There are many facets of personal development that can stand to adopt a level of discipline, similar to the discipline required by professional athletes. My guest, Dre Baldwin, is a former professional basketball player who built a publishing empire and authored an impressive 27 books. He has an interesting perspective on discipline, which is the focal point of this week’s episode.

As someone who mildly recoils at the word discipline, I was fascinated and eager for my conversation with Dre. When I think about a goal I want to achieve (whether it’s personal or professional), I make a mental list of all the things I need to do in order to complete the goal. And sometimes, y’all, just the idea of the discipline needed to succeed, it’s exhausting.

Dre and I explore many areas of discipline, from how it affects success, how it helps to create confidence and builds mental toughness for everyday life. 

In this episode you’ll hear:

• The four pillars of Dre’s "Work On Your Game" philosophy and how you can use it in your everyday life. (9:13)
• Why discipline is an important aspect of success. (11:02)
• How discipline creates confidence. (18:34)
• Creating mental toughness for business and life. (24:46)
• Taking personal initiative for your career and business: information is great, but you need to take initiative and do something with it.  (34:05)
• The energy you put out is the energy you get back. (37:02)

http://yourkickasslife.com/368

It’s no secret we are living in complicated times. Sometimes going back to the basics to focus on the present can be incredibly helpful. This week, Laura Cathcart Robbins, speaker, and host of the podcast, The Only One In The Room, joins me to talk about turning shitty situations into amazing opportunities. 

Laura went viral when she wrote an article about being the only Black woman in the room at an Elizabeth Gilbert and Cheryl Strayed writing event.  She has been active for many years as a speaker and school trustee and is credited for creating The Buckley School’s nationally recognized committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Together we discussed her experience being ‘othered’, as well as, how sharing that experience encouraged people from all ethnicities, races, genders, and abilities to speak out and feel connected with one another. She also offered a transparent look into her life as a mother and addict, going into treatment, wrestling with shame, and how she is coping today. She is a true wordsmith in both her writing and in her speaking. I hope you enjoy our conversation. 

In this episode you’ll hear:

• Laura shares her experience as the only one in the room at a retreat hosted by Liz Gilbert and Cheryl Strayed. (5:00)
• How the retreats changed after Laura’s article went viral and some of the lessons she learned from the entire experience. (11:25)
• Laura talks openly about being a mom in recovery from addiction. (22:08)
• Words of encouragement for living in these trying times. (42:25)

http://yourkickasslife.com/367

We’ve all experienced some form of grief over the last several months; grieving our life before COVID, people we’ve lost and more. Joining me for a deep and transformative conversation about grief is acclaimed grief educator, Christina Rasmussen. Christina is also the author of Second Firsts and Where Did You Go? and host of The Dear Life Podcast.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• Christina describes grief as a catalyst for redefining entry. She shares about her philosophy on grief and the process of reentry or returning to life. (5:13)
• Invisible losses: any experience that broke your heart and how they dictate the narrative of your life. (10:39)
• Grief, COVID-19, and being triggered by invisible losses. (20:43)
• How to know when you are ready to do life reentry work. (24:48)
• Does reentry or returning to life mean you won’t experience waves of grief? (26:58)
• The phases of reentry or returning to life. (36:47)

http://yourkickasslife.com/366

Over the last few months, I’ve been exploring various personal development modalities with my guests. Another area that has been of interest to me is hypnotherapy. To explore this topic and discuss how we can utilize hypnotherapy to transform our subconscious mind is my bestie, Amy E. Smith. Amy is a certified and credentialed confidence coach, masterful speaker, and personal empowerment expert. She is also a certified hypnotherapist who aids hundreds of women in stepping into their authentic power and craft the lives they desire.

Together we discuss various methods that can help you analyze and address the state of your subconscious mind, including emotional freedom technique (EFT), dreams and what they mean, as well as what your handwriting can tell you.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• From a lay person’s perspective, Amy describes hypnotherapy.  (12:38)
• How the conscious and subconscious work and what it has to do with the inner critic. (19:35)
• EFT: what it is and how it can help. (26:03)
• Handwriting analysis and what it has to do with the subconscious. Plus, how Amy uses this modality in her work. (27:59)
• How analyzing your dreams can help you solve problems. (37:58)

http://yourkickasslife.com/365