Light and love and…despair.

Despair. I sure as hell have felt it (I don’t say that glibly - I mean it). Chances are you’ve also felt it (to whatever degree). If you haven’t (yet), you likely know someone who has/is feeling it.

It’s part of the human experience, so let’s respect it, and let’s talk about it: for ourselves and for others.

If you’re seeking a message of hope, this is for Y O U. I had no idea what to speak on today, so I said a quick prayer for insight on what message was needed. I took a couple of deep breaths and “despair” floated through, immediately and clearly.

This initially threw me off, because it doesn’t resonate with my current experience. However, like I said - I’ve been there. And like almost all of my content, I don’t usually share what’s reflective of my current situation - I let my intuition guide me to what’s resonant for yours. And it’s always delivered.

In this episode, I open up and tell you my relationship with despair, and how despair has shown up in my life. I also offer a tried-and-true, CONCRETE action you can take when feeling lost/frustrated/hopeless/defeated/untethered - or just “off.” Works [for me] every.single.time.

I identify why I started The Nativist, and how that relates to you.

Thank you for showing up and doing what it takes - for yourself, and for those around us.

-w-

This is for you if: you’re always tired - no matter how much sleep you get; you have more questions than answers regarding your health/body; you’ve ever experienced chronic illness/pain; you feel like you’re battling your metabolism; you have lingering health questions that are never quite satisfactorily answered; you feel OK now but want to feel as great as possible in 10, 20, 30 years; you want to optimize your health and nutrition; you feel like you’re at war with your skin (this is especially for you)

And if you love inspiring stories - you’ll like this.

In this episode, I talk to Jackie Lee Gibbs, who shares her self-transformation journey of healing from severe acne following the Medical Medium protocol. Jackie tells us what she did to radically transform her skin, and how doing so led to an internal transformation as well.

Though we do talk skincare, this conversation extends far beyond that into general health and wellness. We discuss facing and navigating adversity, trusting yourself and your body, investing in your health, and leveraging your experience to help others.

More than anything, this episode is a message of hope: for those of us feeling discouraged/betrayed by our body/lost/overwhelmed/confused. This is for you.

I highly encourage you to further explore the Medical Medium’s work, whether through his blog here , his Instagram account @medicalmedium, his podcast (iTunes/Apple Podcasts/Spotify), or his books. Your mind will be blown. I spent several years and countless hours seeking and researching answers, seeing multiple specialists and spending thousands of dollars, only to end up with no relief or answers for my health issues. The answers I received never quite explained everything or fully connected. It was only when I read Anthony William’s (the Medical Medium) information that everything.finally.clicked. Everything.

I’m a believer.

You can find Jackie on Instagram @myskintruth where she shares tips on caring for your skin internally and externally, gentle skincare and skin-healing tools, healing plants and recipes, skin-healing inspiration and compassion, kitchen tips and tricks, the healing process, and her self-transformation journey. If you’d like to work with her, you can contact her via her website here

The topic for this episode was requested by a listener, and what a hard-hitting topic it is, that encompasses so much. The full request was for motivation and showing up for yourself, and this episode covers both, since they’re closely related. This is especially relevant for me as I get back into podcasting. Podcasting elates and fulfills me, but I tend to resist what I know is good for me, and what I know will make me happy, as a form of self sabotage. As if I’m only comfortable when there’s some discomfort. I’m okay with a certain amount of success and wellbeing, but too much and I run scared. It throws me.

I’m progressively mastering navigating this. Knowing when to exercise discipline and push through, and when to grant grace and respite. It’s a journey.

Everybody is different. We’re all in different places on the balance spectrum, and require different lifestyles to balance us. We’re also motivated differently: some intrinsically, some extrinsically. Some derive fuel from the haters and doubters, some withdraw.

Self awareness is key: We need to reflect and do our shadow work and level with ourselves, to know what drives and motivates us, and to know when to use discipline, and when to use grace. To know where to step it up + venture out (literally/figuratively) and where to pump the brakes and ease up. 

I share many of my self-motivating practices and life hacks, to light and maintain my fire. Some of these might surprise you.

Showing up for yourself varies not only interpersonally (among people), but also intrapersonally (with yourself). It’ll likely vary decade to decade, phase to phase, year to year, season to season, month to month, day to day, hour to hour, even minute to minute. Our values shift, our priorities change. Mine definitely have, (especially since COVID). 

We’re growing, evolving (at least hopefully!) beings who don’t live in a vacuum. We don’t control others, and we don’t control what happens to us. 

Being open to it all, accepting, and flowing with it is a main theme of my work. Attending to your ultimate good, and the highest good for all, won’t look the same now as it did before - for you or for anyone else. 

That’s why it’s important to stay connected, especially with yourself. Again, self awareness is CRUCIAL. Powerful. Transformative. Identifying what motivates you. What lights you up. Dialing into why you’re doing what you’re doing, why you’re feeling what you’re feeling, what you need vs. what you think you need. If any wounds/insecurities are calling the shots. When you need to push through and when you need to pull back. When you should contract, when you should expand. When you should pivot and redirect, and when you should stay the course. 

So tune into yourself. Get to know yourself Identify your thought patterns, particularly those based in fear. Understand why you do what you do and think what you think, to help you recognize when you’re being led by fear/trauma, and when you’re being led by intuition/wisdom. Practice separating from your thoughts, your mental narrative. Get comfortable dialing into your core, your true self, your inner wisdom. You know what you need. You always have, and you always will. It’s simply a matter of you holding space for yourself to acknowledge and honor your inner guidance. 

I love you.

Photo by me (Whitney Ann Photography)

I sit down with my long-time friend and mega boss babe Carlie Stylez to reminisce and talk about...L I F E. About being propelled by drive and ambition. About being empowered by self evolution and self love. About being fulfilled by passion and authenticity. 

Carlie shares her life's journey into vlogging, social media influencing, and motherhood, and how living in the spotlight affects her personally and professionally. Getting her start on her brother Shay Carl's YouTube channel, Shaytards, Carlie has since come into her own, forging a name for herself via her own brand and her involvement with The Mom's View YouTube channel. With her hand in multiple (successful!) business ventures, Carlie knows all too well the elusive quest for balance as she juggles being a mother, a wife, a friend, and an individual.

As always, we get real and we get deep, and we have a bangin' good time doing it.  

You can find Carlie on:

Instagram: @carliestylez // @carliestylezbeauty // @fitnez_with_stylez // @whatsupwoods //@themomsview

YouTube:

I have found the ULTIMATE hac for a cheap, beautiful, quality manicure! https://www.redaspenlove.com/Party/CarlieWoodApril/ You guys if you follow me on IG you've probably seen me obsessing over these press on nails. I swear that press on nails were a thing that I thought was cool in high school and now they have come full circle and I'm so in love with them.

WE LAUGHED OUR BUTTS OFF at Lenny in this infant life swimmer and don't worry Cooper did not hurt her. Also we couldn't stop laughing at our failed home made pizza attempts. Did you see how badly they turned out!? Have you ever made home made pizzas in a brick oven.

Today on The Moms View we're excited to have Brennan Terry join us for a girls day! She brought along some of her delicious donuts! All of her info can be found here: www.ohketodonuts.com OhKetoDonuts IG- https://instagram.com/ohketodonuts?utm_source=ig_profile_share&igshid=1uu0b5ouqwth0 Watch more episodes of The Mom's View: BECOMING A VEGAN!