PoolePRoof Wisdom

A lot of people have a lot of opinions about people who pursue any kind of therapy to address emotional and other mental health challenges.  There are all kinds of reasons: some believe therapy discloses problems we should protect from outsiders.  Others think therapy is for people who are weak, weird, or just can't get their shit together.  And even individuals themselves may be convinced that seeking therapy means they're not self-sufficient or self-reliant.

Whatever the reason, when therapies are perceived as more esoteric -- like hypnotherapy -- fears and judgments are only further compounded.  But the truth is, millions of people use hypnotherapy to help them manage any number of issues that stand in the way of them fulfilling their true and full potential, and it's an effective tool to do so.

In this episode, clinical hypnotherapist Kim Yurkovich helps us explore what hypnotherapy is, isn't, and how it helped her -- and now those she helps -- improve life.  Listen and learn, and as always, if you need help. . . get it.  

I titled this episode “Ain’t I A Woman?”: Women in the C-Suite and Trailblazing for DEI, because Zing is truly a worthy inheritor of the message and meaning behind Sojourner Truth’s iconic  1851 speech to the Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. In particular, this:  “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.”  

Zing is turning the world right side up, y’all! A  successful executive, wife, mother, and advocate for diversity who represents the growth of women executives in the workplace and the impact they’re having not only in that space, but in the social and political spaces, as well. Hers is  journey, we can all learn from and be inspired by.

Featuring: Learning and Organization Development Executive Ruth-Ann Clurman and Organization Change Management Executive Angela Bilkey Chesmore.

We're at the start of a new year and the first thing we need to leave in the past is the sense that we're not good enough when it comes to our work, our relationships, and our goals and aspirations.  The idea that we're phonies and only getting by on luck and not talent or skill is at the core of why so many have inner saboteurs and end up getting in their own way, never believing they measure up to anyone's expectations, particularly their own.

But this year, we're not doing that.  No, we are walking into the days, weeks, and months ahead driven by one essential belief:  I am worthy.

When we think that way, we'll also find a method to embrace coming to believe that we have earned what we've worked for.  No one just gave it to us, and we did not get it just because we were in the right place at the right time.

To help listeners understand how easy it is to fall into thinking negatively about themselves, however, we are having a lively -- but thoughtful -- conversation about imposter syndrome in this first episode of the second season of the PooleProof Wisdom podcast.  We'll talk about what imposter syndrome is, how it originates, different types of imposter syndrome, how to overcome it, and much more.

My guests are both well-versed in human behavior and how the syndrome plays out for many people.  There is a really insightful conversation ahead.  So insightful, in fact, that we discovered some things about ourselves we didn't recognize by the end of the episode.

In this episode, Charles recounts his personal battle with COVID, from which is recovering.  What he learned is a life lesson worth thinking about, and a testament to the power of faith in all circumstances we face.

Beyond the Headlines: Stopping AAPI Hate Now

In this episode, we revisit the ongoing issue of violence against Asian and Pacific Islander people that grabs fewer headlines today, but remains a real and painful reality.  In a recent national report – issued in August and representing incidents through June -- Stop AAPI Hate, an organization formed after an alarming escalation in xenophobia and bigotry against Asian and Pacific Islander people in the US, reported that the number of incidents reported to its center increased to 9,081 from 6,603 between April and June. Of all incident reports, 4,548 hate incidents occurred in 2020 and 4,533 of hate incidents happened in 2021. These attacks ranged from physical assault to verbal harassment, to online harassment, to civil rights violations.  David Kim, our guest, weighs in with personal experience, some answers about why many in the community had once opted not to report incidents, and insights about why personal safety, freedom, equity, and respect should be available to us all.

The Good Work of Doing Work for Good

In this episode, our focus is on giving.  As someone who firmly believes personal happiness is in part made possible by doing good in support of others, this discussion is of value to anyone who is looking for purpose and meaning.  And the good news is that anyone can find these things, working from where they are, using whatever they have.

Michael Chatman, my guest, is a nationally recognized leader in philanthropy, social entrepreneurship, and civic engagement. Prior to joining the Cape Coral Community Foundation, he served as a senior corporate responsibility consultant for Anheuser-Busch Companies.  That's where I came to know and appreciate him.  Michael also was the senior vice president for philanthropy of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, and former nationally syndicated radio host for the Michael Chatman Giving Show, where he had the largest philanthropy radio audience in America.

Chatman has an extensive network as a social media strategist, publisher of digital content, public speaker and thought leader on reaching Generation Xers and Baby Boomers age 50 and beyond, youth philanthropy and nonprofit capacity building. He holds a master’s degree in philanthropy from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, executive leadership certification from Harvard Business School, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Missouri State University.

It's a great conversation, and I hope you'll find it's one you might want to have with yourself, as well.

In this episode, artist and marketing/branding executive Mark Witzling discusses his journey from work to his life's work, and what that journey means in terms of finding meaningfulness and purpose in life.

The Future of Personal Happiness

"I just want to be happy."

You've heard others say it perhaps thousands of times, or have said it yourself almost as many.

But since 2020, and the pandemic that redefined how we live and what we expect, happiness has been harder to define and pursue for millions of people.  Anger, frustration, and doubt have instead come to define the time in which we live and echo the uncertainty we have about the present.

In this episode, Charles and his guest talk about rediscovering happiness today and claiming the keys are to happiness tomorrow and beyond for ourselves.  What they offer may not be what many may think the answers will be, yet it is everything we need to know to pursue and find real happiness on our own terms.

Listen, learn, and share to find your own way to happy, and help others do the same.

In this episode, Charles speaks about regaining weight after losing a significant amount during quarantine, and what that does and doesn't mean in terms of the goals he has for his health, and his life.