Years ago, I used to believe I could give a human information, and they would make a transformation. This is untrue and inaccurate, and this podcast explains why. I also tell some Punxsutawney stories.

I'm baaaaack!

In what has been a stellar start to 2023, I have taken a hiatus to figure out what currently is sucking my joy. This episode is about the importance of joy, and why "proving to yourself you can" is so important.

One of The Four Agreements (from the book The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz) is “don’t take anything personally.”

Yet, when people remain unhealed in an area, something you say MAY touch them in a way that’s triggering. They may feel intense anger for you and your very being.

This is a transformation reality.

Today's podcast guest is a person who has made a deep impact on my life, Sabrina Stanley. Her "anything is possible for anyone" attitude has led her to win 14 of the last 15 ultramarathons she's run, including two Hard Rock 100 victories. She’s the only American (male or female) to win Grand Raid, revered as the toughest 100-miler in the world. We explore so much in this episode, from mindset to mental health, negative thought spirals, valuing one's self, interpersonal relationships, and female empowerment. I enjoyed this conversation so, so very much.

My guest this week is an incredible friend of mine, Donny Hadfield-Smith. Donny is an entertainment personality who just recently was contracted by The Dipp to co-host “I Am the Cute One: A Mary-Kate and Ashley Podcast.” It launched on June 13th and is available on all platforms.

This is Donny’s third podcast that has launched since November of 2020. His first podcast, “Know That: A Real Housewives Podcast” has been a big success, and from that, he started another podcast “Truly Anything.”

Donny has interviewed many celebrities, including Nikki Blonsky, Robert Ri’chard, and Kalen Allen.

However, before this, he was stuck in a life that made him unhappy.

When the pandemic began, Donny got laid off from his job. Even though he worked at the job for eight years, he never really felt any passion for it. It was just a means to an end. When everyone had to quarantine in early COVID, like many people, Donny was just “trying to survive.”

He locked himself in his house, gained a bunch of weight, and just hid from the world.

Then, in September, he found out that there might be a possibility he’d have to return to his old life, old job, and old routine. He suddenly felt a sense of upset, as if he would be returning to something that didn’t serve him, not having used the time to do something that brought him joy. He decided that if he would be drug back to his old life, first he was going to make sure that he created something and followed his passions.

Donny’s success might seem to an outsider quite instantaneous, but it was the result of daily work and a complete overhaul of how he chose to think about himself, and who he was showing up as in the world.

Now, he’s living the life he’s dreamed of, delivering hilarious and witty commentary about pop culture to a captivated audience, and he approaches each day as an opportunity, not as a source of dread and upset.

People spend their lives waiting to do things until they feel they’re 100% “ready.” Yet, you’re never going to be 100% ready. The first time you do something, no matter how great you think you are, is probably going to be awkward as hell.

The world celebrates those who celebrate themselves, and who are willing to share their gifts with as many people as possible.

We have this idea that we should:

1. Learn to do the thing
2. Do the thing in secrecy
3. Talk about what we did and gain all the approval once it’s done

That’s actually not how it goes. It actually looks more like this:

1. Start doing the thing
2. Learn as you go
3. Speak proudly the whole damn way through.

At the end of 2018, I ran my first marathon.

26.2 miles. 4:19:58 was my time as an ex-smoker who recently escaped obesity. That’s slightly under 10-minute miles. I was proud.

People on the outside saw this as this huge 180-degree turn. But for me, it was simply a series of one-degree shifts.

If you ask anyone who has made significant progress in any area of life, they’ll tell you that the smallest actions lead to the greatest results.

The key is to NOT ONLY make one-degree shifts but to also recognize what those one-degree shifts are.

Keeping up appearances, whether it’s with your body image or otherwise, is an unwinnable battle. It’ll never be enough. Someone will always have more, look “better,” own “more.” None of it is relevant to vibrancy or happiness. And what’s worse is, it keeps you from being free.