The Courageous Path

When in the presence of a courageous, resilient and trusting souls, such as Matthew Francis, one knows that there is great wisdom being shared. I was blessed to sit down with Matthew to discuss his incredible journey from significant childhood trauma, struggles with mental health, recovery from cancer, grappling with his faith in God, and with transitioning from female to male. In our conversation, Matthew dives in deep to why the mental health system is broken, sharing his personal experience and offering potentially transformational solutions. He talks about his experience being transgender, offering insight into how people can learn to understand, and relate better to, people in the trans community. He even touches upon the “othering” that happens with race and gender. He talks about why some people react out of fear to transgendered people. And Matthew shares a beautiful story about a supernatural experience he had with angels coming to him after he suffered a vicious beating as a young child. Lastly, Matthew talks about how his faith in God has fueled him, how he reconciled his fear of God to understanding that he, along with all humans, are beloved.

Matthew Francis is the author of My Resurrected Spirit and host of the talk show Diversity Dignified. He is also the Founder of “Freedom to Flourish,” which encapsulates the belief that all lives are of infinite value and that sharing your story is the catalyst of empathy and much needed dialogue. Matthew believes everyone deserves to thrive and that we must all work together to bring out the best in each other. He travels nationally delivering educational and motivational speeches using his own tragedy turned triumph to highlight resilience.  Matthew is an alumnus of the University of Southern Maine with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology. He has distinguished himself as an activist for twenty-five years on many diverse social issues. Matthew has spoken at Harvard, Maine Medical Center and University of Maine system.

Matthews’s publications and presentations include, speaking at the Social Work Grand Rounds at Maine Medical Center on “Gender Dignity, Unique and Equal.” He is slated to present on trauma, transition and mental health institutions for the Psychology Department at USM. Matthews’s most recent undertaking has been his book, My Resurrected Spirit, which chronicles Matthews’s journey through essay, short stories and is enjoying national success. Matthew's references include; Dr. Aila Jesse McCutcheon, at The Center for Cognitive Therapy; Dr. Jane Pringle, retired Outpatient Clinic Director at Maine Medical Center; Dr. Herbert Renz-Polster, Pediatrician and Author in Germany; Linda Jacobson, CNS at Maine Medical Center’s McGeachey Hall.

His book, "My Resurrected Spirit," is now available on Amazon.

You can learn more about Matthew at his website, www.hmatthewfrancis.com.

Thanks for listening. For more about me, Rachel Horton White, visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com

Too often we hear of lives ending or being destroyed due to drug addiction. But there are some who recover from the brink of death to bounce back and live their lives to the fullest. Shane Yonuss is one of those brave souls.

In this interview, Shane shares how he escaped the vicious cycle of opiate addiction. He simply decided that he was tired of being “under the thumb” of heroin and made a pact to never do it again. And he didn’t. His music fueled him forward, and his support from his wife keeps him going today. On his ten-year anniversary of the last day he ever used, Shane decided to share words of inspiration and courage with those he knew were still suffering from addiction.

If you or someone you know is still battling with addiction of some kind, Shane has a message for you: if he can do it, then you can too. As Shane will tell you in the end of this interview: "You are stronger than you can possibly imagine.”

Shane Alexander Yonuss is a singer/guitarist/bassist/song writer/lyricist from Lewiston, Maine. Aged 43, Shane has recorded numerous full length studio albums with such bands as Living Impaired, Suns Of Darkness and Uncertainty, with a new EP called Question Everything released in early 2017, and has been on 3 U.S. tours with his band Living Impaired. When he's not working, writing/recording music or playing live shows, Shane spends most of his time with his wife of 5 years, Michelle Yonuss. Shane has also built a career in sales with nearly a decade experience, and is currently a sales manager in a direct response marketing company.

Thanks for listening. For more about me, Rachel Horton White, visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com

With a body torn apart by Lyme disease and a prescribed diet of pills, Cheryl Horton knew there was a better way. Learn here about how she transformed her body, mind and spirit with healthy eating of raw foods, homeopathy and diving in deep to her thoughts. She even started a business to help others, including her own family, do the same. Cheryl shares her experiences with a highly intuitive, autistic son and her fight to help him understand his place in the world and eventually even to teach others.

A cumulation of 25 years of practical practice and education has led Cheryl to this sharing of a raw lifestyle through her business Life in the Raw. After years of being ill and physically challenged, Cheryl knew there had to be a better way. Thus her journey to a fully raw life began. Promises of health, more energy, mental clarity and weight loss seemed to good to be true. Now Cheryl shares that exact promise with everyone she meets!

A vegetarian for 25 years, vegan for 15, and fully raw for the last 5 years. Cheryl studied under the national instructor and author Alissa Cohen to become a certified raw food chef & coach. Cheryl is now on a mission to share this healthy lifestyle with as many others as possible. With a focus on using food to create health, wellness, weight loss and inner peace, Cheryl shares healthy and delicious recipes and teaches both one and one and in small groups. Cheryl lives in Auburn with her husband and three children.

The benefits of sustaining an organic, pesticide free raw foods lifestyle are endless and Cheryl invites you to join in on the health of it!

To learn more, contact Cheryl at [email protected].

And check out another interview with Cheryl: http://www.thefashioncookbook.com/health-beauty/life-in-the-raw/

Thanks for listening. For more about me, visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com

Pesticide use is one of the hidden killers of many forms of life. Bees, which are crucial to sustaining our food supply, are dying at unprecedented rates due to chemical poisoning from spraying of lawns, golf courses, orchards and other grassy areas and plants. Pesticide consumption on fruit, vegetables and exposure from lawn care companies is linked to cancer rates among children and animals. Thankfully, activists like Avery Yale Kamila are working hard to educate us all about the dangers of this, and the importance of buying organic and allowing our lawns to grow naturally. In this interview, Avery discusses her work through Portland Protectors, what lawn care/pesticide companies are hiding from you and how we can all take small steps to promote chemical-free lawns, plants and bees.

Be sure to listen at 19:26 on how lawn care companies are not telling you the full story when it comes to "partially organic" spraying for lawns. And at 34:00 on simple steps you can take now to help make a difference.

Avery Yale Kamila is a long-time food columnist for the Portland Press Herald in Portland, Maine, where she currently writes the Vegan Kitchen column. In 2015, she co-founded Portland Protectors, a grassroots group working to pass an organic lawn care ordinance in the city. She studied science at SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry and journalism at Syracuse University. She lives with her husband and son in downtown Portland.

Learn more about Avery and her work at:

www.facebook.com/portlandprotectors

www.change.org/p/portland-city-c…in-portland-maine

www.pressherald.com/food/vegetarian-kitchen/

For more about me, you can visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com.

Many of us are searching for more holistic ways to approach our health and the connection we have with our care providers. Dr. Catherine Krouse is on the cutting-edge of innovation in health care with a direct primary care model she created in Lotus Family Practice in Famouth, Maine. With this centered around personal connection, community, holistic and herbal remedies and wellness. No insurance companies, just you and personal attention from the doctor! Amazing.

Dr. Catherine M. Krouse is a board certified family physician. She was born and raised in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and then headed to Philadelphia for college and medical school. At Temple University she received her Bachelor’s degree in World Religion. She received her medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

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At this point she needed a break from city life and was drawn to Maine for family medicine residency, graduating in June 2014. Her experience studying both the humanities as well as medical science helped to shape her perspective of medicine and her practice. Every person is unique in their experience and thus requires a unique path to health and healing. Dr. Krouse is committed to providing the tools and support that allow patients to heal on many levels.

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In addition, yoga is an important part in Dr. Krouse’s life and medical practice. She has received her 200 hour yoga teacher certification through Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy. Her classes are a mix of guided meditation, Hatha (holding postures), and Vinyasa (flowing through postures) with the intention to create space in order to listen to the wisdom all of our bodies possess. Learn more at www.lotusfamilypractice.com.

For about me, please visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com.

I had the joy of speaking with Paul Knoll recently about his work in To Live For, his sharing the stories of others, and his experiences in his shamanic practice. Join me for this conversation with Paul about promoting the passions and gifts of others, learning from the wisdom of animals and Native American traditions, and how we can rediscover our childhood gifts and connect with Nature to find our purpose and listen better to the Earth.

Paul spent nearly 20 years in education as a counselor and administrator at the college, high school, and middle school levels. Once driven to become a leading educator in public schools, a brain injury from toxic mold in his school forced Paul to re-learn basic living and communication skills, but this very difficult time helped him to realize that he needed to find a healthier way to live. As a child, Paul was very engaged and intrigued by the Native American culture, so his injury helped him reconnect to his childhood gifts and passions. Through various alternative healing modalities, Paul became very interested in the shamanic practice, and has since helped others become more deeply connected with their inner self and with the beautiful nature that surrounds us. He promotes the concept of living in unison and trust with nature, living simply, and caring for each other, our communities, and our globe.

Paul was honored to be a story teller for the live production of The Moth Radio Hour at the State Theater in Portland, Maine in June 2013. This story was distributed nationally and world wide in the winter of 2015. Paul’s stories and poems have been published across New England in newspapers and magazines and on radio shows. He enjoys scuba diving, photography, biking, golf, learning to dance, surfing, travel, and just being by the ocean. Paul has two amazing daughters, Ally and Anne, who have supported him during some very challenging times. They are to live for!

Paul founded To Live For with his wife Donna Maria to bring upliftment, positive energy, and inspiration to many people around the world. Learn more at www.tolivefor.org.

If you liked this interview, you can follow this podcast for more like this to come (or subscribe on iTunes). To learn more about me, Rachel Horton White, please visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com

You won't want to miss the transformational words here of Ronnie Landis, a brilliant soul doing ground-breaking work in nutrition, the field of human potential and in the mind-body-soul connection. With a diet raw, plant-based foods and a spiritual consciousness , Ronnie healed his own body and now works with thousands of others to do the same. Ronnie's insights into thoughts becoming material manifestations, releasing ourselves from emotional toxicity that impacts every other areas of our lives, and aligning with the spirit of the Creator truly will alter how you think and act in your own life.

Ronnie Landis is an integrative nutritionist, transformation coach, and human behavioral specialist. His work focuses on enhancing the human experience through natural nutrition, lifestyle design, and consciousness engineering. With well over a decade of devoted study & application to the fields of optimizing the body, mind, spirit and union through combining the universal principles of "you are what you think about and you are what you eat," Ronnie believes that in order to truly manifest our dreams we must first embody them in a healthy, hormonally balanced, and disease free body. After all, it is excruciatingly difficult to maintain an attitude of gratitude in a pain stricken body. Ronnie seeks to share his knowledge and teachings with hundreds of thousands of people around the world through his books, podcasts, online courses, YouTube TV show, events, seminars, and retreats. Learn more about Ronnie at www.holistichealthmastery.com and at www.ronnie-landis.com.

If you liked this interview, you can follow this podcast for more like this to come (or subscribe on iTunes). To learn more about me, Rachel Horton White, please visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com

Becky McKinnell is a unique sort of person. She started her own business at the age of 22, and it has grown into a successful company. Join me in this interview with Becky on how she did it; her story on fueling the inner drive toward her vision, working hard to overcome barriers, and always abiding by her mantra of relationships coming first.

Becky McKinnell is an entrepreneur who loves design and believes that building a company should be fun.

She started her first company, iBec Creative (www.ibeccreative.com) in 2006 the day after she graduated from University of Southern Maine. She taught herself web development, design and digital marketing and was able to grow her company by bootstrapping. She currently has 13 amazing, kind, and talented full time employees and 150 happy clients around the country who are growing their businesses.

In 2010, she combined forces with Mark Girr to start her second company, iKNO Intranet (www.iknointranet.com), a social intranet software designed for companies between 50 and 500 employees that need an easy and intuitive way to communicate online.

Becky is honored to be featured in Business Week's Top 25 Entrepreneurs 25 and Under. She was awarded Small Business Administration's Young Entrepreneur of the year, and was a recipient of the Stevie Women in Business Award.

If you liked this interview, you can follow this podcast for more like this to come (or subscribe on iTunes). To learn more about me, Rachel Horton White, please visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com

Angels are coming more into our lives these days. Some of us are aware of our guardian angel, others are familiar with the archangels that can protect, heal and inspire us. This live meditation opens our hearts and souls to connecting with an angel from the higher realm to receive love and support in our everyday lives.

If you liked this meditation, you can follow this podcast for more like this to come (or subscribe on iTunes). To learn more about me, Rachel Horton White, please visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com

Forgiving ourselves, forgiving another, or asking for forgiveness can be exceedingly difficult. Admitting that we have wronged another, or that we have been holding a grudge against another, is not a feeling in which we often choose to dwell. So we often push the feeling aside, hoping it will go away. But it doesn't. Instead, these negative feelings can create energy blockages that have ripple effects in other areas of our lives. This live guided meditation will guide you through the process of first forgiving yourself (a crucial foundational step), then to forgiving another and releasing what no longer serves us, and lastly to asking the soul of another for forgiveness.

If you liked this meditation, you can follow this podcast for more like this to come (or subscribe on iTunes). To learn more about me, Rachel Horton White, please visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com