Interview with Gary (Gaz) Jackson

I am delighted to introduce readers to Gary (Gaz) Jackson.  I had the pleasure of meeting him during a recent professional gathering in Buderim, Queensland (AUS). Although the group focused a lot on the power of body language, and how to connect, communicate, and empower other humans, Gary’s unique experience highlights unique understanding of communcation with dogs. He kindly takes time to share key details and to offer us a glimpse of his new book.  We are grateful Gary, that you make yourself available.

Let’s begin with what compelled you to get into dog training?

My father was a dog trainer who ran a security company. My parents divorced, and mom started a dog training company. From childhood, I was connected to dogs and I trained dogs by age 14-15 assisting the hired dog trainer. I had experience with all kinds of varieties and species.  Every year, our family kennel business housed over 120 dogs. We also offered different kinds of dog training, including obedience training and security dog training.

How does insight into body language come into it?

We are not only talking about the signs and signals a human gives a dog to communicate and train, we are also referring to ability to read the body language and behaviour of animals here. It is vital to recognize humans can give mixed messages, when verbally giving instructions, your voice may not match your body language and confuse the dog.  Dogs are adept at reading human energy, feelings, emotions, body fluids, behaviour and so much more.  They respond to humans in more ways than we realize.

Would you all yourself an animal communicator?

I am an expert at reading dog body language. I run seminars on dog language, training and dog bite prevention. Reading energy. Display body language that matches kind. Dogs read internal. They look at scent, chemical changes in your body even your deodorant and the clothes you wear to predict your next move via past association. Dogs have so much more body language that they use. The dog is by far the greatest reader of human body language.

What a great reminder dogs have so much to teach us about ourselves, them and the world, provided we are open to that. So, your parents originally nurtured this professional dog passion?

No. My dad refused to train me, so I did it out of spite, it ended up been the greatest gift. The dogs themselves also really inspire me. Being around them affects me in a positive way. I feel a collaboration going on.

Feeling the way through life is what keeps us inspired, is it not? What kind of dog training have you been especially recognized for?

One big area of our original business was protection and guard dogs for the security industry, police, military, prisons, and other organizations. Among other things, we trained security dogs to bite; Rottweilers, German shepherds, Belgium Malinois and cross breed dogs. My main job was as a decoy to develop the dog’s confidence and aggression.

Teaching dogs to bite? Gosh! Sounds dangerous! How do you protect yourself?

I would wear a body bite suit that I have used since 1988 and before that I used arm pads.

Sounds a bit like a fully protected bee keeper, only more intense.  Apiarists however, do attempt to pacify bees to get to the honey whereas I imagine your dog trainer role is slightly different…

You are right! This takes dog training to a whole level. It is widely recognized. We have clients in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, as well as abroad and different companies.  We also scouted and located dogs, evaluated, train them with different skills. It is quite a process.

Can you share a specific example?

For a recent Papua New Guinea event, we evaluated 117 dogs and I also did Mc for 15000 spectators for a big Protection dog display. We had 4 dogs on one decoy, one on each limb and off lead bite into a car to take out the driver and the high flying back bites were a crowd favorite.

 Dog dealers can be breeders. I am dealer/trainer, I connect and communicate with breeders, dealers and trainers to select dogs on behalf of my clients.

Ah-ha! I sense an Equestrian analogy.  Horse experts scout, buy, train and sell horses as well. Horse trainers can be event judges, run riding schools, juggle many related tasks for their love of horses. 

Yes, like that, I act on behalf of dog clients.

Are you easing out of guard dog training? (You still have a live YouTube video expressing you are retiring from guard dog training in Australia back in 2012.)

I do this less now, but I consistently get requests to do decoy work so now I mostly work with apprentices and I instruct.

What insight do you have into dog therapy? (i.e. people soothe anxiety/ depression with dogs)

I volunteered to assist with soldiers returning from active duty with PTSD with a wonderful support group called Little Diggers. Dogs have a happy, goofy, attitude and humor that helps more than anything else. Everything depends on relationships with owner. Dogs pick up on chemical component of fear, anxiety released by owner and respond by consoling, love, compassion.

Your pioneering approaches to dog training are unlike any I have ever heard of before. Share some rather unique examples of directions your dog training career is branching into.

In Australia I am e first trainer to train Cadaver dogs and Breast cancer detection dog training- the dog Chance detects cells in sweat,   I did a research trip to the UK to study the procedures of the medical alert dogs in training cancer, epileptic detection dogs, sugar diabetes sniffing dogs.There has also been several world firsts I did including environmental detection dogs for detection of Koalas, Quolls, Red Ear Slider Turtle, Cane Toads, Pigmy Blue Tongue lizards. Also, the first Archaeology detection dog and world’s oldest human remains find of 600 years old. Other detection dogs I trained were for explosives, narcotics, Tobacco contamination, Arson and fire arms.

Reminds me of what I know about St. Bernard dogs trained to rescue injured people in the snow.

Funny you would mention that. We did Search & Rescue dog training, working with bloodhounds and other dogs in the early 90’s.  We would help find missing bush walkers, we are also training building search dogs (used after building collapse to find survivors). It was a community service having these dogs available when needed. I also donated the searches with cadaver dogs to the families of missing persons.

All that you share certainly paints a picture. But what happened recently to turn your life upside down?

After been at the kennel complex for 25years. Due to massive family dispute. I had to split up with my girlfriend. Ended up homeless 50,000$ debt and homeless. I was living in the back of my 4wd. I stayed here 4 several months, felt hopeless. Saw who my real friends were and decided I had to make it or perish, but no one knew personally or professionally that I was homeless.

I recall similar stories of hitting financial, emotional and mental rock bottom shared about best-selling author Neal Donald Walsch from the Conversations with God series and Joe Vitale from The Secret collaboration compiled by Rhonda Bryne.  These stories also share the power of attitude to overcome challenges. Love that you consciously decided to turn things around. Tell us how things changed for the better…

Details are in my book to be released Australia wide in May 2019.  But, to be brief, I was completely broke. That is when I wrote my first book. I had an attitude change. I asked myself, “What am I going to do to get out of this?” I used affirmations, read self-help books from Hay House, Napoleon Hill, Zig Ziglar and many more. I sensed I first had to fix my brain. I felt sick, depressed, anxious, and betrayed. The catalyst was my will to live, decision to survive and thrive. My first decision was not to wallow in self-pity or hold on to all this anger. So, I meditated cleared my mind and, in my head, forgave everyone. I chose that I will always be happy, and I will now I will become the most successful I have ever been.

That is certainly very inspirational. What lesson stands out for you about all this?

Without tragedy, nothing would have changed. I was at a place where a Kennel complex with 120 dogs was running my life. I had dogs arriving in for training every day. This Kennel prison as I now see it lasted 25 years.  Media exposure led to becoming a victim of a new kind of success.

I recall a YouTube video 6 Month review you posted where you express gratitude so some of the clients who helped you begin to get out of your rut.

They did help me begin to change my life. I will never forget them or people since who continue to support me.

Describe the most challenging things that has ever happened to you (other than the recent family ordeal to be detailed in your new book). How did this make you feel?

I have known many challenges in my career. I was pioneer, always wanted to discover and create. Intelligence means to me doing things that have never been done before. Imagination and knowledge combined with action cannot fail. I created what was either the first in Australia orthe world on several projects.  I have trained over 20,000 dogs n my dog training career. Word of mouth travels fast. I am always looking for another dog, another project.  Details of this is included and more in my new tell all book.

What are you silently motivated by? What are you really asking?

How can what I do be a benefit to mankind? I exist to make a difference, the big question you have to ask yourself “Is the world a better place because you lived? My answer is yes, when I reflect on the many people the dogs I supplied or trained have saved them from break ins or physical violence or the 1000’s of endangered species alive today due to the detection dogs. Criminals tracked down, bodies of loved ones located for the families. And the 1000’s of dogs that became new loved family members or training and education for a closer bond with the owner. As well as this the many 1000’s of people that have learnt dog bite prevention from animal control officers in Australia and NZ to the school children in India. I also volunteer to many organizations and am proud to have saved countless dogs from death row.

What are some of the dog-related training endeavors you engage in these days?

Lots of on-line videos. I will over the next few years transition into a full-time author on dog education books and do more public speaking gigs. I will also be adding a heap of video down load content with eBooks etc.

You can watch How to train a dog on a lead in 60 seconds and others...

Love feeling you are self-directed.  The dramatic shifts going on in your life are very noticeable. Share your dream. What is it that means the most to you and how do you do it?

My dream is to create new industries, things that have never been done. Medic alert dogs, environmental detection dogs, etc. I was able to re-evaluate my whole life by focusing how to enrich the lives of others by using my dog insight and expertise. Toxic people are no longer part of my life.  I focus on what I want, invest in personal happiness. 

What was the turning point?

Something in me turned around while living in car- sleeping at a park in Dakabin.  I did some meditation. I was an emotional wreck. I said to myself: “you will never destroy me!” From that moment, I started laughing at stress. I had the very clear focus I would survive. I advertised private dog training lessons on Facebook. Put Ads on FB. Next thing I am driving around Australia doing private lessons. I initially charged 200$ per lesson.  This led to $4-5000 for dog training. I decided I would not go bankrupt. Ended up paying out ATO and kennel debts that were not mine based on giving private lessons. Finally got a payment thru from unemployment and invested the entire lot on airfares to India and volunteered with street dogs in India, dog bite prevention training for kids w/dogs in India.

I love the message echoing from your story. Regardless of our conditions at any point in time, we can always help others, give back, donate time, money or some aspect of ourselves to enrich the world. Altruism takes us everywhere.

It hits I have been applying the RAS thing from The Answer book by Allan and Barbara Pease without knowing I was doing it. I said, one day, I am going to fly in for a seminar via helicopter. I did it.  My first book was released in 2015. Got eBook and audiobook done. Negotiated with publisher, got a payment plan. People inspired by me helped me out. Allan invited me to use studio video equipment. Everything came together.

Any memorable experiences stand out?

I was key note speaker for the national conference of animal control officers New Zealand. I booked a one-way ticket and hire car. At the gig I advised I can go to your council and run a 4-hour seminar and straight away I started taking bookings then it continued by phone. I then had about nine seminars booked, and I drove around the north and South Island doing a seminar each day.

I would arrive the night before and sleep in the car, then have a pommy shower get changed and head in. I had no plan B so when the first payment came in I was able to book my flight home and pay the extra on the hire car.

 Every day I went to a different place, I wrote a new chapter of the book

Funny- what jumps to mind is Pursuit of Happiness movie with actor Will Smith.

“Don’t ever let someone tell you that you can’t do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you got to protect it. When people can’t do something themselves, they’re going to tell you that you can’t do it. You want something go get it Period” - Will Smith

Love the message and quote: Dress for the job you want not the job you have

Why write The Dog Trainer? What is the purpose in sharing your story? Why publish overseas?

Schwarzenegger quote- he says, ‘you must have laser focus to get what you want.’ I went into this flotation tank for mediation.  It deprives you of everything-pitch black and silent. I booked an hour session to see what I wanted.  Big inspiration came- to create a private lesson to downloadon line plus give them eBook and audiobook for 49$.  I managed to raise funds for production. 2.5 hours of video in the studio and field. Normally a lesson to teach your dog to walk on a loose lead, not to jump up and fix a whole stack of behavior problems is $300. But I can create an on-line package covering all this including my first book as an audio and eBook included in the package. Duplicated private lesson in the studio with step by step instruction- why is dog doing this? What caused this and how to fix problem.? So, with nearly 3 hours of video and 5hr audio book an eBook all for $49. We anticipate a huge success, and this will give me the freedom to work on my next projects of on line content and books.

My first book was 50000 words “The Dog Trainer” is around 140000 and in parts. Part 1 is The K9 files on the training of many of the detection dogs including the training program and successes and failures. Part 2 is on the secret life of a dog trainer. This covers the full story on what was happening behind the scenes and is very confronting covering everything from attempted murder to greed and Narcissists Part 3 is the doghouse to the penthouse which is wild ride of heroes and villains going from a server train wreck to great success in 3 years finishing with the birth of my first grandchild due Dec 27, 2018.

Which blessings and lessons can you extract from your pain and suffering? Why did you create this scenario? Do you believe in karma? (past-future life cause-effect consequences for actions)

The story is to inspire people to decide and go for it, don't worry about how just make the decision to do it. It’s your dream, your life. Karma is my best friend, I will never do anything to deliberately hurt a person so if I can’t help them I’m not going to hurt them. I am one of these people that love to see people succeed. I have been a mentor for so many even though at the time I was going through hell. I will always project a happy caring energy around people but been an Empath I seem to absorb this negative energy, so I need time regularly in solitude to rejuvenate.

How do you project yourself into your future? Who is Gary becoming? Where is he going to be?

I am traveling the world ticking things off my bucket list, I already spent a heap of time traveling and exploring different countries including PNG, Thailand, Dubai, NZ and USA. With the success of the online content I do not have to be geographically committed based on work. In the next year I will be taking people I love to place they want to see such as my adult children and close friends. When I want a break, I can go to Bali which is where I am right now or elsewhere. I redefine freedom. I will call a close friend and say what you doing next week? Nothing great pack your bags flight is booked to Vietnam, lets hang out.

Can you share specific lessons you have learned from travel and your life?

I grow more tolerant and understanding as I explore the unfamiliar. During my plight, I volunteered for meals on wheels, dog rescue groups, Cancer charity days, Game shaper at the commonwealth games and many more, what you do as a human being- donate money and if you can’t then donate time and if you can’t donate products and to charity work. It goes unnoticed. Doesn’t matter. You will meet some of the most beautiful caring people and make a difference, treat everyone with great respect and a smile. When you are at peace with yourself, that’s a beautiful thing.

If you have a piece of advice or insight to leave with our audience, what would it be?

Invest in personal happiness. Don’t be a slave to work. You need to have fun, get out a live life.  Sometimes adversity must happen to prompt change. Greatest gift is travel so check out 3^rdworld places to travel to where people have nothing. They have no materialistic stuff, but they are happy with what they have and all love and care for each other.

Allan Pease told me this great quote when he checked out my first book “How to select and raise your Ultimate Dog” This is a great book for credibility and he described some of his early books that was excellent but didn’t sell well. He decided he would only write best sellers which was a great piece of advice.

“Be a marketeer not an author Write a book people want to read Not a book you want to write” This advice was instrumental in the creation of the Ultimate Dog Training private lesson download and the upcoming book “The Dog Trainer”

Share anything else you wish to add (i.e. website, upcoming events, how to contact you, get your book).

My first book “How to Select and Raise your Ultimate Dog” Soft-copy, eBook and Audio is available at www.gazjackson.com or Amazon.

The Ultimate Dog Training Private Lesson featuring how to teach a dog to walk on lead in 60 seconds and stop jumping on people in one session, stay under distractions. Fix dependency, barking, and many other problems. 2:40 of video studio and field, 5 hours of audio and an eBook all for $49

Available at www.gazjackson.com from Dec 1, 2018

“The Dog Trainer” From dog training firsts to murder and mayhem Australia wide release May 2019

Put your email address down and be the first to get a copy of the pre-release www.gazjackson.com

Interview with Paul Dunn

As synchronicity strikes again, I am delighted to share this conversation with Paul Dunn. I am grateful to our mutual friend, Allan Pease for connecting us, and also indirectly, Barbara Pease for her valuable guidance.  Allan is of course, your co-author for the book, Write Language.

Paul, Allan puts us in touch because he tells me you are an expert in, "communicating what matters in ways he is not." Unlike Allan (who echoes power is the palm of your hands), he highlights you are a master in connecting with people through unseen acts of giving. How you evolved into a luminary is to be our focus.

Sure! Well, Allan and I go back so many years. Here is an interesting inside story: I wrote the book originally called, “Write Right”. Allan loved it so much, he approached me because he wanted to buy it. He only changed one word in the book. I said, "Fine!". He offered to put my name on it.  The rest is history. We have had a long association. Allan is the doyan of the speaking profession, not just in Australia, but also in the rest of the world, and an amazing human being.

Absolutely! Allan has presence.  He is an excellent teacher because he gives personal attention. Now, I am drawn to you because you empower people to make their own decisions about connection.  I relate as I guide people to act on what makes them feel most alive.  This often involves finding courage to face fears, change self- perception and/ or path.  

In what ways has the trajectory of your life changed? After all, you have been involved in so many things. You not only describe connections.  You also guide people to innovate while creating new habits, impact and connection.  

Well, if we were conducting this interview in the B1G1 office in Singapore, the word connection would be right above me.   Connection is particularly meaningful now in this age of disconnection. Kids are often more connected to their phones and texting than to their family.  They forget about more natural connections.

So very true. These days, so many things exist to hijack our attention - phones, Internet, other technologies. Love that you imply we need to disconnect from these and focus on the natural world to recall the feeling of deeper connection.  So, how did you get into your line of business?

To connect the dots, I think my life is one of amazing luck, actually.  I grew up in a tiny village of Dover in the U.K.  My dad was a miner.  I went to study in London. At 21, I was headhunted. I became one of the first 10 for HP in Australia. This is before most people reading this were born most likely. That was amazing to be able to hang out with Dorians of the electronic business as it was then, not the computer business.  Bill Hewlett and David Packard, and learn about all those things they felt was part of building a great company. Hewlett-Packard (HP) launched the computer thing. I was running that then. I loved connecting. I started one of Australia’s first computer companies in 1973. It became incredibly successful in its day. At one stage, it was doing 23 million. Not that it’s about the money, by the way. It’s all about the way you can add value to the people you are very privileged to serve.

Now, it grows clear that a sense of connection is not only about physical places and people. It's also about intangibles. It touches on intuition.

Yes. I think that wherever we are, we need to realize connection is the result of critical moments in our life… pivotal moments when we made certain decisions without thinking.

Tell us more...

Okay.  Picture it: one day, in 1980 I was asked to a seminar in Brisbane where I was living. I was literally dragged to this event to hear a speaker named James ("Jim") Rohn.

Jim Rohn echoes a version of true success must be attracted not pursed.  Love that idea. 

Well, while I was asked to go hear Jim Rohn speak, I was overseeing over 150 people. What did I need with a seminar? I had no idea even what a seminar was. Then, my response to the experience surprised me: I was absolutely transfixed. It was like a time tunnel. "Wow!" I thought to myself. "That’s what I can do, I can speak and move audiences to new levels of understanding." I called my colleagues to let them know I was leaving.  They thought I was kidding!

You were clearly listening to your intuition, ready to step outside your comfort zone.

I never looked back.  In April 1^st,1981 I left HP and created the Results Corporation. By Dec 23, we were serving 23,000 small businesses in Australia and the world. In 1992, I morphed that to focus on the accounting profession. Not that I am an accountant, but I thought they need to wake up and still do, by the way.  I had this crazy idea of saying, look if you are being honest if you had to say what you do, what would you say? They said, “We report on history.” And I replied, how much better would it be if you were able to totally flip that and be able to help select clients create history? So, I launched Results Accountants Systems.  We had the privilege of working with over 17,000 accountants worldwide.  They absolutely loved it.  Life-changing for them and certainly life-changing for me.  In 2000, I sold that, went to live in France, ostensible to retire.  That was challenging for me. So in 2003, I started speaking again.  

Love that retirement is increasingly a transition for people to forge or discover new kinds of connections.

That's right. Making connections never stops, but how we view them and how conscious we are, changes.  Now, in 2006, I was at an event in Bangalore, India, as a participant, not speaking at it. A friend asked me to dinner.  We went to a sad place called the Taj Mahal. I met Pastor Silva. I asked him what brings you here? Story of connection. Silva said, 4 years ago my church asked me to go to this island. I initially went to Sunday school 18 months ago, with 12 kids. I saw the 2004 tsunami. We did not have too much time. Let's play a game--- run to higher ground. We watched the church and parents of these kids washed away in the tsunami. We spend the last 18 months with the kids. It took 4 months to get off the island.  We wandered in India looking for somewhere for a place to live. After a while, we found a place, but now it's getting pretty critical. We need to pay for shelter, for the kids to go to school, pay for their books, food. It cost $3000. He said, "your friend, who introduced us, is helping." Then I said, "if you or anyone from here heard this would have said what I said- it's fixed. Done."

What an amazing, life-changing story! Invites us all to recall how it feels to empathize, to imagine vividly how it feels to be in another person's shoes.

Yes. Imagine this: 4 months later, Pastor Silva went to an email café, and emailed me in broken English. He sent me some photos, 4 actually. The first was a long shot of the tiny house. The second shot was a one room place, where kids were eating food.  The third showed the 12 kids doing their homework with their new school books. The fourth shot changed everything for me. The photo showed they had written Paul Dunn Home in tall letters about a foot tall outside the home.

That kind of connecting is like a skipping stone on water. It happens between the words, between emails, between the lines. It's a feeling of appreciation that knows no time or space.

Connecting is felt here for sure. 

What did you realize at that pivotal moment?

At that very moment, I realized something deep. If you had asked me just before that point, what is business about, I would have said, well, my whole life has been running on two things;  adding extraordinary value to the people you are priviliged to serve and having fun. I never worried about the numbers. They seemed to come anyway.

Curious how so many people are taught to be preoccupied with numbers and forget the power of connection. 

Hmm. Well, at that moment, I felt there is a literal obligation that we have to do whatever we can help others who, through no fault of their own, are in different circumstances than ourselves. 

It feels like the deeper revelation about connection is about selflessness.  Does this remind you or any peers or mentors?

It's kind of like with Richard (as in Sir Richard Branson). Go back 9 years ago and you ask him, "What's your thing?" He would’ve said: "to get up every morning to disrupt industries that need disrupting and have fun doing it."

Talk to him now, and he says the same two things as well as to make a real difference in this world. When you get that third piece, it's like the RAS (reticular activating system).  You know about that from Allan and Barbara Pease and the cool brain research that is presented as part of their latest book, The Answer.  

Yes. Love that Pease book! Also get great insight from Richard Branson's Autobiography, Losing my Virginity (How I survived, had fun and made a fortune doing business my way).

Even without reading that book, you notice the universe has this interesting way of making us aware of other people who have the same revelation we do. Consider the example of cars as well. As soon as you buy one, all of a sudden, you see the same vehicle everywhere. They have always been there, but you just did not notice them before.

Yes! I love the car analogy. Seeing a particular vehicle is also something that happened with increasing frequency to me before it entered my own experience. Love the revelation that part of you cannot feel whole without connecting to something larger than yourself in an altruistic way. Does anyone else stand out to you as shaping or deepening your sense of connection?

Indeed. Another person who came across my radar was Masami Sato.

What a lady! What a story! She is really onto something cutting edge that connects on a universal scale. I invite everyone to read her book Giving Business: Creating Maximum Impact in a Meaning-driven World.

She was someone I was mentoring at the time.  During our mentoring session in 2007, she got this amazing idea: She said, 'I am imagining a different world. Can you imagine this- every business transaction relates something great in our world.' Like what? I said. Well, like you go buy a plasma tv from Harvey Norman on account of who you want better vision. If you bought that, how about someone who could not see could get the gift of sight? I went oh wow!  Imagine having a cup of coffee and while you drink it, and a kid gets life- saving water? Imagine someone buys your book. and a tree gets planted. I replied- that is the best idea I have ever heard. Can I be your mentor for the rest of your life? That took my understanding of connection to a whole new level.

This B1G1 vision feels truly like one of the best ideas ever. It's about giving life to and grounding interconnection on a massive scale. How did this idea take shape on a practical level? Where does the project stand?

Well, it took us 3 years to figure out how to do it and we founded the company as B1G1. So far, the business owners or businesses that are members of B1G1, we have created 161,000,000 giving impacts in our world. That is on track to be 1.6 billion.  We call these smiles.

B1G1 is one of the most extraordinary ideas I have come across as well, and it crosses my radar due to hearing about you. Funny though, it's not necessarily something everyone has heard about. It presents a vision of success that involves a lasting connection. What does success feel like where you are sitting?

It's certainly not about what you have around you. It’s not about shiny objects. Its about something bigger.

How about expanding on this...

Three years ago, on Sept 23, the United Nations (UN), Paul Polman (from Unilever),Mary Robinson, and Richard Branson was there. Branson said, "This is the first time the world body acknowledges something really important: governments are not the bodies that change our world, its businesses that change our world. That’s why I am here-- to launch the Sustainable Development (Global) Goals. 17 targets we have to hit as responsible people by 2030 to eliminate poverty and recognize diversity on this planet.

This reminds me of when I was one of the original founding members of the Space Generation Forum (SGF). Youths from across the globe attended UN meetings and lobbied with the intention of supporting the peaceful uses of outer space and earthly uses of related space technologies. We spoke about focusing more attention on using technology to benefit sustainable development and the issues listed on the global goals mentioned above. Larger global impact requires a collective shift in priorities.  

New connections are definitely happening in different arenas. 

It feels like more people are experiencing a change of heart or awakening to a new way of seeing this world.  We see new kinds of cooperation emerging.

That's right! B1G1 gets down to grass roots. At that level, it's very interesting- redefining success as a race. On the way, I see other things, I spoke to a woman on the Sunshine Coast, where Allan is. By all accounts, she is very successful. She works in real estate. She found B1G1, and had a transformation. She realized as passionate as she is about real estate, I need meaning and purpose in my life.  It's this sense of belonging.  In fact, one of the things I am very privileged to do is do TedXtalks. One of the great things about doing TedXTalks is meeting other speakers. I met Brene Brown. Her talk, The Power of Vulnerability has over 23,000,000 views.

Love Brene Brown! Listening to Shame is another of her life-transforming talks.

Brown says connection it's why we are here.  Itis what gives meaning and purpose to our lives.  That underscores this human need we have to do this. There exist some brilliant books about this. For example one of the best: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari.  It normally talks about how we came to be here. Connection is really the key to it all, I think.

Agree whole-heartedly. It’s a revelation I have had in my own life. 

That you refer to Brene Brown is another synchronicity.  As the result of watching her Ted talks, like I have read all of her books. I really respect the work she does: she brings very sensitive issues into the public sphere and encourages people to feel comfortable with subjects we typically hide from ourselves. 

That's right. 

She echoes connection is deepened through being open and transparent. So, you raise the topic of Belonging. In Brown’s book, Daring Greatly, she goes into this is a lot of depth.  She says it takes courage to connect and connection somehow makes us feel vulnerable.  Although people are widely taught to fear vulnerability, Brown says "what makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful." She reminds us strength is found in talking about what evokes discomfort because we feel free. She talks about  belonging as related to something that enables us to feel part of something greater than ourselves. This enables us to feel lighter too.

That is it! It's not about me. It's not about you. It's about all that and more.

It’s a feeling, I am getting, a vibe off you related to this B1G1 project. It's heart-warming and heart-opening.  Many people have not yet able to put their fingers on what they seek or crave. Yet, they feel something is missing in their lives, something they are still hoping to figure out. 

In this light, what makes you feel most alive? It may be more than one thing.  This would give readers a bit more insight into the real Paul Dunn, get to the heart of you, what drives you.

Look at the physical things I do. Connection, meaning and purpose could come from going to the gym every morning because you are connected to yourself. You cannot connect with others until you connect with yourself. 

I feel enormously lucky. I am to talk with an audience of businessowners in Perth this week. How amazing is it, how privileged is it from me, to get on stage and be able to take a group of people from a particular level of understanding to a new level of understanding.  The only way you do that is by connecting with them. It’s as simple as that.  The funny thing is, Allan Pease, whom you mentioned earlier, knows all about this.  Very few people can connect with people like Allan does.  One thing that is very interesting- speakers have to be aware of this---you are there in front of a group, you are a God if you like, people are looking up to you, I never think about it that way. Yet, then, you are in a hotel room all on your own. Unless you are connected to yourself, you are lonely. Just look at entertainment industry...

Who are your other mentors?

Ron Taki was an early mentor. He said, "Paul, you really should speak." I said, "Really?" "Yes!- Do you get butterflies?" I said, "Yes." I love that he taught me the secret is to get butterflies flying in formation. It took me 32 years to get the butterflies flying in formation in my head. Until recently, I would be in front of a reflective surface, talking to myself, for them for them for them! Several times. So that I could get the focus off me and onto them. 18 months ago, I was sitting at a table and the heavens opened. The two kids were here. I was catching up with email and I was invited to watch a 3 min video from Norweigan govenment. It opens on a pure white environment. Huge guy walks on from side of screen. He is the ultimate Harley rider. His arms are covered in massive tattoos, nose rings. He looks scary. On left hand side of screen, no judgement involved but this is the only way I have to describe it- an eccentric woman enters.  Other women enter. Everyone starts hugging. Nothing sexual. Ministry of Diversity presents message. We all are one. That’s it. That day, I realized when I was saying “for them, for them, for them," I felt I was distancing myself from my audience. Now I say, "for us for us, for us...." This acknowledges I am part of this learning process.

Fabulous story! Butterflies are a universal symbol of getting in touch with what enables us to fly. The government of Denmark did something similar in a video entitled All That we share.  More countries are getting on board as well, getting involved in unifying initiatives.

Wherever I look, these days, there is that stuff. It's about the tiny little things. In Singapore, for instance, the MRT train arrives , takes me to the office very efficiently. When I used to take the bus, I would always smile. They would start the whole process. Just imagine for a moment if everyone smiled at everyone else. For me, its what we are here to do.

How would you relate this back to B1G1 and the evolution of business?

B1G1 takes this to a slightly different level. How great is it that we can do some kind of transaction, and not need not be monetary one. It could be meeting each other or, each time I send you an email, a kid gets access to education.  What’s great is to understand, yes, we can connect one-on-one, and then, through all sorts of other mechanisms, we can connect with people and impact the lives of people we are never going to meet.

Extraordinary! The B1G1 slogan: Connect, create impact and see things differently stands out to me. Where did this come from?

Great question. Look at what we do not do. We do not use the word charity. Back in early 2000, when Masami had this idea, we said "okay, let’s look at this non-judgementally." Charities kind of do that. We realize though, that in every poll you see, almost everybody has either had a bad experience or knows of someone who has. We realized we had to do things differently.

And how do you do that?

We talk about the joy of giving.  Among our projects, you never see faces of emaciated children meant to evoke guilt. You never us use words like donate.  You never see our B1G1 business members saying “a percentage of our profits go there.” You never see a chief executive presenting a big check to B1G1. As the result of us, a kid got access to education. We are about giving smiles.  For example, you will see things like, “As the result of doing business with us, we protected Orangutan habitat." There are 600 or so projects (the board rejects 9/10 by the way) are pretty high impact projects people can get involved in. This allows us to be human.

I noticed earlier this way I was speaking at an accounting conference in London. 6500 Accountants. Accountants and businesses like to be at the forefront of what is being disrupted. They like to be  at the cutting edge.  I was asked what is the next best thing? People is the next big thing. Xero is a big thing. They came out at their conference with artificial intelligence but point out humans produce that. Their new Hash Tag- “Human.” We are getting it.

Why is this getting this wider 'human connection' important?

Recall the global financial crisis. That was a watershed. Look at what's going on in parts of America or other parts of the world. We ask, 'is that stuff really happening?' As we see this is not just happening to one person, that we are all affected, we really are getting it.

Has anyone in particular had a profound impact on your understanding of the human connection?

Neale Donald Walsch.  In his books on Conversations with God (not religious book as you likely know)...

I have read them all. They are brilliant! The conversations cover topics of universal relevance. 

Yes. Well, I have spent time with Neale in Ashland, Oregon. He is a “We are one” sort of person. In essence he says, sadness is just so we know what happiness is. The reason we look at a landscape and see mountains is so we can also see the valley, tell the difference. It is very interesting to see how we look at things and very difficult sometimes not to be judgmental, incredibly difficult.  I think once we get that all of these things exist for a reason, if just we become aware, oh my gosh-what is the lesson? What is the gift?

Asking those kinds of questions changes how we see ourselves. Seeing everything and everyone as a blessing does change the way we see the world and function in it.

By the way, I love that your TedX Talks echo the deep joy that is felt from sustainable giving.

You have seen them? Really? Wonderful!

Another thing that stands out in your talks,  is how you present information. You state that you do not intend info presented to be judgemental. You simply offer data for audience reflection, so they reach their own conclusions.

Yes.

How do you see a domino effect happening? B1G1 is expanding. You also speak about small and large businesses  in your talks and which are taking steps to do greater good. Do you see we have to have tsunamis and global crisis or harmful situations for people to wake up to the power of connection?

No. I think adversity simply occurs. We do not have to have tragedy. Look at B1G1. Recall the term 'hockey stick' if you look at growth in things. People are also talking about topics now they did not used to discuss openly. 

That is encouraging. It's as if people are finding courage to explore reasons behind their personal and socio-cultural taboos, why they adopt and adhere them.

People only ever do what they are ready to do. I also am in awe of how women do things. It doesn’t mean men do not do equally great things but men have to work at it. Women are able to show us some interesting things. Thankfully great changes going on in that area.

Indeed Women are more emotional in nature and we are seeing them in more leadership roles as well as in pivotal roles in the background.  We each have a part of play in creating connections.

I see great changes occurring in the world over as the result of deeper connections.

One last question- what kind of advice or insight would you like to leave with our audience to invite people to view themselves and their lives in a new way?

Wow! Well, there are so many things, no one thing. As we back track through this interview, we see many things. I have this book called Gratitude journal. Every day begins with this and ends with that. This ability to be grateful and at the same time as curious about everything else, underpins everything. You realize you are just a tiny speck somewhere. But wow! How great is it to actually be here experiencing this life.

Also, what else amazes me, when in B1G1, we go on study tours, we look at the impact is what is happening. It absolutely amazes me. You see kids in the direst of circumstances and they are smiling. There was this one area in Kenya where they had visally-impaired (blind) kids. “Sam Well” is 14 was kept in a room by his parents until he miraculously walked and found this school. He reached out and found my face. I say to him, Sam Well, how do you deal with this apparent disability? He says “What disability? I see the world, experience the world...by the way, would you like to hear me play my keyboards?" So, he gets them out and does the Stevie Wonder thing. Look at where he is coming from. He says "I am here, I am grateful." That is a great lesson.

What it echoes is that the simple things in life mean the most and so often these are overlooked.

Exactly. I call this The Power of Small.

Love your message that small business can make a mighty difference in the wider world. It's like the size of our heart grows based on getting involved in projects that touch lives. I feel your message is to cherish every moment and everyone in some way.  Thanks for sharing these life-transforming stories and revelations with our audience.

You ask me questions I have not been asked and I express responses spontaneously in ways I can never offer again in exactly the same way.

Invite our readers to research B1G1 and other individuals and projects mentioned in this article. We each make a difference by connecting with the wider world. This begins by deepening the connection with ourselves. Why we exist hits us when we awaken to see the world differently. 

As Marcel Proust echoes: "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes"

Interview with Ashley Kimler

At some stage, it hits that each of us exists for reasons that we only begin to uncover as we live our unique lives.  You may think you are on a journey or quest for one thing and change your mind multiple times. Author Ashley Kimler offers a heart-warming take on this journey. I am delighted our paths cross and that she responds to this interview.

Please share a bit about yourself, genres of books and authors who inspire you. 

I could read when I was three but didn’t fall in love with books until many years later. When I was 16, I found a memoir on my mother’s bookshelf called A Change of Heart by Claire Sylvia. I picked it up and started reading.

That story is an eye-opener. Please share some highlights that stand out for you.

Sylvia’s story is about a heart and lung transplant that transformed her in unexpected ways. She began to find people attractive who wouldn’t have been before her surgery, craved beer and chicken nuggets despite being a health-conscious vegetarian, and more. She eventually discovered that the changes she experienced were in fact traits from the young man whose heart and lungs had been donated to her. The take-away from her account is that two souls (hers and that of her donor) seemingly merged into one body. This fascinated me.

Some wake-up call!  Love this book echoes far more is going on than dramas and stories that often drive us. Shifts in goals and priorities happen when we are ready.

Indeed! From that point forward, I couldn’t stop reading. The more I learned from the written word, the more strongly I believed that we are all connected by an invisible thread. And, it wasn’t just the spiritual authors that touched me on this level. I could still read Lewis Carrol or D.H. Lawrence and watch the magic from their stories play out in waking life.

Describe how childhood magic was a stepping stone to mystical writing.

I had already started meditating, and my practice grew stronger. The deeper down the rabbit hole I ventured, the greater my understanding of the statement, “I AM.” I think reading Sylvia’s book was the springboard for my interest in both mysticism and communications.

That reminds me of the film What the Bleep? Down the Rabbit Hole (2006) and the book are classics.  Much like your book, this classic compels readers to ask themselves Great Questions that will recreate their lives as they know them.

What strikes a chord about your book are its universal impact, connection and also how it invites readers to see things and themselves differently.  Which events inspired you to write Luz’s Paintbrush: How You Created the Universe?

It was 2012 when I first saw a feminine figure in a meditative vision. She was floating, sort of holding space with what seemed to be a young planet. Lightly cupping it in one hand, she had a brush in her other with which she was intricately painting life into the globe. Immediately, I began sketching what I was being shown. Each day, a new image would come to me. After a couple weeks, I had seen the entire story and crudely jotted it down by way of notes and drawings.

After I read what had been written, I intuitively knew that it was a story that I would publish. I had a concrete sense that it was my first children’s book. A ton of editing and rewriting took place over the years, but the core of the story has always been the same: a mirror that reminds us, both parents and children, of our divine nature.

As the saying goes, "All Roads Lead to Rome."   We each have free will, can explore different paths, feelings, emotions and situations. Life is what we choose to make it.  As Maya Angelou echoes, "If you do not like something, change it.  If you can't change it, change your attitude."

Share about choosing your book title. Let us in on how this vision comes together.

During the early stages of this project, my sister lived in Arizona near her partner’s family. She frequently babysat her nieces and nephews. Sometimes, she would phone and tell funny stories about the kids. While I didn’t know them, I was getting to know their personalities through her.

One day, my sister was telling a story about her niece, and she said her name aloud. I had heard her say it before but thought she was calling her something else entirely.

I stopped her, mid-sentence, “Wait. I’m sorry, but what did you say her name was? Did you say ‘Luz?’”

“Yeah, ‘Luz,’ why?”

“Doesn’t that mean ‘light’ in Spanish?” 

“Yes! Isn’t that a fantastic name?”

It is a fantastic name, indeed; this was a situation where the connection fell into my lap and couldn’t be ignored. The name fits perfectly with everything the story portrays. And, little Luz’s light shines brightly into the storyline.

What is your intention in sharing this story? 

I’m going to rewind a little bit (to before I had the idea for the story) and talk about children’s books in my home. I have three children who loved reading at pretty early ages. Of course, we read Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, and all the greats. We stlll love most of the classic children’s books. The lessons are invaluable and the storylines are filled with emotion and adventure.

Of all Dr. Seuss's books, one that really stands out is:  Oh, The Places You'll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

Absolutely! Everyday we are each 'off and away' (somewhere or nowhere).

The uncertainty or not knowing is meant to be fun, but so often the idea of lessons to be learned along the way takes the fun out of it.  Awakening is about finding or creating the fun, humor and energy in what you do, where you are. Its like remembering and feeling what it is to be alive.

Yes. When the kids were younger, I had a desire to read all the children’s picture books that were published by my favorite spiritual and self-help authors with them. Unfortunately, they didn’t resonate as deeply as the other storybooks. It seemed that my children perceived them more as “lessons” than “experiences;” this could have been because of the way I approached the situation or because of how the books were written -- I really can’t say for sure.

Who is your book's audience? 

At the time that I began working on Luz’s Paintbrush, I hadn’t yet found a children’s book that was both engaging and taught that core lesson of “I AM;” this is what the story is intended to be. It’s for the children of parents who are waking up.

I want young children and their parents to have their own spiritual springboard to open deep conversations and co-create. Ultimately, my goal is for all of us to remember who we really are. Today, there are many New Age children’s books and stories on the market with similar messages. I now know that many of us share this vision for the future, and that excites me.

Being in the flow is all about feelings of excitement.  Many people forget fear is simply the flip side of excitement.  They are the same energy. Its so cool we choose our focus and change it.  Understanding emotions helps us uncover core values and changing life purpose.

Speaking of your own shifts, tell us your view of the role of limiting beliefs. 

Even in what I see as a planetary awakening, we still have a fundamental limiting belief of separation. We believe that we are autonomous from one another, from the planet, and from God as we understand that concept. It’s nothing to feel guilty about, but there is somewhere we can go from here.

I experience spans of time when I am truly awakened -- when I see myself and God in my perceived enemies, when I feel I have forgiven, and when the world is Nirvana. Yet, it is not easy to fully grasp the truth, that everything is a mirror, all the time. The times when I do remember lead me to a question that I keep coming back to:

What will our existence be like when we arrive at a complete understanding of the truth and decide to stay?

Excellent question! We are all futurists with potential to evolve into a new vision! In life coaching, one exercise involves imagining where you see yourself in 6 months, a year, 5 years, 10 years, 20 years or any increment of time. Its as if this exercise is like stepping stones or leaps toward the question you are asking yourself. Love that you imply we each have the innate power, intelligence and abilities to be/ go anywhere, do anything, that we set our minds to create. Its simply a matter of deciding to let go of the thoughts or attitudes that hold us back.

One children’s book is just a small drop in a vast ocean. But, I hope for it to ripple out and touch many minds. May we all enjoy the journey along the way.

Here is to that!

Let us in on your collaboration with Myztico Campo. How did you meet? Tell us about the process.

This is my favorite question, because Myztico (“Tico”) is absolutely wonderful.

As you already know, I sketched the visions for this story right away, at the beginning of the project when it was still a mere seed of an idea. I love to draw and paint and hoped, in the earliest stage, that I would illustrate this book myself. But, as soon as I started trying to hone the drawings, I knew that this was not how it was going to happen. I needed a Visionary artist, so I turned to Google (I know -- not as mystical as I would hope, either).

I compiled a list of my favorite artists and narrowed it down to five people -- Alex Gray, of course, was included. First, I reached out to the artist who was closest in proximity to me, here in the Midwestern United States. That just seemed like the most practical approach. We chatted about the project briefly, but the conversation didn’t feel right. So, I came up with another idea.

Next, I printed a few pictures from each artist on the list and showed them to my kids. At the time, they were two, seven, and ten years old. I just asked them to choose one. Unanimously and without hesitation, it was a New York Visionary, Shamanic artist, Myztico Campo, that each of them resonated with. So, I shot him an email.

I’m was humbled that the idea resonated with him, and we started chatting on the phone, sharing ideas and pictures back and forth. I found out that he is not only a musician, visual artist, designer, and a video editor, but so much more. Tico is a true visionary.

Love the subtle reminder that what we admire in others are traits and abilities which are dormant or as of yet unrecognized in ourselves.

What stands out in your collaboration with Tico?

What stands out the most is the first illustration idea Tico shared with me. I was awestruck when I saw it. To set the stage, in my mental image of Luz, she was dark complected with black hair and a slender face. I didn’t tell him this because it wasn’t something I was set on and I completely trusted his instincts.

Tico had never seen my children’s faces (or mine, for that matter) but connected with my daughter on the astral plane and created a character in her likeness:

I was sure about what we were doing -- there were countless synchronicities along the way. While I apologized to Tico many times on our shared journey (for the time it took to move forward between lengthy gaps in communication), he continued to remind me that the project would come to fruition at the “right time.” His patience and wisdom are nonpareil.

In popular culture, achieving immortality is widely linked with leaving the body (death).  Tell us your view, how this idea or experience entered your scope of awareness and is covered in the book.

For most of my life, I believed that our souls incarnate into a new embodiment (another human, plant, animal, etc.) based on what we are thinking about at the moment of physical death. While this belief hasn’t disappeared completely, it now holds less significance. The reason I don’t give that idea too much power is that I realize that we are all One, in a very real sense, and this is the most valuable concept to remember.

Please expand on the idea of holographic reality. 

To elaborate, we live in a “holographic reality.” When you cut even a tiny square out of a hologram, that square holds information about the entire image. For example, imagine a hologram card. if you cut a hologram of a rose into two parts, what are you left with? At one time, I would have guessed that you would be left with two holograms, each showing either half of the rose. But, this is not the case.

What you are actually left with are two holograms, both showing the whole rose -- two identical, complete images. There is no limit to how many times you can separate a hologram from itself and be left with indistinguishable copies (though, the smaller they are, the more blurry they may become).

We are cut from the same holographic cloth as God; this concept is metaphorically represented in the story of Luz’s Paintbrush.

What is your understanding of who you are and why you exist? Which experiences led you here?

I am a mother, a servant, a storyteller, and other titles that I identify with less and less as time passes. I believe we are sharing in this consciousness experience because we have chosen to. In the beginning, there was probably a question to which this life is the answer. Maybe the question was, “What if I forget who I am?” Or, it could have been, “What would it be like to experience life in infinite realities rather than this one?”

As I see it at this moment, we are here to create and to forgive. The experiences leading up to this conclusion are so personal and beyond the intellect that I don’t know how to begin to describe them. Life purpose is something that needs to be explored on an individual level. What we see in front of us at any given moment provides the best clues for finding the answers to questions like, “Who am I?” and, “Why am I here?”

The book openly invites readers to dream, doodle, come out of their trance or shell and live.  Share your vision of a fulfilling existence. What nourishes your soul?

A fulfilling existence, to me, is one wherein life is peaceful and there’s plenty of time for creativity. To me, creativity pertains to both the physical and the non-physical creations. So, I’m just as happy when I’m painting painting a mural as when I’m manifesting new experiences in my reality. And, I think everyone deserves the freedom and knowledge to find that space for themselves.

Share about your mentors and how your own kids respond to your book.

I was raised by a single mother with a pagan belief system. I found interest in her hobbies, which included poetry, creative writing, visual arts, and metaphysical practices. I have to say that my mother is one of my greatest mentors in that arena. There are so many people who inspire me, and people who I am very close with, but nobody understands the creative piece of my personality quite like my mother -- I think she really nurtured me in that way.

As far as my own kids, they initially loved the idea of the story, and they seem to enjoy it still. But, for the older kids, I think the magic was lost in watching the process of this story coming to life over time. They tell me, “mom, we already know all of this.” But, they do love the illustrations. My youngest, Dylan, however (he’s 8), absolutely loves the book. He insisted on giving his teacher and friends a copy. He’s very proud.

If you could write yourself a letter to leave for your next incarnation, what message would you leave for your reincarnating soul?

Now, this is fun. I think I would tell myself not to blame, worry, or hold onto guilt. It took a long time for me to really grasp the true impact of holding onto these emotions, as I was unconsciously programmed early in life to hold onto them. I think remembering this early in the game would give me a head start on my evolution.

Appreciate your shared insights here. For many, the idea of limitless freedom remains just an idea. Yet, imagine directions of expansion and personal growth and development as people consciously choose to let go of limitations...

That said, how do writing and publishing this book change the way you view yourself and live your life now?

Publishing a book was always a dream of mine, and I still feel accomplished having made it through the process. I am happy that I was able to share this story with the world. But, as far as how I live my everyday life, I don’t think it has changed me much. If anything, it has given me the knowledge that anyone can do anything they set their mind to. As my book aims to teach, we can create anything we want. Completing a meaningful project helps reinforce that belief.

Thanks Ashley. You are inspiring! Creating and realizing dreams is so important. Writing a book is a common dream yet, it takes discipline or determination to listen to the heart, take the steps required to allow dreams to blossom.

So pleased you take time out to reflect and offer readers the opportunity to taste life again, as if for the first time.  

Invite connecting with Ashley Kimler  on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook or any other way that resonates.  Everyone enters our life for a reason. Its up to us to feel the way into the message or lessons available to us. Ask yourself, where to from here?

Interview with David Roth and Jon Christine

It may surprise you, but its not thoughts but beliefs that create our reality.  When we believe whole heartedly in ourselves, we shape our reality with confidence.  David Roth, Jon Christine and the vibe of embodhi love productions are a great example. David and Jon take time out from scouting movie locations to share this dialogue.

Please begin by sharing your unique vision.

This initiative invites our own Soul-searching and much more. 

What a beautiful way to invite each of us to uncover the authentic version of who we are. It feels courage is required to recall what we exist to do, let go of all that is incongruent with our Soul.

We can always learn from the paths of others and its also helpful to recall everything is a mirror. 

Love what I am hearing through you, that the universe shows us what blocks us as a gift.  The greatest gift we can each give ourselves is living who we came here to be.

So, what draws you and Jon (Jon Christine- right in photo) to filmmaking and all that the Embodhi Love project represents and is evolving toward?

We share the strong desire within to help others. That’s the intention behind everything we do. Helping others live in greater freedom through the power of story and film. We see a huge need for conscious entertainment. Stories that not only entertain and enlighten, but also help people live more joyful, fulfilling lives.

Indeed. Everyone is weaving and growing aware of the nature and power to change a personal story. As we come to realize all is interconnected, we are each guided to forge our own unique path to contribute to a process larger than ourselves.

Serving others is a key part of it. As we help others, we are simultaneously helping ourselves.

As you imply, popular media often perpetuates unconsciousness. Initiatives like yours contribute to individual and group awakening. Gaia also offers a collection of consciousness-expanding media that has a growing audience. This echoes a global shift in awareness.   How does this shape directions of Embodhi Love productions?

Our mission, you might say, is to invite viewers to awaken in part, through watching our feature films. We know life experience is part of why we exist. We feel sharing inspiring stories guides each of us to uncover or decode our true potential or destiny.

So, it feels as though you wish to invite viewers to live vicariously through a universal experience on film to draw them deeper into themselves. How inspiring! How wonderful to imagine everyone growing aware that whatever they admire in others is actually a dormant part of themselves they have not yet accepted, focused attention on or realized in their own unique way. 

This said, what is the core message that drives or guides your life?

That freedom is here and now. We are all here to create, connect and play. That is our purpose. We want everyone pursuing their passions and aligned in their own purpose, enjoying this magic carpet ride this is LIFE.

Christie Marie Sheldon also echoes this message. She says, "If you want to heal something in your life, go play!"  I also love the analogy of the dolphin playing its way through existence. How many people frolick their way along-day-to-day, moment-to-moment like that? Many people forget this is key to living a Soul-driven life.  Love is a very high vibration. Love what you do and everything feels like play.  

Yes. When you connect with the Soul and play though life, the idea of work does not come ito it.

What has kept you from fully accepting and living your Soul purpose?

Probably patience more than anything. It took many years to get to this point in our own evolutions. We took on jobs that left us unfulfilled to know what we didn’t want in life. We had to experience those valleys to learn and remind us what we really want. We both had to grow on countless levels to finally align with our purpose and have everything click like it now is. We also know that growth is continuous. We are constantly growing into new ways of being. The art of surrender and letting go seem to be the quickest way into finding your true joy in life.

Many people can relate to the journey you describe about the 'ups and downs' of life experience. We shift from being ego-driven to heart-centred and inspired. Your story echoes that choosing to experience all we create is part of what makes us human and also allows us to uncover the best versions of ourselves.

Your current film project feels exciting. How about offering a glimpse into the story. Why share?

We are currently raising funds for our feature film, Medicina. The story is about a woman who feels stuck and wants more out of life. She ends up on a journey that helps her to awaken into her purpose. The energy behind this story cannot be contained. We’re just stewards to this divine creation that is Medicina. It came through over the past 4 years. Medicina refers to that thing in life that gives you the greatest joy. It could be your yoga practice, cooking, playing an instrument, meditation, helping and connecting with others. The list is endless. That is your true medicine for the soul. Now it’s time to inspire everyone to find more passion and purpose in their lives. 

Exactly! Everyone has a source of joy, something that ignites an inner spark or endless energy.  Yet, not everyone is fully conscious of or willing to fearlessly express it until awakening fully. 

How do you choose film subjects? Do people propose ideas to you like scriptwriters pitch stories?

In full transparency, the stories just come through to us from within. For the past 4 years now, we meet once a week to discuss ideas for different stories we are working on. Whether we are meeting or writing on our own, the stories just pour through. We have a dozen projects lined up right behind this. Ideas for series and commercials as well. We’re in the process of expanding our team so that we can get all these inspiring ideas out into the world as soon as possible. People do pitch and submit to us. We welcome that anytime. What we’re doing isn’t about us. It’s about all of us.

Are you inspired by Jack Canfield and his Chicken Soup for the Soul series of inspirational stories?  How does what you do differ or, how is it similar? 

We are familiar with his work and appreciate how it has affected and uplifted so many people. What inspires us are the stories within those books. The people from those stories that went through what they did. What we do is much different from Jack Canfield. He’s an author who shares other peoples’ stories. We are storytellers, creating our own stories that get turned into feature films.

As you say, each inspirational storyteller has a unique approach to share a vision.  Its encouraging that you invite people to appreciate something universal in every story.  Anyone in particular act as a key mentor?

To be fully truthful, life itself is our teacher. We run across people of all ages every single day that inspire us. On the film side, anybody that creates films inspires us as well. The list is endless. We find perfection in the work of so many directors out there. 

What a huge revelation! Everyone and everything in our perception is the same core inspiration that draws love or messages of love and acceptance out of us.

How are you affected by meeting people who live in harmony with their Soul? 

It’s a big part of the journey, for sure. Having your tribe to always be there for you. Talk about big ideas with. Create new magic with. The energy is palpable when awakened people are in the same room. It instantly elevates the vibration and any fear or lower vibrational energy is no longer in the space. It’s just pure play and creation. When you align with others that are also doing soul driven work, it really feels like you have a ticket on the bliss train. Things just happen effortlessly.

Its common to assume good things only happen by coincidence. Yet awakening to who we are is about tuning into the energy you describe.  Its also about choosing to take responsibility for all we feel, emote, perceive and encounter. At first glance, this may seem scary and yet, it also very empowering. This is about accepting that we choose a story to create for ourselves and how to express or change it.

What advice can you offer people who have not yet grown conscious of a soulful path or destiny?

Keep pursuing what tugs on your heart. Take action towards it every single day. In time, the momentum will build and things will start happening effortlessly for you. Also, be present. When you are in the present moment, you can notice the signs that you should be following. You’ll see that life supports you and puts people and things in your path that will help you find your true purpose in life. It does really exist. Knowing now how life operates on this side, all we want is for everyone to experience this magic. Also know that you are here to create. Create anything you wish. Honor the pull within. That is your path. The things that truly light you up in life are the lanterns on your path that you should be pursuing.

Love that you highlight the power of honoring the pull within, and being mindful of what you describe as lanterns lighting up the path.  As you imply, dots exist and its up to us to join them.  Whil its natural to feel inspired by others, in some way, we each invite ourselves to be trail-blazers, to be and do what has never been done.

If you can leave our readers with some vision or insight, what would it be?

It’s said all the time but hey, it’s the truth. You can be, have or do anything you want in life.  Once you awaken to who you truly are, game on. It’s time to create, it’s time to play. It’s time to live the life you deep down within you know you should be living. The world needs you now more than ever. The days of playing small and hiding behind unfulfilling jobs are over. Spend more time in silence to receive the answers you are looking for. When they come, show up and go live your best life NOW.

Please share some specific experiences that transformed how you view yourself and the world.

Through a few different spiritual awakenings over the years in various plant medicine ceremonies, we have come to learn that we are all connected and we are all truly one family. Separation exists only in the mind. Every single one of us is truly limitless.

Share anything else you wish to add.

The Medicina Campaign is here: www.igg.me/at/medicinathemovie. If you have questions, you can email us at awaken@embodhiloveproductions.com. Connect with us anytime. We welcome your input and queries.

Thank you David and Jon, for sharing such a heart-felt message. Love that you invite everyone to see the universal messages in all they perceive and choose in life. Each of us benefits from growing aware of our own myths and self-created limitations.  We can also blossom to be better than the idealized versions of ourselves. We are each boundless sources of inspiration. You and your team offer an encouraging reminder that all is possible when one is soul-guided and listens to this. 

Interview with Maria

I am often asked what brings particular clients to me. Some wish to journey into higher realms for guidance, get grounded, transform troubled relationships, identify and release limiting beliefs, or increase capacity to heal their bodies. Every individual is unique. I share this recent exchange with Maria for the benefit of you who are seeking answers to your own questions. 

What prompts you to open up to me?

Maria: To be honest, I was not looking for a coach with specific credentials. I am trusting my gut. In speaking with you,  I felt a real connection. It just felt right to take the next step. I explored your website.  What I read on the internet confirmed this is the right choice for me. 

Have you had  coaching expectations?

Maria: Well, before beginning, you asked if I had specific intentions, whether I have any experience with hypnosis, remembering my dreams, past life regression, various therapies and healing practices. I suppose my point of reference for our sessions began with the idea I could add to what I have experienced.  I want to learn to trust myself more, get to the root of obstacles I am facing, to shift patterns I see that are holding me back, get clearer on where to go from here.  If I ask you what you feel you can do for me, what would you say?

I am not here to answer your questions, I am here to help you stop asking them. As a sound-board, I help you to notice when you think and feel the way through life.  I also help you to begin to recognize and take responsibility for each of your choices.

Maria: That says a lot.  I ask loads of questions.  Answers are not always clear to me.  I am told I am too emotional and wish to get a handle on that, take more time for me and get over my fears.

Whatever you fear invites you to get-to-know yourself differently. As you change the way you see things, what you see changes. Noticing anything about filters?

Maria: I am seeing obstacles differently.  I am more aware of lessons and options to respond to what life throws me. The way I react emotionally to people and events my life is not always helpful. I also notice emotions I am not really in touch with and resist feeling.  I still take some things personally and wish to change this. I do not like losing control.

Some perceptions are helpful and empowering, while others keep up negative patterns.  A shift in perspective starts with an increase in awareness. Do you relate?

Maria: Yes. As I grow aware of the my judgements and beliefs, I begin to grow aware of what and who triggers me. I really want to stop losing control over my emotions.

Indeed.  As we progress with sessions, are you noticing any shifts?

Maria: I am noticing that my reality changes based on how I feel about it, who I hang around and how I use my time. I am also more aware that making the unconscious conscious is one path to healing. My own ignorance, indifference and inaction only perpetuates discomfort and keeps dreams out of reach. 

You may have heard the idea, 'you are becoming like the five people you spend the most time with.' Personal reality is based on beliefs, expectations.  Experiences reinforce beliefs. So, if you want to change your reality, changing perception is key. 

Maria: In my case, re-training the mind for change takes practice. I work on self-discipline.

Letting go gets easier. Of all the practices we are exploring so far, what stands out?

Maria: The breathwork, different mental processes and ah-ha moments that I have after our open dialogue.

Why are you receptive to breathwork ?

Maria: What you offer are techniques that enable me to gain deeper insight into myself, my resistance.  It hits I allow myself to hinder or speed up self-healing. I am more aware of core beliefs that have been running me and the reasons why my life brings me to where I am.  It feels good to take steps to shift my focus and priorities. 

Why has your most recent session helped you?

Maria: You give me opportunity and space to explore things that I do not make time for by myself. I am more aware than ever before that I get wrapped up in the day-to-day tasks of being a wife, parent, student and doing my best to juggle it all.  Until today, I had no idea the deeper source of my patterns.  Making the unconscious conscious is already changing how I feel about myself and how confident I am about where I am headed.  You guide me to recall what I forget.

I'm sure you have a theme: the theme of your life. You can embellish it or desecrate it, but it's your theme, and as long as you follow it, you will experience harmony and peace of mind. - Agatha Christie