25-32. What the Camera Sees.

Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

On air from August 12th with Sara Troy

“Welcome to Sara’s View of Life. Today, we’re looking through the lens—literally and metaphorically. In a world of filters and flawless edits, what does the camera really see? Can an image still hold truth, or have we retouched it away? Join me as I reflect on vulnerability, authenticity, and the soulful power of being seen—as you truly are.”

They say the camera doesn’t lie—but in today’s world of filters, retouching, and digital tweaks, what are we really looking at? A photograph can reveal truth, or it can veil it entirely. Is it a window into the soul… or just a curated illusion?

Can we still see someone’s essence in an image? Do their eyes tell a story, or have we learned to mask even that? Is the smile genuine—or just muscle memory? Do they smile with their whole face, or just enough to pass as “happy”?

Recently, I faced my own camera moment with the wonderful Barbara Anne in Nanaimo. I’ll admit it—I was nervous. I can interview anyone, anywhere, but being in front of the lens felt like exposure on a different level. Barbara, however, made it joyful. She captured my seriousness, my playfulness, and, most importantly, my truth.

This week, we explore what the camera really sees—and whether it still has the power to reveal who we truly are.

You want your headshot—your photo—to represent you. Not just your features, but your spirit, your story, your essence. When someone sees that image, they should feel a quiet familiarity, as if they already know a piece of who you are. A great photo invites connection. It whispers, “This is me. This is what I bring.” So when people finally meet you face-to-face, there’s no disconnect—only confirmation of what they already sensed in your image: authenticity, warmth, and truth.

But when a photo is overly altered—when it masks the lines of laughter, softens the eyes too much, or reshapes features into something unrecognizable—it creates a disconnect. Instead of building trust, it builds a wall. The viewer might admire the image, but they’re not meeting you. And when they do meet you in person, something feels off. The soul they felt drawn to in the photo isn’t fully present—because the photo wasn’t fully true.

We all want to look our best, and a little polish is perfectly fine. But let’s not trade away authenticity for perfection. Let your photo reflect the real you—the journey in your eyes, the warmth in your smile, the light in your spirit. That’s what draws people in. That’s what creates a real connection.

So here’s what I’ve come to realize—your image isn’t just about how you look; it’s about how you feel in your own skin. It’s about being seen as you truly are, not as who you think the world wants to see. That’s the real magic.

When we show up authentically—wrinkles, wisdom, laugh lines, and all—we give others permission to do the same. We become mirrors of truth, not illusions of perfection. So the next time you step in front of a camera, bring your whole self. Let your eyes speak your journey. Let your smile carry your light.

Because what the camera sees should be what the world feels: you—honest, beautiful, and unapologetically real.

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AMAZON

Find Photographer Barbara Anne here

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All of our shows/interviews are done by donation; if you enjoyed this show, please support us here with either a one-time donation or subscribe and support. Thank you. Please support Our Forgotten Seniors anthology and help to bring this book to awareness.

IG25-32. Stephen Chong ‘Laws of Heaven & Earth’

Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

Ignite Your Heart and Soul with Sara Troy with guest Stephen Chong, on air from August 12th

Stephen says, “I’m looking forward to sharing deep insights and meaningful life-purpose guidance—particularly around grief, loss, and their profound connection to the heavenly realm. Our conversation will flow into revelations from The Afterlife, including what I’ve learned about the Abode of Reunion, the School for Children, and the presence of Spirit Guides. I will also open my heart about my mother’s passing and the transformative wisdom that’s emerged through the unfolding Laws of Heaven & Earth and my own life-changing experiences over the past few years.”

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“Stephen Chong M.Ed. is a Far North Queensland, Australian-based author and life-coach who draws his inspirations from life’s themes that relate to us all – love, grief, struggle, and overcoming obstacles. In 2019, Stephen suffered a profound spiritual awakening experience when he fell from a ladder and fractured his neck. Culminating from this experience was the gift of writing, ‘The Afterlife, a journey to: Now you know what will happen,’ within which were discovered the fifteen Laws of Heaven & Earth.


 Amazon (US)

 Amazon Canada

 Amazon Australia

 Barnes & Noble

 Booktopia

Stephen’s expertise in balancing modern work practices with personal life, and now these unique insights of the afterlife, make this life and life in the hereafter a much better place.”

 STEPHEN’S LAST SHOW WITH SARA ON THE AFTERLIFE.

https://www.stephenchong.com.au

spchong10@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/stephen.chong.

www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-chong-m-ed

         https://www.stephenchong.com.au/downloads 

(Viewers can access a ‘free’ copy of the Laws of Heaven & Earth)

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All of our shows/interviews are done by donation, if you enjoyed this show please support us here with either a one-time donation or subscribe and support, thank you. and please support Our Forgotten Children’s anthology and help to bring this book into production.

RGC25-32. Tina Feigals,Present Moment Parenting

Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

Raising Your Gifted Children with Sara Troy and her guest Tina Feigal, on air from August 12th

Nationally acclaimed parent coach and trainer Tina Feigal returns with this revised edition of her book, formerly titled The Pocket Coach for Parents. With new content on trauma-effective parenting, Present Moment Parenting: Your Guide to a Peaceful Life with Your Intense Child will help you:
— Understand the connection between the child’s heart and brain
— Recognize how the brain responds to stress and trauma
— Learn effective parenting strategies to decrease intensity and create peace at home

There are many reasons a child doesn’t respond to typical parenting techniques–a mental health diagnosis (such as ADHD or ODD), a life challenge (such as divorce or removal from home), autism, attachment issues, giftedness, physical or emotional trauma–or simply being ”hard to handle.” Whatever the root cause of the intensity, Present Moment Parenting will give you the tools you need to create a peaceful life.

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After raising my 3 beautiful sons, I returned to university to finish my bachelor’s and then master’s degree in School Psychology. I then worked in schools for a few years and later decided to attend a weekend training to become a life coach. Walking out of the training, I had this inspirational thought: “I’m a parent coach!” Since this was in 2000, there were no other parent coaches, so I set out to create the role. I’ve now certified over 850 parent coaches worldwide, and also helped a treatment foster care organization to build a team of 24 parent coaches to help kids stay put in their homes instead of being moved from home to home because of their behavior. They’ve been highly successful while using my Present Moment Parenting methods. I wrote a book by the same title, and also the “Healing the Heart of Your Traumatized Child” e-book. My TEDx Talk is “How to Stop Kids’ Meltdowns and Gain Their Cooperation.”

AMAZON

HEAR HER NEW SHOW WITH SARA HERE

https://howdoiparentthischild.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinafeigal

https://www.youtube.com/channel

www.facebook.com/profile

https://www.instagram.com/tfeigal

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ll of our shows/interviews are done by donation; if you enjoyed this show, please support us here with either a one-time donation and subscribe . Thank you.

Please support Our Forgotten Seniors anthology and help to bring this book to awareness.

A POEM BY PATRICIA Routledge.

Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

Letter to Life as I approach my 95th birthday

Some things bloom late—but they still bloom beautifully.

At 55,
I became known to many as Hyacinth Bucket — a character I believed would be a small role in a little sitcom. ( Keeping Up Apperiencesbritish TV)
Instead, she carried me into millions of living rooms, and oddly enough… into my own heart.

She was loud, proud, impossible to ignore.
And somehow, she helped me embrace parts of myself I’d kept hidden for decades.

That role didn’t make me famous.
It made me whole.

At 65,
I stopped waiting for permission.
I began learning Italian — not for work, but so I could feel opera in its native tongue.
I discovered I rather liked my own company.
I read poetry aloud to no one in particular, simply because it softened the day.
I learned how to be alone… without being lonely.

At 75,
I returned to the Shakespearean stage — a place I once feared I had aged out of.
But this time, I carried no fear of critics or applause.
I stood in stillness.
And I let the words move through me — not because I had something to prove,
but because they still had something to offer.

It wasn’t a performance.
It was presence.

At 85,
I picked up a watercolor brush with unsure hands.
I painted what I remembered:
roses from my garden, old hats from the 60s, faces once seen on the London Underground.

Not to exhibit. Not to impress.
Just to preserve memory — one soft stroke at a time.
Each painting was a small act of remembering.

And now, at 95,
I write letters by hand.
I bake rye bread.
I breathe deeply in the mornings and whisper thanks to the sky.
I listen more than I speak.
I laugh often, but no longer try to be the one who makes others laugh.

I have nothing left to prove — and so much left to feel.

So I’m writing this not as a farewell,
but as a gentle reminder:

Growing older isn’t a fading.
It can be a radiant unfolding.
A blooming — not back to youth,
but back to yourself.

Let these years ahead be your treasure years.
You don’t need fame.
You don’t need perfection.
You only need a presence.

Show up. Gently. Fully. Authentically.
And life — if you let it — will always meet you halfway.

Written by Patricia Routledge, the actress who played Hyacinth Bucket in ‘Keeping Up Appearances.’

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keeping_Up_Appearances

25-31. “When You’re Just Darn Tired”

Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

“Welcome to Sara’s View of Life with me Sara Troy. This week, I’m speaking to something we all feel but rarely admit—we’re just plain tired. Tired of the world’s noise, the heaviness, the personal struggles, the not-sleeping, the getting-through. But in that tiredness, there’s also wisdom. Let’s talk about how to honor our weariness without losing our light.”

I think many of us are feeling it—the weight of the world, the noise, the injustice, the uncertainty. I know I am. It’s exhausting. Add to that a night of poor sleep or ongoing health challenges, and it can feel almost impossible to hold onto your joy, your spark, your sense of purpose.

But here’s the truth: we must find ways to nurture our energy, even when it’s low. Not by pretending everything’s fine, but by honoring our fatigue, slowing down, and finding small ways to refill the well. Sometimes, simply admitting “I’m tired” is the most courageous thing we can do.

In this episode, I speak from the heart about the collective weariness so many of us are carrying—and how we can find light in the middle of it. It’s okay to rest. It’s okay to not be okay. But it’s also vital that we keep feeding the soul with moments of beauty, laughter, and hope.

So if you’re feeling worn thin—emotionally, physically, spiritually—you are not alone. The world has been asking a lot of us. And while we may not have control over the chaos, we do have the power to choose how we care for ourselves in it.

Rest isn’t laziness. Pausing isn’t failure. It’s part of the rhythm of being human. Take the nap. Say no to what drains you. Say yes to something small that nourishes you. The world will keep spinning—but your soul needs tending too.

Remember: the light doesn’t disappear when we’re tired. It just waits patiently for us to turn toward it again.

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AMAZON

FIND MORE SHOWS OF ILLUMINATION HERE

Discover the sites we share on linktr.ee/saratroy

BE OUR GUEST AND SHARE THE WISDOM

All of our shows/interviews are done by donation; if you enjoyed this show, please support us here with either a one-time donation or subscribe and support. Thank you. Please support Our Forgotten Seniors anthology and help to bring this book to awareness.