Are You in the Middle of a Hard Transition? Learn How to Embrace Change with Cortney McDermott 

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How to find peace in the space around pain 

Cortney McDermott is a returning guest on the show and one of our favorite people to learn from. She has lived in Italy for more than half of her life. She tells us she went there to escape and is now facing the unknown and everything she left behind as she prepares to return to the US. In this conversation, we explore her fears, what she is letting go of, and how she’s working through her grief by letting herself feel it fully, sharing her thoughts and feelings with people she trusts, and opening herself up to what they have to say.

Change is inevitable. Sometimes we choose it, sometimes it blindsides us, and sometimes we see it coming but can’t outrun it anymore. No matter how it comes to us, we have to embrace it and let it go. However, it’s rarely easy and often involves grief. Recently, Mathew lost his mother and best friends of 35 years within 2 months of each other. In this episode, he talks about the headspace he is in, how he views this challenge from the universe, and the peace he has found through breathwork, transcendental meditation, and embracing the space around pain head-on rather than relying on self-medication. 

Eventually, we will all find ourselves sitting in the middle of some transitional period. In those times, it can often seem difficult or even impossible to feel okay with not knowing what will happen next. You are not alone in this, and there are some tools you can use to help make it to the other side. The first step is to realize that the sense of control you think you have lost was a delusion and an illusion from the start. Anything can happen at any time, so instead of letting fear overcome us, think, “What if it all goes right?”. 

“We’re going to have to change form one way or another, so it’s whether we do that consciously or unconsciously.” 

Follow the podcast: 

• Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 

Get LFPWLI Merch here!

Resources:

• CortneyMcDermott.com

Connect with Mathew Blades: 

• Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades

Additional Credits:

• LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

Inside Out 2 is Here to Help: Navigating Your Teen’s Emotions with Dr. Lisa Damour

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why parents of teenagers often feel isolated and what we can do about it

Dr. Lisa Damour is a clinical psychologist and author who has been specializing in the development of teenage girls and young women for over 30 years. About 10 years ago, she realized most of the information available on teen development was about things going wrong, but there was a lack of literature addressing the typical development of adolescent girls and the normal anxieties they face. This prompted her to write the New York Times bestsellers Untangled and Under Pressure. Eventually, she started writing for The New York Times and was assigned to cover Inside Out, which was a perfect fit as her daughter was 11 at the time, the same age as Riley, the main character of the movie. Unsurprisingly, her work caught the attention of Pixar as they began development on Inside Out 2.  Fast forward to 2020, and Dr. Damor got a call from Pixar to meet with Kelsey Mann and Meg LeFauve, the Inside Out 2 director and writer, respectively, and began her involvement with the upcoming film.

In this episode, Mathew and Dr. Damour discuss why parents of teenagers can often feel isolated and what makes Inside Out and Inside Out 2 such a great conversational jumping-off point. We know teens are designed for independence, so connecting with or advising them can more often than not lead to pushback and rebellion. Thankfully, Dr. Damor gives us some practice tips and phrases that can help make these conversations easier to navigate and normalize intense and negative emotions. With the rising fear of adolescent mental health crises and distress, she notes that it is important for us to remember that psychological distress and negative emotions teens experience are normal and are not the same as mental health concerns. She encourages parents to embrace the flow of emotions and help their teens explore the upsides and downsides of emotions we all feel, like joy, sadness, disgust, and anxiety.

Follow the podcast: 

• Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 

Get LFPWLI Merch here!

Resources:

• DrLisaDamour.com

Connect with Mathew Blades: 

• Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades

Additional Credits:

• LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How ketamine therapy saved Derek's life

Derek Duchesne is an actor, producer, stunt performer, writer, and CEO of BetterU. Derek had a turbulent childhood with traumatic situations that impacted him in ways he has just recently begun to come to terms with. Through that, he has developed an understanding that everyone has baggage they have to carry, telling us it's the pain that connects us and that healing and love help us grow. Psychedelic therapy gives us the space to decide how we show up in the world and the power to choose how we respond to the triggers we inevitably face in our lives. For Derek, it was Ketamine that opened his eyes, changed his life, and inspired him to spread that healing through BetterU. 

BetterU is a holistic mental wellness company that came to market with ketamine therapy but has now evolved into other modalities like physiatric care, meditation, breathwork, and talk therapy. It’s a platform for people who are looking for something different and need a community to help them reconnect with themselves. 

In this episode, Mathew, Chad, and Derek discuss Derek's struggles with depression, his introduction to ketamine therapy, and how BetterU came to be. We also talk about the potential benefits of LSD for Alzheimer's and dementia, different ways to take ketamine, and how it can yield different results. Derek ends by telling us what is next for BetterU and how they are addressing side effects, and Chad gives us an update on Mental Joe.

Follow the podcast: 

• Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 

Get LFPWLI Merch here!

Resources:

• BetterUCare.com 

Connect with Mathew Blades: 

• Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades

Additional Credits:

• LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Important aspects of repairing a broken relationship and finding forgiveness

Lauren Bernard is a teacher, yogi, and host of the NurishU podcast. She grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, with her older sister and spent a lot of time outside, where she felt at home in nature. Lauren had a large, loving family, but her parents were divorced when she was young, leaving her to experience the struggles of two single parents. Eventually, her father gained full custody of Lauren and her sister, which caused distance to grow between her and her mother. As she transitioned into college and out of the life she knew as a young athlete, Lauren began to lose her sense of self. However, over the years, through her yoga practice, she learned how to see life in color again and began learning how to sit in her discomfort and shift her perspective. Those lessons have carried her through her life and perfectly translated to the work it took to repair her relationship with her mother.

In this episode, Mathew, Dr. Dave, and Lauren discuss how “growing up quickly” impacted Lauren as an adult, why we should forgive our parents, and the role self-forgiveness and acceptance play in repairing relationships. They also discuss how Lauren discovered yoga, what she has learned through her years of practice, how we can observe and understand anger, and how shamanic breathwork works.

Follow the podcast: 

• Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 

Get LFPWLI Merch here!

Resources:

• Nourish U Podcast 

Connect with Mathew Blades: 

• Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades

Additional Credits:

• LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

Are You in a Toxic Relationship? How to Know and What to Do About It with Stephanie Quayle

In this episode, you'll hear:

• What can you do once you realize you are in a toxic relationship?

Stephanie Quayle is an accomplished country music singer-songwriter and author who grew up in a blended family on a farm in Bozeman, Montana, where they raised bison and cattle. In 2009, she was in a long-term relationship, helping to raise her partner's 12-year-old daughter, and thought she would marry him one day. However, everything changed when he died in a plane crash, and five days later, at his public memorial service, she found out she was not the only woman in his life. The combination of losing the man she loved while finding out he was not the man she thought he was complicated an already chaotic grieving process. 

This story inspired her to write On the Edge, a deeply personal album that revealed her hidden self to the world. After releasing it, she quickly came to find out she was not alone. Stephanie tells us that many people reached out to her in solidarity with the complicated emotions of losing a loved one and then finding out about the lies. As her story spread, she knew she wanted to share what had happened to her and what she learned in a bigger way through a book. Not just as a memoir but as a tool to help others. Stephanie worked with W. Keith Campbell, PhD, one of the world’s leading experts in narcissism, to explain what she went through, help readers identify the patterns of a toxic relationship, and outline steps for getting out and healing. Why Do We Stay?: How My Toxic Relationship Can Help You Find Freedom outlines the signs of unhealthy relationships, defines important terms like love bombing, grooming, ego shock, gaslighting, and repetition compulsion, and offers thoughtful reflections at the end of each chapter, which will lead the reader to action.

In this episode, Mathew and Stephanie discuss how her relationship with her step-parents impacted the way she navigated relationships as she grew up, the dangers of romanticizing relationships, and learning to feel worthy of healthy love. Stephine also talks about taking ownership over her actions, how she got out of her toxic relationships, what she learned about herself through the pain, and how she views her past partners now.

Follow the podcast: 

• Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 

Get LFPWLI Merch here!

Resources:

• Say no without guilt + Starting new habits with Nicole Vignola

Connect with Mathew Blades: 

• Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades

Additional Credits:

• LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

Do you Blame your Parents for your Issues? Why and How To Shift Your Mindset With Sonia Jhas

“Change will only come when we recognize the shift is ours to make.”

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why do we have to reframe the way we think about our parents and what they taught us?

Sonia Jhas is a mindset and wellness expert who left the corporate world when she realized the ideals instilled in her as a child to chase perfectionism could not make her happy. Having a fast-paced career and constantly working out to be the “right size” wasn’t enough to make her feel accomplished. Now, she is passionate about living a life guided by her own internal compass despite external or societal pressures, being real about what the journey looks like, and inspiring others to live in alignment. 

In this episode, Mathew and Sonia discuss her story of choosing healing over comfort, Mathew's relationship with idealized success, and the realization that no one is responsible for the shift you need to make in your life but you. We often tend to point blame towards our parents for the negative traits we see in ourselves, but Sonia tells us we have to rethink the narratives we have about our family to understand that no matter how far away we move or how much “success” we achieve, the only way to break free is to do the internal work ourselves.

Sonia also talks about her experience with plant medicines and how her relationship to perceived success translated to her relationship with her body. She always thought that happiness was just 10 pounds, but realized she would never be happy as long as she saw her body as something that always needed to be fixed. 

Follow the podcast: 

• Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 

Get LFPWLI Merch here!

Resources:

• I’ll Start Again Tomorrow: And Other Lies I’ve Told Myself 

Connect with Mathew Blades: 

• Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades

Additional Credits:

• LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

Why Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Should Be an Employment Benefit with Sherry Rais, CEO and Co-Founder of Enthea

In this episode, Mathew and Sherry discuss why employers are starting to pay attention to alternative medicines, what the future of psychedelics in the workplace could look like, and how ketamine increases neuroplasticity in the brain to help us make new connections and reduce activity in the default mode network. Sherry tells us our brains can change, but as we age, change becomes more difficult. Things like meditation, breathwork, prayer, and psychedelics can help. You can't undo the trauma that happened to you, but psychedelics can help you reprogram and move on. They also talk about Mathew's first ketamine journey, and Sherry talks about why no two journeys are the same. She tells us it’s all about “set and setting," meaning your mindset, intentions, and surroundings. Even if you control these factors, there is still no way to control your experience, and there is always an aspect of trusting the process. Some people are afraid of a “bad trip," but Sherry reassures us that, unlike painkillers and other pharmaceuticals, psychedelics are non-toxic, and you cannot die from them or become addicted to them. This is just one of the many reasons some employers are beginning to see the benefits of allowing psychedelic-assisted therapy for their employees. 

Sherry Rais is an avid runner, a big fan of chocolate and bread, and the CEO and co-founder of Enthea Ketamine-Assisted Therapy. Enthea is dedicated to providing access to safe and affordable psychedelic-assisted therapy as a public benefit. Before Enthea, Sherry was consulting for the UN and World Bank and pitched psychedelic-assisted therapy in refugee camps and high-conflict areas. That idea was not well received, so when she left to pursue this idea on her own, she expected to be met with more roadblocks, but the impact of the pandemic on people's mental health and more understanding in society at large resulted in much more openness towards psychedelic-assisted therapy. The mental health crisis is also a workforce crisis, so most employers are being more proactive in providing mental health care for their workers.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• What ketamine does to our brains, why it could be a useful tool for some people, and how set and setting impact the journey

Follow the podcast: 

• Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 

Get LFPWLI Merch here!

Resources:

• Enthea.com

Connect with Mathew Blades: 

• Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades

Additional Credits:

LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

Today, we take a break from Learn from People Who Lived It so I can turn you on to a new podcast I helped produce called Nourish U by Lauren Bernard.

Here is her description of her podcast:

What would it be like if you were liberated from suffering in this life? These are the promises of numerous ancient wisdom teachings that have stood the test of time.

Lauren Bernard, wife & mother, yoga instructor, Nourish You - wellness recipe e-book author & chef, practicer/student of Ayurveda, human design & astrology, is here to help us find three things:

• lasting peace

Let's dive into conversations about nourishing your body, mind, and soul.

Together, we'll pursue greater freedom and love. The show intends to give you what you need to fuel your life force as we study at the University that exists around and within us all.

In this conversation, she sits down with Kourtney Walker,  Mindset & NLP Coach @Kourtney.strategiclife.co on Instagram 

Thank you for being here and sharing with others. Find us here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nourish-u/id1729280238

Namaste

Cover Art Photography @Amanda Be LLC

From Alcoholism and Chronic Illness to Endurance Racing: Defying the Odds with Nick Klingensmith

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How did Nick go from dealing with medical issues to being an extreme athlete? 

Are you drinking more than you’d like? Are your relationships not where you want them to be? Do you feel like medical issues are all you will ever know? If you are ready for a change, this is for you. 

In this episode, Mathew, Dr. Dave, and Nick discuss why making dramatic change is so hard for many people, how a rebellious kid became an adult rebelling against his own bad habits, and what it means to understand that “everything that happened to me is for me." Nick tells us he was abandoned, neglected, and rejected by his parents and the kids at school. His drinking started when he was young because it helped him feel like he finally fit in and turned off the part of his brain that made him care if they even liked him or not. Dr. Dave notes that these kinds of patterns will follow us into adulthood unless we go out of our way to change them. Fear controlled Nick's life when he was younger, and now he actively faces his fear to regain control. Nick sees failure as a prerequisite for moving forward and understands that when faced with a challenge, it is not a binary of “yes or no” or “can you or can't you." Instead, it's about how you can and what it will take. What do you want to do, and what is the price of admission? 

Nick Klingensmith is a 4x cancer survivor, type 1 diabetic, recovering alcoholic, has sleep apnea, nerve damage, 7 herniated discs from 2 rollover accidents, and almost died from meningitis. However, he defied it all and redefined his life when he became an obstacle course racer and is now living inspired to embrace purpose, overcome adversity, find belonging, and encourage others to do the same. After being thrown out of a Las Vegas hotel in a drunken haze, jeopardizing his career and relationships, Nick knew he had to make a change. After he beat cancer for the fourth time, his boss suggested he train for a Spartan race that was 9 weeks away. Nick had so many reasons he told himself he couldn't do it, but eventually, he decided to try. For him, it was about defying comfort and realizing that he could experience life. Refusing to accept his limitations, Nick has completed over 100 Spartan races, six major marathons, several ultras, and scores of other obstacle and endurance events. He left the logistics industry to pursue his career as a motivational speaker, using his experience in endurance racing and overcoming his personal adversity to inspire other achievement-driven professionals to push past self-limiting doubts, build resilience, and take purposeful action toward their goals.

“The superpower I embrace is vulnerability.”

Follow the podcast: 

• Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 

Get LFPWLI Merch here!

Resources:

• StrideMotivation.com

Connect with Mathew Blades: 

• Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades

Additional Credits:

LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

Hello, and welcome to a special one-off episode of our podcast. Today, I want to feature a podcast I helped produce called the Nourished Life Podcast. Ang and Claire host it, and their goal is to get you some life-giving nuggets to help you live the life you dream of.  Here is their explanation:

You are invited to listen to a journey focused on holistic wellness, the pillars of healthy eating, physical activity, and self-care. It is hosted by Ang and Claire, who have a passion for healthy lifestyles, personal experience, and educational background in these areas. They offer tips, debunk media health myths, and create an understanding that living a healthy lifestyle is not overwhelming!

The podcast dives into the importance of nourishing the body with whole foods, exploring topics such as the benefits of a plant- based diet, how to cut processed sugars, navigate the grocery store isles and prepping your food for the week to build success to reach your personal goals!

Ang and Claire address how to live an active lifestyle and what that means for you. They explore the benefits of why moving the body is key and offer a perspective on how to approach ”working out” as a positive and not something to dread. From walks to high-intensity interval training, we will help you find what movement is perfect for you!

Let’s not forget about the importance of self-care! Claire shares some of her favorite things to do when it comes to her self-care routines, and Ang offers some of her favorites to recharge her battery! Each of them goes over how to be mindful, get better sleep, slow down and be in the moment, shift your mindset, handle stress, and disconnect from tech!

Ang and Claire’s biggest goal is to get you nuggets to live your best life! Be encouraged that they are here to meet you where you are at, cheer you on with the small wins, and fuel your life to become a better you!

Find them on Apple here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nourished-life-podcast/id1731931063