Do you ever get distracted, or tired, and wish you had the drive to accomplish more?  Alan Lazaros would call that drive “grit”.  Alan is one of the founders of Next Level University and a business coach, and Alan has more of that grit in his little finger than Ramsey has underneath his fingernails.  Ramsey and Alan discuss Alan’s early background as an achiever of things that ultimately did not matter to him, the near-miss that made him re-evaluate his priorities, and how he has become laser-focused on achieving not only his goals, but also the goals of his clients.  Alan identifies as an Engineer … as such he measures, calculates, designs and builds problem-solving solutions for businesses.  Ramsey can kind-of relate … he identifies as a Builder.  If you’ve ever struggled with motivation, wanted to become more successful than you are, and are fundamentally willing and eager to put in the work to do it, then this episode is for you.  Learn more at www.nextleveluniverse.com.

What do you do as the daughter of a pioneer of herbal remedies? You restart the family business as a modern web-based supplier of traditional wisdom and modern formulations, if you are Jane Barlow Christensen.  Ramsey and Jane spoke about her life growing up surrounded by potted plants and roadside weeds turned into remedies, her passion for fitness and human health, and how she now runs a thriving business.  Jane is also the author of “Be Your Own Shaman” which is a beautiful hardcover book featuring diagrams and photographs of a wide array of naturally occurring medicinal plants as well as their usages and preparations as herbal remedies.  Ramsey and Jane focus some time to discuss Lomatium, a powerful wide-spectrum anti-microbial that is a featured remedy of Barlow Herbal Specialties.  Learn more at www.barlowherbal.com.

How can we quiet our thoughts, fend off distractions and focus on connecting with God?  A time-tested form of silent meditation called Centering Prayer has a modern-day advocate in Rich Lewis.  Rich and Ramsey discuss a simple but profound key to keeping ourselves focused in silent prayer, the ways that God speaks to us when we reach out to him, and the benefits that we see in our spiritual, mental and physical lives as a result.  Centering Prayer has much in common with Eastern-style Meditation but with a couple of important distinctions.  If you have been looking to improve your prayer life, your connection to God, or just your ability to focus on what’s worthwhile, this will be a great episode for you.  Learn more at https://silenceteaches.com/centering-prayer.

What is the role of men today, and what does healthy masculinity look like in terms of relationships, work and self-control?  Alain Dumonceaux is a men’s group leader, life coach, podcaster, and author.  Ramsey and Alain spoke about ways for men to productively feel their emotions, communicate with their spouses, and express their needs.  Alain talks a lot about the hero’s journey, how we recover from mistakes to move forward, and how we empower the people around us to also be seen, heard, and successful.  Learn more at www.TheAwakenedMan.com. 

With a cancer diagnosis, how do you look at the dietary, emotional and lifestyle elements of your life and improve them, thereby empowering yourself to better heal?  Shruti Sethi reached out to many peers and health experts after her Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis and her holistic health efforts enhanced her healing journey through chemo.  Based on her experience, she founded Awaana Health as an online platform where people can access integrative doctors for advice and a peer group for support regarding cancer treatment, cancer prevention and reduction of chronic illness. Ramsey and Shruti discuss her story, the Awaana Health platform, and many practical and specific examples of strategies to holistically improve health.  Learn more at www.awaanahealth.com.

How can we reclaim health and vitality for our families and ourselves through our foods and our lifestyles? By tapping into traditional practices of food preparation, space-age real-time health monitoring, and eating a nutrient dense whole foods diet, according to Caroline Fausel, founder of Olive You Whole.  Ramsey and Caroline are fellow students at the Nutritional Therapy Association’s 12-month NTP (Nutritional Therapy Practitioner) program, and they chat about all things Wellness, trade notes on their learning experience thus far, and lament the epic fail of Ramsey’s first batch of pickled green tomatoes.  For anyone wanting to eat better, live better, or maybe go to NTP school, this is the episode for you.  Learn more about Caroline at oliveyouwhole.com and the NTP program at nutritionaltherapy.com.

If too much stress can cause the body to feel sick, can we stop and undo that effect?  Yes … if we can first observe and feel our emotions and work through them, according to Natalie Bedard (who likes to be called “NatNat”).  Ramsey and Natalie begin with a meditation that challenges Ramsey to observe his breathing without controlling it: the first step to observing our own status.  They go on to discuss Natalie’s recovery from a mysterious and life-threatening condition, the value of creating and holding safe spaces for each other to express our emotions, and Natalie’s approach to empowering her clients to activate their nervous systems properly to improve their health and well-being.  Learn more about Natalie’s work at www.LiftOneSelf.com.

You think your life is messy?  With a horse’s kick in her teens to alert her to Type 1 Diabetes and a heart attack in her early 40’s, hopefully Sarah Wilson has got you beat!  But Sarah has put those life lessons to work and now coaches clients on how to navigate autoimmune issues, Type 1 Diabetes and overall wellness in themselves and for their kids.  Ramsey and Sarah discuss her story, the pros and cons of eating vegan versus carnivore, what wellness advice Sarah has for everyone, and signs of a great holistic health awakening.  Filled with wild stories and retrospective laughs, this is an episode not to miss.  Www.EverythingsMessyWellness.com

How can we create value, find help and build worth at any age, between people? Mentoring!  Learn about traditional mentoring (sage to student) as well as lateral mentoring (between peers) from an expert in the field. Deborah Heiser founded The Mentor Project and has an upcoming book, now available for pre-order called The Mentorship Edge. Ramsey and Deborah also discuss the keys to happiness and fulfillment in retirement, as well as warning signs that folks may need more.  Learn more at deborahheiser.com and mentorproject.org.

When floating in the waters of public opinion and social media, do you protect yourself behind the bars of a Shark Cage?  Ramsey reflects on the time he preached at church about Jonah and decided that he was not in the belly of a fish, but definitely hiding out in a Shark Cage, afraid of what people would think and do if he said out loud what he really thought and believed.  Can you relate? Well ... Ramsey has some new thoughts and perspectives as he revisits the idea of his Shark Cage.