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This week, I am honored to interview such a brilliant and wildly delightful human!  Bridge is not only a successful, highly knowledgeable therapist; they are also an important part of the queer community, constantly offering value, support, and experience-driven guidance.  Bridge brings some very interesting, thought-provoking conversation to the table today as they share about their own self-discovery journey of being asexual and aromantic. I learned so, so much. Bridge does a stellar job at breaking down and explaining a variety of nuances between what it means to be asexual and aromantic.   You will learn.. The many different types of attraction and various complexities that give us space to discover where we fall on the spectrum  When romanticism began How to approach a relationship if you are asexual and/or aromantic Why we feel shame in our experiences What we can do to learn how to embrace ourselves The beauty of being asexual and/or aromantic And loads and loads of more wonderfully helpful information! I had so many questions and so many revelations in my conversation with Bridge today. Whether you identify as any of these labels or not, this episode is packed with goodness for EVERYONE! Bridge is entertaining, down-to-earth, and freaking radiates joy! I am deeply grateful for their willingness and passion to come today and teach us about these important topics. Check out the book Bridge mentions: Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-Obsessed Culture To connect with Bridge, click the link below to visit their website: btg-counseling.com

If you are in the overwhelming throes of raising teens, this episode is for you.  However, even if you are not raising teens, the exercise I demonstrate today is a wonderful tool that can be used to recenter and ground yourself during any difficult season of life. Being a parent has been kicking my ass lately. If I am not intentional, I end up feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and seriously doubting my ability to be a good parent. Sound familiar?  I decided to bring you along on this exercise today so that you could experience it with me. Learning to identify our subconscious beliefs that are weighing us down is a great place to start when we feel overwhelmed. I hope you feel empowered to use this idea and tailor the activity to fit your needs!  I felt so much lighter by the end of this episode that I literally ran around my rock circle swinging my larit! (Stay till after the ending song to see my ridiculousness 😎)

This week I share a story of my recent trip to a friend's wedding and my experience of seeing some of the cult members again. I spent months preparing to attend this event. I was determined to change my brain and be a whole different person than the old village "Abby". It's never too late to let go of the old you and create whoever you want to be! Join me today to hear how my trip turned out and why meditation works!

This week you’re in for a real treat! My 18-year-old daughter, Tanaya, joins me to share 18 things she has learned over her lifetime so far. This conversation is not only packed with sheer delight and joy, but it is also infused with important life lessons and deep wisdom. I think we can all learn from this engaging, enlightening conversation. Tanaya touches on people-pleasing, awkward moments, perfection, and so much more. I am so proud of the woman she has become! Get ready to be amazed!

Join me this week as my partner Jenna and I talk about our recent trip to the Indiewood Film Festival! Our adventure includes: - How we got a personal invite to the festival - The roach invasion - Why Jenna ended up on the phone for 4 hours - How Tanaya worked the crowd like a pro - Nate's almost emergency visit to the ER - Our new favorite way to have hard conversations - The incredible gift and support of my two siblings - The phone call that took me by surprise!

Tired of trying to find the reason for shit that happens in your life? Me too. This episode is my raw take on our recent loss. The pain is still painful. My head is still spinning a bit as I wrestle a lot of big feelings. Is life a game to figure out? Is there really a reason for everything that happens? Why do some things work out and then other parts of life feel like a cruel joke? I have a lot of questions. We all do. Maybe that’s okay. Maybe there aren’t answers.  Join me today as I hash it out with raw honesty.

This week I am deeply honored and super stoked to have the lovely Jen Johnmeyer on to share her life story. Jen is not only a talented writer, she is also a mother, wife, and beautiful student of life. Though her story is woven with pain and hardship, her journey has led her to find deep healing, meaning, and gratitude that has projected her into her best life yet.  Jen’s story reminds us it’s never too late to try again - to learn to value and honor ourselves. From early beginnings of struggle to now embracing and loving her carefree 50’s, Jen is an inspiration to us all.  Jen is a true model of her life motto: “Leave life better than you found it.” The lightness, honesty, and clarity, are apparent in her voice. Her joy is undeniable! I am incredibly grateful for this conversation. I know you will be too! Check out all the creative writing solutions and job coaching packages that Jen has to offer by visiting her website at: freelancebyjen.com

This week, I am super excited to officially launch my rebranding of this podcast as “Out With The Old, In With The You!” Shout out to Faith Lee for her badass podcast cover design! Today we kick the celebration off with an empowering discussion about how we can learn to work through our trauma triggers. Yes, it’s actually possible! With the advice from Michael A. Singer and his incredible book, “The Untethered Soul: A Journey Beyond Yourself, " we dig into some important truths about why we all get so triggered in life and how we can live a life free of triggers.  I know, it sounds kinda crazy. But stay with me! I have tried these techniques Michael writes about, and they ACTUALLY work!  Also, I share some of my recent insights into how I am learning to view my life experiences in a way that helps me embrace them instead of resisting them. Are you a “Stone Stepper” or a “Rock Collector”? Dig in with me today and find out!

Have you ever experienced watching a cat come back to life? Well, we did. And in today’s episode, my daughter Avriella shares our incredible cat story.  After bad luck with the last two cats she has owned, Avriella was prepared for another tragedy. But what could have been a very traumatic ending, was miraculously turned around in a very unexpected way. Apparently manifesting works. Listen in to hear the whole story! 😉 And please share this episode with a cat lover you know!

Life is full of unpredictable events. Hell, just living life is a dangerous undertaking! We all know what it feels like to have our day ruined by frustrating, unexpected issues.  The unfortunate news is that life will continue to “life” and things will continue to go “wrong”.  The GOOD news is that these events do not have to dictate how we feel nor do they have to ruin our day! We still have lots of choices! Join me today as I give some helpful insights into how our brain works and how we can use it to “hack our life”! 4 Characters Diagram credit goes to Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor and her incredible book, “Whole Brain Living.”

Are you tired of riding the roller coaster of life’s uncontrollable events?  Do you feel exhausted from constantly trying to calm the storm? Does the thought of living a peaceful life feel out of reach? Today, I'm sharing an incredible book that has been changing my life in big ways. In his book, “The Untethered Soul”, Michael A. Singer unpacks the secret to achieving this unshakeable inner peace. What Michael discovered through many years of practice is actually quite simple. However, simple doesn’t often mean easy, and learning new skills takes strategy and patience. Of course, who better to learn that from than Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Martha Beck. 😎  We don’t reach our goals through wishing. It takes purposeful planning and the determination to get back up when we fall. If you’re ready to stop living in stress and start living in peace, this episode is for you. Check out "The Untethered Soul" by Michael A. Singer for more empowering wisdom!

Special episode this week! Be the first to hear my new book read aloud! Today I share about my recent trip to visit my sister and her kids and how this experience inspired me to write my first children's book. Evolving is beautiful work, but it is also hard work and sometimes scary as f**k. Learning to honor our transformation by opening up to those we love can feel risky. Join me today as I share my struggle to tell my sister about my name change, and how her response helped me heal just a little bit more. If you enjoy this book, I'd love to hear about it in the comments! *I reserve all rights to this book and am working to get it into print*

Oh my gosh I am so excited for this conversation! Katy Henson is not only an ISA Certified Arborist and Certified Forager, but she is also one of the most delightful humans I have ever met! Katy shares with us today: - How nature became her safe place as a child - What humans did thousands of years ago to coexist with nature - Why creating habitat is so important - Simple things we can do today to make a difference - Her favorite plant to forage - How monarch butterflies were saved - Why all this matters so much Check out all the amazing services that Katy offers and the cool opportunities she offers to the community by visiting her website at wildscapesmo.com Follow Wildscapes on FB at: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CqHjvSxd5/?mibextid=wwXIfr

This week I am celebrating two very important milestones: The accomplishment of reaching podcast episode 200 and how it all got started four years ago… My film, From Cult to Queer, has been invited to a live screening this September at the Indiewood Film Festival Hollywood in LA!! Wait till you hear what theater it’s going to be playing at! I biked nearly twenty miles in the blazing heat today to podcast at a quaint little park in Republic, MO. - just because I needed today to feel special and I needed to feel celebrated! Cycling makes me super happy, and I don’t often take time for it, so cycling into town was how I showed myself love today. 😀 Learning to celebrate our successes and achievements along the way can be a struggle if you are an overachiever like me. I can get so focused on what I have to do next that I forget to recognize all my hard work even when it pays off.  But that’s not a life worth living - always rushing towards the next hill.  Sometimes we need to just coast down the f*****g hill, outstretched arms, and enjoy the success we earned.  You did it Boo. And you deserve to be acknowledged!  It’s time for us to stop focusing so much on what we still have to do and celebrate what we have already done!

I am so incredibly excited to share this conversation with you! I had the honor of reconnecting with a dear friend last week and getting to hear all that she has learned and is learning in her life, post growing up in the same cult that I grew up in. Janelle is not only just a f*****g blast to talk to, but she is also extremely intelligent. In this episode she shares her newfound passion for "turning earth back into earth" and all the simple yet profound changes she has implemented in her own yard. From the ashes of a confusing childhood, Janelle's example reminds us that life, like nature, is a gift to be explored. Her love for learning and unending openness made this conversation one of my favorites. I am so grateful for this important conversation!!! Janelle discusses: - what her childhood felt like growing up in a cult - her struggle to make it on her own - how nature helped her find her grounding - the importance of working with nature in our yards - why you should not trust ants ;) - the beauty of death that isn't talked about often - how to hack your life by cycle planning!