Claim Your Worthiness

The Center for Personal ReinventionHis 12 best-selling books and audio programs are available in 23 languages and in 58 countries. Dr. Joe’s vision is to impact the lives of at least 20 million children and 20 million adults. Discussed in this episode: Learn More: Learn more about Dr. Rubino’s life-changing work in championing people to restore their self-esteem at http://www.TheSelfEsteemBook.com and receive FREE the insightful audio program “7 Steps to Soaring Self-Esteem” and a 1-year subscription to “The Success Achievers’ Club”…a $129 Value! 7 Steps to Soaring Self Esteem Gift High Self-Esteem Kids High Self-Esteem Adults

BACKGROUND: “No matter how your life is today, breathing makes life better. That’s a strong statement. But from what I have seen in my own practice, and in our trainings, when people learn conscious breathing, life improves.” – Anthony Abbagnano Anthony, lives in Tuscany, Italy, where he and his wife Amy Rachelle, are co-founders of the Alchemy School of Healing Arts (ASHA), the foundation stone of a consciously created community in the Province of Grosseto, Italy (ashacommunity.com). Anthony is considered by many who have participated in his Breathwork trainings to be a visionary thought leader. He uniquely combines philosophy and psychology with spirituality to guide others in loving ways using conscious breathwork as one of his many foundational tools. Anthony has guided more than 100,000 people through different breath practices. Many report an experience of “oneness” during and after a breath session. This oneness could be interpreted as a connection with the Divine, the Superconscious, or the Quantum Field. He is also the creator of Alchemy of Breath, Alchemy Meditation, and the Alchemy of Breath Academy, an accredited school that teaches Breathwork practitioners and facilitators all over the world for one-on-one sessions, group sessions, and online breathwork. He teaches annual workshops and seminars in several countries, and trains both facilitators and individual practitioners in a variety of class settings. Anthony pioneered the use of online Bbreathwork in 2013, enabling the practice to reach hundreds of thousands; he now heads Breathe The World, a regular Sunday event to suit all time zones. He has been featured as a keynote speaker on the Shift Network’s Breathwork Summit, The Breathe Festival, the Global Inspiration Conference, and The Integrative Health Conference in London, having also given talks at the Twitter headquarters in London. He is also the founder of The Community of Healing—an international organization that promotes the union of Western medicine with all other modalities—as well as the Ark, a retreat center in Bali, Indonesia, dedicated to community health and emerging consciousness. # # # INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHT NOTES: GAIL/HOST: Before we begin and dig deep into your unique expertise, which includes your ability to see someone’s soul beyond their personality, Anthony please share with the listeners today a story or a few insights about claiming your own innate worthiness. Anthony then shares an intimate "edgy" story of walking in his neighborhood as an adult that caused him to remember a wound he felt as a small child, offering this insight: "THIS IS WHERE IT GETS REAL--to realize that the person who is hurting in this moment (of getting triggered) is actually the person who has been carrying the hurt for years, even decades. So in that journey to reclaiming worthiness, and reclaiming the innocence that we are, it does mean identifying the lack of worthiness first to be able to bridge that gap."~Anthony Abbagnano BENEFITS OF BREATHWORK: From Anthony's book: “...so many Breathers have felt not just a deep healing, but also a spiritual awakening. The same applies to the several times I have heard expressions of amazement that one Breathwork session could equate to ten years of conventional psychotherapy.” ~Anthony Abbagnano. --OTHER SNIPPETS FROM HIS BOOK IN DEVELOPMENT: "There are countless reasons to create a Breathwork practice: to reconnect with your body, reduce stress, develop resilience, increase calm and inner peace, release past traumas, deepen your meditation, repair relationships, connect to compassion, become more mindful, stimulate personal growth, increase self-awareness, develop your spiritual practice, or re-identify with your purpose in life. --You also may use the breath to boost your creativity and memory, feel more vital and alert, increase your efficiency in the workplace, improve presence of mind, gain more clarity, expand consciousness, and transform the...

As we are all beginning to realize, we're not going back to the ways things were before the pandemic, so new skills are needed to move forward. Traci shares some of those with us in this episode, with a particular focus on growing as a better leader from the inside out. About Traci Philips: As an Executive Leadership & Performance Strategist, Traci supports visionary business owners and corporate executives to learn and practice better communication, resolution strategies, decision-making, and leading during times of change and when the stakes are high. She teaches her clients how to create a more cohesive, cooperative experience and environment within their workplace culture. Her ultimate goal is to support her clients to live authentically and lead powerfully by creating more awareness about who they are, how they want to be seen, and what legacy they want to leave behind. You can learn more about Traci and connect with her at www.theinnatecoach.com. Traci starts by sharing a time in her life when she felt less than worthy and how she reclaimed her sense of worthiness. Traci discusses the three brains: and how we can learn about the unique role of each from emerging scientific data. "How we feel and what we sense are equally important to what we think, especially in times of high change and uncertainty," Traci explains. We also discuss the powerful principles pulled out by this challenging question from her book: Are you living a borrowed or leased life? Traci shares more about her ZONE MODEL, which includes the Zone of Brilliance, Zone of Achievement, and Zone of Impact. In regards to the Zone of Brilliance, Traci became aware of its importance while working for three years with federal inmates who had been incarcerated for white-collared crimes: She notes that almost all of them shared that who they dreamed of being when they were young boys was not what they ended up doing for a living. They had chosen careers that required impressive credentials and accumulated power and prestige, not because their inner being wanted it, but for various reasons, because they felt that is who they needed to be to get what they wanted in life. This disconnect with their Zone of Brilliance had them acting in ways that eventually landed them in a place of "do-over" where they were given the opportunity to really think about how this disassociation from their natural gifts and desires had impacted their choices, behaviors, actions, and outcomes. This sharing of her work with inmates led to the discussion of the principle of staying in your own lane: From her book: "As I explained to him/client, staying in your lane permits you to serve from your innate gifts in a way that is naturally in tune with how you desire to be and within the boundaries that are set around what best supports and nourished you." Traci and Gail discuss how to reinterpret your circumstances to shift your mentality from a victim to a creator, and give examples of what that practically looks like. "Our life is not simply a tool to be used for the benefit of others. We are also meant to receive value from who we are and what we were born to build, create and manifest." ~Traci Philips Traci elaborates on how important it is to live intentionally (and she shares the three intentions she lives by within the interview). From her book: "Without intention, we are all walking around, potentially ready to react to whatever comes our way. When we go through life on autopilot, we create accidental lives. When we are intentional about our whats, hows, wheres, and whys, we can finally experience a more conscious and deliberate existence." You can find Traci's new book called, Looking In: Discover, Define & Align the True Value of Your Life, Leadership & Legacy on Amazon.

Our guest Shay Merritt Hughes, is the owner of Merritt Clinical Wellness in Apex, North Carolina. Her business is unique, as is her personal journey. Merritt Clinical Wellness is an evidenced-based rehabilitation and injury prevention practice. Its focus is on the soft tissue realignment of the body through the pelvis. Bringing oneself back into alignment not only reduces pain, but it can help one move more freely and balanced. Known as a“realignment therapist,” Shay has helped those who have been injured or recovering from surgery, get back in shape—even after others told them it couldn’t be done. She says was born to do this work, by uniquely combining therapeutic massage with bodywork. Shay trained with renowned bodyworker Thomas Myers, author of Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement. He has also produced more than 20 online learning courses based on Anatomy Trains and collaborates with various body-oriented professional groups. Thomas and his faculty conduct professional development courses and certification in Structural Integration worldwide. Today, Shay is also bravely joining us with a purpose beyond promoting her business--To share her story of how she reclaimed her worthiness after a suicide attempt at age 26. With so much going on in the world today, and some believing we may even have a new pandemic of mental health challenges, Shay felt compelled to share, to help someone else who may find themselves in a dark place in their lives. She now lives on a farm in North Carolina as a newlywed with her “very understanding husband,” 3 horses, a donkey, and 4 kittens. She recently started a non-profit, “The Purrs A Lot of Society,” for rescuing, rehabilitating, and then “re-homing” kittens. INTRO: Gail/Host: Shay, first of all, I want to thank you for your enormous courage in coming forth to share the story of your attempted suicide in your 20s—and the inspiring ways you have reclaimed your worthiness to live. Now at age 42, you have much wisdom and perspective from that journey. And before we hear all the gems, can you please bring us back to that “desperate” day when you tried to take your life? Shay: At 26, I was at a very dark place in life, lower than ever, “felt damaged,” without hope of getting better. I felt I had no value, no worthiness in the world...it was a culmination of things, abusive childhood. Then the weekend after New Year’s Eve 16 years ago, “the darkness engulfed me.” I was full of darkness and despair. What was the trigger that set you off? SHAY: My ex-boyfriend and I had a nasty fight, and it was the straw that broke the camel’s back ... I was away from home, in a state where I didn't know a lot of people, no secure friendships...when you add all these things together, it effects your mental health in a way that you feel like you're in a bottle and you can't get out. I took pills, went to ER, and my boyfriend carried a lot of guilt, but my suicide attempt was based on multiple years of problems of being born to 2 parents who didn’t want me...I knew from a young age that they didn’t want me. ...That day was the start of something really good for me...I had to have that day for the good to come to me later. "I make it a point now to tell those in my life, including my animals, that they are safe, they are wanted and they are loved." How did your suicide attempt transform your life? SHAY: "The first year after was tough. There is no quick rebound--it’s like being in recovery for the rest of your life... for two years, in that moment when I remembered that day, I wanted to go home, by home, I mean, I wanted to go to heaven....That first year the challenge was I was still in a dark cloud, not a dark space, but a dark cloud. I had to forgive myself and I had to claim I was worthy enough to go on and that I survived for a reason. God wasn’t done with me yet.” What advice do you have for others in a dark place, contemplating suicide? Talk to...

Diagnosed at age 33 with end-stage cancer and thriving IN NEW WAYS now 28 years later, Kristi offers a unique and uplifting perspective on embracing gratefulness. She offers many practices and 5 KEY PRINCIPLES of gratefulness for coming alive in new ways that go far beyond what many of us know about gratitude, which we’ll talk about later. Here is one major distinction she notes: “Gratitude waits for something to happen; gratefulness just waits for us to be awake.” Kristi Nelson is the author of the recently released book, Wake Up Grateful: The Transformative Practice of Taking Nothing for Granted, and the Executive Director of A Network for Grateful Living. She has spent her adult life immersed in the rewarding work of non-profit leadership, fundraising, and organizational development. In a wide variety of roles, she has helped to lead, fund, and strengthen organizations committed to progressive social and spiritual change. In 2001, Kristi founded a values-based fundraising consulting and training and leadership coaching company, and in this capacity, worked with organizations such as the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Spirit in Action, Wisdom 2.0, and The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, among others. She was also the founding Director of the Soul of Money Institute with Lynne Twist, Director of Development at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, and Director of Development and Community Relations for the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society. Kristi received her BA from UMass/Amherst, a graduate certificate in Business and Sociology from Boston College, and her Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) with a concentration in Leadership Studies from Harvard University. “My illness taught me greater empathy for the wounded places inside everyone that we cannot see, touch, or imagine — and not to take what we see of each other at face value. So many of our illnesses, struggles, and disabilities are hidden, and many people who appear to have disabilities are, in other ways, far more intact than we might be. The most important parts of us long for the sincere invitation to show themselves and be acknowledged in both our brokenness and beauty. The surgery to remove cancer that had metastasized to my spine repaired me and readied me for treatment. But it did far more than that. It cracked me open and taught me unmitigated awe for the capacities of the body to function, to repair and recover, to heal, and to carry on. It opened my eyes and heart to better appreciate the courage with which so many people live their days. The human capacity for tenacity and resilience is perpetually astonishing. I learned that our bodies are a never-ending blessing worthy of our full-blown, moment-to-moment appreciation and wonder — no matter what.” -- Kristi Nelson -- “Grateful living reminds you that the body is worthy of your most grateful regard and is always available to receive your care. No matter how broken you might feel, remember that you are always whole. And you are always a source of awe, just as you are. It is a hugely generative practice to bring greater tenderness and empathy to the body — yours and others’.” -- Kristi Nelson Kristi defines what living with gratitude means to her and how her sense of worthiness impacts her work now and her sense of living gratefully. Utilizing the principles of STOP, LOOK, and GO, which she describes in detail, can help unlock gratitude. Other key thoughts of hers: “ When appreciation guides our relationship to ourselves, and we feel self-compassion, this provides us a frame of reference to better appreciate and feel compassion for others too.” * * * “Possibility is awakened, or not, every day through how we treat ourselves...We cannot know what is possible with others or with life until we give ourselves permission for a more unlimited and grateful experience of ourselves.” * * * “If you were to STOP WAITING and treat...

James Crews is the editor of the best-selling anthology, How to Love the World: Poems of Gratitude and Hope, which was just published to rave reviews in March of 2021. How to Love the World contains works of 100 of the best-loved and emerging writers, including Amanda Gorman, Ted Kooser, Mark Nepo, and Jane Hirshfield. The book invites readers to use poetry as part of their daily gratitude practice -- Accompanied by prompts for reflection, these are poems that you'll return to often for inspiration and creative exploration of life's daily gifts. James is also the author of three collections of poetry: The Book of What Stays, Telling My Father, Bluebird, and Every Waking Moment. His poems have appeared in Ploughshares, The New Republic, and The Christian Century, and have been reprinted in former US poet laureate Ted Kooser's weekly newspaper column "American Life in Poetry" (which reaches millions of readers across the world) and featured on Tracy K. Smith's podcast, The Slowdown. Crews holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a PhD in writing and literature from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He teaches poetry at the University of Albany and lives with his husband on an organic farm in Shaftsbury, Vermont. ON WORTHINESS AND BEYOND: "I use poetry of course to process difficult moments like sadness and certainly grief, but I have also come to see poetry also as a great way to claim not just our worthiness, but also our joy. And, I feel like what's missing a lot from American life and probably, life on this planet right now, is that we don't always give ourselves permission to really sink into the joy. Oftentimes we look for ways to short-circuit the joy that we're feeling because it feels so unfamiliar." ~ James Crews James shares his personal journey of discovering his worthiness and the journey he has been on since a young man. He discusses how he overcomes some of the curveballs that sent him down to a deeper discovery of himself and his worth that began in his early childhood. James describes poetry: "It's an art form especially suited for our challenging times –to help us dive deeper beneath the surface of our lives and enter a place of wider, wilder more universal knowing." We discuss how his current students are coping with the challenges of virtual school, the pandemic, and returning to life as normal. BEYOND THE ACADEMICS, what he teaches his students: "I'm more interested in poetry as a gateway to know how you're living your life and writing as a tool to live a better life." ~ James Crews Gail and James also discuss what propelled him to create his latest book, which is far more than poetry. James invites the reader throughout the book to reflect and write about significant questions he offers that may help them embrace more gratitude, hope, and joy. "I think we don't always hold onto moments of joy and excitement if we don't find a way to capture them... if we don't write them down or share them with friends." ~James Crews "Stepping out of life, even for a short while, can help us return with a new perspective on what seemed unworkable before." ~James Crews "We fall out of the practice of patience." ~James Crews "But the more we take time for ourselves throughout each day, the less we feel obliged to act a certain way or complete a list of tasks just to please someone else." ~ James Crews To learn more about James and his work, check out his website JamesCrews.net and his latest book, How to Love the World, is available on Amazon and elsewhere.

Dr. Brett and Gail have known each other for years. With his great openness and commitment to learning continually, he hired Gail, who was honored to have coached him and his family, using her propriety worthiness platform. Dr. Brett began the study of alternative medicine in 1998 at a Bernie Siegel conference. Bernie, an M.D., and an author. Dr. Siegel is well known for bringing the power of love into the healing journey. So inspired at that conference, and by having a "God-inspired moment" where a few years later he found a skeleton on a beach, Dr. Brett redirected his career from becoming a biologist to training as a chiropractor, which he has practiced for the past 26 years. He is also became certified acupuncturist 24 years ago, and later a Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner to help clients reframe their limiting thought processes--an added bonus of his chiropractic care. "NLP shows how our language reflects our subconscious thoughts, and gives us a gateway to how we're working behind the scenes," he explains. In this interview, Dr. Brett unpacks his use of NLP giving some concrete examples of creating simple, but impactful shifts for his clients. Learning to trust his own gut instincts, and claiming his worthiness, has impacted his business significantly, as backed up by medical records of his successes in helping clients achieve results faster and often at less cost than other methods of care. "I have learned to accept that the way I run my business works for me, even though most gurus say I am doing it wrong."~ Dr. Brett Hightower. He also became certified in neurofeedback to further help clients suffering with anxiety, depression or insomnia, as he found sometimes needles used in acupuncture don't produce the same long-lasting and permanent results as this newer method. He notes that our brains are excellent at pattern recognition and repetition. It is how we learn, but the same process can cause us to get stuck in patterns. Our saving grace can also be a problem area. Neurofeedback, he says, is a mechanism in which your brain becomes aware of what you are doing. Dr. Brett explains how this treatment works in his office from the initial mapping to an average treatment. A typical treatment may include watching Netflix while hooked up to a brain scanner used to analyze your brain and assess its patterns. For example, if you start to worry or get anxious, the Netflix show may become muted. Until you recognize this pattern, correct it, the show will not be unmuted. It's about shifting patterns. "Neurofeedback breaks you out of old patterns. We know as we age we tend to get stuck in routines, that people lose behavioral flexibility. It's best to keep your brain active and engaged and out of the old loops," according to Dr. Brett. Neurofeedback has also been especially helpful for kids with ADD or ADHD, he notes, along with college students challenged by their course workload. He also shares natural ways to keep the immune system strong during this pandemic. ON HEALING FROM LOVE: Dr. Brett says he "serves out of love." By taking time to truly connect with his clients, he can learn a lot about what is going on in their lives that impacts their health beyond physical ailments. In talking about his passion for combining these models of alternative health, Dr. Brett says: "Our disease model we have in the United States and in most of the Western world is built around isolating disease and addressing it, rather than cultivating wellness." He says it is imperative that you think of yourself as: RobustHealthyVibrantAlive"That spark of an idea, that you are not trapped, that your body can change based on what you do and how you do it, allows a lot of healing to happen," Dr. Brett says. To learn more about Brett's three offerings of alternative medicine as a chiropractor, acupuncturist, and neurofeedback practitioner, check out his website at www.raleighmidtownchiropractic.com

Elizabeth Kipp is a health facilitator specializing in stress and chronic pain management, addiction recovery, Ancestral Clearing®, and yoga. Her book, The Way Through Chronic Pain: Tools to Reclaim Your Healing Power, is focused on helping people realize the power of their inherent healing. "I am not my pain. My pain is in me. That's a very important distinction. We are experiencing it but it is not who we are." - Elizabeth Kipp Personally, Elizabeth healed from over 40 years of chronic pain, including anxiety, panic attacks, and addiction to prescribed opiate and benzodiazepine medication. She now works to help others achieve the same healing for themselves that she experienced. Elizabeth discussed how we are primarily wired to have an initial negative response. This is amplified when dealing with chronic pain. This can lead to chaos in the brain known as brain fog or the inability to remember (short-term memory damage). Chronic pain is any pain: physical, spiritual, emotional, financial, or whatever is felt for 15 out of 30 days for three months or more. The brain cannot tell the difference between one kind of pain and another... they all send the same signal and it hurts. For example, the body can't tell the difference between the stress of running from a tiger to save your life and not being able to pay your bills on time. The National Institute of Health estimates that 1/4 of all Americans suffer from chronic pain occasionally and the World Health Organization estimates 1 out of 5 suffer from chronic pain worldwide. It's a SILENT EPIDEMIC – which is why it is no wonder we have addiction problems, according to Elizabeth. The core of addiction is two things: So when we have pain, we want to get rid of it, push it away or disassociate it from it which is the core issue of addiction. When asked if there is a difference between healing physical versus emotional chronic pain, Elizabeth says has not found it to be so. The brain cannot tell the difference. Elizabeth shares tips for healing chronic pain from her book: Quoting one of her teachers, Elizabeth says: "Pain is the currency of transformation, be careful how you spend it." Her shift came when she learned: Moving from the victimhood of "The universe is doing this to me" to the empowerment of "The universe is doing this through me." - Elizabeth Kipp Elizabeth is an Ancestral Clearing Practitioner™ – and she trained with John Newton of the "Health Beyond Belief™ process. Ancestral Clearing™ is based on the understanding that we come into the world with the gifts and burdens of our ancestors. Ancestral Clearing™ helps us to heal or clear unresolved issues of our lineage (traumas of the war, famine, environmental, family feuds, etc.) In working with clients, Elizabeth describes that as part of her process starts by listening to their story for 5 minutes – they need to be heard from someone who gets it; then she takes them through this ancestral clearing; later asks if they can sit still or and she works with them on that. She encourages client to have a meditation practice – which HELPS CALM THE CHAOS IN THE BRAIN, which is caused by chronic pain. We discuss the cycle of suffering: TO BREAK THE CYCLE – Stop judging, be in community with someone else who has had that same experience, stop controlling and forgive. To learn more about her work or her book, please check out her website: Elizabeth-Kipp.com.

"Would you like to know your future? If your answer is yes, think again. Not knowing is the greatest life motivator. So enjoy, endure, survive, each moment as it comes to you in its proper sequence – a surprise." ~Verna Nazarian Based on her training in neuroscience and wisdom gained through her spiritual journey, Gail learned that the words "I DON'T KNOW" are some of the most powerful words to embrace. Not knowing gives us the chance to truly create anew and have a LASTING CHANGE. When we focus on what we already know, we often end up repeating the past. --The gap time between the old ways of being and the new is our most creative, fruitful, and even magical time. And yes, this period of staying in the unfamiliar causes angst, for it means we need to let go of control. --The trick is not to focus, or base progress, on external circumstances during this time of unknowns. It may look like nothing is changing on the outside, yet the internal transformation that comes from staying with the pause can be life-altering. --Saying “I don’t know” also opens us up to others’ perspectives, which helps expand our world view, and get out of limited thinking. When Gail was first introducing her worthiness platform to the national media via a major TV show, she spent a lot of time in solitude grounding herself for whatever will happen—or does not happen—next. KNOW THIS SHE SAYS: I did set very clear intentions for what I wanted to share, and then let go of the outcome. In that reflective time—I embraced the joy of new possibilities and focused on letting go of old controlling ways of being that no longer serve my growth. The show happened, and it was seen by my family, friends, and colleagues all over the country, which helped me bond with others I hadn’t seen in a long while. It was those connections that brought me joy, not seeing myself on TV, as grateful I am for national exposure and the new doors that later opened in their own time, not by “willing” them or knowing what would happen. I know the pandemic, with all its uncertainties, has forced many of us into that “I don’t’ know” time. Instead of feeling guilty for needing to “wait” or impatient about “what’s next,” use this time to build trust muscles that you WILL BE PROVIDED FOR, and in a potentially new and more expansive way that you alone could have imagined. I created this new CLAIM YOUR WORTHINESS PODCAST after spending time in the unknown, staying open and trusting. I love these words of Henri J. M. Nouwen from his book, Life of The Beloved: “I have found it very important in my own life to try to let go of my wishes and instead to live in hope. I am finding that when I choose to let go of my sometimes petty and superficial wishes and trust that my life is precious and meaningful in the eyes of God, something really new, something beyond my own expectations begins to happen to me…To wait with openness and trust is an enormously radical attitude toward life.” TO KEEP LETTING GO into I DON’T KNOW, meditate frequently—and make friends with your wise inner and Higher-self, who will guide you forth. 2. The second major and related permission slip to give yourself that can change your life is PERMISSION TO REST. (to read more, check out Gail's blog post), https://claimyourworthiness.com/permission-to-rest/) --It’s safe to stop, rest and do nothing. --answers come in quiet, not all that pushing, begging, pleading, controlling. --the body, mind, and even spirit heal best in a restful state...as I noted in my book, Cancer as A Love Story...Developing the Mindset for Living, worrying is not a form of exercise...the mind needs to become CALM to create anew. --And remember this: when in a major change, transformation takes a lot of energy. Resting and regrouping are important. --This year especially, the longing for rest seems even stronger, with the pandemic thrusting us into a worldwide transformation that has zapped our energy....

Bruce Cryer is currently the president at The Graduate Institute of Holistic Studies. He was formerly CEO of HeartMath and has since been an adjunct professor at Stanford University's Executive Program since 1997, teaching on the role of stress, performance, emotional intelligence resilience, and creativity within the Graduate School of Business, the School of Medicine and the Stanford employee wellness program. In addition to Stanford, Bruce has led initiatives for clients such as the Mayo Clinic, University of Delaware College of Health Sciences, Arizona State University, University of California, San Francisco, Center for Health Professions, Kaiser Permanente, New York Open Center, The World Bank, NASA, Unilever, Cisco, Cathay Pacific Airways and the National Health Service in the UK. Bruce is co-author of From Chaos to Coherence: The Power to Change Performance and the Harvard Business Review article "Pull the Plug on Stress", both of which feature the HeartMath System. A two-year health crisis (which entailed cancer, life-challenging staff infections, and double hip replacements) convinced him to focus his energies on creativity and how organizations and individuals can tap into the full creative capacity of everyone. Bruce also shared that it was during this season of health challenges that he was also mourning the loss of his mother and the end of his marriage. Bruce needed to connect with his creativity. Now he enjoys robust health while singing, dancing, writing, teaching, mentoring, and doing nature photography. He recently released Renaissance Human, an album of original songs co-created with the Brothers Koren. We play a song off his album during this episode. Bruce began his career as a singer/dancer/actor on Broadway, including two years in the Fantasticks, the world's longest-running musical. Even with his impressive lists of accomplishments, Bruce believes he is still a work in progress and shares with vulnerability his story of rediscovering his worthiness after a career change took away much of what was familiar with his life. Inspiring quotes from Bruce Cryer from this episode: ON HIS TRANSITIONS/TRANSFORMATIONS: (Upon leaving HeartMath as CEO) ~"This is not about escaping something. This is about the next phase of your life which is not clear yet, but you're an adventurer so you will find it." ~"You do this. You make big changes when your soul is directing it." ~"To continue to ask the heart for guidance. You can sense you're on the right track, but all the details won't necessarily lead you out, but you got to stay with it. Stay trusting that you have a heart that is intelligent, that is part of your soul, and there is a guidance that is happening, but you got to surrender sometimes to the expectation of what it needs to look like." ON WORTHINESS and CREATIVITY: ~"Be worthy to yourself...Each have the ability to tune in deeply enough to our intuition/our heart intelligence to find the flow as where we're supposed to go as the next phase of growth and enfoldment, and it often does not come through structure." ~"I believe being human means we innately, every single person, has massive amounts of creative energy. We are made to be creative. If I'm not honoring that I'm a creative being, then how worthy am I going to feel?" Bruce shares about what "stuck" energy is and how it can be changed into creative energy. FIVE COMPONENTS TO ALIGNING WITH OUR INNATE CREATIVITY: MindfulnessMovementNatureArtistic ExpressionPlayfulnessBruce shares about his new role as President of The Graduate Institute and the creative outlets his role is providing to him. He helps people understand that they did not get overlooked when everyone else got their creativity, that it is in them, and they will find their unique ways to unleash it. Today, Bruce is offering to generously share a beautiful YouTube video of his song "Bless the Children" for those who email him at brucecryer@gmail.com You can also order the...

Anna is the founder of The Wellness Universe, a flourishing network of heart-centered entrepreneurs and a GLOBAL one-stop-shop for total wellness support -- designed to help thought leaders, wellness practitioners, and co-creators of change to reach their personal and professional goals. Anna is the author of two bestselling books: One was JUST released: The Wellness Universe Guide to Complete Self-Care, 25 Tools for Happiness. The other book in her 'wellness toolbox" is called the Wellness Universe Guide to Complete Self-Care: 25 Tools for Stress Relief, which was released in November 2020. Recognized as a motivational public figure, Anna's inspirational posts are known worldwide. Through her Facebook page "Circles of Inspiration by Anna Pereira," she has impacted the lives of more than 700,000 people. Her network is built on three C's: Community, Collaboration, and Co-Creation. Anna has a strong entrepreneurial background, having owned artistically based businesses in fashion and accessories handmade and manufactured, as well as corporate experience as head of a multimillion-dollar division for a manufacturer of pet products. In this interview, Anna shares her personal story of reclaiming worthiness in her life after having been bullied as a child, which resulted in her later wanting others to feel included with a sense of belonging. The members of the Wellness Universe currently break down between 10-20% men and the remaining 80-90% women. She also talks about the organization's upcoming "SoulTreat" retreat (with having to pivot during COVID to make it happen). One unique factor of the event she shares: "All of those who are presenting are integrated into the event itself. You will see them attending the workshops with you so you feel like you are normal and not alone. That creates an invisible dynamic that you cannot build." Setting intentions collectively for our new visions can help us move faster to achieving our dreams. Gail shares with Anna these examples on the power of groups: Power vs. ForceThe Power of 8."Everyone may have different beliefs but if the intention is the same, that's how we get to world healing." ~ Anna Pereira Anna says people sometimes avoid self-care, feeling guilty for placing themselves before the needs of others, whether they be children, the elderly, or those experiencing sickness. She suggests engaging in small self-care practices to implement in your daily life. Referring to the maxims of productivity that state if you give yourself two hours for a task, it will likely take two hours, Anna encourages listeners to be intentional about setting time aside for self-care. You can find out more about Wellness Universe on their website and details about the SoulTREAT on its website.

We are all worthy of abundance... It is part of the natural flow of life. Yet, some of us do not yet believe this based on our current circumstances or past experiences. The reason some do not trust in abundance often comes from early life conditioning. Part of learning to see the world as plentiful is learning to open up and receive. Learning to trust that we will always be provided for is another belief that opens us up to abundance. Identifying and acknowledging mental blocks can begin the healing process and set the stage for new outcomes. Until the hurts are cleared, even affirmations and positive statements will not work, which is why we must do the inner child work of healing past traumas and releasing subconscious limiting beliefs. Forgiveness is key to our health. Gail shares her story of when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer and her experience working with healers and how she learned that releasing grievances (forgiveness) is a must to truly experience healing. An assignment to jumpstart your abundance: Make a list of those you hold grievances towards. Ask yourself what is it costing you to hold this grievance? What is the benefit of letting it go? Quotes from this episode: "The most important question you can ever ask is whether or not the world is a friendly place." - Albert Einstien "We not only have to learn to forgive others but ourselves as well." - Gail Kauranen Jones "If you have your health, you have everything." - Gail Kauranen Jones To jumpstart your abundance to new levels, practice these four steps for forgiveness (from the beautiful Hawaiian prayer for forgiveness called “Ho’oponopono”):

For the last decade, Dr. Salyer has been in private practice offering singles and couples heart-centered transformation so they can rewrite the rules for love in their brains and create a love that lasts. Gary speaks to national audiences as a featured relationship expert and mentor on various celebrity TV and radio shows such as Hay House Radio and Coast to Coast AM. He is the author of the ground-breaking book, Safe to Love Again: How to Release the Pain of Past Relationships and Create the Love You Deserve. In this episode, Gary shares intimate details about his childhood, and the intense disappointment his mother felt with him because he was not born a girl. She was so upset, she refused to name him. The state troopers actually had to come to the house three weeks after Gary was born to demand that his mother give him a name. Later in his childhood, Gary learned that family could be mean and he began to wonder why adults can't just love each other. "Worthiness was one of the things that was in scarce supply." ~Dr. Gary Salyer "Once you make a decision, all manner of resources open up to you." ~Dr. Gary Salyer "I really believe there is an epidemic of unworthiness out there, even if you had a secure childhood. There are so many ways our culture bombards us with ways we're not good enough." "When the feeling of not enough is in the building then you know so is unworthiness." ~ Dr. Gary Salyer "When you don't feel worthy, you don't ask for your needs to be met so you give and give and give....Unworthy is (believing) I can't have my needs met." ~ Dr. Gary Salyer. Healing as we know is an inward journey. Yet, Deepak Chopra, in discussing why people are too resistant to being still and meditating, has said: "What they're afraid of is intimacy with their own self so they are running around trying to find fulfillment outside. But when you have intimacy with yourself, you have intimacy with the world." Gary shares his experiences building intimacy within before extending it to another. He also unpacks how he guides singles and couples to create that secure relationship with themselves so they can foster that with another. And then Gary describes the four key feelings which are "your natural GPS for love": "Show me a couple without a sense of 'we' and I will show you a war." ~ Dr. Gary Salyer Gary is offering our listeners a free gift today: "Love Notes with Dr. Gary Salyer": A collection of short, heartfelt and practical 3-4 minute videos by relationship experts like Dr. John Gray, Arielle Ford, Paul Carrick Brunson and others. Designed to be helpful for both singles and couples, one engaged couple in Oregon claims these videos saved their engagement. They are now happily married after implementing the insights and tools taught in these videos. Each brief video will both inspire and show you how you can create more real love in your life now, delivered to your inbox twice a week. Go to GarySalyer.com and scroll down to fill out the form in the section called "Love Inspirations."

Linda Salazar shares insights on love and relationships and a unique tool she uses for honoring your love imprint. Linda is the founder of yourpeaceisinyourhands.com and is a certified spiritual growth coach, scientific hand analysis, speaker, and author. For over 20 years she has been helping clients break free of life's emotional roller coaster ride, helping them get back into the driver's seat, creating a life of courage, inner peace, and relationships that work both personally and professionally. She is the author of Forever Hold Your Peace, Awaken the Genie Within, Parents in Love, and 52 Tips for a Magical Marriage After Your Child is Born. Linda shares her insights on how "worthiness" plays out in relationships. "When we honor our hearts guidance, there is such a greater peace that flows through us and from us and in that we're building and creating a feeling of worthiness within ourselves." ~ Linda Salazar "My belief is if you give from the overflow, then you are always going to have more than enough for yourself. And when that overflow is gone, you're still in a great place, emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually." ~ Linda Salazar We talk about how many of us are good at giving love but not as good at receiving. We discuss the tendency of some people to stop themselves from loving themselves when they get into a mode of comparison. Linda shares about forgiving ourselves for our mistakes. It is critical because we are not perfect. We will make mistakes, and we can learn from those mistakes and grow. And, often the hardest person to forgive is ourselves. Linda explains her favorite subject of hand analysis. There is a direct correlation between your hands and the important insights to knowing yourself like personality traits, inherent relationship qualities, your life purpose, your life lesson, and so much more. It is not like palm reading which is about predictions or fortune telling; rather this tool is scientific in that it is teachable, demonstrable and repeatable. "Hand analysis became such a massive tool for me to really help people understand themselves and to understand where their inner struggle is, their dilemmas and what their tug-of-wars are. It changed the trajectory of my coaching practice from that moment forward." ~ Linda Salazar Linda is going to provide for anyone in our audience a free download of the tips for self-love that we discussed in today's episode. She also has a Heart Line Workshop on February 21st. For more details you can contact her at linda@yourpeaceisinyourhands.com or (310) 375-4800. You can also follower her on Instagram @yourpeaceisinyourhands.

Let's acknowledge that the whole world is in a holding pattern in these unprecedented times of transformation. Collectively, we've all been called to stillness. Forced to pause the old ways of living as we await new ways to unfold. There is both loss and gain. We must accept that we have entered a new world -- where there is no going back to the way things used to be, which can be unsettling. Living outside of our comfort zones during these times of unknown can be painful or scary. The "pause" is the sacred space for becoming who we truly are. The reinvention: Through spending time in the unknown, we can create the greatest new versions of ourselves and our lives. You have the power to CHOOSE: YOU HAVE A CHOICE, to be a victim or a creator. You must feel the new life you want before it happens... not the other way around. Then you must take inspired actions aligned with your clear intentions and elevated emotions. Another way to shift the focus on happier emotions and better outcomes is to start asking open-ended questions, which allow the prefrontal cortex of the brain to open to new possibilities. Let go of images that represent being stuck or fearful, and find a new image to focus on. Be grateful for every little and big thing, and note it in a journal. The physical act of writing something down helps create new neural pathways in the brain to train it to look for more of the same. Quotes from today's episode: "The best way to predict your future is to create it, and if you can become comfortable in the unknown, that's where all possibilities exist." - Dr. Joe Dispenza. "Refusing to accept change stalls our growth." - Gail Kauranen Jones "If you're committed to the success you want, you find solutions. If you're committed to staying the same, you'll find excuses. So what are you committed to?" - John Assaraf, CEO of Neurology.

Kathy shares unique insights on SHEDDING 2020, and gives us a vulnerable look at the many ways she has repeatedly had to reclaim her own worthiness. To begin, she shares the story of a life-alternating diagnosis that led her to an incident in the late 80s where she experienced a blood-to-cut-exposure as a trauma nurse, resulting in her later testing HIV positive. During this time, HIV was a death sentence. She was quickly taken off her job for fears of transmitting to others. Even her friends and people at church were all afraid. No one wanted to touch her or get near her. Isolated from everyone, she was having a hard time coping. She ended up in a hotel parking lot. Not wanting to be the poster child for the CDC (Center for Disease Control) as someone dying from AIDS, and in a state of irrational thinking, she turned to a bottle of sleeping pills to take her life. Just as she was about to take the pills there was a knock on the car window. A woman asked if she was okay, then she sat with Kathy and helped get her through the night. Shortly after that, Kathy received the results of new tests reporting she was now HIV negative. She decided to not live her life the same way again. She has no explanation to this day for the miraculous change in test results. She then went onto to become a national speaker--a huge surprise for someone who was once afraid to speak in front of a small group of people. Kathy explains the origin story of SHEDDING. She was talking with a coworker about a lizard. The coworker mentioned that if lizards don't shed their skin they will die. We humans can grow physically, mentally, and spiritually, but if we don't shed, we won't grow! It went off like a lightbulb in her mind and that was the birth of her "Shed or you're dead" revolution. "It comes down to belief, a belief that I was called and I was placed on this earth to do this and that I had to step forward and take action. I was an instrument. My mouth said the words and my body stepped on the stage. And I had to claim the worthiness of my self, in that I had been called to do something very important on this earth." - Kathy Dempsey Tips for SHEDDING 2020: Shedding is a two-part process. It's letting go of the old, all those things that are no longer serving you, and it's embracing the new, and taking on those new skills and knowledge that will help you move forward. What happened with COVID-19 is many of us were forced to shed, instead of choosing what happens, according to Kathy. And, now we can more proactively choose going forward by: Last January Kathy co-authored a book with Dr. David C. Helgeson, a clinical psychologist called SHED HAPPENS 7 Ways to Overcome Challenges at Work and in Life! A few months later COVID hit and they needed to author a COVID edition. "When you're in a crisis like we have been on a daily basis, you don't have time to stop and reflect. And what is so important is the learning does not come from the event. It comes from the reflection." - Kathy Dempsey In this episode, Kathy unpacks her view of 2021 as a change expert. She is also offering our listeners a free download of her book SHED HAPPENS for those who sign up on her website kathydempsey.com and she is providing a special sale price on the COVID edition of her book at kathydempsey.com/shedhappens.

As a single mom with two teenage children to raise, she was terrified that she would not get to see her kids grow into the successful young adults they are now. Until that point, she had been a transformational leader, coach, and author, and before that, a PR executive and journalist. Receiving her diagnosis jolted her and took her on a deep healing journey of mind, body, and spirit -- training with world-renowned neuroscientists, spiritual leaders, and other healers. Yet, the defining moment came when three different types of healers -- a doctor, a therapist, and a shaman -- all within a short time frame told her one of the keys to extending longevity: We must claim our worthiness to live, to declare our right to be here, to be alive. Quotes: Key takeaways on worthiness: Three things you can do NOW to embrace a greater sense of worthiness: I have created a free guided meditation to help you with this on my website.

Our host, Gail Jones welcomes you to "Intimate Conversation with Gail Jones." We are thrilled that you are checking out the trailer and invite you to become a regular listener as we unpack what it means to Claim Your Worthiness.