In this episode, I want to share some insights I’ve recently gained about respecting others' emotional boundaries, understanding how fear of the unknown can lead to conflict in relationships and its roots in the fear of abandonment, and how our inner drive to help others can sometimes hinder our ability to truly love them.

In this episode, I delve into my "spiritual awakening" moment and how my body instinctively used an ancient technique to connect more deeply with the Divine. I also share my thought process as I tried to make sense of it all afterward, noticing signs and strange coincidences that seemed to urge me to overcome my fear while questioning, "I'm not going crazy, right?"

I have my first guest on the show, my long time close friend, Jake Augustini. Jake is a fellow Texan, a singer/songwriter, someone who has worked in tech for the past decade, a world traveler, and shares a love for humor and understanding why we think the way we do.

We discuss an array of topics including:

• The risk of telling people about one’s creative endeavors
• Identity structures surrounding career, money, and status
• Struggling with a savior complex and my need for “impact”
• Early stage momentum with creative ideas
• The importance of community and getting inspired by others
• “The 3 C’s” framework: Commitment, Capabilities, and Confidence
• Fear of committing to different ideas and being "stuck" with them

At the end of the episode, Jake performs one of his original songs, "Ghost.”

In my first podcast, I discuss my journey from being raised in a Christian non-denominational church, to becoming agnostic, and then experiencing what some would call a spiritual awakening. I share my struggles with self-criticism and fear of judgment, which I hope to overcome through the podcast. I also talk about my experiences with therapy, discovering I have ADHD, and my exploration of psychedelic therapy. My spiritual awakening, triggered by my first psychedelic mushrooms experience, led me to a deeper understanding of love and connectedness. I discuss how I hope my podcast will inspire others on their spiritual journeys, and other fun things I plan plan to include in future episodes.