grateful and that's well yeah and that's
one thing about me I love that and
that's something you preach on your
instagrams in your facebook as well
love that because always I can relate to
that so on my Twitter I just kind of say
stuff that comes in my head it's kind of
me talking to myself
yeah because sometimes if I'm a bad day
my first thing in my head is going back
to a prayer yeah and listen to how you
talk so be that person that you say
you're gonna be here and I wrote
something the other day which says
growing up I didn't have everything I
wanted but I had everything I needed and
that's literally how I grew up and and
that's kind of like one of my timelines
as well because I think my life is this
compared to so many other people that's
why people it's hard for them they think
they're humble but they're not really
they don't understand how what it takes
to be grateful you have to believe in
that you know what I'm happy
coming for my breakfast is a bit hard
times II was me I know and I've seen you
know looking at my friend he's buying
new train is no lazy Navi and now I'm
sitting up and for one but I still don't
go and get what I want because I know
I've got enough I don't you know that's
not gonna change your liver what
happened it's all still here it's not
cause it's a big example my friends
always like oh why didn't get yourself a
new car you know you all you need to
know
what can I'm humble in a way that my car
takes me a to be I'm happy that's what
the purpose of a car is that's all if
you could treat yourself to treat
yourself don't forget where you come
from people forget where they call
that's what happened I agree
they really forget asleep hour for a
listen that is I think so I come from
similar backgrounds no not as bad as you
in terms of not being very humble
because we had normally going up and I
remember the moment I got my first good
job he was in London and I was anymore
money thing on you wanted to deal with
and when I say what money I mean to me
to other people it's probably a normal
salary so I know all this money and I
remember Bibles designer gear these
jeans and stuff and if you go upstairs
to the third bedroom they're all them
jeans and all them teacher I just and I
hardly wear because yeah very quickly I
realized that doesn't make me happy
what makes me happy is being able to do
this or help people or give a hunter and
that kind of the best thing you can do
you know helping people is one of the
best things as well even if it's done
it's like the littlest thing like I'll
explain some time was of course telling
them how if they're saying the day's
been bad try and help and be they be
better not have a joke or just have
someone just maybe someone small yeah I
think I thinking in the world but
growing up humble and down to half is
probably my first thing not taking my
heart honestly from your hair is the
first thing that there is respect being
humble and down to the best can come
after that's the best thing I think the
world would be a better place if there's
no greed then like lot of people are
there's not greed
there's a lot of competition Cuba
competition not a lot of people compete
with them with others or their mates or
their family members like I've always
told my parents like listen don't worry
what people say let them talk let them
be they think what they want let them
think what they want they're jealous the
Haiti they got a negative problem which
they need help in but they don't
understand that especially in our
community indeed pretty they see they
won't know that they don't stand this
kind of stuff this is like if you can
fucking get it what can't you why don't
you do this why don't you do what they
don't realize the other person might be
happy you know they're happy with what
that for my dad my dad one kind of
person like you were says to me what
kids are happy
be healthy about reform I'll either see
you always you say that his whole life
and you're drilled into my head
no even though I didn't grow up with
them but but then let them believe
remember yeah I remember these things
and now always when I stay at home
that's why I got that little white book
top of the mirror and I love that look
honey and I've got one thing that I'm
I'm rich yeah and you know how I feel
and well feeling about everything I want
you keep saying that the things that you
don't you don't expect they'll come to
you anyway then you're attracting that
or anything of course but yes like I
said it's not easy for people out there
that's hard but I already know I love
that you've shared that because that's
literally how I think yeah so we just
before we started this episode I told
you I'm selling this house now yeah and
I was like we're gonna get ourselves a
smaller apartment and two other people
it's gonna be like shit you're given a
big house for a small little apartment
for what for me is my happiness my
wife's gonna give up WIC we're gonna be
together I don't care that I don't all
my house that doesn't bother me
I don't care my family or friends say oh
you don't want to have anymore
listen not many people do all that
houses the lights on the houses for a
start but secondly it doesn't bother me
I've got not ego in relation to that
what I am doing is controlling my own
life I'm living life on my own terms and
my wife's happy that's the best way and
going back to banks on that to be fair
we don't own exactly nothing
we're here for a very very short amount
of time we're leasing almost everything
in life you know to me we don't own
nothing and all your own only thing your
own is your own happiness their own
mindset and yourself absolutely and like
you said you and your wife are happy
that's when you care about a lot of the
people out there to care about the kids
and their parents and that's what they
should be this I think time is more
valuable than money you know I mean the
most most important commodity you can
get money all day long you'll get that
forever at the time you never get that
back and that's me saying it because
that time I lost with my parents I'll
never get anything I get that back yeah
me growing up as a most of my friends
used to go back school
don't open the door go back home sorry
don't open the door one day mom and dad
a day no I didn't have that feeling I
didn't know what it's like growing up
with parents or what it's like being
with you in a moment dad and my mom and
dad had to go through a lot they have to
cry you know they're always out
every day have known a magic I mean I'm
not a parody I can only imagine how hard
that must've been a song he was always
said to my mom and dad I said no there's
people are there I've lost you know the
parents in walls and this was going on
now and people are you know dying and I
said don't worry I'm fine and
everything's good
and I always came that positive energy
and that thing that I'm gonna do well
don't worry come off it and I will never
basically we say flop come so I'm gonna
prove everyone wrong don't worry and
same people they used to criticize us
they don't even want to look at me now
yeah yeah I know I still pull my hand
out unshaken because that's not the way
of yours just because they hate you
doesn't mean you have to hate back don't
go on to their level yeah and most
likely reason that they have these kind
of opinions or something positive stuff
is because really it's an opinion about
themselves so when they see you doing
stuff or saying you're gonna do
something they believe they can't do it
and that's what it is I had it well I
mean when I was 25
I'm 25 slate and I was like 42 pounds
overweight
heavier than I was now tits and
everything and I would but I want to go
and box it every single person close to
me other than my mom I like my brother
and like my immediate family were like
you can't do it straightaway
dad already decided my fate in here just
incredible how do you guys know you
haven't seen me try I wasn't as good as
when I was 17 when I first know but I
was like oh because I was so like
focused I was like respond I think I
could do something because I had an
Olympic coach who told me I could do it
and I was at surely his opinion in that
field matters a little bit more than
your opinion yet but then saying that if
I never had that guy tell me that I
probably would have believed it and I
probably would never have tried it and I
still say to this day those two years
are the best years of my life I never
achieved the things that I want to do
chief but I built my counter and I built
my strength and I built so much about me
as a person
yeah in those two years that I think is
really important that was me literally
ignoring people's opinions or definitely
urge people shut up everything the thing
is that when people when people say to
another person you can't do it who are
they don't you are needy they're
nobodies they just feel like that but
themselves that they Condor is on you
can do it
and it's good in a way because when you
start thinking like that you get
stronger and you think to yourself you
know what that's true who are they to
tell me and you that's why sometimes
that period of my life where I got
criticized judged I probably took any
now people but they won't do to my faith
but yeah but you need them people
sometimes because they've got a issue
with themselves in within themselves of
course but they're taking it out on
others but you need these people because
you use them as a competitive thing like
you know what I'm gonna prove you wrong
there and it helps you it pushes you
even more and it's just forget it I just
have this quote from the whole two years
on my wallpaper on my phone and it was I
do because I can't I come because I want
to I want to because you said I couldn't
and that's what it was because there was
so many people that said I couldn't yeah
I'm just gonna go and do this now yeah
almost to prove them wrong so I get that
yeah it's very hard but like I said
everyone goes to so much through life
and you mentioned the depression thing
earlier and obviously you know you found
fighting as your way of kind of
releasing energy and helping you and all
the benefits of exercise on mental
health and depression yeah how did you
overcome it or is it something that you
still feel you battle with now I think
um I don't have it no more now basically
up in a way but back then when I was a
kid I didn't know it was depression okay
but it was but I realized after
afterwards it what it was because going
in a room lock yourself up and crying is
just as a 12 year old and I was 10 to 12
that's when it was the main period and
it was a bit more you wouldn't realize
and you think one more crank you just
you know but that's what's going on your
head is telling you
Danya you're on your own you got no one
there your mom and dad that's so far
away you know you have all these
thoughts going through your head and
negative thoughts basically and he
started from there and I worked myself
in a way thinking and first of all
sports was helping me anyway keeps your
mind of things you know like I always
say to people find a hobby don't have to
become a sport do any sport it could be
anything you know sitting playing on
PlayStation yeah sometimes it gets your
mind off things remind some well
absolutely and the way I overcome it is
basically I was just
one day I'll just come home and thinking
to myself I'm about 14 now and I'm done
it in ages and I was thinking to myself
hold on I felt alone I'm not sitting
there I was thinking and no one cares
about me you know I want to go back to
Germany I don't want to be here no more
but then I started thinking these people
started coming all in my head that
criticized me and just my family my
parents basically and everything and I
said if I go back now and give up I
gotta hear that for rest of my life and
my mom and dad will have to hear that
say he didn't make nothing of himself he
ain't done nothing so at 14 I have to
think and more 14 year olds they don't
think about us knowing no chance I have
to prove after thinking my head don't
think you know what I can't do this I
give up no matter how hard it becomes I
will not give up I was there yeah and
prove everyone wrong and I'm not telling
everyone that it's easy to do you know
depression is it's a very I don't think
it's looked into as much it should be
and it's quite hard and not many people
can overcome it
because they feel that there's no one
day and of course you know I mean until
not only in the hard way
look I didn't speak to no one I used
myself as in I'm gonna do this I'm gonna
do that I'm gonna prove them wrong and
I'm gonna give it a go I'm not gonna
give up and then I never gave up from
they carried on I went through a lot of
stuff through it throughout then as well
I lost my grandparents in India mum or
my dad's mom and dad both died day after
each of that and especially a funeral
day it's a very different thing I've
gone I've lost fights that's made me
feel down you know I've had shit
performances fights I've been criticized
judged again this was around 18 19
so through in my whole life there's been
bits and bobs but I had that one thing
in my head I don't give a fuck I am NOT
gonna give up and I'm gonna carry on and
today people respect you for it you know
people think you know who's strong
minded person yeah definitely and now
I'm just too old I'm getting I feel like
my body might not be the same that I was
when
was 18 I'd like mmm fire and then got
the punches got the kid speed whatever
but in my head I'm still that lion and
he still there and if I have to do
something I know I can do it my body
might have to be shattered even if it's
not fighting or whatever is all training
using that one is yeah unify they say
people lose their jobs they get
redundant the baffled they don't know
what to do they go to a pub they start
drinking no cuz they don't used to
thinking one fuckin into the world
no walk through that door be happy mmm
see your family
what about girlfriend kids where that
smile say you know what
tomorrow's another day absolutely simple
as that to do them and that's the way to
overcome things it's hard it's it's not
easy I'm not saying it's easy but you
know yeah I think you need mindset yeah
you've got like an athletic like a top
top level of mindset but the things
you're saying is you're not saying you
don't feel it as well yeah you still
feel pain you still feel this struggle
or making a hole and you're not Superman
like nobody wants to wake up and running
the cold but you have to do cos
necessary you have to do and if anything
if we can train ourselves whether it's
through exercise combat sports or
whatever it is like any goals we have is
it going to discipline yourself yes
that's really where you get your rewards
yeah
discipline yourself alone you have to
discipline your mind and your you have
to think right and it's just like like
you said it's not easy but what isn't
easy
nothing's easy in life and this is a
thing and I think I'm not sure of the
right word for it but I feel a little
bit sorry for people who haven't been
through the hardship in life or suffered
as much because it's more difficult for
them to put themselves in somebody like
yourselfs position yeah see the thing is
you had your back against the wall you
had no other choice easy there look I
quit and this is the end now or I keep
fighting forward and you're calling
forward stand by swing it's true even as
a kid like when I was in Germany going
through being bad influence through I
was only seven eight and I wasn't doing
theft and that and literally you know
just I think the only time one thing I
remember is getting my head kicked in by
a bunch of sixteen year olds me I'm a
I'm
seven years eight years old but that was
the life growing up in the state and I
think coin from coming from Frankfort
they stay area there and come into hands
with it's just as bad well yeah I bought
that mentality to England that no one's
gonna fuck with me and I am Who I am I
see and they've helped me I don't know
me I remember last time getting in
trouble here in England you know just
stay disciplined and then what I have to
do found a talent kept up with it kept
my head strong you know regardless of
what happens in life they're gonna be
ups and downs gems are gonna come that's
no matter what they don't matter who is
okay you can be a celebrity you can be
yeah multi-millionaire credit they're
all going through storms and they all
come through life where they stressed
and they're whoever but the carrier of
the carrier they don't give up you know
and that's the way to be to be basically
and I carried on to be fair I bought
that same mentality it took time and
like I said I still you have ups and
downs now I have ups and downs now and
then but doing that thing like waking up
in the morning how makes it positive
it helps Lord and I hope people try that
this you try all right definitely I mean
I've started yeah I told you you'd like
to get people to start it because it's
important out and the thing that's
important is you showed your under
ability there so we all know you as this
tough guy yeah you know kicking ass all
over all over the world but it's good to
have wannabe of you as a human saying
look I still struggle that's it but like
you said you've got two choices you
before you go backwards and yours is
always to go forward keep looking
forward and don't look back basically if
you start looking back you living in the
past of course live in the moment that's
what we've gone the future that's got to
be fair forget the future the past live
in the limit yeah I believe in that
moment you know you wake up that's your
day live in that moment that time that
you got in that lake every minute hour
whatever counts yeah and giving that
moment I love it future is a plan past
is gone forget that and the moment is
what you're gonna do then whatever you
do in the day doesn't mean I'm telling
people to train or whatever not as
athlete wise as a normal human being
wise find happiness first
in yourself and think positive and what
your mind just starts changing myself
I'm just living that moment I love it
that's the best way brilliant bro I
appreciate that great lessons there um I
would ask you then another question and
so I know you're not scared of like
combat and stuff stuff that most people
a normal person on their own will be
scared of confrontation is tough because
obviously you've been then you're not
just competing against a normal person
throw it you're competing against
somebody who's trained and probably just
as hard as you yeah but other than that
what else in life scares you then you
know what be honest I've never feared
anything to be fair the only thing I
fear and as in person who Dean he's
probably my parents losing my parents I
don't feel nothing else I can go back to
the bottom I know I'll rise up again
nothing fears me but we all know that we
get old at one point and we're gonna use
people we love and it's a hard thing and
especially like me that I haven't spent
time with them as much as I want to do
my life and try my best I'll do
everything now a lot of people ask me
what you want you go holiday come with
you mate so I can do that whenever of
course at that time I have off I'll go
home and that time I spend with my mom
and dad it's the most important time in
my life and I think if I fear anything
it's losing my parents in life basically
nothing else fears me I could lose wah
wah lose my house I can lose my job I'll
do whatever is but you can't replace
that you can't replace certain things
your parents are one thing that you
can't replace you loved once something
you know and that is my fear
we take you for granted yeah we do
another fear that a lot it's it's
something that you know you gotta accept
it one day it's no and but you don't
want it to come and that's the fear you
have any you've got the right mentality
though that every day is you basically
seize the day
yeah so you make the most of it I'm the
same I think that probably one of my
biggest fears as well my immediate
family obviously if you know is you do
and I know a lot of people use that
dreams to inspire my sometimes use like
my nightmares to inspire me so I I
sometimes I know it sounds a bit morbid
but it's like just imagine if this is
their everlasting
do you know what I mean
that requires we have to really give my
all on the day because my my end game is
for them to have their life that they've
always wanted a do you know mean until
they have to find that for them so if
you always because I'm not the longer
you take the more chance it is of that
day coming that's it yeah that makes it
and you're right that is using that is
basic I use the same thing like I always
think the opposite I think to myself you
know it's God forbid something happens
to him that's why I booked my ticket on
the last minute hang on when I have that
time off it can be two days three days
I'm their dog of course no catch the
flight I'm gone you know I mean I could
use that money to do anything I want I
don't know anywhere in the world if I
want some toys and do I want but that
time I spend with them that's the best
was the best time and even if he's just
sitting at home and just talking to
having it laughing just chilling it
can't be no there's no that's the only
thing I personally fear anything else I
don't feel like you can throw me in the
jungle with nothing you know I mean
obviously I'll come at what I've gotta
do and going back to the bottom of my
advice by cooking I'm not scared normal
because you know once you've been there
yeah you don't fear to be there again
but you know how to wake yourself up
then yeah you can be poor rich but they
were still living our India and you see
poor people you see you know how people
live and how people are they still have
you know yeah you don't mean it's crazy
easy it's still happy I'm going Thailand
back end of last year and I remember
this one particular family was a three
generation family and they were just
smiling in this very small hut where
clothes on the line that didn't look
like they were washed but they were
washed I don't mean that in any
disrespectful way but happiness it was
almost like an advert you know that when
you watch these business embolus and I
walked past it with the wife and we just
walking back to the hotel sir that's
bliss I mean like no God they've got
each other that's actually enough you
know those relationships they got
happiness love and I was like I love
that it did change my perception a lot
coming back from a place like that and I
think them as people especially in
today's society so glued to our
Instagram and we should go out there we
should look at these people and travel a
bit of the world and see how lucky we
actually are I went when I fought in
India for in Bombay and
it was a the poverty day was crazy and
poor but I've seen it remember going
growing past in the car on the right
hand side there's a mom with the two
kids and they seemed happy
they smiley and the kids were playing
and they ended up in the dirt
things are not change you know you're
gonna experience a lot that change and
you think you know always complain
complain why am i complaining but yeah
going back to the fear that's the only
thing I fear in life otherwise I don't
fear anything - yeah I was gonna say if
you don't see that the guys getting it
here
fair enough fair enough so I'm gonna
assume obviously your parents are your
big motivation but you're also like
you're inspiring other people as well
now so you when I've talked about your
Instagram yes if you're waking Mackenzie
away commit will China another minute as
well what keeps you motivated to still
keep that up because I'm not even about
day job as well yeah through touch phone
yeah so you went from network around is
it yeah engineer you're an engineer and
you do that full time when I see you I
just see you is it after you keep
finding people and doing amazing things
what inspires you in terms of keeping
that going is that just something that
you just enjoy this part of your life or
have you got a bigger inspiration to do
anything and I'll be honest you know
when it's been in use since 10 years old
it's an it is in your blood and you will
never give it up he's always gonna be in
you that attitude that fighter mentality
that been there done it and he inspires
me in a way that I used to do this it's
the world I lived he was it's what made
me I'm not I'm not when people say know
me as me they know me as the fighter
yeah yeah no means nothing so easily
it's gonna live with me forever
yeah so that's why it pushes me to help
others I like to help but I like to be
in that environment in that gym
environment where kids are training it
reminds me of me and when these guys are
training for Big Show's big fights and
I'm holy punch to them I'm training him
it reminds me that I'll be through this
and I love it
I think it's great and Guilds all boys
and we have students that are little
kids from girls to boys and this so much
talent out there and I think it's just
brilliant
for them to get off the couch or hang on
the computers they enacted yeah I think
it's it's gonna be in me forever always
when it comes to that side I'll always
be there in that sport environment
because that's something that stuck with
me yeah yeah it's always there and I'm
always there to Harper I think this
interview is going to be interesting
though when people listen to it because
there's a lot more about this as well as
you as a person
yeah and I think you don't give yourself
credit for how wise and how emotionally
in terms of you you've obviously taken a
lot of knocks to the head as I telogen
because I listen to a lot of large
premieres and world leaders and most
people speak the same things so that the
max of everything is the same everyone's
trying to motivate us by I said there
was stuff but what it is we will have a
different way of communicating and yours
is obviously through your fight game but
some of the words you're saying today is
it's literally like I'm hearing it and
you can see how excited I'm when I'm
sitting here because I was just hearing
someone I admire lip killing it across
the game saying the same stuff yeah so
there's obviously a secret to the
success you know the secret ingredient
which people have it and whether it's
making money or whether it's inspiring
people are getting to the top of a
5-game the things you are speaking about
are amazing so hopefully this interview
gives that and I think you should
definitely try and showcase that more as
well we touched on mental health and
this is something we'll take offline
because I'm deuce a couple of projects
in mental health so my mom suffered with
it for eight years on know how serious
it is and I think having someone from so
of health and fitness background into it
there might be room for us to
potentially work together or something
to what help into poor people awareness
is tough so I'm excited for that because
I think you've got more than just horny
pants for people you've got a lot of
life why I like helping doing space of
that I don't see I'm doing yeah yeah
sometimes if my friends all my family or
even my parents of the day of negative
times on the talky negative I'm thinking
I'm explaining it to them yeah it's true
like you said you don't realize you have
that in your head you have it here like
you don't have to have a great a be
all agree but if you got general
knowledge in life and you know how to
especially help people I made people
happy no life experience is the main
thing a female nowadays this youths out
there that like that
you know I mean of course parents want
to give them everything on the plate
don't want to see them struggle but
they're not gonna experience life she's
not gonna not true no and I think the
best lesson they could teach at school
is how to control and understand your
own mind which is something that you've
had to do definitely cuz I remember last
time using science I use it a little bit
for fitness but generally speaking yeah
it's some of the stuff is okay yeah I
don't know how to pay tax and yeah of
course they should just be like a life
school or thing yeah yeah but I think
that's something that I'll probably do
with my kids because I'm not I've got
academics yeah then the whole degree the
Masters and stuff and it's not really so
me where I want to go look this stuff I
wanna do I don't actually need any of
that so for me it's like I've just
wasted so many years so when I get kids
and stuff I'd love first I'm gonna get
in the club box it's a little boxy
engineer sports all that's also but
generally speaking what I think when
they get to a certain age if they find a
passion or something they wanna do I
took their choice yeah absolutely their
choice and another thing I want to hit
on is basically a lot of people don't
realize this when there's no difference
between a girl and a boy a girl can do
anything that a boy can understand I
know girls are tough for the boys yeah
they're champions and I don't disagree
with the thing that a female can't do
what American you know they can do
anything anything that American and
nowadays females are more successful
than men really do what and he's just
the individual that's why yeah because I
get a lot of parents saying that oh yeah
my boys gonna do this but how about you
girl look of course it what means she
can't do that no example like fighting
or boxing
oh my boy he might not want to do that
but you go might become a world champion
be and it it's I mean yeah there's a lot
of female fighters now I'm seen coming
up as dangerous imagine you also is all
gonna bring on a female power lifter
it's just a normal girl that you
wouldn't think that
the power of technique and everything
they got and everything else boys this
got their own training and it's hard and
it's all a point athlete and fighting to
the sign as a person and human I'll be
through things but I'm still standing
okay so there you've heard it the buzzer
has gone off now we're gonna put Raj
through his paces and I'm gonna asking
the most random questions ever was 60
seconds so are you ready buddy yeah I'm
ready let's go okay brilliant three two
one what did you eat for breakfast see
ya the ability to fly or be invisible
visible money or fame money Bruce Lee or
Chuck Norris Bruce Lee your proudest
moment your favorite food pizza Netflix
or YouTube Netflix your number-one goal
this year just be healthy boxing or
kickboxing boxing
would you rather know how you will die
or when you were dying your favorite
boxer ever everything more or less your
favorite MMA fighter ever John Jones
love or money love books or movies
you're number one fitness tip your
favorite workout song yes if you could
sit with one person in the world for
another who would it be
not bad your worst fear is a child you
ever seen what is your biggest addiction
junk food summer or winter winter your
favorite place in the world India if you
could abolish one thing in the world
what would it be your favorite superhero
your biggest friend and the final
question is your favorite movie star
Robert De Niro really good stuff okay so
the next thing I ask is about reflection
so if you could go back to maybe an
earlier time in your life where you
could whisper something to your younger
self say for instance when you're first
coming to Tom that Airport yeah you
leavin funfair fine you comin up to
England and you can just whisper
something into that kids yeah knowing
what you know now what would you say if
I'll take it back to that time
when me when I first left Germany going
to that Airport back with my bags no
whispering to that kids hear my sob I'll
just say go there and smushy hmm you're
gonna make it okay
so we're actually at the last question
now and this is a question asked all on
my guess yeah and it's if you're not
hundred fifty years no members are
around anymore and all that exists is a
book book on the table and it's a book
about your life and everything that
you've done open to whenever you pass
and on that book what I wouldn't
obviously what the player would be and
secondly what the summary would tell us
about you at the back Montana would be
basically my favorite song with no one
knowing this notion of comedy it's my
way from Frank Sinatra okay love like my
book would be called my way yeah because
I've done everything my way the way I
wanted it to do the way I wanted it to
be and that's why I'll call it just my
way but a picture yeah okay straight
ahead my legs and the name my way and at
the back just a great human being
basically like how people and went
through the struggles through journey of
my life and a Beatle come my way my way
try and get the truck oh yeah I love
that song literally but um yeah that's
it really but that wouldn't be the book
and I will be the back the journey of my
life okay
that I destroyed my way no fantastic and
I've sort of said thank you again for
obviously sharing your story I knew it'd
be good my wife's been telling me for
ages brought myself as a podcasting back
in the day but she was like you need to
reach out to write you know it's got an
amazing stories inspiring
from the moment I met you today your
energy and stuff appreciate that
thank you very much days on I'm just
like as a friend now I'm proud of
everything you're achieving and what
you're doing going forward until your
parents are as well and just before we
close up the show what's the best place
the audience can connect with you or
follow your story they can connect with
me through Facebook social media
Instagram Facebook and your names for
the names are red silent
okay on Instagram only one radish salad
I like
and they're on Facebook right silent
I'll come up and you'll know
straightaway and you spout Raj Raj and
my second name is sa double L a and
fantastic so I do he's operating in the
show notes as well you'll find a lot of
like training footage as well I'm sure
there's a lot of mindset stuff in there
as well obviously if you throw a like
training like I knew actually before I
met you I was gonna want to go to the
gym after this episode so I've got my
shaker ready I've got my gym attire on
I'm going straight to the gym hopefully
inspires you guys but also inspires you
not to make excuses in your life because
there's always somebody out there who's
probably got it with so thank you
Raj and for everyone at home thanks for
listening and remember this podcast is
absolutely free so all we ask in return
is for you to share this with a friend
and drop us a five star review over on
iTunes
have an awesome day
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Find your voice - Episode 14 - "And still I rise" - Bep Dhaliwal #14
Tagline: "No matter what life threw at her, she felt the pain, she cried the tears, and then she chose to rise..."
The Queen at finding the Silver Lining, Bep Dhaliwal shares her incredible story. You may recognise her from her fantastic movement, Thrive 365 which focuses on life coaching and empowering others.
In this episode Bep discusses her incredible perspective on life, having overcome cancer and seen the damage it has done throughout her family and friends. Initially having a career in the Corporate world she has now transitioned into something more self-fulfilling and purpose driven.
Her infectious and positive attitude is evident as she has had to re-evaluate her own mission in life, focuses solely on helping to empower others.
A truly emotional story, which resonated with me personally due to Cancer being a common theme in my own family, I am grateful Bep shared her story and encourage you all to follow her journey.
Thanks for listening
Free Audible book sign up:
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Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/findyourvoice
Links to me:
Website: https://www.arendeu.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aren.deu/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/arendeu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aren.singh
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aren-deu-65443a4b/
Podcast: https://www.findyourvoicepodcast.com
YouTube: http://tiny.cc/51lx6y
Links to guest:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bep.dhaliwal (Personal)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thrive365uk/ (Thrive 365)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivebep/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bep-dhaliwal-coactivecoach/
Apple podcast app:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/find-your-voice/id1448344412?mt=2
Stitcher:
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/aren-deu/find-your-voice
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/3EYhA7LvSu8vi3sTL07GGs
#JustDeuIt #FindYourVoice
[Music]
welcome to an episode of find your voice
a movement led by yours truly
Aren do a guy who has overcome
crippling anxiety adversity and
difficulty like so many of you in life
whose main goal now is to help you
combat your excuses take control of your
life write your own story and most
importantly find your voice so now
without further ado I welcome the host
of the show himself mr. Aren do what's
going on people thank you for tuning in
to another episode of find your voice my
name is Aaron and as always I am the
host of the show so what a fascinating
story I've got lined up for you today
you see this person is not only
inspiring but she carries so much
strength and I have so much admiration
for her because life hasn't been easy
for her however she's not sitting there
making excuses she's not sitting there
playing the victim card in fact what
she's doing now if she's thriving 365
days of the year and while she's doing
that she's helping to the people so I
think it's really gonna hit home with
quite a few of us that listen to this
and I think there's certain parts of
this episode at least not gonna resonate
with you at least they resonate with me
because some of her stories I've
suffered similar stuff in my life
and maybe you have too and I think
there's real beauty in the way that she
describes a struggle and how she's
overcame it and how she's coping with it
on a daily basis today so I think what
I'm gonna do is jump straight into this
one again it's always more fun listening
to the guest than myself let's get this
show on the way okay so I just want to
begin by obviously thanking the
listeners for tuning in to the show
today and more importantly our wonderful
guest today which is Bev Dahlia so how
are you doing today I'm really good
Winkie great too great to be on and
great to speak to as many people as we
can
fantastic fantastic so as we touched on
just before this off is always obviously
trying to get you on the show for quite
some time now mainly my fault I'd like
to rearrange because of my cold and my
tissues which I still have but I think
it's important for the listeners to get
to know you
a little bit and understand your story
so if you wouldn't mind if you could
just kind of tell us how you progress
through life and kind of ended up where
you are today okay and so as ayran said
my name's Bette I I suppose I'd probably
describe myself as a regular Indian girl
who was being brought up by some amazing
parents actually who have worked really
really hard so you know they were the
first generation to come to the UK they
put a lot of their dreams on hold in
terms of you know my dad wanted to be a
doctor and he ended up having to work in
a factory just you know bringing the
cash et cetera
they both had an amazing work ethic
which I think has helped me my brother
and my sister to really appreciate the
value of kind of working hard and you
know being respectful and looking out
for each other and caring and you know
family first sort of those kinds of
things so it was really privileged and
actually you know months all of that and
I was working hard
there was also loads of fun so you know
we've just laser fun things as kids not
with a lot of money but you know it's
just making time for each other really
and because my dad work shifts we'd have
a lot more quality time with him so that
was always really you know good so he
made sure that we played in that time
which was amazing and then went off to
university it was probably the first
Asian girl in our family to go to
university he see that had his ups and
downs so for me the ups were obviously
like loads of freedom and friendships
and it just felt like you know oh my I
had never really experienced freedom
before so it was just life with no
restrictions and it really sparked
something in me in terms of just being
independent and just on my own two feet
actually putting myself first you know
thinking about what it was that I wanted
and Load came from that so you know that
was a really important time in my life
after university and got married Church
you know chose the guy that I wanted to
marry because I kind of was
fresh to get married and unfortunately
that didn't really work out we you know
you kind of realized quite I realized
very early on that we were just living
life on very different you know my
upbringing had been different values in
life were very different
and there were later lessons you know I
really should have realized at that
point in terms of the power of trusting
your gut you know which I really should
have trusted even today and I didn't but
there was just a lot of pressure to you
know I suppose to live the dream that I
suppose for some respect you know my
parents had given me the freedom to go
to university I owed them something back
and although I chose this guy you know
but we we all learn a lot in that
process my parents in terms of a spaced
out strong and independent I can be for
me it was just a case of wow sometimes
it's really important listen to your
parents and their gut instincts but you
know don't worry about it and that's the
biggest thing for me is that you know
yes it was you know seven or eight years
of my life but who I then became was a
person that I just think wow I would
never become that person if I had stayed
in that kind of relationship or not been
through that yeah exactly not been
through that and then I suppose you know
had a few years of again being single
and enjoying my life and then I met the
right guy and got married and then
cancer came along and threw in some
curveballs so very early on into our
marriage
probably about eighteen months in I
think so yeah so that's me yeah faith in
terms of just that additional element of
Who I am I am I supposed part of the
other theme that kind of ran through was
I had a 20-year kind of corporate career
so I was working you know in a big
corporate business for 20 years in
various different roles sales marketing
PR and I were recently left in 2017 and
set up my own business called Wray 365
and it's literally about how you can
thrive every day I love it
okay thank you for sharing that you're
doing this thing now which is thrive 365
obviously I'm assuming because of your
cancer situation and it's kind of change
the whole perspective on life and I
follow use now on social media not in a
stalking way but I'm very inspired by
your messages and the work that you're
doing out there have you always been
positive inspiring motivational have you
always thought about doing something
perhaps like this in your life or is it
because of the circumstances that you
would doubt you felt no actually I need
to give up this corporate life and I
need to have a shift in my life it's
definitely been because of a second
sentence is not I've never ever thought
about running my own business you know
even than my parents
did you know my mom had a sound wave is
Ness and we all bought up in that and I
realized how much hard work cause that's
never been my thing my thing has eaten
go you know bring in you know a safe
salary and I think for me it was always
a case of them you know and bring home
you know a decent enough salary in terms
of living a nice quality of life and but
but then it was always that case of for
me it's factly I suppose even after the
divorce it was a case of actually
there's more to life than work and work
was my nine-to-five but it was what I
did outside of those hours was what
enriched me and really kind of like
bought more perspective to my life and
that's where I wanna see a lot of my
energy but the cancer definitely made me
made me really stop and think about what
I wanted the rest of my life to be about
and it wasn't necessarily my
nine-to-five I've have had cancer in my
family kind of ripped through it as well
and it does completely change your
perspective and I'm not I'm not saying
it was a reason I kind of gave up
corporate because I gave that up for a
different reason but I think if it was
to happen at that time I'd probably
start to reassess my life as well and I
guess that's kind of one of the reasons
I I want to do this podcast is because I
don't want people to wait for a
situation or a circumstance in their
life in order for them to kind of think
do you know what I better make the most
of my life all of a sudden because a lot
of us is just going through autopilot in
our life to this shame it's a shame to
see because we can do so many beautiful
and wonderful things out there
could we just if you wouldn't mind just
expand a little bit just so the
listeners know in relation to the Thrive
365 yes sure say and I think for me like
you said and I think you've already
recognized as well just you know cancer
made me really really stop and
reevaluate everything in my life and the
one thing I realized that you know that
I really wanted to do was to to make the
most of every day and there's something
about and thriving doesn't mean that
you're living life 100 miles an hour
sometimes thriving for me is literally
sitting in front of the telly watching
Grey's Anatomy because that is the bit
that that chills me out and that's the
program I just have to watch on my own
and it just settles me and it you know
it does everything and I am ready then
to face the world after I've had that
hour and so thriving but it's just
knowing you know knowing that actually
what is it and it's so personal and it's
so individual as to what it takes for
somebody to thrive every day and so
within my business that's what I'm doing
I'm helping individuals through
one-to-one coaching in terms of
understanding themselves better and then
also you know going into corporates and
I'm just the on-site coach that again
goes in it just holds that space for
people to be seen and heard and to feel
like they they value their valued and
that they matter because I think there
was something so I suppose about you
know not living life on everybody else's
terms and expectations and I think
absolutely for me it's that journey of
knowing who you are and I didn't really
know who I was until even I suppose
actually was the it was after when I
decided to get divorced I also decided
to invest in a life coach which was the
best thing ever and she really helped me
work on my values because I was so stuck
about who I was and everything obviously
had been turned upside down for me and I
just thought I don't know how to
navigate forwards and you know and she
appeared at the right time and just
helped me recognize my value you say
that every decision I then made with him
my values were embedded in those
decisions
and I think that really helped fantastic
I resonate so much with that in relation
to my corporate life I actually I did I
didn't employ a life college similar to
yourself but why did is I had somebody
he was a lot wiser than me at the time
asked who I saw as a mentor and he he
actually asked me the question Erin what
are your values in ethics and it's one
of the question where you know it as a
kid I suppose or you kind of live by a
certain way but then you kind of forget
it and you like the whole autopilot and
then all of a sudden i sat there I
thought I don't actually know the answer
to that and I remember sitting there and
I went home that evening us I used to
stay by myself in a hotel when I was
working and I sat there and actually
googled ethics definition and I was
looking around to kind of get some
inspiration and then when I started to
write it down it wasn't far along after
I say about five or six months later I
actually give up corporate world for
forever and I then went on to become a
social worker and kind of attaching
things that resonate with myself in
terms of giving back and stuff so yeah I
find that really interesting that you
said that I was gonna say that that's
great that you actually were able to
hear that and take action against it
because I just I don't think I
definitely didn't realize that I didn't
know what my values were I knew that
things would trigger me and I'd get
upset but I didn't realize it was
because something whatever that
situation was was treading on my values
mmm-hmm and I think there's so much in
that you know the corporate world is
amazing the you know for giving you
perspective and introducing you to
people that have that awareness and that
can mentor you and I've learned so much
in you know my 20 year career but I just
think you sometimes it's those life
experiences that still you know help
absolutely and I think you hit the nail
on the head when you said about knowing
who you are and the funny thing is I
think so many people including myself at
some stage I didn't know who I was and
it's such a simple question but I think
I kind of wish that everyone can just
maybe take time out of their day or in
the weekend or something just a
collective thing is everything I'm doing
in my daily life it
is it working towards my core values at
least because if you can align those in
whatever other sector is you will find
some level of fulfillment happiness I
mean that's kind of my take on it and it
is it's about the alignment piece and I
just think I wish this stuff could be
taught in schools in terms of I didn't
talk quite recently citizen teenagers
and I was desperate to say to them
please don't lose sight of what your
passion is now so be it sport BR keep
something that's just yours
because that will be also be a piece of
how you thrive you know almost every day
because you need to have something that
connects with you and and I suppose one
of my other biggest life lessons is
everything starts with you and you know
everything everything is centered but if
we don't take the time to know who we
are or our triggers are what our
passions are then that's quite often
when we last and we stand we get on this
we live life on other people's terms and
you know with other people's
expectations and then actually that's
when you then end up potentially getting
ill because you realize that you are
living you know very stressful life
because it's not in alignment and that's
when I think sometimes you know the
awareness hits and sometimes that's too
late you know because the illness or
whatever is that's happened is there and
i reaiiy mutl on that page of let's do
this early let's just realise now and
you know you you you can change you can
find a way absolutely to help in
understanding yourself better and live
life in a so you know so much more
empowered way but yeah I can relate to
what it's like in a corporate life
you've got early starts you've got late
late evenings and you're pretty much
working more than the state seven and a
half hours that you're contracted to
your life's change now and you're I
suppose you're kind of living it on your
own terms have you got any sort of daily
habits or anything in relation to
routine where people who perhaps are
going through this phase where they're
trying to find themselves and they're a
little bit lost could perhaps adopt or
maybe kind of alter and
use yeah I suppose one of the things
because my you know my my weeks my
months are all very very different
because I'm kind of out doing later
different things networking you know
meeting new people you know doing some
client work it's all really really
varied but something I realized is
especially in terms of you know walking
my talk how do i thrive every day and
and i think there is something around
that that i know i'm gonna have a good
day if I literally do you know start
with exercise in the morning but then
there's something about you know that
then triggers me to then eat well
through the day will be much more aware
of what I'm eating but then also I think
there's something about taking time for
myself so I you know I have I actually
really enjoy time on my own in terms of
you know either listening to a
meditation doing a bit of journaling you
know I don't have a set time in which I
do that and actually give myself a bit
of a break on some of that stuff and
think actually you know what do I feel
like today like what is going to enrich
me what's going to feed my soul today
and sometimes it's actually even just
connecting with certain people that I
know do that for me as well I spend a
lot of time with my family
and so I've got two young nephews and I
you know where I can they're probably
you know them and my parents are the
ones I think okay I'm gonna get a buzz
from spending some time and that's the
freedom and flexibility I love working
for yourself that you can factor in time
to do you know and suspend where you
know you're gonna get a lot in return
and it is going to enrich you and these
are things that I don't want to ever
look back on my life and think I didn't
make time for the right people and and
all of that so I think having the
freedom and flexibility is what I really
appreciate but also I've realized
stepping away from corporate now just
how free I am to learn and grow in
subjects and areas that literally feed
my soul so
I'm a passionate you know I just feel
this so much more I've got to learn and
so I do you know spend quite a bit of
time in terms of reading absorbing
thinking out how I can use some of this
information with my clients and so I'm
just constantly feeding myself like
knowledge but also experience and giving
myself time to still get to know myself
a lot more and I've kind of said my
husband and myself a challenge this year
that this year is all about us in on an
individual level so what is it that we
both need to do for ourselves so that we
are still connected and I kind of feel
like I although I am connected to myself
I still feel there's so much more I need
to know about myself and I think that
typically again the whole you know I'm
the big sister I all my energy goes on
everybody else and and I need to write
what I really want to just stop and
think actually stop focusing on
everybody else focus on you and what is
it that you need I think you need to
obvious if it's like the analogy you
need to fill your own cock before you
can fill out the people's up there's so
many fantastic points you saw you spoke
about there you walk in the taught
you're getting to know yourself and I
think in a relationship and being in
relationship myself as well just getting
to know yourself and your own needs as
an individual I think his song yeah so I
love my wife to bits she's my rock she's
everything and she allows me to do what
I'm doing today
but we've also I'm very fortunate that
she thinks similar to myself we both
realize we have our own needs as well
and I think you need to all as
individuals but ourselves kind of first
and I know it kind of sounds selfish but
in order if you can do that right I
think that we can obviously give so much
more out to the world yeah and I don't
you know I've kind of challenged you
know I've always thought oh my god is it
selfish is it selfish and I realize
actually it really isn't that self
nurture and that self-love and self-care
just means that you you do fill your own
cup first you know you are the best
person you can be
and then other people benefit from that
they don't burn a curd and InTouch and
all of those kinds of things I think
people it's so much more from when you
are in a good place so whatever you need
to do to get yourself into that good
place first that's what everybody
benefits absolutely i 100% agree i think
the hardest probably point is for anyone
who's very giving in the nature and
actually is to kind of flip that breath
but yeah i think you've hit the nail on
the head I've seen massive improvements
in my life my wealth my health and
everything and by taking that slightly
selfish approach and to be honest it
doesn't even need to be anything
extensive so what I do is I wake up an
hour before my wife and within that hour
I will listen to something that will
help me mentally and I'll go to the gym
within that hour so by the time I come
back I'm then fully present and focused
on like my relationship and then the
work and he just it just works so much
better so yeah fantastic the the next
thing I always like to kind of ask my
guess is about adversity and I know I
know some of your story and I know with
the kinds of scare as well I mean if you
feel comfortable could you explain
perhaps maybe for listeners who could be
going through a similar situation or can
resonate with your story a particular
example of when you've you've gone
through this adversity and it's like a
particular day and how you overcame it
and I think more importantly the lessons
you've learned from it because I think
that's really important that hopefully
that can give some insight to the
listeners yeah sure so and you know
cancer is my story really and if you'd
have said to me years ago you know what
do you want to be named or like I would
never have chosen cancer but it has
literally is big it's become the very
unwelcome visitor in my family who keeps
on showing up and bringing a different
friend every time which is just really
really annoying but you can either drown
with all of that or you can find a way
through and and I've chosen to find a
way through and I suppose our story
started I suppose in in 2012 and my
husband was diagnosed with lymphoma so
that's a blood cancer and that you know
obviously
just knocked the not Dez off her feet
completely because he was the one
actually narration when a relationship
who is a healthy one and actually my
family a lot of people would look at my
husband and think no this guy's me this
guy goes to the gym and he eats well and
you know and he's a good guy and and so
that really shook and it was the first
kind of real experience in my immediate
family of cancer and his family and so
we you know we didn't know how to deal
with it we didn't know how to cope with
it what we realized you know very
quickly was you know you lose all sense
of kind of control and you become part
of the system and so even for me I you
know being the person on the sidelines
that wasn't really able to do anything
so as a carer you know it took hist oh
because everything centered you know
around the cancer and everything
centered around his treatment is
all-encompassing and it's over thing you
you just think live breathe cancer what
are we gonna do and and then you get
stuck in the system of like okay we're
gonna do chemo and his and his chemo
started straight away and you know and
you get into a regime takes loads of
different drugs in between chemo cycles
and and yeah it was the it was it was
mental you know as a family like
everybody was just like how did we deal
with this and and that can cause tension
in itself because everybody wants to
protect to make him better
of course you know and I think so that
was really really tough in terms of
navigating how we were approaching it
and in the end my parents were amazing
and you know my husband fainted after
his first chemo when we were just at
home and so my parents said actually you
know you can't do this on your own and
so we moved in with them so that I could
still do a little bit of work work for
me were they saying as an employer and I
had an amazing boss who basically just
said he's your priority look after him
and work when you can so I was so so
lucky just kind of to it with you know
is really they were so supportive and I
know how lucky we are because that isn't
often the case in cancer journeys
and so we just kind of fell into a
routine in terms of managing symptoms
the one thing it really did bring home
was oh my god do we stress about stuff
that really isn't important you know and
use every day yeah I know because I
think we all think we're invincible and
nothing's going to happen to us and so
we get ourselves so caught up in things
that aren't important and so we realized
you know when he was on that journey and
and every day and you know in his 21
days there's always different as to how
he would feel and there are some nice
side you know like people get angry and
you know and and miserable because of
what the drugs are doing to them and so
there's lots of things you don't see in
terms of you know from cancer and and
but we did start enjoying simple things
so just going for a walk you know we're
going for a cup of tea in a cake all of
these simple things that we so take for
granted suddenly it became so big
because whenever he was actually up to
it and was able to do that that was a
big thing in our day so so that was
tough and then on a holiday to celebrate
the end of his cancer journey so he was
really lucky and he he responded really
well to treatment and he was in
remission and then we went on holiday to
celebrate the end of his treatment and
him going back to work and then on
holiday I found a lump in my breast so
look at that so that I mean that was the
bit that it was hard because you know we
obviously thought we were we were at the
end of it and and we were and for me
that was really hard because because I
just wasn't used to putting myself first
or even being the center of anything
will essential attention and and the one
the biggest learning I suppose from that
whole journey was it made me realize
that I matter I didn't realize that all
that should be eating had um a bit and
actually I'm so grateful for cancer for
making me realize that
you know it totally made me step off
that treadmill of life that was the
trigger for me in terms of you know okay
now it made me question everything
everybody in my life everything that I
did how I was living my life and
obviously I'm so so grateful that both
of us got through it you know I I have
obviously been part of some journey
sense where people haven't got through
it and you know a really good friend of
mine like one of my best friends who
really stepped up when I was going
through my treatment and she just you
know happened to be on maternity leave
at the time and so we ended up spending
a lot of time together and I can
honestly say that she since then has
become my real sunshine pal and so I saw
her whereas other people didn't know
what to say
and it's awkward and people avoid you
when and things like that she rose to
the occasion and she stepped in and and
she just became you know I'd like to go
see her and she just whisked me off for
tea and cake and do things you know we
didn't have a nice lunches some lovely
lovely things and who knew that
literally in that year in 2013 as I was
going through my journey her and her
husband then moved from where they were
living in Windsor up to Nottingham share
and which would be near her family
because she just had her second child
and then her husband got diagnosed with
bowel cancer and sadly he dies in 2016
at the edge of that overall and I just
think but you know mine and Louise's
relationship as a result of all of this
is it has become so tie and so strong
even though we've got distance between
us in miles how she actually has
inspired me beyond belief in terms of
how you how you face death because sadly
we hate talking about death but you know
death is a part of life and and actually
being at the end being there at the end
when you know George very peacefully
buried I'm seeing how she was and how
she shared that with her two boys who
were three and one and a half
literally today inspires me to my core
every single minute of how she dealt
with that and how she continues to deal
with it actually so much so that
shameless plug here we are going to do
overall cod cuts terms of adversity and
you know um what it how it can change
your life and in a way but better if you
if you allow it if you hold it yeah if
you choose to see things differently and
it is all about perspective and the gift
in the suffering you know so there is
something that can come from it and
that's why we do you know of course our
own little sunshine tribe people that we
know will always hold that space for us
and will always let us live loudly live
big dream big be the best that we can be
the first thing I want to say is uh you
you spoke about gratitude day I'm just
very grateful hearing your story and I'm
thankful that you're able to share this
for me I was getting I was getting a
little choked up myself a little bit
there because I can relate in terms of
cancer just ripping through families and
causing this heartache
and I sincerely hope that you know the
kinds of scares for yourself your
husband and for your friend and for
anyone out there really that you know
that they're long gone and that we find
a solution and you know your health goes
from strength to strength you you also
you touched on some amazing things and
one of my wallpapers on my phone is
actually there's beauty in the struggle
it's just a little quote and it comes
from a song but I think at that time we
always think you know it's just
happening to us and the world is
happening to us and it's it's all about
perception and I been through quite a
bit as I'm sure the listeners have and
yourself and I really have managed to
start changing my perception when
something bad happens to myself and I
think it's made me the person that it is
today you touched on beautiful little
things like just going for a walk and
having a slice of cake with a cup of tea
and I think we often forget these little
things because we're in this world where
we see social media and we chase and
this we're chasing this dream that some
celebrity or some improv
has got on there we get the beauty lies
already within us and it's within reach
yeah and I think sometimes we're chasing
this stuff because we think we're not
enough and you know and we need to
constantly be feeling like there's more
there's more you know and I just
sometimes I just think there's so much
in the simplicity of a moment where
you're not actually doing anything is
just you're with the right people you
know and there's just something magical
that if we stopped and and stopped it's
a really big word for me right now in
terms of stuff and just let it be or
fully appreciated it was you know I kind
of think this this one moment in time
right now is the only one that we can
influence absolutely and it's the one
that's going to be you know if we
appreciate how good we've got it right
now in this very moment then we realize
how blessed and how lucky we are because
we can't influence you know we all have
dreams on what we want for the future
we've got experiences in the past that
have shape does and I you know I've had
to realize that I'm not going to have
all the dreams that I wanted and my life
has not gone the way it when I was 20
that I kind of expected it to go but boy
am i a richer person because of air
sometimes we don't know what's good for
us and what is in and and if I don't
make the most of the rest of my life now
I've got the choice to realize that I'm
not forever and you know and right now
how blessed am I for the experiences
I've had up to now and I know that there
will be loads more twists and turns in
this life then was I've always got a
choice in how I respond and I've got a
choice - you know I would definitely say
acknowledge the emotions acknowledge
everything that comes your way give it
space to let it teach you something you
know I still know that a lot of my
cancer journey for myself I did it in
through denial you know I kept on
putting a smile on my face is what
people needed around me that's the other
thing I want to anyone going through a
cancer Joe
just just expect the family and friends
just know that that patient quite often
and is having to be really really strong
you I mean because they can see the fear
in your face and actually I know the
thing that really helped me through my
journey was having a counselor she was
the person that I could go to that you
know wasn't you know a close family or
friend and and she was the one I could
go to and say what if I die you know
what do I need to acknowledge in my life
how do I prepare myself if that is
because you when you get the cancer
diagnosis you face your mortality
it's a massive smack in the face you
know and you realize have I done
everything I've wanted to do up to now
and like you said earlier in the podcast
don't wait you know for the cancer
diagnosis don't wait for that you know
another massive illness or something
live like now because you know if you
trust any of them and they are true I'm
sure all like the stats that are out
there by 2020 so next year one in two of
us are going to be affected by cancer at
some point in our lives and although my
family's taking taking one for the team
in quite a big way I I still think it's
more you know just to stop and
acknowledge the power of you right now
and living the life that you want to
live on your terms absolutely absolutely
I I want to talk about something just
after this first point the first point
is that just in relation to what you
said there and you you you got yourself
a cunt counsellor sorry to speak to you
about having been through would you have
preferred your family to maybe speak to
you openly about it rather than kind of
see as the elephant in the room because
I only ask that because I find it very
very difficult if like when my uncle's
got it or when my uncle passed away with
it do you kind of speak to him about it
and it was always kind of we just
ignoring and pretend everything's happy
and we're all smiling yet we'd go home
and we'd feel sad and then I I know they
would be sad would you employ people to
kind of maybe have that conversation or
do you think it's best left with the
next day
source like a counselor I think
everyone's unique and everybody or you
know because knowing that I use denial
as a coping mechanism I'm not sure that
I would have been ready for certain
family members to say to me okay tell me
what's going on here and how you're
feeling it was actually safer for me to
have somebody outside of my circle and
because I was in denial
putting the smile on for everybody else
and you know and navigating through it
did help the other big thing I probably
really do want to share at this point is
within the Asian community we really
need to start talking about cancer
because it is here it exists and we run
away from it and I know these only my
husband was diagnosed and actually you
know there's a lot of people in our
family still don't know that we bake had
it because we bore a smile or carried on
and and you know I had the most amazing
wig and so I had the most amazing hair
every single day and and so I just think
you know I even turned up at family
functions where people didn't know and
partly because we weren't able to deal
with their handling of it so in a way
I'm not saying everybody should know and
everyone deals with it differently but I
knew that if the more people be told the
more you don't managing their emotions
about the situation than having the
energy to focus on yourself and to do
what's right to get you through it so
there's no right or wrong everyone has
their own way of doing dealing with it
but I think acknowledging it as a family
if that person I shared it with you and
taking the time just to say you know
what can I do how can I help the procure
thing I remember typing a friend of mine
who's whose friend had it I remember
saying to her she said what can I do and
said take her sunshine I said you know
she doesn't want to talk about so all
the time you know she actually just
wants you to acknowledge her as her she
wants you to
you know she can still talk about the
weather she can tell you what she
watched on telly last night
cancer is all-encompassing and sometimes
you just want to break from it and you
talk about other things and you want to
talk about things that you talked before
and the one thing I know I craved was
normality I was so desperate to go back
to the life I had before cancer
Peyman and and you know I can like you
know I'm so full that I can go back to
you know typically the life was like
before now because you know within a
much better place and I know that's not
the case for everybody but know that
when you're on the journey the one thing
you're craving is normality that's
really powerful thank you for sharing
that I think that's that's a great point
and the like you said the Asian
communities everything seems to be a
taboo in the Asian community whether
it's cancer whether it's mental health
it's kind of everything is just brushed
entirely under the carpet which is a
shame but I'm just I just want to go
back to my initial point I really want
to do just highlight you said earlier in
the podcast that I this unwelcome
visitor cancer and you'll be known for
cancer in your eyes and I just want you
to know and I sincerely mean this is
that I think you're an amazing soul and
you'll be remembered for a lot more than
that you'll be remembered from this very
short interaction with yourself now your
inspiring is half out your kindness and
your endearing nature and I think all
the good things that cancer has brought
out of you because I believe it was
always within you to help other people
is truly amazing and you know I would
never just see you as that and that's
from our very short conversation so I
just wanted you to know that I'll bless
you I was I was gonna say that you know
I really want people to know that
there's joy joy runs through my core so
no matter what I kind of think please
find the joy in the simple things and
the big things in through everything I
just think you know just live a life
that is just full of that kindness love
and joy so I just think and that is
where I do walk my talk in terms of you
know making sure that I do find a way
through and you go I know you go what's
your biggest fear in this moment today I
think it is you knowing about what the
cancer has
I do I still fear of it returning a
ferret returning my husband for me for
you know other members of my family
because you know you just think although
I've learned in lessons and I still
sometimes think like okay if it did what
would I do but then I just I do
sometimes just stop myself and going X
I'm like okay like I said earlier bit me
of being a bit of a hypocrite you can I
can only influence today that's a day as
far as I'm aware I don't have it and so
actually that make the most of today so
I think there's always going to be that
underlying fear once it's been there in
your life you know but then I suppose
that's maybe why I'm on over tribe of
cramming as much wonderfulness into as I
possibly can and so and I know I've got
the strength to deal with it in
whichever guys it does if it does so I
think sometimes I just take myself to
what is that fear acknowledge it think
about how I'd handle it and then put it
to bed so don't let it kind of like
overtake and so I think yeah I think
it's it's still there in the background
lurking that's fine that's fine and I
suppose that's probably you don't really
need anything to keep you motivated
I suppose in life because a lot of lot
of people I come in contact with on a
daily basis we're all trying to motivate
ourselves to make the most of life and
you just said a beautiful word there I'm
not even sure if it's a word but it just
sounds beautiful wonderfulness and I
think if we can all make the most of our
days and they're over driving that you
use in I think I think it's so important
I try to do that as well as ie 100
percent think sleep is important but I
think once you have enough sleep then
stop hitting that snooze button really
try and make if you if you want to do
something in life go out there and do it
if you want to connect with someone go
and connect with them if you want to
tell someone you love them then go and
tell them because your stories are
living proof of this you can't take
nothing for granted in this world no too
many of us do spend a you know life
taking a lot for granted absolutely and
people supplanted and I just think
there's something about the magic in the
people around us and
what they bring you and and to share
that with them and select them no
because we can't take anything for
granted
absolutely and I think I mean I'm not
going to sit here and say I take I don't
take things for granted because I I D
but what I've done is and it's just a
little tip for somebody who's probably
not gone through the harsh circumstances
that you have is to really try and have
triggers in your day so for me I have my
wallpaper on my phone I have a photo of
me and my wife have a photo of my family
and I have all these little triggers
where if I ever kind of revert back to
my old habits it will snap me straight
out of place and think I don't fix up
overdrive because because this fault was
there where people are missing as far as
there were people are ill and it's just
it makes you think completely
differently and I just you don't want
you don't want people to go through that
life or have those experiences but I
think sometimes like you said when you
struggle or you go through adversity if
anything it becomes I suppose I can gift
into curses and it you get the case but
then you get a gift from it as well at
the other side I was gonna say when you
get the suffering and I you know there's
something in that suffering but
suffering is also teaching you so much
if you allow it and if you don't fight
it Sam and I just think there's
something in the pain part and that does
then bring the gift when you're ready to
see it okay we are gonna shift gears now
actually we're gonna start smiling now
and what we're gonna do is this is
actually the fun part of the show where
I literally put my guests through just
60 seconds of the most random questions
you've probably heard this week so
there's no right or wrong answer just
try and obviously with your face thought
process and we're gonna start in 3 2 1
okay what did you eat for breakfast Oh
peanut butter on taste the ability to
fly or be invisible fly when your fame
I think Fame for this message your
biggest achievement to date surviving
cancer your favorite food
oh my mum's lamb curry Netflix our
YouTube each aid your number one goal
this year Oh
to to thrive everyday but I really
want to raise the game on how people
live their lives more fully and so to
help people understand how much they
matter would you rather not how you a
died or when you were dying
when love or money love books or movies
books if you could sit with one person
in the world for an hour who would it be
Maya Angela what is your biggest
addiction oh gosh don't know but I'm
addicted to anything really other than
this constant need to better myself were
to learn more and it's all more that's a
brilliant addiction your favorite place
in the world I have to say I took myself
off on a holiday to Brazil and there was
a beautiful hammock on my on my little
balcony I was on my own actually this is
me testing myself and that hammock and
that v---aids on a beach in Brazil was
yeah one I'll never forget if you could
abolish one thing in the world what
would it be I suppose it's ignorance or
people being unkind to each other love
that and finally your favorite song ever
oh my god actually cherish I'm gonna get
cherish cool in the gang
I've heard that played live and is
beautiful brilliant okay fantastic so
the next question I always like to ask
my guess is about reflection I believe
hindsight's a wonderful thing and upon
reflection we can always think of ways
to get to where we currently are quicker
easier or with less heartache but at the
same time the journey teaches us so much
and it's a real belief of mine that
everything happens for a reason so what
I want to know is if you could go back
in time to that one moment where you
struggled say as a younger vet Danny
well somewhere down the line and
suffered with adversity or an obstacle
or anything in life maybe the first time
and you could whisper something in your
ear knowing everything you know now what
would it be and I think it would be that
I'd want to say it's okay you're exactly
where you're meant to be right now you
know don't by to allow the lesson to
come feel the pain feel the feelings and
just trust that there's going to be some
lesson that your learner is as a result
of this and you'll be a better person as
a result of this so just trust and
actually ask for help I'm really bad ass
not asking for help and that's one thing
I've learned is ask for help
mmm-hmm are you better at asking for
help now I am and I know but I also know
who who I know so I've got you know some
space it probably is more my friends now
and you know and some family members I
just think I know what they won what
which ones will give me what I need love
it and if I can help in any way as well
I know you having a podcast soon or any
anything in relation to thrive sixteen
six five or even personally please do
let me know thank you you're very
welcome
sadly we're actually at the last
question now and the last question I
always ask is if in 150 years time
science fails to save us all and all
that's left is a book and this book is
about your life and it's about
everything that you've done everything
you've accomplished all your dreams and
everything what I want to know is what
the summary at the back of the book
would say and also what the title would
be okay and say I think it's gonna be
the summary in the back it's gonna read
something along the lines of no matter
what life threw at her she felt the pain
she cried the tears and then she chose
to rise and she took the lesson learned
something from it she found something to
spark the joy you know she was the queen
of finding the silver lining and I think
there's there's always gonna be fun in
anything that I do and and I there's a
beautiful Maya Angelou quotes and she
just says and still I rise and I think
that would be the title of the book
because I just think you know that life
is tough but then so am I you are that's
very very powerful thank you for sharing
that and just before we close the show I
just want the listeners to be able to
reach out to you if that's okay I know
you're busy and you're probably juggling
loads of things but I think
it'd be worth people following the
movement maybe maybe they can support as
well so I normally ask my guests to
leave one place but I think because you
do such a wonderful thing and it's you
know it's gonna serve the community
you're welcome to give as many plugins
as you as you wish okay lovely so the
the easiest one would be my Instagram
account and that's thrive bet so that's
one LinkedIn please follow me on
LinkedIn and please if you can introduce
me to your to your businesses or
somebody that can just come in and hold
that space and allow you to thrive and
that would be amazing the other thing
that I really did want to mention with
if anyone's heard of Simon Thompson who
is a lady that had her Instagram account
is free in cancer and she's permanently
going through a stage 4 lung cancer
diagnosis at a very young age so I think
she's just turned 30 and Simon has set
up a Facebook page baam e for cancer and
I think it is just about uniting the
ethnic communities so that we do start
talking about cancer and we you know we
open the debate we have the debate and
we start sharing a lot more so it's just
it's a supportive little community just
to hold that space for each other as we
navigate through and yeah and please
follow primer as well she's doing some
amazing work that's fantastic and what I
will do is I'll probably get those off
you so I can put them all in the show
notes just sort of anything you know for
anyone to reach out to you and also to
that Facebook page as well because I
think that's a really really important
thing I want to once again thank
everyone for listening and more
importantly I really want to thank you
for your bravery and your openness to
share your story and inspire many people
and thanks for taking time out of your
day and there's always people thanks for
listening well my pleasure and thanks
and remember this podcast is at
we free so all we ask in return is for
you to share this with a friend and drop
us a five star review over on iTunes
have an awesome day
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Title: Sexuality, happiness and being true to yourself #13
Tagline “I dont want it to define me. I don’t think anyone should let it define them in life. I don’t want it to be oh yeah Nick Hall who’s gay” ...
Nick Hall, is a successful individual who has had a very colourful career which has seen him start and sell businesses whilst finding his own true happiness.
Overcoming and understanding himself growing up, Nick talks about his sexuality and how he embraced that and found true happiness in his life.
A fascinating individual, who sees the world in a unique and great way! A keen eye for property too, Nick has also made his own homes under the hammer renovations along with helping me personally in my own property ventures.
Follow it below:
Thanks for listening
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Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/findyourvoice
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[Music]
welcome to an episode of find your voice
a movement led by yours truly
Aren do a guy who has overcome
crippling anxiety adversity and
difficulty like so many of you in life
whose main goal now is to help you
combat your excuses take control of your
life write your own story and most
importantly find your voice so now
without further ado I welcome the host
of the show himself mr. Aren do the
host of this show so I am extremely
excited to bring my guest onto the show
today because it's somebody who's going
to be sharing a very very sensitive
subject and it's a subject that's going
to relate to many people out there
whether you're experiencing it yourself
or whether it's one of your friends or
family now the beautiful thing is not
just the story and the person behind the
story who is a fascinating character and
doing incredible things in the world
and really kind of found his own voice I
suppose it's how actually met him now I
am a firm believer in trying to find
positives in every situation that you're
in because it's so easy to often
exaggerate the problems and the
obstacles that were going through and
I'd say in my career as a property
investor my probably most stressful 2 or
3 months was when I met this individual
and the only silver lining I had within
those two or three months was my
relationship with this individual now
Nick
managed to help me sell my nightmare
house and he did it with brilliant
customer service to the point that we
actually built a rapport and Nick
reached out recently and we kind of had
conversations back and forth and I just
thought his story is fantastic it's also
different to any of the other stories
that we've had on this show so hopefully
you guys resonate with it
I am confident you're gonna find he's
honesty and he's courage commendable so
I'm gonna leave it there and we're gonna
jump straight into this episode I find
your voice okay so I'd just like to
welcome Nick to the show today so thank
you Nick for coming on
and sharing your story how are you doing
today I'm great
thanks for having me Irene it's an
absolute honor to echo and support you
with this
you're very welcome thank you as well so
I think it's important before we start
to obviously give the listeners a little
bit of insight in relation to who dig
hole is so if you wouldn't mind if you
could just kind of give the listeners
and myself actually a little bit about
yourself how you progress through life
and kind of ended up where you are today
yeah of course
so when terms of who I am what I do so
background I suppose starting from sort
of where I grew up so I've grown up in
sort of a relatively middle-class
environment in a in a village so to say
on the edge of stoke-on-trent so just
into the stuffs Moreland's
m and most recently I'm working in
telecoms that are do some bits of
business on the side so I'll go back and
talk to you about what I've done in
detail to get me from there to where I
am today so the sort of environment that
I grew up in I would say is very
traditional so here you you standard
Church of England school the lads play
football and the girls play netball and
I I didn't do either of those so I
didn't fit in but I didn't conform to
their to the norm so to say and then
after school and I came out with
relatively I would say a ver Ajay mean I
passed all my subjects at GCSE level
grade C or above progressed onto to
college straight after school and then
absolutely hated it again just didn't
feel like I fitted in so I took a year
out and when it did some hard work for
you and worked in a supermarket and quit
and then produce Department lumbering
sacks of potatoes around and I actually
talking about the value of the pound
yeah
actually worked with money in the real
world so quite quickly realized that I
wanted to go
to education and from there went in
study Business Studies a level and then
went on to university em that didn't
actually move away when I went to
university state local at staffs
probably didn't have the confidence to
to go and live outside of the area and
then after University I got offered I
did the Graduate scheme and I was still
working for Maury supermarkets at the
time I did their grad scheme and got
offered a role at their HQ in Bradford
and didn't go for it cuz he didn't pay
enough money basically and then I got
offered a job locally working for
phones4u which is owned by their John
Caldwell though I'm sure everyone in
business net was a billionaire now went
into work for this organization and
there was something just magical about
the culture I went in as a trainee
salesperson and they they taught me
everything I know about sales and I've
sort of progressed through telecoms in
the sales environment done various roles
sales management head of sales
got extremely stressed doing the head of
sales were all under 30 and decided that
I wanted to take a bit of a step back
and then I'm now working in one of the
biggest telecom providers in the UK and
I'm doing a less less senior role buddy
it sort of gives me the flexibility to
do stuff outside I could work as well
and I suppose that's coming on to what I
also do as well and outside of work I'm
I'm really passionate about property
stems from probably the first house that
I bought where the position that I was
in was the idea I was forced it didn't
have the money to to buy a decent
property so out to buy something that
was rundown and they've got the Bob bug
for sort of development renovation from
their doing I've done various properties
now to the point where I am where am I
live in and in a in a relatively decent
house they want a big
probably doing about 5 refurbishments
and renovations that have enabled me to
live in the property that I live in now
on a bill up a nice little equity part
as well last year for the last year or
two I had an estate agents business as
well I started up on the side and the
aim with that was to to hopefully get
out of than the nine-to-five job that
I'm doing and again learned a massive
lesson from that because I realized how
hard you actually have to work to where
to win in your own business absolutely
yeah and to be honest it wasn't easy and
it wasn't going to be easy and I wasn't
gonna become a millionaire any time soon
or even overnight or any time in the
next few years from that so I had an
opportunity to sell the business which
it did do at the end of last year and
have come become career focused again
this year I'm not going to say it's
gonna be a real long term strategy but
I've just taken on a new role that gives
me something to really get my teeth into
and then the property thing they'll
always bubble along the side and
personal that's interesting because then
it was actually property where where you
and I actually met and I could tell your
sales experience obviously came in
because you were able to sell what I
consider my nightmare house which I
couldn't get rid of and and you sold it
pretty quickly because mate that has
caused me more stress than anything and
in relation to your renovations as well
for anyone that's on Facebook I've seen
some of your your renovations your
kitchens especially and then they look
absolutely fab so you've obviously got a
knack for it there something I wish I
had when I first started renovating
myself and I just want to touch on
something so you said you always kind of
never thought you could be fitted in and
you mentioned the whole zero typical
boys play football the girls play
netball and then later on you touch the
game that you didn't have the confidence
to perhaps maybe move out of your
university is there a particular reason
in relation to that or was it just like
anxiety I mean what was
what was that feeling where you're
saying you didn't feel you fitted in
because I'm pretty sure there's people
listening to this now you might have had
that same situation yeah I mean looking
back now I was because I'm gay and I
obviously always knew that there was
something different about me but I
wasn't him
experienced mature I suppose they're the
best way he's supportive and I wasn't
experienced or mature enough to
understand what that meant for me so I
always do that I mean don't get me wrong
I don't have not gone through life being
an outcast or anything like what I have
those environments always just sort of
felt like I didn't feel like a hundred
percent you know why okay just felt
different I supposed yeah mmm okay
that's interesting I mean if you
wouldn't mind if I just asked a little
bit about that yeah cause I'm certain
there's thousands of people out there
who probably won't be the same situation
when you're thinking why am i feeling
different to perhaps what people would
consider the general consensus what
advice would you give to somebody like
that I mean was it something that you
were able to kind of come out with
straight away or is it something that
you kind of held in there I think you
are and don't get me wrong I do even in
from our generation to today I do
believe times have changed a little bit
but there's always a stereotype of which
you are forced to live by or expected to
live by I won't say forced I'll say
expected to live by yeah and I think
that mentality comes to the front even
more sevens in sort of small village
environment something in the area that I
grew up in it was a case of as I said
the boys play football the girls play
netball and this kind of if you didn't
do either you a bit weird you are or
you're not conforming to the norm so I
think if I'm if there's anybody who's in
that position and you feel like you
don't fit in it's a bit cliche but don't
be afraid to be different because
some people are born to stand out and
you need to sort of you need to
recognize that and stand up to it and do
the things that give you the confidence
to do that I love that I think I think
you just hit great note there don't be
afraid to be different because even for
myself from my experience you grow up
always trying to fit in it's kind of
like because you want to be part of the
maybe the popular gang were just where
it's safe I suppose because nobody wants
to get bullied everyone wants to have
relationships yeah I find myself now as
an adult trying almost not to fit in in
terms of bringing my own authenticity to
the marketplace to my branding and
everything else so it's just funny how
the world works and I think I'm not sure
if you I can you mentioned like at that
age your intelligence as a child and
stuff is probably different when you
grow up and you realize what's actually
important here and the most important
thing for me and I'm sure you probably
agree to some extent is how we view
ourselves I think that's the most
important thing yeah 100% and that age
you don't want to be picked out of the
crowd and at the point that we a minute
live in life now it's almost that we
don't necessarily want to stand out but
I feel myself that it's good to be
different and to have your own personal
brand and to be true to yourself who you
are then that that gives you a sense of
fulfillment
I suppose is the best way to put it I
think I think you're right maybe it
gives you authentically as well in the
world where everyone's trying to but
this persona of who they are or the day
that they live in somebody who's just
refreshingly themselves every single day
whether it's good bad or whatever it is
I just find that I just find that nice
and I think the world would benefit more
from people just not trying to put a
mask on because I don't know about you
but I find it hard enough just trying to
manage my own life rather than trying to
be somebody else for the public it's
it's just an energy drain so no I
appreciate that can I just ask one more
question on that if you wouldn't mind
yeah yeah so you've come from a small
village now I'm using my stereotypical
background as well so I'm I'm Indian and
we come from a community where everyone
knows everyone's business so when you do
something that it
doesn't gold with the norm so for
example if I use myself I got married
out of religion now I'm not a religious
person and anyone that knows me knows I
don't really follow religion so when I
did that it was it was a massive massive
thing again it was difficult I had
sleepless nights before and again it was
more about what are people going to
think and what is going to bring to my
family did you ever experience any sort
of controversy or adversity in relation
to you perhaps coming out or was your
family and your community very
supportive of yourself yeah I think the
worst part by far is the fear of coming
out than the actual coming out itself
yeah because for me I didn't really have
to come out I didn't have to stand on a
platform and announce it and I didn't
feel that that was the right way for me
to do it anyway that just it that didn't
happen for me it happened naturally okay
I came to a point in my life where I was
comfortable 100% comfortable with who I
am and I had the confidence to be myself
and what that meant was it some people
knew to be honest and and some people
didn't know I lost friends over it
people just stopped talking to me I
think and it genuinely sat here today it
doesn't hurt me one bit because I know
that it was just meant to be yeah
absolutely and again I just want to
implore anyone who is listening who may
be going through a situation whether it
is about this sexuality or whether it is
about anything else whether you consider
yourself different to really kind of I
suppose Jesus said than done as an adult
but really try and overcome that fear
because you touched on something that
the fear of it is actually worse than
the actual experience itself and I've
had to overcome and do things that I've
always been afraid of prior to the
actual decision and a bit like what you
just said there's as soon as you make
that decision it's actually not as bad
as you'd initially thought so I would
always tell people if they can you know
maybe adopt a mount
robbins approach which is kind of like
she counts backwards from five four
three two one and then all of a sudden
beam whatever's in
that she wants to say she says it I
think life's too short for us to kind of
live in fear of judgment and other
things I'm not sure if you agree with
that 100% and I think the in terms of
the people out there who might be
feeling like I genuinely would be happy
to speak to anyone who who feels that
they're in that situation and and talked
to them about my experience in more
detail if it helps them sort of progress
towards where they want to be I'll be
more than happy to do that that's
fantastic
I'm sure they'll appreciate that and
obviously at the end of the show we'll
put all your show notes and how they can
contact you so prepare yourself mate
hopefully if the episode goes well
you're gonna get an influence of the
direct messages but no I think somebody
who's been through something that
they'll just be able to give so much
better advice rather than just picking
up a book or reading a post online so
thank you for your handout yeah and it
is difficult because if you're in a
position where you are afraid of of
admitting something to the outside world
then some people will challenge you on
it sometimes and they will offer to talk
to you about it you've got to be ready
to talk yourself so if ever if ever
somebody needs that yeah then I'd be
more than happy to do that thank you
thank you Nick brilliant okay so I want
to just switch the conversation just
ever so slightly in relation to your
work and stuff so you've you've mastered
homes under the hammer a lot better than
I have and you've got yourself some
sales experience you're now in the new
role which you're thriving off I'm just
curious to know and I'm always
fascinated by people who are doing
different things or people who I
consider successful and I've considered
success as a sort of you doing what you
want to do for yourself and it's
basically you're making your own
decisions in terms of moving forward and
progressing on a daily basis so if you
could just kind of give us a day in the
life of Nicole from say for instance the
moment you wake up if you've got any
particular habits or traits that you
think maybe could help other people if
they wanted to kind of replicate your
success up until now
yeah I mean I definitely don't consider
myself hugely successful and it's an
honour for you to even put me in that
bracket
just quite normal to be honest okay but
I mean I'm definitely an early riser I'm
somebody who likes to get up early I
love to see the Sun Rise morning and not
so much in the summer when it's really
rising it hot this time of year when the
sun's rising and just before 7:00 a.m.
it's nice to just get up and go and sit
in my kitchen and I've got some great
views and we catch the Sun eise's and
just sit and have a cup of coffee and
just reflect at that time in the morning
and whether it be just catching up on
the news doing some banking at any sort
of admin that's gonna give me a great
spot today I really do enjoy sort of
having that foundation to the day to be
honest after that point I feel like I
should be exercising and I'm moved house
last August and I've moved probably
about 20 miles away from where you used
to live and I'm in a village which is
pretty much in the middle of nowhere
right the nearest gym is 14 miles away
so I'm struggling to find that
motivation to exercise at the moment
because I'm not near a gym I never can
actually go out and go and walk and run
and things like Apple with the with the
winter as it's been not the opportunity
to do that so a key thing for me that I
want to focus on in this year it is
exercise and fitting that back into my
routine because that would be great to
do that at that point and then in terms
of moving on from there I mean I
generally just would move into what is a
pretty normal working day to my day is
made up of meetings pretty much all over
the UK because to work for a
multinational business and I might be
working from home or I could be in
Edinburgh or London so I can have a day
that starts at 5:00 a.m. oh I've got to
go and catch a flight or train or I can
have a nice relaxed day where I'm
getting offered sort of the time that I
said and then sitting in just a night or
five from the kitchen table if it is
that I'm not actually working then
ideally for me every traveling okay a
lot of miles and the continent in the
turbulent yeah yeah yeah job yeah do you
listen to any audio balls or podcasts or
anything like that always it just
literally music on the road I'm a visual
person so for me I rather than I mean
I've I've always tried to read and I
just find it so difficult to put my not
put my time to sit and absorb a book so
I'm visual so for me I'm a documentary
sort of person okay I've watched
probably every documentary going on
Netflix on every topic possible so I
would if there's something that I'm
interested in I find it far easier to
watch a documentary on it rather than to
read a book on it okay that's
interesting I can't read myself to be
honest I use audio book for everything
similar to yourself
ie well I used to be on the road a lot
so for me it was kind of an opportunity
I supposed to kind of kill two birds
with one stone I'd always listen to
audiobooks I do need to get on the
Netflix documentaries I heard there's
some fascinating ones but I just wanna
quickly touch on something there so
you've got some traits there so the
whole reflection and the early rising
that's quite common amongst people who
are trying to do more in life there is
one thing I want to do a little
shameless plug on is the exercise bit so
I'm a massive massive advocate that we
should always prioritize our health
before everything and when I say how if
I don't just mean your physical house I
mean your mental health as well but yeah
you've said something there and this is
just my advice as a friend is the gym is
far away well mate if you go on my
youtube channel I have some videos which
will tell you how to work out from the
comfort of your own home so I want to
see you doing those I'm gonna see you in
star jumps in your next post yeah and as
I said make that a hundred percent is a
target of mine for 2019 and the mean
talking about mindset as well I find
setting personal towards a great way to
motivate myself I mean when I set up the
business that said at the beginning the
year target for me this years to set up
a business alongside work and estate
agents evolved from and then this this
is my target for this year to get back
to fitness again fantastic just in
relation to the business one have you
ever set up a business before or is that
you you set yourself a target and a boom
you just went out and figured it out yes
and literally do the estate agent are
set up from scratch I just came up with
the concept the Brandon sat down with a
graphic designer who bought it all to
lie for me but I came up with a concept
that was completely unique and then you
in the UK no other estate agent in the
country was doing it and that was for
the client to be able to choose the
estate agent board that sits outside the
property the color of it yeah and and
that was extremely successful and it was
a huge USP for the business and in a
market that is so saturated yeah exactly
saturated it was a USP and something
that stood me above the competition it
was something that had started online
started out the spare bedroom at my old
property and and grew it to a position
that it was a business that could be
sold on that's fascinating to me because
you're you'll meet many people and if
people just sit here today and think
about the times in the last seven days
but somebody's told them about a
business idea or they want to do this or
they want to become this and then
actually see whether they go and follow
that through it's very very slim that
those people do it so for me obviously
business my staff now I find it very
very difficult there's a lot there's a
lot of cogs to it and I think you
touched on it earlier that in terms of
making the same money that you're making
you notified there's a hell of a lot
more hard work involved so for you to be
able to do that on this side one it kind
of I always think if people have got an
excuse they haven't because if they
listen to you now you know you're
working full-time and you set yourself
up a successful business which I just
find that really inspiring and would you
have any tips for anyone is it just
literally google it because I would say
google it everything's on Google get out
there Network speak to people is that
kind of your best approach yeah a
hundred percent I mean definitely I
agree that everything's on Google now
you've just gotta go out I mean for me
there was something inside me telling me
that I needed to do to do something to
fulfill me over and above what I was
getting from my nine till five at the
time so I I am quite a visual person as
I've said so I sat and you my maps I was
like what are the potential ideas for a
business that the it could give me what
I want so I came up with the sort of
events business came up with the estate
agents I came up with a recruitment
business and everything just brought me
back to a state agency because of the
passion that I've got on the side
property property so from there I just I
went and so what I wanted to do is
understand what do you need to do to set
up a successful estate agent so the
first thing is I needed to get qualified
as an estate agent so I had to go and do
the qualifications alongside work set
myself up as a director of a limited
company and and just brought to life the
the concept that had come up with him
surround yourself with a successful team
and for me that was having a really good
graphic designer
bring all the concepts to life and then
the subcontractors who work for the
business as well so I was pride in
myself on photography particularly so I
went out and I found I found the best
photographer in the local area had to
pay more to do that but when there was a
buzz created about the business the
photography was one of the things that
people were talking about fantastic
that's brilliant I think there's a
blueprint they obviously for people who
may have something inside them which
makes them want to maybe go out there
and do a business and you just touched
on a point which is something that I
always tell everyone is surround
yourself with a successful team because
you can't do anything alone in this
world especially if you're trying to get
rid of your 9 to 5 so I always try and
do that I always try and I know it's a
cliche but I was try and surround myself
with people who are cleverer than me you
have done more than me because that way
it kind of forces me to grow it keeps me
accountable as well and at the same time
I'm learning as opposed to you kind of
be in the cleverest in the room a
hundred percent and the thing the thing
is it massively surround yourself by
people who motivate you to better the
position that you're in and just just
one point on what you were saying about
the successful team is having the
ability or the experience to to
recognize that team and to be able to
select the team as well because it's
easy to go out there
and for example get a photographer but
without understanding their background
in their experience and where they've
been successful it's difficult to know
whether to bring them into your team or
not
I think trades people is a perfect
example and what we experienced with you
on the property that I was like yeah
there's so many Cowboys out there and so
many people who are not performing as
they should do I think I think they're
all just kind of playing the small game
and so for me it's if I was a tradesman
and this is just my trail of thought is
if I'm gonna work with someone if worst
case scenario that the projects going a
little bit tits up which they sometimes
do and it could be of through no fault
of anybody's I would still try and
continue to over-deliver because then
you've got more chance of repeat
business and what I tend to see is
people will happily exploit people for a
quick dollar that that month or that
week just to kind of maybe pay for their
bills and so they can go drinking on the
weekend and then all of a sudden
somebody's losing out there whether it's
repeat business or whether it's the
customer or something and yeah and that
reputation so building a reputation
again is another key element of it
because if you go out and and you rip
someone off on day one you're never
gonna get to day 100 absolutely great
just like that not actually just be from
a shift gears a little bit I have
finally managed to find a good build and
a good trades team and I'm actually what
I've actually done is similar to you
don't let go of him may I haven't so
what I did is I set up a business and I
became business partners with him
because I was like listen I need to keep
you here one because I trust you in your
works fantastic you can do this side of
it what I do is I use my whole branding
and my project management experience to
kind of get the clients in so we kind of
work hand in hand but mate I've had to
get so many bad frogs but yeah I'm not
gonna let go now and in property that
that's the perfect mix it's great for
somebody like yourself who's got a huge
amount of experience and in marketing to
partner up with somebody who's got the
skills in the experience on the
technical side of it absolutely together
you've created that perfect team
absolutely I'm grateful now for where
I'm I suppose I'm so grateful for all
the lessons because if I hadn't have
gone through what I did I wouldn't be
where I am today at the same time I
wouldn't even be speaking to yourself so
you know
everything happens for a reason I'm a
firm believer of that exactly I mean if
I hadn't done what I'd done on the side
and you had done what you're doing we
would never have cross paths absolutely
made so I'm grateful for all my
experiences it's obvious now then so
you've had a very colorful life we lines
ups and downs and you've done quite a
bit actually a little bit like myself I
always think I've managed to cram so
much in so quickly so yeah you could
tell us of a recent adversity that
you've been through and then what's your
approach when you're up against an
obstacle how do you deal with it what
lessons have you learned from it yes so
in terms of adversity we've definitely
already taught sunny during this
conversation and and for me it is the
fact that I'm gay and that was a huge
point for me in my life and it's it's
the most amount of adversity I've ever
faced and I'll say that hands down and
so it's never easy for me to talk about
this but I genuinely believe that my
life didn't start to come together until
I admitted to myself who I really was
and after that point I found the friends
they were feel comfortable around and I
found a partner I progressed financially
and that for me was was the point in
life so now I've got over that I don't
feel as though there's any adversity or
if I do come across adversity it just
doesn't feel it doesn't feel like you've
kind of been treated I suppose the
biggest challenge of your life yeah
quinta percent of me exchanged when I
looked back because it's like looking
back at a different pace and then it was
some money I was trying to be someone
who I wasn't at the end of the day and
so I take responsibility for that but
genuinely I think that society does play
a part and that as well absolutely as
I've said we're supposed to act in a
certain way we're supposed to be a
certain type of person and I was made to
feel that being gay was wrong and it
made me feel like
of a person to be honest and it and
that's what drove me to not want to be
that person it's so sad isn't it how
society and I think it is it is a
society problem that we can discriminate
or prejudiced against certain types of
people or people who are different to
ourselves and make them feel so bad
because although you get groups and you
get cliques and stuff nobody's really
looking at the individual that you're
segregating and what the effect is
having to them and this is kind of
something I learned in my um when I went
back to study social workers and masters
because my four of my siblings come from
the care system I sin then be
discriminated against in terms of
they've come into our family we've tried
to put them in extracurricular
activities we tried to take it to
football games and stuff and when one's
got autism and then one's got learning
difficulties and one is a displaying the
level of intelligence that person should
display at that age according to the
school curriculum it's it's sad to see
them just get put to the side or brushed
off and it's it's something I don't
think the solution for right now but I
think if you can create more awareness
just just for people just to have a bit
of compassion I suppose for hope for
people and just think listen everyone's
trying to do the best that they can in
whatever moment they're they're in and
nobody wants to feel like an outcast
normally wants to feel different we're
all we've all got unique abilities
within ourselves and we're all all got
our own gift and I just wish the world
could just be a bit more sympathetic
towards each other to be honest 100
percent and I think talking about it is
is awareness in itself and I mean that
is something that I could carry with me
and let affect me mentally I just don't
I consider myself to be a strong person
mentally and I just choose to not let it
impact the rest of my life it's
something that happened and it's
something that will not affect me for
the future and I think choose to make it
a part of your strengths because what
you what you're going to do even just by
sharing the story which I'm very
grateful for you doing you're gonna
inspire and give other people the
courage that listen it's okay it's okay
in general I mean like Nick's doing fine
now there's millions
other people doing fine now and it's not
as bad as you probably think it is at
this at this point in time so yeah I
mean I I don't want it to define me in
life and I don't think anyone should let
it define them in life I want my life to
be defined by either a successful career
or a successful business I don't want it
to be oh yeah Nick Hall who's gay I want
it to be he's a great businessman or a
great person and I mean I would judge
you it's just myself just under I'm the
character in the person that you are
similar to myself I I don't want to be
judged as a particular thing it doesn't
define you that's that's that's probably
the right way of me yeah exactly thank
you so you've obviously then overcame
your biggest fear now and we've spoken
about you coming out and realizing that
you were gay and you you that's
something now you're you're very
comfortable with other than that what
would be your next biggest fear and it
could be anything it could be spiders it
could be snakes for what else kind of
scares you right now yeah something that
genuinely scares me is not being
financially secure later in life I think
that our generation are in a strange
position financially I mean our parents
generally have or will retire on
probably final salary pensions with a
decent state pension at a relatively
young age in terms of retirement to say
young innovative compiz our generation
we're going to need to work until were
70 we're going to have very very small
pensions in comparison that worries me
because I don't want to work until I'm
70 for a start and I don't want to live
on a hundred pounds a week so it's
something that scares me massively
but I use it to motivate me because for
me I want financial security because I
want to enjoy my life effectively that's
it yeah fair answer I think I think we
all need to need to be mindful of what
we're doing for the future which is one
of the reasons actually that I got into
property
to create that kind of wealth in the
future so everything I've done at least
in my first few years a property was
called wealth creation so I thought for
a rainy day I've got a portfolio of
properties that will keep me ticking
over and now obviously now I'm trying to
work on the whole cash flow element in
order to kind of live the life that
myself and my wife want to live so I
think that's a good point and you
actually just answered my next question
I was gonna ask you which was about
motivation and I'm always eager to see
what keeps people more of a motivation
for me it's kind of like I see it like a
hit of caffeine I think you have some
caffeine you're on a high for a bit and
then all of a sudden you can use it so
if we just alter that very slightly what
kind of drives you maybe a little bit
deeper like you what inspires you what
makes you do the things that you do on
the days but you don't feel like doing
them I think weekends or a good example
I mean it's easy to say what gets you
out of bed from Monday to Friday it's a
paycheck what gets me out of bed on a
weekend for me at the moment what's
getting me out of bed at the weekend is
working on this property that I'm
currently living in so I've got a list
of jobs as long as my arm there if I
don't get up on a Saturday morning and
do them then they're not going to happen
or I'm gonna have to pay trades people
to come in and do them so I'm enjoying
doing a bit of painting at weekends at
the moment obviously the motivation and
that is that that's going to invest in
this property and eventually will
increase its value so it's probably
financially motivated that's fantastic
yeah great answer mate okay so there
we've heard it the buzzer has just gone
off and we are now at the front part of
this show and this is a part where I put
Nick through his paces and I ask him as
many random questions as I can fit in
over the next 60 seconds so Nick are you
ready I think so you'll be fine mate
okay we're going to start in three two
one what is your favorite documentary
and at the moment the fire documentary
that I've just what
or Netflix about the fire festival
whatever one what did you regret this I
haven't eaten any breakfast yup the
ability to fly it or be invisible fly
definitely money or fame money your
biggest achievement today living in the
house that I live in after starting off
and asleep on to internment 2touchpos
your favorite food
chorong net picture youtube in that
place your number one goal this year to
get fit again favorite TV show ever can
I say film yeah but I'm gonna say film
and one that I watched for the day lion
would you rather know how you were died
or where you were going when definitely
love or money
well books or movies movie you could sit
with one person in the world for an hour
who would it be
Donald Trump what is this what is your
biggest addiction sugar your favorite
place in the world Vegas and finally if
you could have polished one thing in the
world what would it be terrorism
fantastic how did you find that
yeah good in relation to the fire one I
just find that so fascinating the way
the guy was the ultimate blogger the
thing is though is he could very easily
and pulled that off and he would you
know that case that he is that's so true
that's so true
ok so we're almost at the end this show
we just got a couple of more questions
left my next one's on reflection and we
all know hindsight's a wonderful thing
it teaches us so many things ie how we
can get to places quicker easier or less
heartache at the same time I'm also a
very very firm believer that the journey
teaches us so much and I've got a real
belief that everything happens for a
reason so what I want to know is if you
could go back in time to that one moment
where you really struggled and suffered
with adversity and just be able to
whisper something in your ear knowing
what you know now with all the lessons
life has taught you what would you tell
yourself we talked about quite a bit in
during the show and that's the fact that
I'm gaining obviously have been for a
long time so it would be a case of me
going back to the old me so today it
just did some reassurance until we even
almost give him a glimpse into the
future that utterly no one cares
probably do care
but no one really gives a shit no one
worthwhile kiss yeah mmm I love done
mate thank you thanks for sharing that
and suddenly we are now at the last
question and the last question are
always like to ask my guess is if in 150
years time science fails to save us all
and all that is left is a book and that
book is a book about Nick and it's about
everything that Nick's done or the
fascinating wonderful things I want to
know is in this book what would firstly
the title be and secondly what would be
summary at the back tell us about
yourself I suppose a great title would
be how to be true to yourself and the
blurb would be about discovering the
things that make you happy in life and
what makes you tick and and and living
those in in your daily life okay good
stuff so just before I close the show
what I want to do is give you a chance
to let the audience know where they can
reach you or where they can contact you
and obviously then that will give the
audience a chance to really maybe
connect with you whether it's in
relation to property or you as a person
or your business or sales or whatever is
really and hopefully if they're resonate
with it maybe you can potentially help
them in some way so what's the best
place is that people can find you I
would say Instagram is the best place to
get in touch with me because it's so
interactive so my Instagram account is
at Nick Hall underscore underscore but
I'll let you put it on absolutely I'll
put in the show notes as well yeah and
Facebook LinkedIn any of those or hey
I'm on LinkedIn as well
welcome to connect with me that's more
geared towards my 9 to 5 but of course
welcome to get in touch with me on that
okay and then Facebook and I keep pretty
private to be honest so if not at the
moment I've just got a family in front
on that that's fine that's fine not a
problem that's brilliant I just want to
say once again Nick thank you so much
for your time
for you to share this story as well I'm
sure it's gonna help many many people
it's certainly given me more insight
about yourself as well I mean we've
known each other for a while now and are
you a lot more so I just wanna say thank
you to yourself and to the listeners at
home thanks for listening yeah thanks
for having me right and remember this
podcast is absolutely free so all we ask
in return is for you to share this with
a friend and drop us a five star review
over on iTunes have an awesome day
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From the publisher's feed
An empowering movement to help you combat your excuses, take control of your life, write your own story & most importantly Find Your Voice.
Whatever your current situation is telling…
It will also demonstrate to you that with the right mindset and correct action you too can really start taking control of your life and finding your way in life, at whatever it is that makes you happy.
Finding your voice is about showcasing your true self and making decisions for you, not to please others. It is a metaphor for finding your purpose in life and taking full responsibility and accountability for your future.
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