SHOW UP

Despair | Anguish | Meditation | Transformation | Critical Thinking | Overcoming | Dancing Souls | Awakening | Self-Discovery

 Very happy to welcome Kathleen Flanagan to "When I Stop Fighting - The Podcast." Kathleen shares her transformative journey, which began at sixteen when she faced suicidal thoughts. Introduced to meditation by her mother, she experienced a profound connection with what she believed was God, later revealed to be the Archangel Michael. This experience ignited her quest for a deeper understanding of life beyond her difficult upbringing, characterized by fear and anger. 

Kathleen explored both Eastern and Western philosophies and attended the School of Metaphysics to delve into her intuitive and psychic abilities, which often left her feeling isolated. 

Overcoming her challenges, she became a paralegal, developing critical thinking skills that bolstered her sense of safety. In 2008, inspired by the Archangel Ariel, she relocated to Chicago to write, resulting in her book series “Dancing Souls,” chronicling her spiritual awakening and the process of overcoming personal rage. 

Kathleen reflects on her journey of self-discovery, realizing that she was the only one standing in her way of happiness. Through her struggles, she learned that true happiness comes from within and is not contingent on external circumstances. Ultimately, she emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility in shaping one’s life and finding alignment between one’s inner self and external realities. 

Now, she embraces a life of intention and fulfillment, cherishing the growth that her challenges have brought her.

Please find Kathleen here and check out her special offers!

 https://bit.ly/3VLp7aT  Free Giveaway! – Sound Healing

 Author Special – Kathleen M. Flanagan

 https://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Souls-Kathleen-M-Flanagan/dp/0996417702

Dysfunction | Betrayal | Sexual Abuse | Recovery | Raising Awareness | Sharing | Giving Back 

 In this episode of "When I Stop Fighting – The Podcast," I welcome Tom Patrick Reilly, who shares his compelling story of resilience and courage. 

Tom, originally from Chicago, experienced a tumultuous childhood marked by family struggles, including a father who was an alcoholic and a police officer. After a severe injury during duty, his father's temper worsened, leading to domestic violence that Tom and his younger brother Joe had to confront as children. Despite these challenges, Tom reflects on his early life with a sense of nostalgia, recognizing the small joys amidst the chaos. 

Tom emphasizes the importance of storytelling as a tool for healing, both for himself and for others who have faced similar trauma. Tom's experience as a victim of child abuse in his teens drives his mission to aid fellow survivors. His book, "Broken Trust, Uncle Fran, the Family Child Molester," aims to offer hope and valuable information for victims and their families to prevent future abuse. 

Now residing on a rural property in Michigan with his wife and a protective Doberman, Tom's journey is about empowerment and sharing lessons learned. He believes that sharing personal stories can inspire others to overcome their struggles, emphasizing the shared nature of human experiences. 

 Through this podcast episode, listeners gain insight into Tom's life and the motivation behind his work in raising awareness regarding child sexual abuse.

 Find Tom here:

 Website T Patrick Reilly

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/BROKEN-TRUST-Molester-Prevention-Thriving/dp/B0DLWMVF7K

Adversity | Struggle | Not Fitting In | Unraveling | Addictions Grip | Personal Growth | Helping Others

Ryan Penley has over six years of sobriety. Ryan has transformed his experiences with addiction into valuable lessons for others still struggling, embodying hope and resilience. He not only shares his personal journey but also aims to inspire those still in the depths of addiction through his debut book, "Man Up, Sober Up," and as the host of "The Next Fix" podcast. 

Ryan expresses gratitude for the opportunity to represent the recovery community and emphasizes the importance of providing hope to those in need. Ryan reflects on his early experiences with alcohol, which began when he was just trying to gain the confidence to socialize and engage with others. 

As he transitioned into a professional bartending role in Las Vegas for over eleven years, he initially felt in control and enjoyed the perks of his lifestyle. However, beneath the surface, he began to develop multiple addictions beyond just alcohol, leading to a rapid unraveling of his life. This pivotal moment highlighted the precarious nature of addiction, where everything can seem fine until it suddenly isn't. 

In an attempt to escape his unhealthy lifestyle, Ryan moved to Colorado, believing that a change in scenery would help him overcome his struggles. However, he quickly learned that running away from his problems was futile, as he brought his addiction with him. Settling in a small town of just six thousand people, he expected that it would be easier to start fresh, but he was mistaken. Despite the change in environment, he found a way to maintain his destructive habits, illustrating the powerful grip of addiction that can persist regardless of location. Ryan’s story serves as a testament to the challenges faced by those in recovery, as well as the lessons learned along the way. He discusses the importance of personal growth through adversity and how sharing experiences can plant seeds of hope that may sprout later. By creating platforms like his book and podcast, Ryan aims to reach others battling their demons, providing them with a glimmer of hope for a better future.

 Find Ryan here:

https://www.amazon.com/Man-Up-Sober-Up-Isolation-ebook/dp/B0CPL4STYR

Facebook

The Next Fix - YouTube

Dysfunction | Dreams | Working Tirelessly | Approval | Overcoming | Learning | Applying | Freedom

 Randy Wilson, is a dedicated advocate for personal and financial transformation through his Rich Mind podcast. Randy, mentored by influential figures such as Jim Rohn, Bob Proctor, and Robert Kiyosaki, blends his enthusiasm for personal growth with practical financial education to inspire individuals to take action toward realizing their dreams. With over two hundred episodes and a broad audience, the Rich Mind Podcast is a valuable resource for listeners seeking to apply timeless wisdom to create a fulfilling life. Randy reflects on his upbringing in the Midwest, where he experienced a challenging relationship with his father. Though he had a loving family, his father's emotionally distant and mentally abusive approach pushed Randy to strive for validation through sports. He aimed to excel in basketball and baseball, but despite his efforts, he did not reach his aspirations of playing professionally. Instead, he played at a high school level and internalized feelings of inadequacy due to his father's failure to express pride in his accomplishments, which profoundly affected his self-esteem. 

As he transitioned into adulthood, Randy found himself replicating the mentality instilled by his father—working tirelessly, often to the point of exhaustion, in pursuit of success. His desire for approval shaped his decisions and career paths, leading him into roles aligned with others' expectations rather than his aspirations. 

This journey of seeking validation ultimately inspired him to take charge of his life and pursue endeavors fostering personal and financial growth. Throughout the conversation, both Daryl and Randy emphasize the importance of personal stories in shaping one’s journey. Their shared values and experiences highlight how individual narratives can influence paths toward success, emphasizing that overcoming personal struggles and shifting mindsets are vital components in achieving true fulfillment and financial freedom.

Find Randy here:

Website - https://www.richmind.co

Email - [email protected]

FREE digital copy of ‘Think Big!’ - [email protected] (subject line - Stop Fighting)

Planting Seeds | The Power of Sustained Effort | Social Work | A.A. | Recovery | Rebuilding Relationships

 Janice was raised in a dysfunctional home and with parents who had a history of alcoholism in their lineage. Not a blame thing, just the reality of her beginning in life.

Through high school and her younger years, Janice only experimented with alcohol and drugs. She was driven to do better things with her life and made all the efforts to do just that. 

The standards were much higher for the boys in her family than they were for Janice. This could be both a relief and a challenge, but Janice persisted and continued moving forward with her idea of success. 

Janice decided to go to grad school with Social Work as the focus of her degree.

Janice was an athlete in college, which helped her curb her drinking, not to mention, she began to work with families in her Social Work capacity, and became exposed to A.A., ALANON, and Adult Children of Alcoholics groups.

Janice started a family and, whilst doing all the things a great mother does, she started to drink like an alcoholic, and lose control.

Therapy, anti-depressants, and being insanely busy didn’t curb the drinking, but drinking was not recognized as the culprit … until prodding from a therapist.

A.A. was given a try and that’s when a light started to go off. It was not necessarily a smooth process but when it started to stick, after a stint in a treatment center, things started to change.

In early sobriety, Janice was so involved with sobriety, she neglected her family for a period of time.

At about six months sober, this started to change, and Janice began to repair the damage done to her relationships.

Janice’s mission became, and still is, the oft-ignored relationships we sacrifice due to our addiction(s) and the subsequent behaviors. 

Janice’s book, Rebuilding Relationships in Recovery, speaks about the science of addiction; making amends; and the ongoing work required to repair our most cherished relationships (links below!)

Find Janice here:

Janice Johnson Dowd, LMSW, Author, Speaker

Instagram

https://www.amazon.com/Rebuilding-Relationships-Recovery-Addiction-science-based/dp/B0D66G562C/

Choices | Mistakes | Lessons | Learning | Surrender | Life Knows How to Life | Allowing | Pillars of Salt

Kali’s story of becoming “sick and tired of being sick and tired” is one that so many of us can relate to. Sometimes we must get to a point where we’re worn out, exhausted with our own bs … just done.

How our minds and what we allow to be real for us is how our life can unfold, until we change that internal narrative and begin to experience things differently. Most of the chatter and noise in our minds isn’t ours and once we realize that, we can begin to change.

We are not our thoughts.

Life works just fine without our constant judgement and intervention. Our life knows how to live, once we stop all the noise.

Can we understand that out thoughts are just clouds passing through the sky of our minds?

We can allow ourselves to loosen the grip, and when we do, life smooths.

Practicing awareness of each present moment is a key to loosening the grip on life and allowing the waters of our life to calm.

The beautiful gift of life resides in each moment, not in what our minds conjure up about the past or future.

“Your life is none of your business,” is how we can perceive just being in the moment, without the judgment of past or concern for the future.

Letting go of our minds can be likened to letting go of helium balloons, one at a time. Let it go, let it go, let it go …

People can be intimidated by the concept of meditation, but it really is just the practice of present moment awareness.

Everything we engage in daily can be done with present moment awareness.

 Find Kali here:

 https://kalijbanks.com

www.denepoeducation.com

https://www.amazon.com/Awareness-Evolution-Self-Elevation-Kali-Banks-ebook/dp/B0BQZ9RWBM/

kalijbanks (@kalijbanks1) / X

Stoicism | 12 Steps | Sobriety | Recovery | Giving Back

Ryan and I discuss our love of mountains, hiking, outdoors, national parks, and the healing power of those pursuits.

Ryan shares his story of powerlessness, although not as early on in life as many who have been on the path of addiction and/or alcoholism.

The drinking really started to escalate after the first couple of years in college.

The signs of really having problems started to show up and after law school, and by having a mom who had alcoholic tendencies, the mirror of what Ryan was becoming was reflected back at him.

Several years into Ryan’s marriage, he was confronted by his wife who found out just how much Ryan had been drinking. 

Through jail, hospital stays, and wrecked relationships, Ryan didn’t contemplate stopping drinking until his wife appeared as though she was mourning a relationship that had not even ended …

Ryan reports that the desire to drink vanished at that moment and, after checking with a couple of friends who verified that it was probably a great idea to stop drinking, Ryan has embraced sobriety ever since.

Ryan now embraces change, getting better, developing the life skills that remain undeveloped as we continue chasing our addiction(s).

His focus is now on continual improvement, being present for his family, and helping others.

Ryan attributes his early success to working the 12 Steps and remaining serious about improvement and sobriety.

Ryan’s initial introduction to Stoicism was met with a visceral hatred because it illuminated all of the things that Ryan was not at that point in his life.

When it was discovered that many of the stoic philosophies mirrored the principles and values outlined in the 12 Steps, Ryan was sold.

Now he studies, writes, and embraces these philosophies and it has become an undertaking of both he and his wife of now, 15 years.

Being grateful is a cornerstone of Ryan’s recovery and life, which also helps him, “keep it between the ditches.”  

youtube:  @philosophicallysober

X and Bluesky:  @philosophsober

Facebook:  Philosophically Sober

Instagram:  philosophicallysober

This is a compilation of short reels from Season 1 concerning recovery and healing. Some great wisdom in these reels.

Season 2 starting April 16, 2025! Stay tuned!

Enjoy!

Before we crank up Season 2 on April 16, we thought we'd re-run a couple of the most popular episodes, so those who may have missed them can have a look or a listen!
This episode is Sarah Sandidge, a Life and Recovery Coach who was good enough to share her story.
Enjoy!

More great recovery wisdom from Season 1!

Having been recovering for a few decades, it is very important to me to be in a position to give back and help others. Many of my guests are also in recovery and have incredible wisdom to share.

These are many of the nuggets of wisdom extracted from those wonderful conversations!

I hope you enjoy them and take some wisdom away from them.