Living a Courageously Authentic Life with Jennifer Monahan

I interview Charlene Jones, author of My Impossible Life: Trauma, Travel, Transcendence.  Her story is one of incredible courage and tenacity after an extremely traumatic experience.  We talk about her story, why she wrote her book and what she hopes readers will take away.  Here's an overview of her book: Running from an untenable home life, Charlene finds herself captive to two armed criminals for three days. She returns to her home but shows up wasted and addicted until she meets and travels with the contentious, contemptuous meditation teacher Leslie George Dawson. Dawson was recognized by the Tibetan spiritual leader the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa (think Dalai Lama of a different sect) as the spiritual leader who brings the teaching to the New World, the Namgyal. Charlene's outer adventures include escaping tornadoes while sailing the Gulf of Mexico, drinking chang with Mongol men in India's north, meditating 21 hours a day during a 3-month silent meditation retreat in New Zealand, working and living in the slums of Sydney Australia, journeying through Crete, Cancun, Norway and more all before her 25th birthday. Yet these outer experiences do not solve her inner struggle. Strangled by persistent depression, struck from sleep by nightmares and aware of the close claw of addiction Charlene knows she lives in a kind of paralysis of her senses. Will her focus on healing and her Celtic inheritance of Angel direction be enough to guide her through the dark labyrinths of her past and yield a life worth living? How will she weave the paradoxes in what she calls "My Impossible Life"? You can find her book on Amazon.

I've been thinking a lot about failure lately, so I've decided it's time to do a show on it! Failurognize the o rece has such a negative connotation and stigma associated with it that most of us avoid it at all costs.  During the show, I talk about what failure really is (it isn't what you think!), why we fear it so much, how to recognize the beauty and gift of failure, and how to actively embrace failure in your own courageously authentic life. NOTE: this is a new recording of this show! The first recording had technical glitches and didn't record.  So, if you tried to listen before, and didn't hear anything, please try this one!  

Nancy Byrne is the author of “Choices." Nancy believes that everyone possesses innate intuitive abilities which can improve the quality of life by providing guidance, keeping them safe and helping to make the right decisions, “Choices”, as they navigate through this life. Byrne states, "It is my soul's desire to 'give back' and to serve by assisting others on their life's journey." She majored in psychology at the University of Colorado Denver for both her graduate and undergraduate degrees and has worked for an adolescent psychiatric treatment hospital, a women-in-need-of-group-support program, a rape crisis center, a major police department as director of a victim services unit and several high risk shelters for adolescents. Nancy also graduated from the Aspen Program for Psychic Development with certification in Psychic Development, Spirit Mediumship, Medical Intuition, Reiki Master/Teacher and is an Astrologer. She is currently working on her second book, “Remembering”. Her website is: www.choices-nlb.com

In this episode, Jennifer interviews Nedda Wittels, a professional telepathic animal communicator.  We'll hear what animal communication is and isn't, how Nedda got started, the role that animals play in our lives and stories of animals she has worked with.   Nedda can be found at http://www.raysofhealinglight.com  

We're at the end of January.  How are you doing on your resolutions you set for January 1? If you're like most people, you've had some trouble, or  have even given up on them.  Resolutions are challenging to keep...which is why I set intentions. Intentions can be truly life-changing.  It's not too late for you to set intentions for 2019.  Learn how on this show!

The end of the year is a great time to look back and reflect on the many gifts each of us has.  However, in our consumer-driven society, it can be difficult for us to see and be grateful for what we have in our lives.  In today's show, Jennifer discusses the value and impact of recognizing and counting your blessings.

We're in the middle of the holiday season...which means stress and drama for many people.  In today's show, Jennifer talks about drama: what it is, why we get pulled into it so easily, and how we can avoid it. She'll also share some quick things you can do if you find yourself caught in the middle of a drama.

We often think of courage as something that is shown during those "big" moments - saving someone's life, standing up for the rights of others, etc.  But courage is something that we have the opportunity to live everyday, in the seemingly small moments of our day.  In this show, Jennifer talks about everyday courage - what it is, why it is important, and how you can start living courageously as you go through your day.

It has gotten easier and easier to lash out and insult others - especially through social media when we can do so without even knowing the other person.  But what is the impact of this negativity? Jennifer talks about how our negative words to others impact ourselves from a shamanic perspective.  It might be different what you think!

Jennifer is joined by Karen Sullivan, Charlene Jones and Irene Weinberg - three amazing, courageous women who share their personal stories and perspectives on courage, authenticity and fear.