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Find Your Spark

28 Episodes

23 minutes | 7 days ago
Uncover Resilience, Change the World
In this episode of the Find Your SPARK podcast, Ashley and Brooke reflect on week 1 of 2021...and why they still have hope. Listen as they share how they navigate the uncertainty of the world and make the case for innate resilience rather than an uphill battle to rebuild it. This is a conversation worth a reflection.
16 minutes | 12 days ago
80: Our Hopes for 2021
In this podcast, Ashley and Brooke are joined by Brooke's teenage daughter Jayda. They all came together days prior to 2021 and discussed what each of their hopes and dreams would be for 2021. Listen as they reflect on what they have learned from 2020, and what they hope comes from 2021.
20 minutes | 21 days ago
79: Meaning Behind the Disney Pixar Movie Soul: Find Your SPARK
Disclaimer: If you have not watched Soul, this podcast episode contains SPOILERS, you have been warned! In this episode, Brooke and Ashley are joined by Brooke's daughter Jayda. They all recently watched the Pixar movie Soul, and couldn't wait to come together and talk about it! On a recent Disney trip, Ashley first learned of this movie when she saw a shirt at Disney that read "Find Your SPARK". Well, if you know us at SPARK, you know that's our tag line for everything, it's even the name of this podcast, so naturally it stopped Ashley in her tracks! Once she googled the movie, she immediately told everyone at SPARK that we all needed to watch this movie! In this episode, we dive into the meaning behind this powerful movie, and why it was so exciting for all of us at The Spark Initiative to watch. We share what we each took away from it, and Jayda, Brooke's teenage daughter reveals the insights she had and why she sobbed for 5 minutes straight once the movie ended. Also, if you worked on this film, we would LOVE to talk to you!!! We LOVE this movie so much and are so passionate about it's meaning, it's why we do what we do! So reach out, we would love to speak! info@thesparkinitiative.com  
31 minutes | a month ago
78: Reflecting on 2020
In this episode of the Find your SPARK Podcast, Brooke, Ashley and Jena reflect on all the growing pains, learning curves and growth spurts of 2020. They share about all of the unknowns that Covid-19 brought and how it forced them to be more in the moment without even realizing it. They talk about how some pretty amazing things came from not knowing and how life just has a way of taking care of us and points us in the right direction if we are open to it. They also share about how things never really slowed down at the SAPRK Initiative and this past year really created more space for learning and creativity. So much has happened in 2020 that has given us the opportunity to reflect on, get curious about and see things that we didn't see before. Listen as they reflect on their experiences in the past year and the awareness that it brought.
9 minutes | 2 months ago
77: Stephanie has a mouse in her house! Will she have to move? – Part 1
In this episode of the Find your SPARK Podcast, poor Stephanie is really feeling the fear of mice. She dreads the evening when they become active, is sleeping upright with the lights on to ensure they don’t break through the crack in the bottom of her bedroom door and is considering all options to rid her of this fear, including moving. Her son Alexander, on the other hand, is quite delighted by the new life in the house and doesn’t see the problem – talk about separate realities! Will Stephanie have to move? Will the Christmas cat solve her problem? OR will she be able to solve it herself, taking no action whatsoever? Tune in as she shares about her dilemma and current thinking.
22 minutes | 2 months ago
76: SPARK Community - Now vs. Then
In this episode of the Find your SPARK Podcast, Ashley Hunt and Nicole Wilson talk about how their mentoring classes have been going post quarantine. As you may know, SPARK is normally in a handful of local schools at this time facilitating SPARK Mentoring Programs. Since quarantine has ended and schools are open in their community, they have found it challenging to get into schools because of the district’s new rules due to COVID. Ashley and Nicole share their excitement on facilitating SPARK in a local private school and explain the changes they see and how you can always adjust and make an impact on kids! They also share how adjusting to these times have created so many new and convenient ideas for their organization and the people they work with. Listen as they share, SPARK Community - Now vs. Then! As always, if you have any topics you would like to hear for the next SPARK Podcast or would like to be a guest star, please email us at info@thesparkinitiative.com.
22 minutes | 2 months ago
75: Lighting Sparks with the Boys and Girls Club
In this episode of the Find your SPARK Podcast, tune in to Stephanie interviewing one of our newest partners - Lashica Johnson. Lashica is a mentor and Youth Development Professional with the Boys and Girls Club in Garden Grove, CA. Stephanie and Lashica chat about the recent training, how it was different from previous trainings that Lashica has done, and why she is excited about bringing the Spark curriculum to the teens that she mentors. We are so excited to have them as partners and can’t wait to hear about all the SPARK's they alight!
12 minutes | 2 months ago
74: Stephanie’s Letter to her “Unwell” Self
In this episode of the Find your SPARK Podcast, Stephanie is inspired by something she read in Glennon Doyle’s Untamed and shares a very personal letter that she wrote to her “unwell” self from the perspective of her well or True Self. She talks about how the things she worries about in her unwell state like health insurance, money, retirement and her son not having a yard or a pool, look totally different when she is in a different state. When she is feeling her True Self, she somehow knows that everything is taken care of and “lack is hard to understand.” She is sharing this letter on her 44th birthday, as a gift to you!
44 minutes | 3 months ago
73: Michael Neill's "Might Help, Can’t Hurt!" Ep28 - Educating Hearts and Minds
In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Brooke and Ashley along with James Hird, the principal of Horizons Academy Alternative School, are guest speakers on an episode of Michael Neill's "Might Help, Can't Hurt!" They talk about how educating students and teachers about how the mind works not only allows them to study and learn more effectively but creates a solid foundation for having "difficult but necessary" conversations about societal issues. Listen as they share about their own experiences and the impactful work they do.
16 minutes | 3 months ago
72: Where Happiness Truly Comes From
In this episode of the Find your SPARK Podcast, Jena shares about her past experiences of feeling lost, stuck and not living life to the fullest. She talks about how she used to look for outside things and people to fix her and make her feel happy. Once Jena learned about how the mind works, she is now able to see life through a whole new lens and navigate with so much more love for herself and others. Listen as she shares, Where Happiness Truly Comes From.
11 minutes | 4 months ago
71: How You Know When You are Living From Your Spark
  In this episode of the Find your SPARK Podcast, Stephanie shares a couple recent experiences which clearly indicated to her that she was living from her Spark. She first speaks about her experience of feeling jealousy and resentment to then feeling love and excitement after not being told about a good friends’ wedding. Stephanie also shares about how she found it easy to have a difficult conversation with someone close to her, after she had been putting it off. Once you recognize it, the feeling of living from your SPARK vs your ego is very obvious and useful!     Listen as she shares, How You Know When You are Living From Your Spark.  
26 minutes | 4 months ago
70: The Real Reason Kids are Always Asking WHY - and why we should be answering them.
In this episode, Brooke and Ashley discuss why they feel that youth are the answer to the division in the world today. They share how they have seen others, as well as themselves, get caught up in being “right” and how much of a disservice it is to only see one side of things. They reflect on conversations they have had with youth, and the common factor they have seen is that the youth today are so curious, and we need that curiosity now more than ever. Brooke shares about how this simple idea led her to create the SPARKING Change Internship Program, designed to do just that, foster the curiosity of our youth, and help them to be leaders of change in their own community! At the end of the podcast, they share ways that YOU can help with this program! If you would like to help The Spark Initiative win grant money that will go to this brand new initiative, click here: https://acommunitythrives.mightycause.com/story/K80tvf?fbclid=IwAR1c8dHEibdRRoSfK3kK6z5sFSypcTcxNYT9H30HD4c3l_gLJnOS9xQJtuI
24 minutes | 4 months ago
69: Finding Peace with my Inner Critic
In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Brooke speaks with Adam Gross, a 22 year old counseling major who lives in North London. Adam speaks about how understanding his inner critic instead of trying to change it, has helped him see his world and life differently. Listen as they shares, Finding Peace with my Inner Critic
16 minutes | 4 months ago
68: Insight from the Unexpected! - A Training Experience with the Rebels for Peace Members
In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Stephanie talks about some very useful insights she had while training some of the Rebels for Peace members, a youth-led group working to end violence in Chicago. Her insights were around a problem she presented to them regarding the dilemma of balancing online schooling and work. Who would have thought her most useful parenting advice to date would come from a group of 22 year-old, single men with no kids, from the south side of Chicago!Listen as she shares, Insight from the Unexpected! - A Training Experience with the Rebels for Peace Members
19 minutes | 5 months ago
67: Sharing the SPARK with Sex Trafficking Survivors
In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Nicole talks about the support group she facilitates with an organization that SPARK partners with called, Selah Freedom. Their mission is to put an end to sex trafficking and bring light into the darkness of survivors. Nicole shares her experience when meeting with the survivors weekly, and how she watches them uncover and transform their lives to become clearer versions of themselves. It’s a beautiful journey and Nicole is deeply impacted by these women every week. Listen as she shares, Sharing the SPARK with Sex Trafficking Survivors.
36 minutes | 5 months ago
66:The Difference Between Looking At The World Divided & Looking At The World Inside You
In this weeks episode of the Find Your SPARK podcast, Brooke and Nicole talk about a profound post they came across that reminded them both, when coming from a place of love, answers will always arise. They reflect on recent times that they lost sight of this and “got off track” when focusing on all the chaos going on in the world. When we do this, we are trying to find solutions from the world, rather than inside ourselves. That’s when there’s no connection to humanity and life can feel off. Listen as they read this post with you and share their insights they got from it. Listen as they share, The Difference Between Looking At The World Divided & Looking At The World Inside You.   Below is the Facebook post referenced in this podcast by Dominic Scaffidi. "In recent months this group "blew up" with arguments and polarization. Just like the rest of the world. I stepped back and have not been involved much. When I dropped by occasionally, I noticed strong arguments for the "right way to think"; and the "right perspective" that all good people must hold. You are with us or you are against us. You either see it this way and ACT NOW - or you are part of the problem. We must rise up before it is too late! That seemed strange for a community that is drawn together to explore and share this understanding. It's interesting to notice that when things get REAL, it appears that having this understanding doesn't make much difference. We were unable to be with each other in a way that's much of an example for others (who do not have this understanding). I wondered how Syd might guide us. I went back to his old talks to see if he had any guidance. I learned he was a bit of an activist who ultimately changed his ways. Here are his thoughts. It's as if he's speaking to us about today's world... "To direct people back inside is the only way, the only way, that we'll ever have harmony in this world. And this harmony includes pollution, people starving to death, people killing each other, people robbing each other. So on and so forth. Countries fighting. There is no way. There is absolutely no way in the world can peace and harmony come to the world via our conscious minds. There is no government in the world. There is no person in the world smart enough to do it. Because there is no answer. There is no answer from outside. But if we travel inside and start to realize that all life is a conscious state, and as we get into this divine state, the world will change round about you. As the world starts to change round about you, you go into harmony, have happiness, tranquility, peace, love, understanding. Put them all together and it's what the Bible calls God. Because God is the purest of love. And only this love can solve the world's problems, all the world problems, it's the only way. They can try 10 Million ways outside and all they'll be doing is carrying on the illusion in another form.You must raise the level of consciousness of mankind to find this happiness. Jesus Christ tried it. He raised the level of consciousness of people. This is why they healed themselves. Because as he raised their level of consciousness, they became in harmony with the rest of the world and with their inner self. And when this happens, you're sicknesses vanish. You can pay your debt off to society within a second. To be hanging on to silly, petty, stupid sicknesses to keep us in our place. When you find how beautiful life is, you don't need them, you become free. The only freedom that exists in the world is in your inner self via a conscious state because all life, all life is a conscious state. There is nothing outside. These words don't make sense to you. They're not meant to . Because there is no words can explain it. You can only explain it as closely as possible, as simply as possible. The simpler the better. So I try to explain it. But it doesn't turn out right. Because it's not the words you've got to hear. It's what's beyond the word. And this comes as an experience. It comes as a direct experience from hearing. Not listening. Hearing. Which is a totally different thing. Because when you truly hear, you get a new experience. You raise your level of consciousness. The higher your guide is speaking, the better it is for you. The simple reason, if you hear him when he's speaking high, that's exactly what you're gonna do is go high.If you talk about petty things like politics, things like this. I've already told you, you'll never solve the problem. Not until you go inside, then you change the world. Because the world is inside you. It really is. Everything is inside you right now. All your happiness that you've ever wanted. All the joy you ever wanted. All the money you ever wanted. All the health you ever wanted. All the security you ever wanted. It's all inside you.......Two year ago, just over two years ago I was so concerned with the world you wouldn't believe. I was into unions, fighting with the bosses, tons of governments, Vietnam, race discrimination. Every one of them got me so uptight. Those other guys doing all this to those poor people. About the people starving throughout the world. And I was uptight all the time. I was sick from it. This is what made me sick. Because all my worries, all my stress, thinking about the rest of the world. And when I found this little secret, things changed. Because I started to realize there was nothing out there at all. That all the secret and all the happiness lies inside. Now since that time, I am sure, absolutely sure, I have done more in the past year for humanity than I would have done in 10 million years of the old Syd Banks. And anybody that's ever heard. Really heard. They too have started to change the world. Because everybody they talk to changes. People are changing very rapidly. Their health has been changing. Mysteriously. So called mysteriously. Their sicknesses have been vanishing. This is how I can answer that. Once again, you can't solve the problem outside. You must go inside and each individual soul in the universe must find his own utopia. Then when he finds it, then he comes out in full blossom and gives all this love and all this knowledge to change the level of consciousness of the universe. And this is the only way you'll ever have peace on earth."- Sydney Banks, It's That Simple, A talk in Courtney, B.C. circa mid 1970's" Find out more about Dominic Scaffidi here at https://www.dominicscaffidi.com or https://m.facebook.com/groups/597623504209154
27 minutes | 5 months ago
65: Appreciating What We Know Now As Parents
  In this week’s episode of the Find Your SPARK podcast, Ashley and Nicole share what they have noticed about parenting before understanding how the mind works vs. after understanding. They talk about moments of parenting when situations feel really tough but how great it is to understand that they don’t have to sit in that feeling and it will pass eventually. Ashley also shares about the Online Parenting Program coming up in September. We are offering this course to the public on a sliding scale. Simply pay what you can, between $50 - $295. If that is still out of reach, please email info@thesparkinitiative.com for special arrangements. We do not want to turn anyone away. Remember, as a non-profit organization, all profits go directly back into our community and local programming. This course is deserving to all our parents out there and especially during these times, we want to serve you! Click here for more details on the SPARK Online Parenting Program. Now Listen as Ashley and Nicole share, Appreciating What We Know Now As Parents!  
27 minutes | 5 months ago
65: Appreciating What We Know Now As Parents
In this week’s episode of the Find Your SPARK podcast, Ashley and Nicole share what they have noticed about parenting before understanding how the mind works vs. after understanding. They talk about moments of parenting when situations feel really tough but how great it is to understand that they don’t have to sit in that feeling and it will pass eventually. Ashley also shares about the Online Parenting Program coming up in September. We are offering this course to the public on a sliding scale. Simply pay what you can, between $50 - $295. If that is still out of reach, please email info@thesparkinitiative.com for special arrangements. We do not want to turn anyone away. Remember, as a non-profit organization, all profits go directly back into our community and local programming. This course is deserving to all our parents out there and especially during these times, we want to serve you! Click here for more details on the SPARK Online Parenting Program. Now Listen as Ashley and Nicole share, Appreciating What We Know Now As Parents!
17 minutes | 5 months ago
64: Discovering the Motivation Inside You!
In this week’s episode of the Find Your SPARK podcast, Nicole and Jena share their insights on finding motivation to be healthier, after allowing insecurities to take a toll on them, they rediscovered their confidence and motivation to feel better and do better. They will be sharing more with you on how new thought always brings new feelings and experiences, when we learn to let go of the ones that limit us! Listen as they share, Discovering the Motivation Inside You!
26 minutes | 5 months ago
63:Sending your Kids Back to School During COVID? Who is Right and Who is Wrong?
  In this episode, Brooke and Ashley talk about the upcoming school year. Local schools here are set to reopen in the next couple of weeks, and we have heard very strong opinions on the decision of sending kids back or not. Brooke and Ashley discuss their decisions and how they came to the decision for themselves, as well as share what they have heard on social media, and even with close friends trying to decide. They share about the importance of understanding what is right for you and your children, may not be what is right for someone else, and that is okay! Listening to that SPARK inside, will help guide each person individually to make the right choice for them!  
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