Episodes

  • Practicing Presence, Facing Forward, and Writing an Aligned Ending

    Practicing Presence, Facing Forward, and Writing an Aligned Ending
    Jun 21 2022
    In this episode, I’m closing out season two with an important conversation about practicing presence, facing forward, and writing ourselves into an aligned storyline. This conversation is about seemingly simple topics, but I promise they’re incredibly potent, no matter where you are inside your present journey. In fact, nearly two decades into my own healing and growth work, I recently had to remember the power of presence for myself, and it became such a transformational experience in so many ways. Plus, you can’t face forward into what’s supposed to come next if you’re not here now. I know you’re going to gain so much from this conversation, and I’m also sharing some exciting announcements about our upcoming second podcast launch! What to listen for: Launching our newest podcast and other goodies Where to follow me and my updates in the meantime The importance of presence and my own reminder to practice it Feeling silly after doing so much growth work “It has been so healing and has produced such incredible shifts so rapidly. The pace at which I have been getting clarity, getting downloads, feeling more like myself, feeling happier and more aligned and fulfilled and creative and healthy and all these things has just been so accelerated.” Navigating the times when presence is most difficult Grief and trauma are full body experiences This isn’t about bypassing the more challenging emotions Holding our vision for the future while engaging with this moment The best ways to practice presence and how it assists our healing Facing forward into what’s next and why presence is essential “Facing forward, facing into what it is that we want, this involves presence. This involves being here now and orienting ourselves towards things that we say that we want.” Idealizing the past even when we want change Orienting to ourselves in time and space Don’t beat yourself up when you’re hooked into the past The visual metaphors that guided my healing “I would close my eyes in this little movie would play. And after I had clawed my way out of the depths of grief and trauma, clawed my way out of this deep dark well, I remember turning away from the well and facing in a different direction. And so we're doing that energetically. We are reorienting ourselves, our whole selves towards the things that we want, even if they're small.” Identifying what you want and orienting towards it What it means to write yourself into a storyline that feels aligned Using our meaning making skills productively How to look at what happened in a way that frees you to move forward The truth about “everything happens for a reason” Deciding how you want to be shaped and how the story will unfold Resources: Grab a copy of, What Really Happened? Break Free from Interpretation and Make the Impossible Happen, along with other products and books in the online shop. Access our free workbook for how to make the impossible happen, and our powerful 8-part Journey Mapping™ sampler program and begin uncovering the purpose of your path at www.TalesFromTheJourney.tv/Free/. Read my memoir, Unravel: Rising Up and Coming Back from a Season of Living that Damn Near Killed Me at www.TheUnravelBook.com. Tales from the Journey™ is a Stephenie Zamora Media Production.
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    28 mins
  • Stepping Out of the Darkness and into Suicide Prevention with Lark Galley

    Stepping Out of the Darkness and into Suicide Prevention with Lark Galley
    Jun 7 2022
    Content warning: mental illness and suicide loss. Today I’m talking to Lark Dean Galley about stepping out of the darkness and into suicide prevention. After working in the corporate world for 25 years, she left to run her father’s trucking company when he passed away unexpectedly from suicide after struggling with mental illness for most of his life. Realizing there were many entrepreneurs who could benefit from her experience, Lark started her own consulting business. Then, in March of 2019, her 19 year old son committed suicide and sent her deeper on a healing journey that further cemented her purpose in this life. Her goal is to help 100,000 people choose to stay on this planet and step into their greatness. She has done this in a variety of capacities, but in each she has used the tools and lessons learned from her own struggles. What to listen for: How everything changed when her son committed suicide Her background as a driven woman in the corporate world Slowing down and finding more compassion as a parent after loss Her struggles taking over her father’s business after his death “If you're used to accomplishing big goals, you tell yourself, ‘just do it.’ And you're totally questioning your motivation. What will motivate me to move forward? Or how can I even get out of bed? How can I even comprehend all of these emotions and this loss and just the unanswered questions, especially around a suicide, right?” The signs of her son’s impending suicide and her biggest regret Starting to go into the black hole and not wanting to do anything Talking to other families about suicide concerns with their children Questioning herself as a parent and if she’d done enough Starting to talk about mental health and suicide “If I didn't speak up and these kids ended up taking their lives, just like that copycat suicide in the high school, I couldn't have lived with myself. And that's what catapulted me into saying, I have got to talk about this. This is critical. It is an epidemic. And I started talking about it and I became very vocal. Like it was a passion.” Dealing with the stigma of suicide Navigating other people not knowing what to say Starting to speak on podcasts and getting the nudge to write a book Feeling the urgency to get the book out and choosing self-publishing Having strength some days and feeling weak others Allowing her family to be where they are in their grief How loss and grief have changed her “What's interesting is that I react differently. You know, if things in my businesses come up that in the past might have upset me, I'm like, ‘no, we'll work it out. It's okay.’ And it's not the end of the world. Whatever happens, happens. It's not the end of the world because I've seen the end of the world.” Perspective shifts and new ways of being Learning to navigate the “what ifs” after suicide loss Choosing to do hard at the beginning Feeling closer to her son now than before his death Her support system while healing What she wished she knew at the start of this journey About Lark Dean Galley: Lark has recently felt called to help and serve those who struggle with their value and purpose. Having overcome immense personal challenges in her 55+ years of life, she has continued to grow in her empathy and compassion towards others. After working in the corporate world for 25 years, she left to run her father’s trucking company when he passed away unexpectedly from suicide after struggling with mental illness for most of his life. Realizing there were many entrepreneurs who could benefit from her experience, Lark started her own consulting business. Her 19 year old son’s suicide in March 2019 reinforced what she’d been hearing from many of her high achieving clients – they felt unworthy and incapable of reaching their goals. Lark went from coaching on the externals to focusing on why each person matters.
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    36 mins
  • Learning to Live Not Loathe Despite Challenging Chapters with Jevon Wooden

    Learning to Live Not Loathe Despite Challenging Chapters with Jevon Wooden
    May 31 2022
    *Content warning: depression and suicidal ideation. Today I’m talking to Jevon Wooden, an Army Veteran, certified mindset in perception coach, author, speaker, about learning to live not loathe despite challenging chapters. Jevon faced many challenges while growing up, eventually finding himself facing prison time for assault and robbery charges at just 17 years old. When he was released after praying to God for another chance, he did his best to turn life around and find his way, but depression and suicidal ideation led him to nearly give up completely. Thankfully for the world, Jevon was able to find his way through that darkness and into his purpose work, which is all about empowering others to increase their self-confidence, improve their perception of their worth, and design their lives through a mindset shift from scarcity to abundance. He does this through transformational group and one-on-one coaching sessions, on-demand courses and training, seminars, and workshops. What to listen for: Starting out with a rough childhood in a polyamorous household Getting arrested for assault and robbery at 17 Not caring about facing 7 years in prison until he saw the effect on his family Praying to God in his cell and promising to make a change “When I was sitting there, speaking with my mom and my sister, something came to me. Like, I woke up that day. I was sleepwalking through life the whole time. I was just numb to it. I didn't care. Until I had to look at the people I loved face to face, and I had never seen that look.” Getting an answer to his prayers and avoiding jail Working multiple jobs, signing up for the military, and keeping his word to God Realizing the power of collaboration while in the military Learning to work on his mindset and release negative thoughts Feeling suicidal after trying his best at life and how family redirected him again “I was having PTSD episodes where I was having the same nightmare over and over and over and over and over again. And I was just like, I'm ready to end it. I'm ready to call it, God. You know, I did my best. You know, now I just feel like I want to come home to you, you know, I'm ready.” Realizing that he needed help and entering therapy for the first time Learning how to lean on others and stop feeling like a burden The power of good friends and having a support system His awakening and how it led to his purpose work Having a relationship with God and faith Understanding that adversity is always a part of life “Adversity is a part of life, right? Failure is a part of life that really is put in place, I believe, as the counterbalance to joy and the counterbalance to ease because that helps you to be humble. That helps you be grateful for what you have. I think that you need that, right?” Learning the power of positive thinking The essential questions he asks himself to stay motivated Understanding that pain is temporary How trauma and emotions are stored in the body Starting his business as a motivational speaker The advice he’d give to anyone who’s struggling like he did About Jevon Wooden Jevon Wooden is an Army Veteran, certified mindset in perception coach, author, speaker, and the founder of Live Not Loathe, LLC. He has overcome adversity, depression, and PTSD to earn multiple certifications recognized throughout the coaching community and an MBA from the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith Business School and an M.S. in Cybersecurity from Fordham University. His mission is to empower others to increase their self-confidence, improve their perception of their worth, and design their lives through a mindset shift from scarcity to abundance. He does this through transformational group and one-on-one coaching sessions, on-demand courses and training, seminars, and workshops. He is an avid traveler, voracious reader, and fitness enthusiast. Website and social media:
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    48 mins
  • Finding Purpose in Mental Health After Suicide Loss with Michelle Anhang

    Finding Purpose in Mental Health After Suicide Loss with Michelle Anhang
    May 24 2022
    *Content warning: grief and suicide loss. Today I'm talking with Michelle Anhang, a Certified Life Coach who specializes in supporting individuals and families living with mental health challenges as well as those moving forward after loss. In this episode, she shares what it was like growing up in a household that was very shame-driven, building a life with her husband and losing him to suicide after his struggles with bipolar disorder. She holds nothing back as she talks of the aftermath of his death, the story they told instead, and the feelings that were constantly threatening to bubble up no matter how hard she pushed them down. You won’t want to miss this story of how finding and living her truth and healing past traumas has put her on this path to help others do the same. What to Listen For: Her life before loss "It all seemed okay until it didn't." Not knowing the signs of her husband’s mental illness until later Watching her husband decline after diagnosis How he hid his symptoms All the ways the whole family covered for his illness while he was alive His final phone call to her before he took his life The decision the family made after his death "They suggested, ‘why don't we say it was an accident?’ It was like, okay, yeah, let's do that. And so, we just went forward with that story.” Not being able to grieve the way she needed to grieve Feeling anger and abandonment Internalizing all of it due to shame Stopping herself from feeling and halting her healing How repressed grief leaked out Being afraid of what would happen if she opened the box Stepping into a very toxic way of living and what pulled her out of this way of life "I just had this moment of like, ‘oh, my God, I am the common denominator in everything that's wrong in my life. And you know, that aha moment was like totally devastating. And at the same time, completely liberating because I knew, okay, if it's me, I can change me." The realization she had on her 45th birthday Deep diving into her trauma Finding a new community of people and adopting new ways of thinking The process of processing “It was honestly eight months of crying all day, every day. And I went to work and it was just like, okay, finish work, sit at my desk like, oh, I'm feeling the tears rising, running to the bathroom, bawling my eyes out, touching up my makeup, going back, and keep going until the next burst.” Feeling like she was grieving for three Getting ready to share her truth Starting with telling her kids even though she was terrified “All of my fears were completely wrong. I always say like, fear is a liar.” The realization of how she needed to show up and help people Putting the truth out into the world via a Facebook post The flow of support and love she received after telling the truth Understanding there’s no such thing as perfect and allowing things to be messy Learning to lean into trusting herself and her intuition Making a commitment to doing this work What motivates her to keep going on this path The things that dropped into alignment once she shared her truth The role support plays in moving through grief What she wishes she knew about shame when she was younger About Michelle Anhang: Michelle Anhang, BA, PCC, CPCC, is a Certified Life Coach who specializes in supporting individuals and families living with mental health challenges as well as those moving forward after loss. In addition to coaching, Michelle is a motivational speaker who shares her story of becoming widowed at the age of 34 when her husband died by suicide, and how she navigated her way through stigma, shame, and her own mental health challenges to rebuild her life intentionally. Website and social media links: Website: https://www.michelleanhangcoaching.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelleanhangcoaching LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.
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    55 mins
  • Context, What Really Happened, and the Art of Not Taking Things Personally

    Context, What Really Happened, and the Art of Not Taking Things Personally
    May 17 2022
    In today’s episode, I’m talking about context, what really happened, and the art of not taking things personally—all things that lead to greater leverage and freedom! These are especially important as we navigate challenging chapters and big life transitions, or when we’re comparing our journey to someone else’s (which we shouldn’t be doing in the first place, because we all have our own process and pacing). I’m giving some examples for what each of these mean and how understanding them can help you move through your growth and healing far more rapidly. What to listen for: What is context and why is it important Internalizing things that are interpreted out of context Being clear on your context and how to make discerning decisions Why you shouldn’t compare yourself to anyone else “Even if your situation is very similar to someone who's been on the show, remember that the context is completely different—inherently—because we’re different people. We’re living different lives. The circumstances are different. The situation is different. Our internal worldview, our internal ecology is different.” Discerning what’s right for you on your journey Look for the framework and how it’s being modeled Asking ourselves, “what really happened?” Separating stories from reality to keep moving forward “Story pulls us away from what it is that we want, and it keeps us stuck. It keeps us small. It keeps us stalled out. Story is the thing that we are trying to separate out by asking this question, not invalidating our experience and making it wrong. Not gaslighting ourselves or others.” Breaking this powerful question down Grab a copy of my book, What Really Happened? Where our stories come from and why they’re not true The art of not taking things personally and how it empowers us Why this isn’t a pass or an “out” from taking responsibility The flip side of “it's not personal” that we don’t acknowledge “We love this concept in relation to the negative. We feel better. We can say, ‘it's not personal,’ when they're mean or don't treat us well. We don't like the idea that it's not personal when they're praising us and appreciating us and celebrating who we are.” How non-attachment creates freedom to live our purpose When to reflect on other people’s responses to us Noticing where these play out in our lives and next steps you can take Resources: Grab a copy of, What Really Happened? Break Free from Interpretation and Make the Impossible Happen, along with other products and books in the online shop. Access our free workbook for how to make the impossible happen, and our powerful 8-part Journey Mapping™ sampler program and begin uncovering the purpose of your path at www.TalesFromTheJourney.tv/Free/. Read my memoir, Unravel: Rising Up and Coming Back from a Season of Living that Damn Near Killed Me at www.TheUnravelBook.com. Tales from the Journey™ is a Stephenie Zamora Media Production.
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    26 mins
  • Finding Faith, Focus, and Purpose After Abuse with Dominion Ezechibueze

    Finding Faith, Focus, and Purpose After Abuse with Dominion Ezechibueze
    May 10 2022
    Today I'm talking with Dominion Ezechibueze, founder of Minion Training and a Division I Football player, about finding faith, focus, and purpose after abuse. Dominion is a Nigerian immigrant who wasn't breathing when he was born and experienced physical abuse throughout his childhood, both in school and at home. Finding football in high school was a pivotal moment that changed the trajectory of his life, giving him the skills, support, and purpose he lacked. He's now a personal trainer and host of the Minion Motivation podcast with a mission to spread faith lessons through his journey of overcoming struggles and helping others become their healthiest selves—mentally and physically. What to listen for: Born in Nigeria, not breathing Arriving in America when he was six years old Being bullied in school and abused at home Discovering football and how it changed his life Leaning on the power of fitness "I just started working hard. And that's why I got into fitness. That process helped me find myself. You have to talk to yourself; you have to push past a lot of things internally so you can see the physical attribute of it. I wanted to get better for my football team." Growing up with faith and building a relationship with God The importance of knowing your purpose in life Feeling messed up and navigating life getting harder Experiencing adjustments in football and the effects of it Building trust to navigate life's storms "I'm a very emotional person. So when I'm going through something, I'm not looking at logic. I'm not looking at the word as much as I should be. You have to trust, right? It's hard. It's super crazy hard." Having his faith and commitment tested Leaving a legacy and what we're remembered for Following your dreams and not settling in life "Everybody has a dream. For some people, they take that other route and settle. And you know, I feel bad cause I feel like everybody dreams. You have to keep pushing, keep working. I'm still on that path." Starting his personal training business in high school His dream of playing for the NFL Launching his podcast and motivating others About Dominion Ezechibueze: Dominion Ezechibueze is a young entrepreneur growing his business and chasing his dreams. His purpose is to spread the word of a God through overcoming struggles in his life. Website and social media links: https://miniontraining.com/ https://www.facebook.com/miniontraining/ https://www.instagram.com/miniontraining/ Resources: Access our free 8-part Journey Mapping™ sampler program and begin uncovering the purpose of your path at www.TalesFromTheJourney.tv/Free/. Read my memoir, Unravel: Rising Up and Coming Back from a Season of Living that Damn Near Killed Me at www.TheUnravelBook.com. Tales from the Journey™ is a Stephenie Zamora Media Production.
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    46 mins
  • The Road to Uncovering Your North Star with Nicola Holmes

    The Road to Uncovering Your North Star with Nicola Holmes
    May 3 2022
    Today I'm talking with Nicola Holmes, a Life Coach who helps people step into their joyful power and realize their boldest dreams, about the road to uncovering your north star. In this episode, she shares with us her journey to start trusting herself more and following her path, including her early years where she felt painfully stuck and allowed her fear of choosing wrong to keep her from choosing at all. She opens up about her biggest “aha” moments, learning to get comfortable in discomfort, and how she started walking the path she’s on now. What to Listen For: Struggling to find her own path early in life Feeling stuck, lost, underemployed, and ill-fitting in her early 20s Seeing her friends get jobs they enjoyed and feeling like she was falling behind Longing for a career path that felt more like a calling that went deep and wide Feeling like she was running experiments The despair and fear she felt as she began to worry she would never find a fitting path "I really wanted to make a positive difference in the world and I did have a sense that I had gifts to use. And so that feeling of un-actualized potential was very painful." Her inner voice telling her she was failing at life Struggling to trust herself Fear of making the wrong choice or wasting more time The journal entry she made as a child that proves true for her today Feeling pressure and anxiety to choose her path "No one could wave a magic wand and sort of resolve those inner questions, inner struggles, and the pain where it felt like tensions between the life I was living and the life I sensed was possible for myself. ” Small, courageous, incremental moves, that ended up making a huge difference Closing a 5-year chapter, taking a leap of faith, and listening to a calling Moving across the county Learning to tolerate uncertainty Deciding to stop saying no How she was introduced to coaching The synchronicities that fell into place after that moment Learning to trust herself Stepping into a whole new framework of living "It was very different in some ways than the training that I had mastered as a child and as a young adult. I think I knew how to do that more linear way of living and that's what was so hard when I didn't have a clear-cut goal to work for. " Growing the muscle for our own inner guidance system The shifts she made around partnership in her 30s Understanding that perfect doesn’t exist Healing her inner child for a better adult life What she wishes she knew when she was younger Coming to understand that we will learn more by choosing instead of staying stuck About Nicola Holmes: Nicola Holmes is a Life Coach who helps people step into their joyful power and realize their boldest dreams. She works 1:1 with individuals, facilitates a group coaching program called The Expansion Circle, and has an online program called, Level Up: A 6-Week Online Course to Get You Moving on Your BIG Dreams. Nicola’s academic background includes human & community development and adult learning and she spent two decades working in the non-profit sector. Along with coaching for the past twelve years, she’s mama to two spirited young kids, community-minded, and a voracious reader. Website and social media links: www.nicolaholmes.ca www.instagram/nicolaholmescoach Resources: Access our free 8-part Journey Mapping™ sampler program and begin uncovering the purpose of your path at www.TalesFromTheJourney.tv/Free/. Read my memoir, Unravel: Rising Up and Coming Back from a Season of Living that Damn Near Killed Me at www.TheUnravelBook.com. Tales from the Journey™ is a Stephenie Zamora Media Production in partnership with the phenomenal producers at ExploraSTORY Studios.
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    49 mins
  • Turning Pain Into Purpose and Finding Peace After Prison with Danny Sanchez

    Turning Pain Into Purpose and Finding Peace After Prison with Danny Sanchez
    Apr 26 2022
    Content warning: domestic violence, sexual assault, and suicide. In this episode, I'm talking to Danny Sanchez, Founder and Executive Director of The City Peace Project in San Jose, about turning pain into purpose and finding peace after prison. Danny is a beautiful soul who had to tuck away his gentle, giving spirit and adopt the "tough guy" persona he thought he needed to fit in. In doing so, he found himself navigating a plethora of challenging experiences, including police brutality, suicide attempts, and surviving multiple stabbings. Danny was in and out of the prison system starting at a very young age until an experience where he truly believed he was going to die, which allowed him to start choosing a different path for himself and his life. Danny is the author of Post Traumatic Quest: My Quest to Transcend Trauma, Turn My Pain Into Purpose, and Find Peace, and he shared so much wisdom throughout this conversation. What to listen for: Growing up in a house filled with guns and violence Developing a coping mechanism of fighting back at a young age Feeling alone and acting out in different ways Elementary school was one of the worst experiences of his life "I wasn't really a fighter, but it was just the neighborhood. If somebody bumped you or said something to you, you just fight. I didn't give it a second thought." What it's like growing up in Silicon Valley How being cheered on during a sixth-grade fight shifted his perspective Wanting to be loved and not having deep relationships His dreams for the future and how they died Masking his sensitive side with drugs and alcohol "I burned so many bridges. I remember many Christmases alone in a rented camper with two 40oz bottles of alcohol, drinking myself to sleep because nobody wanted me around. But I created that for myself." Getting convicted of a felony or 13 years old Flirting with death but never having a wake-up call Feeling suicidal while wanting people to understand his pain "I was stabbed in the kidney, and I was in the hospital for two weeks. They had to do exploratory surgery on me to see where the damage was. And I remember that didn't even change me. Like, less than a week, I was drinking. I just didn't care. " Being in and out of the incarceration system for 13 years Violating parole and scrambling not to get caught Feeling like he was going to die and how that moment woke him up "I remember, I just fell on my knees. And I said, God if you're real, help me. All these years, I have flirted with death. But when I felt like I was gonna die, I wanted to live. I remember that moment; I felt so alive. I never felt so alive in my entire life. From there, like, my life just changed." Finding his faith in God and feeling sober and alive for the first time Removing himself from bad influences and temptations Volunteering and doing things to help other people Learning and taking better care of himself Perfectionism, burnout, and relapsing Learning to have fun through skateboarding "If you come to San Jose and go to a skatepark, and you say, Pastor Danny, the kids will know who I am cuz I go out there and hang out with them and have fun in our community here." Working with students outside their normal circumstances Uncovering the desire to work with the youth community Nothing was planned, but it all fell into place The birth of the work he does now About Danny Sanchez: Danny Sanchez is a highly recognized social entrepreneur and leader in youth violence prevention and redirection. He has been featured in notable media outlets such as Forbes Magazine and The Huffington Post. Danny is a sought-after speaker in his field. His insights around youth violence and trauma have been presented at billion-dollar companies such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google. His service to the community received numerous awards including “Champion of Change” by President Bar...
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    46 mins