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Ann explores the power of manifesting through intention and action rather than perfectionism, inspired by Halle Berry's insight about focusing on what we want instead of what we don't want.

• Manifesting isn't about magic but about aligning thoughts, beliefs, and actions
• You don't have to be perfectly whole to manifest—you can begin from your messiest places
• Thought stopping techniques can redirect negative thinking patterns
• Your dream life doesn't need a perfect version of you—it needs a present version
• Clarify who you're becoming through vision and soul alignment
• Actions must match intentions—manifestation is movement, not just meditation
• Create boundaries to protect your dreams by saying no to what doesn't align
• Small steps have soul-sized impacts on reaching your goals
• It's never too late to manifest your dreams, regardless of age or past limitations
• Your past may explain you, but it doesn't define you

Take one alignment action today—speak one truth, write down one intention, or act on one goal. You're not just manifesting a life; you're remembering the one you were born to live.

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John Hair's journey from a one-room schoolhouse basement to becoming the official Olympic sculptor exemplifies resilience and determination against overwhelming odds. His inspiring story shows how talent combined with extraordinary persistence can overcome childhood trauma, family abandonment, and the skepticism of the art world establishment.

• Living with six siblings in a basement with only sheet dividers for rooms during early childhood
• Finding inspiration in World Book Encyclopedia, dreaming of becoming a great artist
• Experiencing orphanage life after his father had to work overseas and mother abandoned the family
• Playing drums professionally from age 14, including jamming with Jimi Hendrix in New York
• Working multiple jobs including cleaning toilets, driving trucks, and running an ad agency
• Beginning his sculpting career at age 49 after two decades as an art director
• Securing his first major commission by waiting five days to meet with a tribal chairman
• Creating over 150 public sculptures including monuments for the Olympics, universities, and historic figures
• Believing figurative art should uplift and inspire rather than follow trendy art world movements
• Continuing to work at nearly 75 years old, refusing to retire or slow down

Don't give up, no matter what the consequences are. Don't give in and have everybody tell you what you should be doing when you know what you should be doing. You just haven't found a way to do it yet.

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Ann and returning guest Denise Bard explore how family secrets shape our identity, relationships, and sense of self, inspired by the Mariska Hargitay documentary "My Mom, Jane." They share personal experiences with secrets kept from them that affected their core identities and discuss the trauma of carrying others' shame.

• According to research, 97% of families keep some type of secret, with those related to identity, trauma, or betrayal causing the most psychological damage
• Secrets create emotional isolation, especially for children who feel they're carrying family shame
• When someone tells you something didn't happen when you saw it with your own eyes, it creates a form of "crazy-making" that causes you to doubt your perception
• Finding out family secrets later in life can cause profound identity shifts, forcing you to re-evaluate who you thought you were
• Breaking the cycle of secrecy is possible by choosing transparency with your own children in age-appropriate ways
• Secrets can be inherited—not just events, but the silence, shame, and survival behaviors
• The healing process is valid however it unfolds, and sometimes telling the truth will break something that needed to break

Remember that there is purpose in our pain and hope in our journey, even when that journey includes uncovering difficult truths about our families and ourselves.

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What if a penny could change your life?

Deborah Weed, creator of The Luckiest Penny musical and founder of the Self-Worth Initiative, went from being bedridden and broken to becoming a fierce advocate for self-worth. After learning that a rare 1943 copper penny was worth over a million dollars, she had a powerful realization: even things we overlook hold tremendous value—and so do we.

In this inspiring episode, Deborah shares how she turned personal trauma into purpose through storytelling, including the creation of Paisley the Porcupine and the Quills Up movement. Her message is clear: self-worth isn’t given—it’s claimed.

We talk about the difference between self-esteem and self-worth, reclaiming our “quills,” and learning to stand tall in our truth. If you’ve ever felt like you’re not enough, this episode is your reminder that you are.

🎧 Visit selfworthinitiative.net to learn more and support this movement.

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What makes George's story so compelling isn't just his professional evolution but the profound personal transformations that accompanied it. After reaching nearly 400 pounds and receiving a stark health warning, he underwent gastric bypass surgery, losing 140 pounds and regaining control of his health. "I like living," he shares with disarming candor, "I hope I can do it for as long as I can."

The conversation delves into the healing power of nature, with George eloquently describing how water and forests provide sanctuary: "a chance to be at peace, a chance to collect my thoughts, in fact, a chance to not think at all, just to be." His reference to the Japanese practice of forest bathing reveals the science behind what he's always intuitively known—that just ten yards into the woods can immediately lower blood pressure and transform mental clarity.

Throughout his transitions from newsroom to riverbank, through health struggles and family challenges including his daughter's traumatic brain injury, George has maintained a philosophy borrowed from poet Rainer Maria Rilke: "Live the questions now, and perhaps you will gradually live along some distant day into the answer." His authentic approach to life, meeting people where they are without judgment, serves as a powerful reminder that sometimes the only way forward is simply to flow with the current.

Have you considered how embracing rather than fighting life's unexpected turns might transform your own journey? Listen to discover how one man's willingness to pivot created a life where passion and profession beautifully converge.

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What happens when a neurodivergent specialist discovers she's been living with undiagnosed ADHD for over five decades? Dr. Jennifer Dall takes us through her extraordinary journey from confusion to clarity after receiving her ADHD diagnosis at age 53.

Despite her doctorate in educational psychology and 25 years as an educator, Dr. Dall's ADHD remained hidden beneath societal misconceptions and outdated diagnostic approaches that failed to recognize how ADHD manifests differently in women. She candidly reveals the emotional toll of being gaslit by healthcare providers who saw only her achievements while missing her internal struggles.

This conversation shatters stereotypes about what ADHD "should" look like, especially in accomplished women. Dr. Dall unpacks invisible symptoms that society misinterprets as character flaws—time blindness that makes you perpetually early or late, proprioception issues that have you constantly bumping into doorways, and rejection sensitivity that turns minor comments into deep wounds.

You'll discover practical, holistic approaches that work with your neurodivergent brain rather than fighting against it. From the Pomodoro technique and body doubling to three-day project sprints, Dr. Dall shares the strategies that helped her reclaim her life. She explores how grief and trauma compound ADHD challenges, drawing from her personal experience after losing her husband to suicide three years ago.

For anyone questioning whether they might have ADHD—particularly women who've been dismissed with depression or anxiety diagnoses—Dr. Dall offers validation and a roadmap forward. Whether pursuing formal diagnosis or embracing self-discovery, she emphasizes that understanding your unique brain wiring is the first step toward authentic living.

Connect with Dr. Jennifer Dall at ADHDholistically.com and grab her free guide featuring quick, practical hacks for thriving with ADHD. If this conversation resonates with you or someone you love, share it and join a growing community redefining what it means to live successfully with neurodivergence.

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What would happen if you could travel back in time and meet your younger self? In this captivating conversation with Amy Daughters, we explore the profound journey she took in writing her memoir "You Cannot Mess This Up: A True Story That Never Happened," where she imagines returning to 1978 and spending Thanksgiving weekend with her childhood family.

Amy reveals how inhabiting the same space with her energetic younger self transformed her relationship with her past. "If I'm not going to stand up for us, who's going to stand up for us?" she asks, capturing the moment she became her own champion. Through the creative device of time travel, Amy found healing wit wounds that aren't 'extreme' are still wounds – validating that ordinary family dynamics can leave extraordinary emotional imprints.

The most touching moments come through Amy's reimagined conversations with grandparents who had passed away before she reached adulthood. These scenes provided emotional fulfillment that transcended fiction, becoming "real" and ultimately changing her. Ann and Amy discuss how the book allowed Amy to understand her complicated relationship with her mother in a new light: "I knew she didn't like me, but somehow this book helped me realize that she loves me."

Amy addresses family secrets, unacknowledged incidents, and the pattern of "acting like it never happened" was just the climate of the 70's. Her journey demonstrates how revisiting our pasts with compassionate eyes can reveal sources of strength and support that were present all along, even when unrecognized.

The conversation takes an unexpected turn when we learn how writing this memoir sparked another powerful act of healing—Amy handwrote 580 personal letters to people from her life. It’s proof that when we make peace with our past, we often uncover new paths forward we never could have imagined. Her latest book, Dear Dana: That Time I Went Crazy and Wrote All 580 Handwritten Letters, is out now.

Ready to take your own emotional time-travel journey? Listen now and discover how loving your past self might be the key to liberating your present one.

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