Have you ever felt bad about feeling bad?

We often feel shame for feeling anything negative. We think, “If I’m not happy, that means something is wrong with me.”

The truth is there’s no way to avoid negative feelings in life, but there are some things you can do to help yourself understand them and even embrace them.

In this episode I’m joined by Zakia Haughton, CEO and business systems extraordinaire, to talk about how getting truly in touch with your feelings can make everything in your life flow with more ease.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How Zakia got to the place of embracing ease and flow in her own life, and why she says it’s about so much more than balance [1:10]
• Why she says that experimentation and curiosity has played a key role in her personal journey [5:12]
• The ways we can use nature to guide us through our “seasons” [10:41]
• Specific practices Zakia uses to break feelings of discomfort, and an experience she had that showed her that no feeling is permanent [23:55]
• Why she has always had issues with the concept of “perfection” [40:07]
• A powerful gift that Zakia has been giving herself lately, and why she realized this needed to happen [45:20]
• A final reminder on why we shouldn’t be resisting our feelings when they arise [48:22] Zakia’s

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zakiahaughton

Zakia’s website: https://www.zakiahaughton.com 

CHOCOLATE! It’s one of the most popular sweet treats all over the world — And I’d be surprised if you said you didn’t love to enjoy it from time to time… I know I do!

But why am I talking about chocolate right now?

Well, one of the main ingredients found in chocolate — cacao — has a LOT more benefits than you might think. It’s actually been used in sacred ceremonial settings since ancient times to enhance our connection to Mother Earth and invoke feelings of ecstasy.

In this week's episode author, founder, and “cacao goddess” Christine Hernandez shares the transformative powers of cacao and how you can incorporate this medicine into your own life.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• Why Christine says that cacao not only changed her life, but saved it [0:57]
• The way she came to realize that it was a big part of her ancestry and family history [4:12]
• What you can expect when taking the medicine, and what Christine’s own ceremony process looks like [7:48]
• Her thoughts on mainstream cacao, plus why it matters so much where your cacao comes from [13:41]
• The positive changes in the younger generation that Christine is seeing in terms of their knowledge of, and respect for, the medicine [26:36]
• How she is now making her Maltyox Method accessible to even more people [28:49]
• What Christine does to connect to her sensual, feminine, and divine self [30:28]
• Why allowing ourselves to play more is so important for each one of us [34:21]
• Exciting announcements Christine has about the republishing of her book [37:02]

Read the show notes: https://www.melyssagriffin.com/christine-hernandez-111/ 

Christine’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christineolivia_/

Christine’s website: https://www.iamchristineolivia.com/

Christine’s Maltyox method: https://maltyoxmethod.com/

Christine’s next Maltyox event on June 12th: http://maltyoxmethod.com/events/maltyox-method/

Christine’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Child-Magic-Christine-Olivia-Dargas/dp/1970124008

Christine’s Online Program: https://theheartofcacao.teachable.com/

Other Books Mentioned: https://www.chickensoup.com/ 

Have you ever been hypnotized?

You may think of the practice as something of fantasy, but hypnosis is actually a therapeutic technique and can help you in various ways. It’s a calm state of altered-consciousness that allows a person to recall memories or be guided to change a behavior (for example, quit smoking or adopt healthier eating habits.)

Sound like something you might want to try?

In this episode we’re taking a deep dive into the subconscious with hypnotherapist and neurolinguistic master practitioner, Juliet C. Obodo. After working in the corporate world, Juliet took a major career pivot and began living her limitless life fueled by her passion of hypnosis.

In this episode you’ll hear:

* A few of the benefits you can notice by doing hypnosis, and how the practice differs from meditation [4:47]

* The way you can achieve true transformation using hypnosis [7:40]

* What’s happening to use inside our bodies when we are in hypnosis [11:41]

* How setting the right filters in her life changed everything for Juliet [14:12]

* What you can do using your brain to start uplevelling your life right now [25:41]

* The lessons we can learn by observing the way babies learn and model the behavior of adults [32:21]

* Why hypnosis isn’t about mind control, and what it’s about instead [33:11]

* A practice you can use to unblock what is keeping you from being, doing and having [34:51]

* Where to start if you’d like to tap into the power of hypnosis [40:13]

Ready to find out how hypnosis can transform your life? Start listening!

Read the show notes: https://www.melyssagriffin.com/juliet-obodo-110/

Juliet’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julietcobodo/

The Forward Institute: https://www.fwrdinstitute.com/

Self-Hypnosis Bootcamp: https://www.fwrdinstitute.com/workshopweek

Get Your Shift Together Guide: https://www.fwrdinstitute.com/gyst-guide

Reese Evan’s Episode: https://www.melyssagriffin.com/reese-evans-100/

Oura Ring: https://ouraring.com/ 

Are you interested in the “spirituality thing” but not quite sure where to start?

The spiritual space can feel intimidating, especially if you are just beginning to dip your toes in. There also tends to be a lot of misconstrued narratives surrounding meditation and spirituality in general.

In this episode, spiritual guide, meditation teacher, transformational speaker, and international best-selling author, Sah D’Simone, shares what spirituality can look like for you and the power this practice can have. You’ll hear his tips and tricks to help you liberate your mind, including what it means to forgive, how being vulnerable can empower you, how to live more sustainably, and what it takes to tap into your most creative space.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• The events in Sah’s former life that contributed to him creating the movement he is leading today [1:05]
• A profound moment of wisdom he had after a conversation with his father, and the life-defining decision that it resulted in for him [5:55]
• What forgiveness really means, plus why it’s such a powerful tool that we all can use [7:24]
• The personal values Sah set that liberated his mind [9:32]
• How he has used vulnerability to empower himself in his daily life [13:30]
• What’s lacking in the mainstream narrative about meditation [27:45]
• Why Sah says that empathy is a gateway to compassion, and how he practices mediation differently than others [33:31]
• His concept of “raging positivity” that he is now teaching to his students [40:11]
• How we can each lock into the silence to live a life of sustainability [44:39]
• The way to start tapping into one of the most creative states that you’ve ever experienced [50:30]

Sah’s Website: https://www.sahdsimone.com/

Sa’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sahdsimone/

Sah’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sah.dsimone/

Sah’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sahdsimone

Spiritually Sassy School: https://members.spirituallysassyschool.com/ 

Are you ready to meet your inner child?

More importantly… Do you know who they are and why they matter?

Inside all of us there’s an inner child that was once wounded. And that inner child can have some pretty big effects on who we are and how we function.

Inner child work, also referred to as inner child healing, is a way to address our needs that haven't been met as children and heal the attachment wounds we formed. When you do inner child work, you become open to — and aware of — an entirely new world of possibilities for yourself.

In this week's episode I’m joined by speaker, coach, and entrepreneur Matt Cama to take a look at why understanding your inner child is so important and discuss how you can begin healing your inner world so you can experience emotional freedom in your life.

In this episode you’ll hear:

Why having empathy for ourselves and others is the foundation for the entire healing process [4:15] Who our inner child is, and two of the most powerful questions Matt asks to help. uncover it [6:48] Why he focuses on the inside game rather than the external to uncover patterns showing up in his clients’ relationships [14:41] What happens to our external world when we do the necessary inside work first [18:02] Why Matt feels so strongly that playing and having joy is everything in life and business [20:49] The key things from our childhood that are impacting and influencing our current relationship template [26:58] His process for repairing and loving parts of himself that he’s discovered through the inner work he’s done [34:09] Ways to get the courage to move from awareness to taking action [41:02] A recent relationship check-in that Matt had with his partner, and the critical lessons that he was reminded of from doing this exercise [48:56]

Read the show notes: https://www.melyssagriffin.com/matt-cama-108

Matt's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matt_cama/

Matt's Website: https://www.mattcama.com/ 

Matt's Inner Child Workshop: https://www.mattcama.com/inner-child-workshop

Matt's Retreat: https://www.mattcama.com/deep-end-retreat

Matt's Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattcama

Matt’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnotzEfXJr-MN8kGjlUQ7Sw 

Do you ever feel like no matter how much “work” you do on yourself, you still wind up stuck in the same patterns?

Maybe you’ve read all the books, attended countless therapy sessions and done a lot of introspection — and I mean, a LOT — but the changes you want to make just aren’t happening. Maybe you feel like you know all the answers, but you can’t get out of the start and stop cycle you’re caught up in.

If you’ve ever felt this way… you’re not alone.

In this episode I’m joined by Dr. Nicole LePera, author, psychologist, and creator of the popular Instagram account @the.holistic.psychologist, where she shares her journey of inner healing and how we can all start to make real change in our lives.

As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Nicole often found herself frustrated by the limitations of traditional psychotherapy. She wanted more for her patients—and herself— so she began developing a united philosophy of mental, physical and spiritual health that equips people with the tools necessary to heal themselves. She shares the life-changing results she discovered along her holistic psychology journey to nearly 4 million “self-healers” on Instagram, through her programs and with her new book “How to Do the Work”.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• Why Nicole made the shift from being a therapist to creating her own protocol for healing [1:09]
• The first steps for taking action to stop living life on repeat [3:34]
• What she means when she says that we need to truly embody change for it to work [5:51]
• What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and why it’s so important to be aware of how our feelings live in our bodies [7:39]
• What’s really happening with our feelings when we’re overwhelmed [15:13]
• How we can start to use breathwork and other techniques to reconnect with ourselves and make sustainable changes in our lives [17:41]
• The impact of not being fully authentic and honest with our own self, and Nicole’s personal journey demonstrating this [33:19]
• Why putting yourself out there and presenting yourself to the world as an entrepreneur can bring up so many emotions [36:35]
• What to keep in mind about feedback and subjective interpretations of our work [38:58]
• How Nicole started considering herself and not just others, and the way this helped her healing process [45:22]

Read the show notes: https://www.melyssagriffin.com/nicole-lapera-107

Nicole’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.holistic.psychologist/

Nicole’s Self-Healers Guide: https://yourholisticpsychologist.com/waitlist/

Nicole’s Book: https://yourholisticpsychologist.com/book/

Nicole's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtEWTaMjqOH8J1Gy06Ey0Yg

Nicole's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/the.holistic.psychologist/

Nicole’s Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/selfhealers-soundboard/id1564136756 

At some point or another you’ve probably wondered “why am I the way I am?”.

And to figure it out, you may have taken some of the big personality tests like the Enneagram, Myers-Briggs or DISC -- or maybe you’ve turned to Astrology for some answers.

But have you ever heard of Human Design?

Human Design offers a map, or a manual, based on a combination of the I Ching, astrology, Kabbalah, Hindu-Brahmin chakra system, and quantum physics that indicates how you are unique as a person -- in other words, what makes you tick. By understanding your Human Design, you can better align yourself to your energy, intuition and the world.

In this week’s episode I’m joined by Victoria Jane, Human Design expert and former Silicon Valley tech employee turned entrepreneur. Victoria spent 10 years hustling in Silicon Valley before reaching a major turning point that changed everything and led her to study Human Design and how it can help people. Today she works with growth-oriented, professional women to use Human Design to live and thrive - with less hustle and more flow.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• A breakdown of Human Design and how it can uplevel your life [5:22]
• How Human Design has changed Victoria’s own life in a big way [6:58]
• What is “authority” in Human Design, and the different kinds that exist [11:33]
• The critical role that your nervous system, and your own self-care, will play in this journey [25:43]
• A time in my life where I didn’t feel connected to my own identity, and Victoria’s thoughts on how my Human Design could have played a part in this [29:46]
• The various ways you can being using Human Design in business [44:52]

Read the show notes: https://www.melyssagriffin.com/victoria-jane-105

Victoria’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriajane.hd

Victoria’s Free “Your Human Design + Work Flow” Guide: https://victoriajane.ck.page/ 

Victoria’s Website: https://www.victoriajane.co/

Visit Melyssa’s Website: www.melyssagriffin.com

Follow Melyssa on Instagram: www.instagram.com/melyssa_griffin

Follow Limitless Life™ on Instagram: www.instagram.com/limitlesslifepodcast 

There comes a point in almost every entrepreneurial journey where the need to switch things up is no longer just an option — it’s a necessity.

Whether due to burn-out, a major shift in your industry, or a total loss of passion for what you built your business on in the first place, you’re going to need to pivot at some point or another.

In this week’s episode I’m joined by creative entrepreneur, online educator, speaker and world-class travel blogger, Glo Atanmo to talk about how pivoting can actually end up being the best thing for you and your business.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How Glo knew that she needed to make a pivot in her life, and the uncomfortable place she found herself in when this was happening [1:13]
• What she means when she says that she’s now doing it for the “90 percent” [3:20]
• The intentional approach she is taking with allies in the social justice movement [7:13]
• What can become possible in our lives when we focus on mastery [15:35]
• The ways that Glo balances setting boundaries with the desire to serve others [20:41]
• Why she feels it’s so important to hold space for what she calls “the suck” [29:11]
• The reasons she recently decided to take a social media detox, and what this looked like for her [38:22]
• What can be so scary about creating space, plus the practices she has incorporated to allow for this in her own life [39:43]
• How Glo continues to maintain a sense of creativity and fun each and every day [48:08]

Pivoting your business or life isn’t easy, but most of the time it’s what leads us to the next level

Read the show notes: https://www.melyssagriffin.com/glo-atanmo-104 

Glo’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glographics

Glo’s Courses: https://learnwithglo.com/

Getaway House: https://getaway.house/

Visit Melyssa’s Website: www.melyssagriffin.com

Follow Melyssa on Instagram: www.instagram.com/melyssa_griffin

Follow Limitless Life™ on Instagram: www.instagram.com/limitlesslifepodcast 

Have you ever thought about the difference between self-care and self-love?

Usually, we confuse the two. We think self-love looks like snuggling under the covers with a good book, taking a bubble bath, putting on a face mask. But really… that’s how we care for ourselves. Self-love is something so much deeper.

My friend Nikia Phoenix and I discussed it on this week’s episode, and I know her perspective is going to blow your mind. Nikia is a model, writer, dream instigator, the founder of Black Girl Beautiful, and an amazing advocate for self-love. She joined me on this episode to talk about what self-love is to her, how her own self-love journey started, and the methods she uses to tap into honoring her whole truth.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• What self-love means to Nikia and how she expresses it to the world [1:03]
• The way that protecting yourself first gives you space to be able to protect others [6:19]
• Her thoughts on cultivating honesty in relationships with the people around you [9:47]
• What started Nikia on this journey to self-love and grew her desire to share it with others [18:18]
• How you can begin to have real and honest conversations with no expectations [25:27]
• How Nikia uses healing modalities as a self-love practice, and what you can do to start incorporating them into your own life [33:44]
• What magic can happen when you do the work of love and service [44:18]

Our conversation reminded me of what’s possible when we intentionally honor our wholeness in the ways we practice self-love. Instead of seeking joy or fulfillment in the things that can’t provide it, taking time to practice self-love helps us see they were in us all along. :)

Read the show notes: https://www.melyssagriffin.com/nikia-phoenix-103 

Nikia’s Website: https://nikiaphoenix.com/ 

Nika’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikiaphoenix/

The Artist’s Way book

Visit Melyssa’s Website: www.melyssagriffin.com

Follow Melyssa on Instagram: www.instagram.com/melyssa_griffin

Follow Limitless Life™ on Instagram: www.instagram.com/limitlesslifepodcast 

Has anyone ever told you that you’re “too sensitive” or to “stop overthinking everything,” particularly by people who strike you as a little bit too insensitive or who you believe might benefit from some more thinking?

Well, you may be what is known as a “highly sensitive person,” or HSP.

Being HSP doesn’t mean you have a diagnosable condition, it’s a personality trait shared by just 20% of the population that involves increased responsiveness to both positive and negative influences. HSPs process experiences, thoughts, and feelings more deeply than non-HSPs — and with all that processing, overwhelm can happen more easily.

We can all feel overstimulated from time to time, but for HSPs it's a way of life. And sometimes that can feel lonely, frustrating, and full of shame.

... But it doesn't have to!

In this episode Brooke Nielsen, therapist, writer, speaker and founder of the Therapeutic Center for Highly Sensitive People, discusses what it means to be a HSP and how to appreciate the unique strengths that come along with this trait.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• What is an “HSP” and how many people are born with this genetic trait [3:58]

• How Brooke is destigmatizing the negativity around being an HSP, and why it’s feels so liberating for her to do this [10:11]

• The way she coped with her emotions at a younger age and what was the impact of trying to do this [11:16]

• Her thoughts on male ESPs and how each society views them differently [14:12]

• What trauma really is, and the role that it plays in the lives of HSPs [22:01]
• 
 Why just focusing on your mindset and positive thinking isn’t enough to overcome trauma [35:44]

• What research shows about people having compassion for others [41:01]
• Best practices for setting energetic boundaries as an HSP [49:43]
• What to be aware of an HSP in a relationship, and how to educate your partner in the right way [59:16]
• Tips for running a business as an HSP [64:15]

Whether you’re a Highly Sensitive Person or think you might know someone who is, you’ll leave this episode with a deeper understanding of your emotions, empathy and the power that comes from understanding yourself. It's a really good one!

Read the show notes:

Brooke’s Website: https://intuitivewarriorway.com/

Brooke’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intuitivewarriorway/ 

Visit Melyssa’s Website: www.melyssagriffin.com

Follow Melyssa on Instagram: www.instagram.com/melyssa_griffin

Follow Limitless Life™ on Instagram: www.instagram.com/limitlesslifepodcast