The Longer Road

033 What We Need to Talk About to Heal with Roberta Smart

What we're not talking about is preventing us from living good lives and having good deaths. In her work as a medical intuitive and carer, Roberta Smart is passionate about facilitating conversations between loved ones.  While there are many people sharing personal stories these days, we often stop ourselves from saying the most important things to the most important people in our lives.  Roberta beautifully pieces apart why communication is so important, different levels of communication, and her own journey to becoming her true self. This was an amazing conversation and I'm excited for the next one!   Connect with Roberta: Website, including Oracle Deck Instagram @hidden_pathways and @theradicalpursuitofjoy Podcast The Radical Pursuit of Joy

032 When the Woo-Woo Finds You

Have you been drawn to esoteric practices recently? I know so many people in my life who have been, myself included!   Today I talk about how I conceptualize exploration, play, and having FUN as you discover practices that make you feel good.    A few of the ideas mentioned include tarot & oracle decks, astrology, automatic writing, and the (actual job!) of medical intuitives.   Books mentioned:  The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes by Donald Hoffman How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain: The New Science of Transformation by Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman (I didn't mention the name of the book; it's where the study came from about automatic writing)

031 Rapid Transformation Through Hypnosis with Suzanne Dinter

Have you ever spent years trying to shift a stubborn problem? Often it's because the unconscious / body / "emotional brain" are not yet fully on board. Suzanne Dinter beautifully explains how rapid transformation is possible when you work with the unconscious. She describes many cases where hypnosis was extremely effective.  She also addresses some fears and concerns people have about hypnosis, and works to dispel myths in her work. You can find Suzanne at: Her website, suzannedinter.com Facebook and LinkedIn

030 Is This Problem a Problem?

How do you know if your problems are real problems? (Spoiler alert: It's up to you... but there are good reasons to have a flexible perspective!)    This week we look at:  1) Am I the problem? (NO!!) 2) What about small to medium personal problems?  3) What about big objective problems in the world?    And a bunch of ways to help get a little emotional detachment and take care of your system so you have the energy for the big problems!   And if you want to love your brain, here's the link: Love Your Brain

029 What Non-Depressed Brains Do

There's one major category of processing that non-depressed brains do differently than depressed brains.  And thankfully it's something we can learn, embody, and develop! The technique I mentioned that I didn't remember where I learned it... it was from Bryn Bamber in an advanced somatic technique workshop. I would love to hear from you if you have any other favorite techniques!

028 Natural Rhythms vs. Clock Time with Kai Northcott

Kai is a coach and consultant with a fascinating background. They walked away from a traditionally successful life to live mostly outside in nature for six years. Now they help people use the body's natural cycles and its connection to rhythmic time to escape overwhelm and heal their relationship with time.    I love that they said "decolonizing time," but they don't use that word as a part of their public-facing work because, to paraphrase amazing indigenous creator charlie amáyá scott, "it's only decolonization if it centers the future of queer indigenous youth." You can find charlie @dineaesthetics on TikTok.    This conversation was fascinating and has really helped me as well! Some thoughts I wanted to pull out:  - Most life stressors attached to a time expectation  - Time in the natural world is cyclical and spiral  - The day has a flow to it  - Every tiny baby step in this direction matters   You can find Kai on their website at 8seasons.consulting TikTok @kai8seasons Instagram @kai8seasons YouTube at Kai8Seasons

027 Incandescent Rage

Anger can be a very motivating tool. Today I share multiple ways that I'm processing these emotions enough to stay in action. This includes the practice of Radical Gratitude that I learned from author Tosha Silver recently (I mention her book It's Not Your Money). Her practice in turn is based on Melody Beattie’s book Make Miracles in Forty Days.   Indigenous TikTok creator I mentioned: charlie amáyá scott @dineaesthetics   Organizations to check out / donate to / follow:  Indigenous Women Rising, financial assistance for indigenous people in US/Canada seeking an abortion in the US Tewa Women United, an Indigenous women-led nonprofit that helps Indigenous women with health services National Network of Abortion Funds List of BIPOC Survivor-Led Orgs & Collectives And if you're in Washington State (where I grew up), a list of BIPOC-led and -benefiting organizations; there are many great orgs not solely based on abortion and I don't want to forget about them!

026 Sibling Pride: Queerness & Identity with Nat, Hannah, and Brigitta

Three of my six siblings join today to talk about how we think about our queerness, how we find community, and how our various identities have shifted. Nat, Hannah, and Brigitta Smith share candidly about their passions. We laughed a lot, too!  If you'd like to connect with them, you can find Nat at https://natsmith.substack.com/welcome and on Instagram @creating_nat Brigitta on Instagram @brigitta.kay as well as a new two-kitten account on TikTok @ollie_and_archie You're also invited to check out & donate at https://www.blacktranslivesthrive.org/