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Monique Rhodes is a Happiness Strategist who teaches students and corporations around the world how to master their lives. She has spent the last 25 years studying the mind and its relationship to happiness and suffering. Over 70 universities and colleges use her program The 10 Minute Mind®. Monique hosts the daily In Your Right Mind podcast, where she discusses how small habits determine our well-being. In 2010 Monique received a nomination for the New Zealander of the Year Award. Highlights Long-term depression and a suicide attempt led Monique to discover why she had such a hard time being happy. She traveled around the world learning what she needed to teach what she does today. The ability to shift happiness levels is available to everyone. People often have to reach a place where the status quo is so painful they have to make a decision to change. How we frame things determines the decision we will make about how to move in a new direction. Happiness is a habit. Almost everything is a habit and habits often form as a result of our past experiences. Our mind is the root of our happiness and suffering. For Monique, her superpower for understanding her mind is meditation. Meditation practices can change the structure of the brain. You make the decision to be either happy or unhappy. Happiness means that you can cope with whatever is going on in your life. It is the absence of suffering. We are programmed to believe that attaining things will make us happier. Links Monique's website Take the happiness quiz: www.howhappyami.com (loads slowly) Monique on Facebook Monique on Instagram Tips for Prosperous Living

For the last few weeks, the phrase a body in motion stays in motion has been going through my mind. In today’s episode, I talk about how this idea applies to many areas of our lives and how to use the idea to get unstuck. Highlights We have to figure out what works for us in life and follow that. In order to move beyond where you are, you have to perceive your own expansion. Much of what goes on in your external life is the result of what you experience in your internal life. To expand your life, do new things – the little bit at a time – so you can create a habit. Exercise is important, but don’t try to do too much too soon. One of the ways to expand yourself is to expand your view of the world around you. Being in motion means moving beyond yourself. Start moving forward by doing small things that are no threat. Doing stretching exercises on a regular basis helps to expand. Close your eyes and imagine that the space you are in is expanding and you are expanding into it. Start exercising by walking – small distances. Do something that feels like forward motion. Every body-mind is different. You have to discover what’s right for you at this moment. What’s right can change as time goes by. If you feel stuck in any area of your life, consciously move in a new direction, physically and emotionally. Imagine yourself expanding. I explain. Looking forward is part of moving forward. Be curious and be willing to try something new. The more you are willing to move yourself in a new direction, the more your life will move forward and it will probably lead to more comfort.

Dr. Eric Holsapple is a successful entrepreneur with 20 years of university teaching and 30 years of mindfulness. He is the founder of Living in the Gap and the author of the forthcoming book, Profit with Presence: The 12 Pillars of Mindful Leadership. His popular workshops teach CEOs and professionals a different way to operate mindfully while improving the bottom line. Highlights Eric shares the successful business path he had been on and his epiphany about the need to change his lifestyle. The epiphany and actions he took resulted in the work he’s doing now. First yoga and then meditation significantly changed his life path. Mindfulness and Presence are the first Pillars of Mindful Leadership. Eric explains what he means by “finding your true self” and the techniques he suggests. Who we are is not what we do but who we bring to what we do. Understanding that who you are being is what matters is a big shift for most people. Eric defines the difference between your inner being and your outer being and the value of aligning them. Mindfulness can help understand emotions. Recognizing emotions, feeling them, and letting them pass through your system is how to deal with emotions. When groups are made up of both men and women, the women often leave the men to better understand their emotions. Pillars 1 and 2 are about creating clarity. Pillar 3 is about visioning where you want to go. Eric talks about how to use vision, intention, and intentional action to create what you want. Our commitments and our habits have to be aligned. In the business environment, people are often afraid of going into the “woo-woo”. Links Profit with Presence: The 12 Pillars of Mindful Leadership  is available to pre-order Eric’s Website Facebook Page LinkedIn Instagram Spellbound by Dr. Daniel Lieberman James Kawainui, Ancient Wisdom Mentoring & Hawaiian Healing

I’ve spoken to a number of people recently who, despite being stable financially, worry a lot about money and their future. In this episode, I provide some suggestions for letting go of money worries. Highlights When you start worrying about money, ask yourself, “What am I afraid will happen if I run out of money?” Worrying about money makes it harder to generate money. I explain why. Worrying about your money can have a negative effect on your health. You can’t just stop worrying about money, you have to teach your brain a new response to how you usually think about money. I give examples. If you are worried about your financial future, you are making up a story that doesn’t exist. Tell a different story. You need to develop the skills that are necessary to make more money. This includes financial skills, business skills, and more. You can’t fulfill your dreams of a positive future unless you understand the habits that have gotten you where you are. Create a superhero in your mind who keeps telling you that you’re doing fine no matter what you’re telling yourself. You have the power to change your life if you’re willing to become aware of your habits and change the ones that aren’t serving you. Start noticing how you talk to yourself and how you worry about money. When you notice how you are worrying, take a few deep belly breaths and tell yourself something positive about what you’re doing. Your brain is wired to see the negative. This was originally a survival technique. It’s a matter of teaching your brain how to re-perceive where you are. Links Astara Take a look at The MetaMind Circle

As we approach the end of the year and the beginning of the next one, it’s a great time for reflection. In this episode, I mention a number of things that might help to think about. Topics discussed in this episode include: Becoming aware of the energy that surrounds us. How to find peace of mind in the midst of the worldwide chaos. How to develop empathetic detachment. An attitude of acceptance and letting go. Don’t expect other people to meet your needs. Love, accept, acknowledge, and appreciate yourself. Do something about getting out of uncomfortable situations and relationships. You can make the decision to learn how to be internally peaceful. Self-awareness and self-acceptance. Allow life to happen rather than trying to make it happen. Take care of yourself.

I have been looking for a unifying topic for all my information and what I came up with is Prosperous Living – A Holistic Path to Health, Wealth, and Happiness. In this episode, I ask you to define what prosperous living means to you. Highlights I’d like to suggest that you think about what prosperous living means to you. In a previous episode, I had talked about making the decisions about what intentions you would like to make for the new year and actions you will take to move forward. Making too many changes at once impedes progress. Making any kind of change in your life can stimulate the moving stupids, which is a feeling of disorientation that you get when you try new things because your brain gets confused. It can take a few months to get comfortable with something new. If you make small changes over a period of time, your life will move in a positive direction. Start making changes with things that are inconsequential, like cleaning off your desk or a corner of a room. You have to find what works for you. Something that you really want or would like to create, without buying anything, ask yourself what having that or doing that would require. Look at it carefully. When asking the question, “who do I want to be” or “what do I want to do”, understand that your age makes a difference. You have to discover what makes you happy and what your definition of happy is. If you sit quietly with yourself or meditate every day, you will be more satisfied and more in touch with yourself.

As we get ready for 2023, it’s time to make the decisions – rather than the resolutions – that will move you forward. In this episode, I talk about what decisions to consider and how not to overload yourself with things to do. Highlights Make a decision to take care of yourself – if you want a better life. If you don’t like where your life is today, then you have the option of deciding what you will do in order to change it. The best way to make lasting change is to become very aware of where you are now and to choose one or two things you want to change. The energy of change is prevalent on this planet right now. It takes considerable effort to make lasting change in your life. It’s important to love yourself, let go, and connect. Most people don’t realize how important the connect piece is. In order to feel prosperous, you need a lot of people, love, and experiences that warm your heart. How do want to feel next year? What do you want to work on next year so you can move your life in a positive direction? If you focus your efforts on moving in a positive direction, you will improve your life. For today, make a list of the things that you would like to be different in your life, the small things you can begin to work on. Practice being okay with who you are today. Start with small changes, one at a time. Set feeling goals. Every day, acknowledge yourself for something you have done. To talk to Joan about coaching or The MetaMind Circle go to www.ProsperityPlace.com/call

This is the time of year that doesn’t feel “normal”. There are a lot of distractions and things happening that are not our usual activities. So, during the next few weeks, use the time to take a look and see if there’s something you want to change as we go into the new year. Highlights Tap into the energy of change and decide who you want to become. We often need to share ideas and get feedback from other people. Other people can often see a bigger picture than we do. No one person has all of the answers for you. It’s really important for you to know and understand your Self. Who do you want to be in the next segment of your life and how can you make that happen? The energy of change, which is happening now, presents us with many opportunities. How are you going to adapt to the energy of change and what help do you need to make it happen? We are wired to need connection to other people. If you learn to have better relationships with humans, you are going to have a better life. What does prosperous living mean for you? Happiness comes from satisfaction within you, not from money. You have choices, and if you don’t like what your life is like now, you can make changes. Links Henry Lopez’s website Podcast episode with Robert Pardi The Neuroscience of You: How Every Brain Is Different and How to Understand Yours

This is a very short episode because of the holiday. On it, I mentioned that we are getting ready to slowly invite people into The MetaMind Circle. Here are two links if you would like more information: www.metamindcircle.com Let us know you are interested here

Robert Pardi is one of those rare individuals who embrace change and live by a philosophy that he calls Possibility in Action™. He is a three-time author, compelling international keynote speaker, transformational life coach, and Adjunct Professor. After his young wife passed away from breast cancer, Robert re-imagined his life to achieve new dreams. He chose to leave his comfort zone by changing absolutely everything. He now shares the many life lessons he’s learned through his work and fashioned his life as an example of Possibility in Action™. Highlights Possibility in Action is Robert’s personal philosophy and he explains what he means by it. When curiosity leads you to see possibilities, you need to take action. People often avoid looking into new possibilities because the brain is wired to want certainty. Sitting in curiosity means being willing to not know. When you identify with the path you’re on, it’s difficult to see your possibilities because the results are unknown and your brain is wired to tell you to be afraid. As a child, Robert learned to overcome fear and to take the chance of moving forward. If you don’t take chances, you’re going to get stuck in your own zip code. If you’re waiting for a chance, you’re missing an opportunity. The discomfort of waiting can be greater than the discomfort of taking a chance. Losing our life to fear is like dying a horrible slow death. For Robert, FEAR means Finding Excuses for Reaching beyond your comfort zone. Rather than asking why I am holding myself back, look for the what and how. People should not have a coach for their whole life. Use a coach to get beyond a certain blockage and then move on. Diversity is really in our minds. We are quick to give our power away by blaming. When you step into fear, you are acknowledging that you don’t have control. The more we try to fit in, the more we are betraying ourselves and we lose trust in ourselves. No one has your answers except you. Without action, nothing happens. Links Possibility in Action: A Journey to an Intentional Life Robert Pardi's website Robert Pardi on LinkedIn Joan doing the Power Plunge

Breathing seems so natural because you do it every day. In this episode, you’ll learn that breathing not only keeps us alive, it also affects our emotions, attention, and how our brains process the world around us. Especially important is learning how to use diaphragmatic breathing. Highlights In times of stress, people often do shallow breathing – from the chest. Diaphragmatic breathing is much healthier and helps to relieve stress. Here’s a list of some of the positive effects of deep diaphragmatic breathing. I talk about how to do diaphragmatic breathing. How you are being in the world is a choice. How you are in the world is a habit. You can train yourself to notice when you are tensing up, and when you do how to use breathing as a release. Being in a hurry or being nervous doesn’t help anything. If you understand that you have control over how you feel and how you react to what’s going on, it will make your life not only easier but also more successful. When in a state of stress or fear you can’t make the best decisions for you. If you get in touch with and deal with the pain of your childhood, you will have less physical pain. I asked myself what can a person do that is free and easy to do, and the answer is learn diaphragmatic breathing. If you become aware of what’s going on in the world, you can prepare for the chaos and make decisions as to how you want to feel and act. Articles: How Breathing Shapes Our Brain Benefits of Deep Breathing What Is Diaphragmatic Breathing? To set up a time to talk to me about how I can help you click here.

When I was doing the episode that posted two weeks ago, I felt a strong energy moving through me that I recognized as anger. At first, I wanted to delete the episode because I was uncomfortable showing that much anger. In this episode, I share what I learned about hidden anger. Highlights Once I realized that I had gotten angry, I looked more deeply at it and realized that the anger was covering up other emotions, including feeling violated. I also realized that feeling violated was a feeling habit that I developed in childhood and how that affected many aspects of my life. If feelings aren’t expressed, they build up internally. In the case of anger, it turns into rage. Unexpressed anger and other feelings can also turn into health problems and can be acted out through your finances. I talk about self-directed passive-aggressive behavior as a way of acting out hidden anger. Sharing episodes like this one is a release for me. Emotions are the energetic force behind our life stories. I’m hoping that you will give yourself permission to find a way to express your hidden anger. A lot of women are holding onto hidden anger because of the way they have been treated over the years. The bottom line is for you to learn to trust yourself and to remember that you can’t get rid of something like anger, you have to replace it with something else. I explain. If you find yourself frequently feeling unsafe, I talk about how you can teach your brain to feel safe even in difficult situations. Links Dissolve the Anger Money Connection To make an appointment to talk about coaching with Joan, click here

Dr. Paul J. Mills is Professor of Public Health and Family Medicine and Director of the Center of Excellence for Research and Training in Integrative Health at the University of California, San Diego. He has over 400 scientific publications in the fields of pharmacology, oncology, cardiology, psychoneuroimmunology, behavioral medicine, and integrative health. His work has been featured in many national media outlets and he has presented at hundreds of conferences and workshops around the world. His new book is Science, Being, & Becoming: The Spiritual Lives of Scientists. Highlights Metaphysical experiences in childhood stimulated Paul’s curiosity about metaphysics. He eventually discovered that other scientists had similar experiences. People on the metaphysical path no longer have to apologize for or hide their beliefs. There have been many studies that prove the validity of the effects of things like meditation and yoga. Thirty-one scientists were interviewed for the book about their metaphysical experiences. Paul shares one of their stories. Everyone has the inherent urge to find out who they are. The metaphysical experiences allow one to recognize their creative power. Our education systems don’t teach us to recognize our innate powers. Paul shares about the difficulty in finding ways to express his views within the academic framework. He talks about what he has done to reduce the stress. Following a spiritual path often leads to greater creativity. When we aren’t allowed to follow the inner urge to find out who we are, suppressing that urge often leads to anger and other uncomfortable emotions. Often, young children aren’t allowed to express who they are. Fortunately, some education systems outside of the public school system allow that to happen. Paul’s interest in psychoneuroimmunology (the connection between emotions and health) started with his study of the immune system. Humans are a beautifully integrated system and Western science is beginning to appreciate that. It takes a long time for medicine to talk with published science and what every day people are experiencing. What we enjoy as children are often guideposts for our future life. Depression is often the result of our not living the lives we were meant to live. Links Paul Mills website

I have been feeling uncomfortable because of all the conflict that is going on in the world, often concerning things that are beyond my control, including the growing amount of anti-semitism. In this episode, I discuss this and other thoughts about living in a world with so much hate. Highlights We can’t have peace in the world until people learn to live with each other. If you are worried about inflation and aren’t paying attention to what’s going on, you might vote for people who don’t have your interests at heart. If you elect angry people, you’re not going to have a peaceful world. People who are brought up in homes with a lot of fighting, often become angry as adults. Hate makes no sense to me. We need to find ways of finding peace within ourselves and learning how to love ourselves and others. If you were brought up in an abusive home, it’s almost impossible to love and appreciate yourself because you weren’t taught how to do that. It’s hard for me to keep quiet when I see what looks, to me, like injustice. I believe that love is the healer. Something has to change in the way we are thinking, believing, and behaving to get over the amount of anxiety that’s present in the society now. You can’t change what’s going on in society, but you can change what’s going on within yourself. Right now, people are picking on Jews. At some point, it’ll be a different group because people who don’t love themselves have to have “the other” to pick on. There are too many people on this planet to be in conflict. We don’t need more war. We need to teach peace. Are you willing to learn how to be a peaceful person? If you’re not, then you’ll probably wind up with all sorts of diseases. My goal is to help people find health, wealth, and peace of mind. I hope to do this through The MetaMind Circle. You can’t be truly prosperous unless you have peace of mind. The people who make the most noise are often not the ones who are trying to build a peaceful world. Links The MetaMind Circle

Jeanine Thompson is a transformational coach, speaker, and author whose breadth of knowledge and experience spans multiple disciplines and professional expressions from clinical psychotherapy to global business to advancing spiritual growth. At the core of her diverse career is a passionate dedication to helping individuals live their highest potentiality. She shares her journey and how others can reach their full potential in her first book, 911 From Your Soul. Highlights Jeanine Thompson shares what she went through before she committed to bringing what she was learning about the soul into business. For Jeanine, the soul is the eternal essence of who we are. Potentiality is about living a satisfying and peaceful life. It does not require that people reach a point of predefined success. We talk about whether or not understanding who we are is age-related. Jeanine’s hope for people is that they learn to truly love who they are and know that they are the intelligence of love. We talk about understanding the Oneness. Our systems are fundamentally broken and flawed in many ways, especially as they teach that there is something wrong with us that needs fixing. Business touches every aspect of life, which is why Jeanine wants to bring her message to the business world where she functioned for many years. Our uniqueness is our gift to the world. There is a spiritual and emotional underpinning to disease and physical discomfort. We have to learn to trust our inner direction. Nature is a terrific catalyst. It is a gateway to our wisdom. It helps our minds soften and go into the wonder. Whatever you are seeking is who you are. Jeanine shares some ideas on how you can connect to your true self. Links 911 From Your Soul Jeanine Thompson’s website Jeanine Thompson on Facebook Jeanine Thompson on LinkedIn Jeanine Thompson on Instagram

It sometimes surprises me when I realize how unaware people are of what’s going on inside and around them. In this episode, I talk about different kinds of awareness and how becoming more aware can improve your life and what you can do to increase your awareness. Highlights Especially if you are in business, you have to be aware of so much more than what’s going on in your life. If you’re not aware, it’s easy to fall prey to manipulative forces that are doing their best to affect your opinions and buying habits. Raising your awareness helps you better understand both yourself and the world around you. People who are busy surviving can’t necessarily pay attention – or develop awareness – about what’s going on around them. Those who enjoy a higher income life often lose interest or awareness of people who have to struggle just to survive. A lot of people who get caught up in crime and drugs have had a difficult childhood. With awareness comes the ability to make decisions that can lead you to a more comfortable life and positive outcomes. If you’re stuck in who you have been, you’ll have a hard time making profitable decisions. We aren’t going back to “normal”. If you make the decision to become more aware, your life is going to get better. I promise. Even if you don’t want to meditate, just sit still doing nothing for 10 minutes a day. I talk about how to do this effectively. Are you satisfied with what you’re doing? And if you’re not, what are you doing to change what you’re doing? Make a decision to become more aware no matter what your current level of awareness is. I talk about the Supreme Court and how their decisions affect you whether you pay attention or not. The power to change whatever you want to change, it just doesn’t happen quickly and you may have to learn something new. If you become aware that food companies don’t have your best interest at heart, maybe you’ll make a change. The chaos that we’re all going to be experiencing is going to affect all of us and you will fare better if you pay attention to what’s happening. Links Click here to learn about The MetaMind Circle

There is a connection between your physical and mental health and the success of your business or career. In this episode, I explore different ways that you can begin to incorporate self-care into your routines in order to succeed. Highlights From my point of view, the American medical system is not working. I explain why. Individual needs vary and by understanding how your body works, you can find solutions that are specific for you. I talk about a recent hair mineral tissue analysis test I recently did, and the results allowed me to fully understand how important it is to learn about your body and not just trust the practitioners – including doctors – to whom you go for advice. It’s hard to know what you need to know, which is why it’s important to develop your intuition. I explore why via Conscious Synchronicity I didn’t learn about the results sooner. You have to be ready and willing to be healthy in order to be led to the things you need. You have more power than you realize to have your life work well and you feel good physically.   Links The MetaMind Circle Site Hair Mineral Analysis Test Consumer Labs - information about supplements Upwork - for hiring freelancers Circle.so - a place that hosts communities

Judy Wilkins-Smith is a world-renowned Family Patterns, Systemic Work and Constellations Expert, Author, and Motivational Speaker who offers guidance on how to decode your emotional DNA and shift the unconscious inherited patterns that are no longer serving you. Her new book is Decoding Your Emotional Blueprint: A Powerful Guide to Transformation Through Disentangling Multigenerational Patterns. Highlights Originally from South Africa, Judy Wilkins-Smith is now in the United States and tells how she got into constellation work. Judy explains the meaning and effects of “Emotional DNA” and its epigenetic component. She explains the meaning of epigenetics. The advantage of decoding your emotional DNA is that you see you’re not actually stuck and can change what isn’t working for you. Judy explains how to recognize your patterns so you can make changes. People, generally, have been brought up to believe that suffering is necessary. When we change that pattern, we can have better outcomes. This is not difficult, but it does take time. Judy talks about how to change a habitual trauma response to a triumph response, both of which happen in the brain quickly. People are often afraid to make changes because if they do, they won’t belong anymore. Making changes is not changing the system but rather expanding it. When you do this, you become a pioneer. We talk about how stepping outside of the pack creates leaders who overcome their feeling of not belonging by creating followers. When people resist change, it’s often because they have an unresolved issue. Once they resolve it, it’s easier to switch. Until they do that, the unconscious loyalties and hidden patterns will keep them stuck. Judy gives suggestions for what you can do to move forward and how to look at your money patterns. Judy wants people to remember that everybody's got exactly what they need to go as far as they want and suffering isn't sacred. It's stupid. Links Decoding Your Emotional Blueprint: A Powerful Guide to Transformation Through Disentangling Multigenerational Patterns Judy Wilkins-Smith’s site Judy Wilkins-Smith on Facebook Judy Wilkins-Smith on LinkedIn Judy Wilkins-Smith on Instagram Learn more about The MetaMind Circle

While reading Spellbound by Dr. Dan Lieberman, who I interviewed in the last episode, I was struck by the sentence, “The purpose of life is to become your true self”. I have been thinking about that a lot and, in this episode, I share some of my thoughts. Highlights Although you may share some characteristics with other people, no one is exactly like you. You are totally unique and perfect the way you are. We are programmed to always be looking for people like us, yet it is our differences that can make life interesting. I don’t think that our uniqueness has been celebrated enough. A lot of our societal loneliness is due to people not knowing how to know love themself. We aren’t taught to appreciate our differences. For business people, our businesses are an opportunity for us to learn more about ourselves. Because of the Covid pause, a lot of people are evaluating their lives and what’s important to them. They’re also asking, “What do I want to do now and who do I want to be or become?” I talk about the process I’ve been going through in putting together my new business. In business, we have to learn how to interact with other people who are not us. Everything you do in business is your opportunity to learn more about who you are, your values, and who you were willing to be in the world. Giving ourselves permission for self-exploration is one of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves. You have the right to love and take care of yourself. Each one of us is given what we need to become who we're becoming, and that’s different for every person. You have the opportunity to ask yourself, “What do I want to keep and what do I want to change?” It’s important to not judge that which you want to change as bad. Getting in touch with yourself is one of the most important things you can do. Links Spellbound: Modern Science, Ancient Magic, and the Hidden Potential of the Unconscious Mind Dr. Daniel Z. Lieberman: Science, Ancient Magic & The Unconscious Mind To set up a time to talk to Joan, click here

Dr. Dan Lieberman is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at George Washington University. He is the Co-author of the international bestseller The Molecule of More, which has been translated into 20 languages. He is also the Author of the recently published Spellbound: Modern Science, Ancient Magic, and the Hidden Potential of the Unconscious Mind. Highlights Dr. Lieberman explains how his interest in the topics found in his new book started in the 1980s when he stumbled upon the works of Carl Jung and was blown away. He doesn’t talk about synchronicity because he wanted to talk about mysticism from a scientific viewpoint. In his book, Dr. Lieberman says that “the purpose of life is to become your true self”. This is harder than it sounds because we tend to learn through suffering. The unconscious mind has a profound effect on how we experience life and who we are. The pain and suffering of life exists in the service of growth. “The shadow” part of us forms when we push away all the things that we think is wrong to be. But at some point, we have to deal with this shadow. The more we allow ourselves to feel the darkness within ourselves, the easier it is to let it go. The polarization that is happening now is because people are afraid to acknowledge their shadow. The closer we get to our true self the more unique we become. Cultivating awareness is essential. Inspiration can change the course of our life. Inspiration can change history. The vast majority of our lives is driven by our unconscious. Dr. Lieberman talks about the three forms of meditation that he discusses in his book including focused awareness. Links Dr. Daniel Z. Lieberman's website Dr. Daniel Z. Lieberman's LinkedIn