By Ali Rad
The podcast currently has 16 episodes available.
I did not plan for this episode at all.
It was never even on my radar.
But then I had a friend commit suicide last week.
The 8th person I know who has ended their life within the past year and a half.
This one hit close to home though.
Too close.
But it was my dear friends death that made me realize we need to talk about mental health.
More than ever now.
And not just on specific days.
But ALL the days.
And so I sat in front of my microphone and these are the words that just came out.
In one consistent flow.
No pauses.
No redos.
No content edits.
Just an open honest conversation about mental health in general.
Topped with my personal experience.
So sit with me in this episode as I get incredibly vulnerable,
& grieve my old self and my dear friend.
This ones for you Rebecca,
And for anyone who is battling a darkness.
And for anyone who mourns someone who has lost their battle.
And just for anyone who is an advocate for mental health.
*Please take note on a trigger warning for this episode. Listen at your own discretion and if you require assistance at any time, please address your safety plan or contact a help line in your area.
Mental Health Resources:
Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-833-456-4566
The Centre for Addiction & Mental Health
Canada Suicide Prevention Service
Kids Help Phone
1-800-668-6868
Suicide Safety Plan Information
Cheers to dream & wild things *
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Download your freebie at:
www.ali-rad.com/freebies
Music Credit:
www.audionautix.com
Let me introduce you to our next guest, Kayla Fournier. She is a close gal pal of mine and creator of @worthyofbeing. She has a heart made of pure gold and an open mind.
In this episode, Kayla takes us through her journey of growing up in a military family and the major influence it has had on her life. She walks us through burn out and how she had to shed all of her external layers to finally break free of the box she was living in.
Sit with us as we seek the freedom and empowerment to be ourselves and worthy of everything.
IG: @kaay.fournier
IG: @worthyofbeing
Shoutout IG: @dawn.sinclair_
Halifax & Region Military Family Resource Centre
Cheers to dreams & wild things *
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Download your freebie at:
www.ali-rad.com/freebies
Music Credit:
www.audionautix.com
Welcome to the first guest episode!!!!
This Beauty Branding Badass, also known as Aja Coore is like no other human. Some might say I am bias as she is my cousin, but I am confident that once you get to know her, you would agree with me.
In this episode we chat all things creative, risk taking, adapting and learn secrets of how Aja built a business that transformed her life and the lives of so many others.
I couldn’t ask for a better guest to premiere my guest episodes as Aja literally is the definition of creating her own Rad Reality. By knowing what she wants and going to no limits to get it, you won’t want to miss this conversation.
Follow Aja:
IG: @ajacoore_
www.ajacoore.com
Podcast: Pivot & Pause: A Podcast for Beauty Industry Leaders
Listen on Apple
Listen on Spotify
Cheers to dreams & wild things *
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Download your freebie at:
www.ali-rad.com/freebies
Music Credit:
www.audionautix.com
Welcome to Season Two!
In this episode I talk about the importance of getting naked, literally and metaphorically. As frisky as that may sound, this is more the orgasm of life. Us humans are complex creatures that have many layers; and if you don't learn to peel back those layers and remove external factors, the love you have for yourself and others will only ever be surface deep.
Be sure to listen as I get personally naked with you and talk about the single specific layer that I peeled back years ago, that as simple as it was, started a ripple effect in my self love journey.
I hope to spark your curiosity in shedding one layer of yourself, as you never know what you will find.
Cheers to dreams & wild things *
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Download your freebie at:
www.ali-rad.com/freebies
Music Credit:
www.audionautix.com
Season Two Trailer
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Here is a sneak peak into what Season Two of Your Rad Reality Podcast will be all about!
Season Two is coming to you anywhere you listen to podcasts on June 17th 2021!
Be sure to subscribe so that you never miss an episode and until then, be sure to catch up on all your favourite Season One episodes.
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Download your Four Weeks of Rad Living template at:
www.ali-rad.com/freebies
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Music Credit: audionautix.com
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Cheers to dreams & wild things *
Ali Rad
Season One, Episode Ten
Until Next Season... Stay Playful & Create Magic
Welcome to the last episode of Season One.
Get ready for Season Two coming May 2021 which will be full of many guests!
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This episode is all about play, or better yet the lack there of.
Sahara Rose - The Highest Self Podcast. She talked about how when you are a child, everyone talks about magic, how anything is possible and that you can do anything you set your mind to. Yet as soon as you reach a certain age, that magic just disappears and all-of-a-sudden all the possibilities turn to ashes.
This is when the box appears.
The one you are supposed to fit in.
The place where as an adult, you stop believing in magic and possibility.
When did we stop believing we can be and do anything we choose?
It is because we stopped making time and space for the things that made us happy as children.
As if we don't have enough time is an excuse, when the cold hard truth is that every human has the same 24 hours in a day. You have to choose how you spend that time.
Think back on your childhood and I want you to think about the 3 top things that made you the happiest during that time....
...
....
......
Then ask if those things are in your life?
Do you still get those feelings from something else?
If you are not experiencing any of these, ask yourself why not?
And then I want you to actively make the decision to make space for them.
Do things that make you happy.
Focus on your imagination.
Your creative side that came so naturally as a child.
That inner child is still in you.
You never lose it.
We just stop playing with it.
We find ourselves in a place full of such seriousness. A place where if you laugh too much you are seen as immature.
We owe it to ourselves to find that balance.
To not take ourselves and life too seriously.
To make time for play.
As children it is all about the playfulness.
As adults, we learn how to be serious.
And somewhere along the line we are supposed to find the balance.
We can't find that balance if we stop believing in the magic.
Go back to those 3 things that made you happy as a child, choose 1 of them and make time for it. Legit. Start with 30 min a week, then an hour, etc.
But be all in.
Give it all you've got.
Be present.
& create some freaking magic*
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** SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT **
Starting April 1st (TODAY), I will be taking part in my creation of Four Weeks of Rad Living.
I will be sharing my daily tasks to IG @mz.alirad
I am opening it up for anyone to join me for these four weeks, in hopes we can encourage as many people to live their most joyful and rad lives.
Download your Four Weeks of Rad Living template at:
www.ali-rad.com/freebies
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Music Credit: audionautix.com
Cheers to dreams & wild things *
Season One, Episode Nine
Self-care is a term that has been receiving a lot of attention the past couple years.
My first experiences with self-care were a bit misleading truth be told, which is how this episode has come to light.
For so many years I was under the impression that self care meant spa days, facials, baths, etc. But the older I got and the deeper I dove into my self awareness journey, I began to realize that self care is so much more than that.
In my opinion, self care is the consistent actions and relationship you have with yourself. It is how you live your life.
I have come to believe that there are Three Pillars of Self Care.
1. Body
This I feel is the most prominent one. This is the self care that takes care of your physical being.
This is where you will find the societal views of self care like spa days, baths, pedicures, etc.
But under this category, you can also find:
- Exercise (more, less, specific type, etc.)
- Food (types of food, quantity, time eating)
- Hydration
- Sleep
- Etc.
2. Mind
This is the self-care that takes care of your mental health.
The most well-known mind self care I feel is meditation.
I personally had always struggled with meditation as I could not find a sense of peace sitting on a yoga mat crossed legged and focusing on my breathing. It wasn't until someone recently taught me that meditation does not just have to be that.... meditation is whatever activity you feel most at peace doing. It wasn't until I heard this, that I realized my meditation was walking among the trees, or sitting by the ocean, or sailing my boat Aoife. Once I came to this realization, my whole world changed. I encourage you to dive into yourself to find where you feel like the most peaceful version of yourself.
My number one tip on mind self care is journaling.
I know a lot of people struggle with this, mostly because they don't know what to write. My advice to you on this is it doesn't effin matter what you write. It is for you and you only. Let your mind brain dump onto paper and release.
** Stay tuned in on IG for journal prompts in the near future.
3. Soul
This is by far my favourite pillar.
You need to listen to what you need. I feel the soul ties everything together about you and your self care.
This is where you need to learn to set boundaries, learn how to say no, & learn how to be open and honest with yourself and others.
I just hope this encourages you to listen to your body, mind and soul in order to live your most authentic, peaceful and rad life.
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** SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT **
Starting April 1st, I will be taking part in my creation of Four Weeks of Rad Living.
I will be sharing my daily tasks to IG @mz.alirad
I am opening it up for anyone to join me for these four weeks, in hopes we can encourage as many people to live their most rad lives.
Download your Four Weeks of Rad Living template at:
www.ali-rad.com/freebies
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Music Credit: audionautix.com
Cheers to dreams & wild things *
Season One, Episode Eight
The Only Thing Guaranteed In This Life....
*WARNING*
This episode contains information that may be triggering to some individuals who have or are currently grieving the loss of a loved one. Or anyone who is sensitive to the topic of death.
The only thing guaranteed in your human life, is that you will at some point, die. The reason I want to discuss death is because no matter how much someone does not want to die, it is inevitable.
And yet, I feel so many people live their lives full of so much fear around the topic of death. So I am hoping to raise awareness for people to live their life regardless of the knowledge they will die and that when their time comes, that they walk into death fearless and with no regrets.
I have been both blessed and cursed with the familiarity of death from a very young age.
The curse is pretty clear in the sense that I have had to endure the pain of losing close loved ones to me. This introduced me to pain and loss from childhood and it did lead me down some dark paths in some of my grieving processes. (*Teaser for episodes to come*).
The blessing, was that I also began to appreciate life in a way that some go their whole lives never experiencing. I thank death for teaching me the lesson it did, to guide me on the path of who I am and how I choose to live my life. Because the fact is experience is a hell of a teacher, but you definitely learn.
The most prominent death I have experienced was the loss of my mother at the age of 12 (turning 13). This death was unique because as a young pre-teen girl, I was robbed of so many experiences with a mother and it shattered my heart into millions of pieces.
However, I was blessed to have a mother who never let the cancer destroy her life. She knew death was inevitable for her, but she was determined to live her life anyways. I want to emphasize how powerful this was for me to witness. And the older I get and continue my grieving process, the more I learn and admire from my mom over those years. Because my mother lived more in 6 years with cancer, than some people do their entire lives.
My mother was a remarkable woman for so may reasons, but being a guide of true life was her specialty.
I speak on this topic because I want to light a fire under people\s asses to live their goddamn lives. Life is way too short, even if you live to be the oldest person on the planet. And since death is coming for all of us, why not use that as fuel to live your best life? Because if death doesn't give you a sense of urgency to live your life, I truly don't know what else will.
When someone you love dies, it hurts like nothing else. I won't deny that. And no matter what anyone says, the grieving process continues on your whole life. The grief never goes away. But there comes a point where you need to realize that they continue to live on through you and that your life doesn't stop because of loss.
You owe it to yourself and everyone who has passed before you, to live your life. Be proud, authentic, kind, and all the things you are to your core and shine them onto the world. Let the world shine in all the parts of you that are hurting.
Don't be the person on your death bed regretting all the things you did not do. Because I have been on those deathbeds with many people, and it is heart wrenching. Find your peace in this life and move through it with compassion and love.
Because death is the only thing guaranteed in this lifetime, so when death comes knocking, I hope you walk into it proud of the life and legacy you have left behind.
Download your freebie at:
www.ali-rad.com/freebies
There will be some fun stuff coming up with this in the next week stay tuned!
Music Credit:
www.audionautix.com
Cheers to dreams & wild things *
Season One, Episode Seven
Moving Madness - The Scattered Tips of a Seasoned Mover
While this episode is quite scattered, I have decided to make the show notes simple and easy to read (and in a logical sense of order haha).
I have moved many times in my life, some much smoother than others.
Below are my main tips I have learned over the years for anyone who plans to move in the future.
1. When looking for a place, be persistent. I know it can be stressful and overwhelming, especially in the rental market with the prices sky rocketing. But be patient and persistent. Look regularly. When you are physically looking in a space, search everywhere. Yes, I mean everywhere. All the closets, open cupboards, turn on taps, flush the toilet, open appliances, open windows, etc. I say this because you can get so easily distracted by how pretty something looks, that it's functional use can be pushed to the back burner. And then when you move in you will instantly see all these things wrong and have to deal with them. You will thank yourself later for being on top of this.
1. Cont' .... This includes checking out the location. Go for a walk around the neighborhood. If you are purchasing a house, knock on neighbours doors. Make sure you are surrounded by a good energy and feel safe.
2. Choose bins over boxes whenever possible. I know that "moving boxes" is a thing, but let me tell you... there is nothing worse than moving things and the bottom of a box falls out from under you. It may cost you a bit more to grab some bins, but you can also use them for storage later on. And realistically, you don't even need to buy them. Ask around, I am sure people have some bins lying around that they are not using. Plus without boxes, you don't need to use tape. (Better for environment - YAY)
3. When packing, pack like things with like things. This means keep kitchen things with kitchen things, and bedroom things with bedroom things. This will make unpacking SO much easier and stress free.
4. Be okay with purging. You do no need to move everything you own. One of the major joys of packing, is you realize how much shit you truly have. Take this time to get rid of things you don't need or use. This is also a great time to sell some of these things and make some extra cash. People usually move around the same time of the month so there is usually a good market for selling (and even purchasing if you need items) household items.
5. Read this one loud and clear.... label all those bins. I mean seriously, channel your inner Monica Gellar and label the shit out of everything. Especially if you have a lot of stuff as this can reduce serious chaos when trying to locate things once in the new space.
6. When you actually go to move, gather helpers. Never try and move alone. Not only is it not as fun, but it will be extremely exhausting and you seriously might injure yourself. When choosing helpers, ask people who will actually be of help. If your friend isn't someone who can't help you lift a couch, don't ask them. Always choose reliable people.
6. Cont' .... Keep your helpers happy. Whatever their fuel is, have it on hand. Feed them, compliment them, thank them profusely, smoke a joint, hand 'em a beer, etc.
7. A truck is your best friend. While I am not saying you need to go buy a truck for moving, if you have been thinking about purchasing a vehicle in life, consider a truck. They aren't just helpful for moving, they are just overall amazing to have around. They make life easier. If you have a truck, you understand this. If you don't own a truck, look into it or find a friend with a truck. Or even rent a larger vehicle for your move at least as it will make moving so much easier.
8. Measure door ways, stair wells, larger furniture, etc. This is mostly when it comes to larger stuff. Make sure it c
Season One, Episode Six
Word Choice Wisdom
*Insert negative sentences*
How did those negative sentences make you feel? Have you said something similar to yourself? To others?
I would almost guarantee that you have said some sort of negative sentence to yourself, and maybe even to others; but that the negative sentences you have said to yourself are more common.
We live in a society where we are told....
"If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all" and "treat others the way you want to be treated."
And while there is some logic in those sentences (another episode will touch base on more detail here), it has always bothered me that we are always taught to be kind of others, but no one teaches us to be kind to ourselves. The importance of positive self-talk.
Because words are extremely powerful. They have so much power because of the feelings attached to them. If you have ever been spoken to negatively, you may or may not remember the exact words said to you, but you will remember how those words made you feel.
As humans, we need to be aware of how powerful our words are and remember that once they are put in the outside world, they can't be taken back. We need to have the awareness of word choice to others and to ourselves.
However while the power of words is intense, the power of our humans minds well outweighs words. When you pair them together to work in a partnership, you are capable of anything. The reason for this, is because the mind doesn't know what is real or not. It believes whatever you tell it.
So while you feed your mind negative sentences, it will believe them and can go to extreme lengths for those sentences. Including but not limited to physical and mental ailments preventing you from doing things because of a thought you spoke to yourself around it.
So imagine, if your mind is this powerful when fueled by words... imagine the impact on your life if you fueled your mind with positive words.
This is where affirmations come in. Affirmations are positive "I am" statements.
I remember when I found out about affirmations I literally laughed out loud. I did not believe them at all. But I gave them a shot. I began writing down sentences like "I am beautiful. I am amazing. I am worthy, etc." The best part, was I didn't even believe these statements to be true by any means, but I kept writing them down. And then I began saying them aloud, looking myself in the eye and saying them. Eventually, one day along the time, I actually began to believe them. I was astonished.
It was because my mind didn't know if these sentences were true or false, but because I consistently kept saying them, my mind believed that they must be true, which lead to me believing them.
I encourage you to try affirmations.
I know they aren't everyone's cup of tea, but give them a shot - it may be the best thing you do for yourself.
However, if this is something you feel you just aren't willing to do, attempt to be actively aware of your word choices in a day.
For example, rather than saying "I'm sorry I'm late," say something like "Thank you for waiting for me."
Being aware of the word choice in your life, will have many benefits on your overall well being.
Including but not limited to: increased life span, improved immune function and reduced pain.
So overall, remember that yes, we do need to "treat others the way we want to be treated, " but this includes ourselves. You demonstrate to others how they should treat you by how you treat yourself. Make sure you are demonstrating positivity, respect and love.
Music Credit:
www.audionautix.com
Cheers to dreams & wild things *
The podcast currently has 16 episodes available.