Mettle Brain

Phyllis Laursen is an expert in psychology and family systems. Phyllis has worked and continues to work with an exclusive clientele consisting of politicians, movie stars, and musicians that she hand selects. 

Phyllis also claims to be an interspecies communicator speaking to people, animals, and ET's. 

Phyllis discusses her background, her model fact vs. feeling, and our future political climate and why we need to move away from the chaos and become familiar with this question: "Is this a fact or is this a feeling?"

Phyllis gives some wonderful communication tips using this fact or feeling model that will be particularly useful on the cusp of this week's holiday, Thanksgiving.

Today on 'Monday Morning Musings' I discuss Sheryl Sandburg and Adam Grant's beautiufl book, "Option B" about facing adversity, building resilience, and finding joy. This book is chalk full of stories that make you feel like you can buy back into life even if it's not as ideal as you would like. I share what keeps coming to mind months after reading it and a critical thing to remember when dealing with adversity. 

Have you ever felt overshadowed? Today on Monday Morning Musings I discuss the importance of not over shadowing others and navigating our own personal "shadow" or unconscious self. I share thoughts I love from Carl Jung and Parker Palmer that have really inspired and comforted me when in the midst of working with the more primitive aspects of my personality. 

Work, work, work! Sometimes it's all too much. It's easy to forget that it can actually be better than being stuck doing stuff "we have to do." Today's morning musing is all about reminding us that work can be sweet and delicious, so good even that we can't "eat" it fast enough. I share an interesting exchange I had with one of my boys, how we can remember it is possible to get excited over work, and not to forget that there is so much good ahead that we can't even imagine it yet! 

The first of a new installment, "Trees are Social Creatures" is part of a monthly series called Monday Musings. In this episode I reflect on the shocking reality that trees are social creatures. Trees have a deep web of interconnection with one another and their environment. I share a recommendation for the novel, "The Overstory" by Richard Powers, which was recently written up in the NY Times as the book of the decade. 

Joe Bunting is a father, storyteller, and the author of the children's books series "The Untold Classics." The first book of the series, "The REAL story of Rumpelstiltskin" is in bookstores now. The book is a twist on the 1812 Brother's Grimm classic. This time, it's told from Rumpelstiltskin's point of view. Joe shows children and adults there are always two sides to every story. In this interview, we discuss his creative journey, publishing, and fatherhood. 

Anthony Riedelsheimer is a lifelong musician and budding researcher. We discuss how to maximize music in our life, the power music has to transports us and what's really happening when you hear that song that makes you feel like a teenager. As a performer and teacher, Anthony knows the steps to take to develop a rich appreciation for music.

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Jeremie Banet is an executive vice president at PIMCO, one of the world' s largest investment management firms. Jeremie discusses opening and running the food truck 'Monsieur and Madame'. We discuss the balancing act of imagining our circumstances differently. Jeremie values keeping the inner child alive and present, despite the rigors of adulthood.

Joanie Sprague is a strong, self-made woman. She was the carpenter on the television show Trading Spaces. Joanie has traveled the world as a model and is widely known as the runner up from America's Next Top Model. We discussed being a woman in a male dominated field like woodworking, how she has found the bravery to go after what she wants, and how she gets out and under from anxiety. This episode was recorded in 2018. Joanie has since started her own podcast, The Little Bit. She releases a new show weekly 

Carina Longworth is a life coach, yoga teacher, and Reiki master. We discuss getting out from under that choking sense of self doubt, finding trust and bravery in yourself, and the benefits of yoga. The timing of this episode was serendipitous as I was feeling a current of doubt in my own life and really pushed Carina to go deeper on what it means to lean into that confidence in yourself and find your wings. Carina opens up about her own life and how saying no to drama has been key to thriving. She testifies that unfortunately you can't buffer the ground but there is always bravery to be found if you can trust yourself.