Download the Pleasure Ladder chart, learn more about Bracha’s work

In this soul-stirring conversation with Bracha Goetz, we dive deep into the journey from food addiction to joyful spiritual fulfillment. Bracha, Harvard grad and author of over 45 children's books, shares how she transformed her life through ancient mystical wisdom, neuroscience, and the soul-fueling power of gratitude.

We explore the Pleasure Ladder—five rungs of lasting happiness that reconnect us with our bodies, creativity, and a transcendent sense of purpose. From the neuroplastic power of grateful moments to teaching emotional tools through rhyming children’s stories, Bracha shows us how joy is both ancient and accessible.

We also talk healing through connection, how addiction masks spiritual hunger, and why our kids (and our inner kids) desperately need these practices now more than ever. Whether you're struggling with cravings, feeling disconnected, or just looking for a deeper sense of meaning, this episode offers a ladder up.

#DrCD #Earthroot #TheGathering2040 #gratitude #neuroscience #TorahWisdom #addictionrecovery #childrensbooks #spiritualgrowth #creativity #pleasureladder #mentalhealth #joyfulparenting

R. C. Hand

I’ve known for years that everyone has a story—sometimes the most unlikely beginnings become the most powerful catalysts for transformation. In this episode, I sit down with R.C. Hand, a man who grew up shining shoes in a barrio bar and witnessing brawls, then went on to build a contracting empire, retire early with creative focus, and explore over 100 countries.

We dive deep into:

How survival instincts and early exposure to raw emotions shaped his inner narrative and art.

The practical wisdom of building with your hands—whether brick, straw, or earthen architecture—and how that translates into clarity and purpose.

Adventures from Cuba’s crumbling beauty and North Korea’s facades, to Machu Picchu, Bhutan’s living traditions, and Persia’s ancient echoes.

Why envisioning your own death—down to the tree you rest under—can become a powerful tool for living fully, avoiding regret, and passing on meaning.

The human paradox: how our darkest origins can spark compassion, creativity, and generosity—and why giving back remains the richest legacy.

This is a conversation about building—not only houses and businesses, but lives that stand strong, rooted in purpose, curiosity, and deep humanity. I hope it inspires you to ask: What kind of structure are you building… in the world, and in your soul?

#DrCD #Earthroot #TheGathering2040 & DrCD, Earthroot, TheGathering2040 #ArchitectureOfLife #RadicalCuriosity #ReclaimingWisdom #DeathAwareness #StorytellerPath #NomadicSpirit #BuildToLast #CreativeRetirement #TravelDeeper

This episode felt like a homecoming.

Betsy Kudlinski has spent a life immersed in nature—working with animals, tending land, and learning how nervous systems heal when given the chance to remember. But when chronic pain and trauma created a deep disconnect from the body, a new path emerged—one that Betsy now calls “renaturing.”

We talk through what it means to live in freeze mode, why presence can feel dangerous after trauma, and how somatic experiencing, evolutionary biology, and Taoist wisdom all point toward the same truth: the body already knows the way home, if we can learn to listen.

Together, we explore healing not just as recovery, but as reconnection—with ourselves, with others, and with the wild world that’s been waiting all along.

#DrCD #Earthroot #TheGathering2040 #SomaticHealing #TraumaRecovery #Embodiment #Renaturing #ChronicPain #NervousSystemHealing #Presence #Neurobiology #Buddhism #TraumaInformed