Mental Health Awareness with Sara Troy and her guest Ronald A. Alexander, on air from June 28th
The Big Idea: When artists describe their creative process, they inevitably talk about being in an open mind state where the download of core creativity can happen. Musicians such as The Band’s Robbie Robertson’s description that “Creativity comes from the womb of emptiness” to James Taylor’s observation about “waiting to hear it” and having “to be in a place where you can receive the song” reveal that creativity isn’t a rational, calculated activity. It’s about allowing oneself to become receptive.
The So-What: Mindfulness meditation takes us out of overthinking and into the mind state of receptivity. The stillness and focus involved in meditation alters our brainwaves, and therefore, our mind state. Distraction-free time leads us to an open mind. Both core creativity and intuitive wisdom and knowledge can be accessed in an open mind state — not because we have an open mind, or are trying to be open minded, but because we’re in a state of pure receptivity after giving ourselves over to emptiness.
Key Messages: Ron Alexander can expound on the exciting possibilities available to us all to open the mind and stimulate creative responses. He explores:
Where ideas ultimately originate from
What valuable mind-sets and habits can prepare us to achieve creative breakthroughs
How to activate the “witnessing self” to become less emotionally reactive and more open to new experiences
How to embrace what Buddhists call beginner’s mind to approach what’s familiar with a fresh perspective
How dreams offer clues to what’s unfinished or unexpressed in our lives
We are on 5 sites and 16 audio and 2 video platforms as seen here.
The Source: Ronald A. Alexander, PhD, is a psychotherapist, a mindfulness trainer and a creativity, business and leadership coach. He has a private psychotherapy and executive coaching practice in Santa Monica, California. He’s the executive director of the OpenMind® Training Program that offers personal and professional training programs in mindfulness-based mind-body therapies, transformational leadership and meditation.
In today’s era of COVID, political unrest and inflation why is creativity more important than ever to navigate all these upheavals?
What is Core Creativity and how does it differ from ordinary creativity?
How can someone who wants to make changes in their life use core creativity to help them experience a reinvention?
What can block us from accessing our Core Creativity?
Tell us about Mindfulness and Creativity Psychology. What does the research have to say about it and why are so many psychotherapists integrating meditation and mindfulness into their practices?
In your book you discuss the Core Creative terms: Absorbing Mind, Open Mind, and Generating Mind. What role do they play in accessing one’s core creativity?
Why is mindfulness important to accessing creativity?
How can someone tell if their intuition is genuine or false?
How have some of your clients incorporated core creativity into their lives and business?
You have a chapter on Mindful and Creative Leadership. What are some of the traits of a wise leader?
I’d be happy to send a bylined article, “Find Creative Solutions by Emptying Your Mind,” to send a review copy of his new book, or to schedule an interview with Ron Alexander.
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Mental Health Awareness with Sara Troy and her guest Shanell Parrish-Brown, on air from May 24th
GIFTS IN BROWN PAPER PACKAGES,AN EMOTIONALLY HARD-HITTINGCOMING OF AGE STORY BASED ONHER REAL LIFE TRIUMPH OVER ADVERSITY
The Narrative’s No Holds Barred ThemesOf Domestic Violence Tie In PerfectlyWith the Author’s Dedicated Work OnBehalf of The Safe Center of Long Island (TSCLI),A Non-Profit Serving Nassau County, NY
Drawing courageously from painful experiences of her childhood while embracing and sharing her hard-won self-truths for the first time, author S.P. Brown’s powerful debut novel Gifts in Brown Paper Packages has earned out of the box acclaim and success – including debuting at #1 in three categories on Amazon within the first 72 hours of its Christmas week release.
Driven by the powerful, often harrowing but ultimately life affirming and triumphant narrative of 17-year-old protagonist Kyrie, the emotionally impactful book ended its second day at #38 in the highly competitive “New Releases Coming of Age” category and #1 “Musical Reference” due to the author’s inclusion of both old school and contemporary artists (from Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell to Deniece Williams, Lauryn Hill, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars) as the soundtrack to Kyrie’s experiences. Currently, it is also ranked on the Kindle Store’s Black & African American Christian Fiction list.
Evoking some difficult experiences from her own childhood growing up in Harlem, Brown uses the fictional character of Kyrie as a vehicle to reflect on her ability to overcome the trauma of domestic abuse and somehow, miraculously, turn her physical and emotional survival into a triumphant and thriving life. The New York based author wrote the hard-hitting, flashback driven coming of age narrative over the course of one year while working her demanding high profile job as Vice President, Employment Counsel for a major entertainment conglomerate, often in quiet stolen hours in the middle of the night after her three children (now ages 14, 17 and 23) were in bed.
The breathtaking journey chronicled in Gifts in Brown Paper Packages hinges on a single question. In the wake of another emotionally and physically abusive episode with the person she refers to as “Man,” should she take the leap through her bedroom window into the unknown? Leaving her mother and young brother behind, she has no idea if she can make it on her own, but choosing the risk of the streets seemed like a better option than staying. With no plan but survival, Kyrie’s story is driven by strength, personal growth, a journey to self-awareness and ultimately acknowledging her deepest truths.
The theme of Gifts in Brown Paper Packages ties in perfectly with Brown’s dedicated involvement with The Safe Center of Long Island (TSCLI), a non profit agency comprehensively serving the needs of victims of domestic violence and inner personal trauma in Nassau County – and the only organization in the county providing free services to child and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and human trafficking. In addition helping to raise funds for a Capital Campaign project to build an expanded new safe house facility, she has served on the nominating committee for the past two years, with the goal of helping to identify diverse talent for TSCLI’s Board of Directors; she is currently their only African American Board Member. In 2020, Brown was named Vice President of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors. She has agreed to become President of the Board in May 2022.
“For many years, I felt a lot of guilt and shame associated with those stories and felt like sharing them in my professional circles as a lawyer and even in my social circles wouldn’t engender real respect,” Brown says. “Eventually I realized my truth and that every part of my background, including the terrible, painful memories, served a purpose and informed what I consider this fabulous end product. That strength and resilience came from my path. It’s not necessary for readers to know the real life experiences versus the instances where I employed creative license or drew from other’s real life experiences.
“The point of the book,” she adds, “is to inspire readers to look at their lives with the proper lens, and allow those hard knocks and terrible experiences to ultimately work towards defining greatness in them as opposed to defeat. Those lessons don’t always show up beautifully adorned. Sometimes you have to dig through the ugly wrapping to discover the strength within the package. Everyone experiences difficult trials in their lives. The difference between a person who rises above them and succeeds and the one who doesn’t is perspective.”
S.P. Brown’s out of the box acclaim and success with her first novel Gifts in Brown Paper Packages is stunning proof that wherever we may be in our life’s journey, it’s never too late to embrace, share and inspire the world with our inner truths – no matter how raw and painful they may be and how vulnerable they make us feel.
Drawing from some difficult experiences of her own childhood growing up in Harlem, the author uses the fictional character of 17-year old Kyrie as a vehicle to reflect on her ability to overcome the trauma of domestic abuse and somehow, miraculously, turn her physical and emotional survival into a triumphant and thriving life. The New York based author wrote the hard-hitting, flashback driven coming of age narrative over the course of several years while working her demanding high profile job as Vice President, Employment Counsel for a major entertainment conglomerate, often in quiet stolen hours in the middle of the night after her three children (now ages 14, 17 and 23) were in bed.
In the first 72 hours of its Christmas week release, Gifts in Brown Paper Packages debuted at #1 in three categories on Amazon, including ending the second day at #38 in the highly competitive “New Releases Coming Of Age” category and #1 in “Musical Reference” due to her dynamic inclusion of both old school and contemporary artists (from Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell to Deniece Williams, Lauryn Hill, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars) as the soundtrack to experiences. Currently, it is also ranked on the Kindle Store’s Black & African American Christian Fiction list.
Of the dozens of five-star customer reviews posted so far, perhaps this says it best about the book’s enduring impact on its readers: “I truly enjoyed following Kyrie’s journey through life and how she was able to overcome everything that life threw at her. Reading this story and enjoying every page as much as I did has reconnected me with my love for reading. I cannot wait for more from S.P. Brown.”
The breathtaking journey chronicled in Gifts in Brown Paper Packages hinges on a single life changing question. In the wake of another emotionally and physically abusive episode with the person she refers to as “Man,” should she take the leap through her bedroom window into the unknown? Leaving her mother and young brother behind, she has no idea if she can make it on her own, but choosing the risk of the streets seemed like a better option than staying. With no plan but survival, Kyrie’s story is driven by strength, personal growth, a journey to self-awareness and ultimately acknowledging her deepest realities.
Kyrie’s experiences are sometimes amusing, often shocking and so real and intense that it almost reads like a memoir rather than fiction. Along the way, she learns how to embrace the life lessons (gifts) that strife, struggle, perseverance and the tackling of overwhelming challenges can ultimately grace us with, if only we’re open to seeing life’s hardships that way.
The theme of Gifts in Brown Paper Packages ties in perfectly with Brown’s dedicated involvement with The Safe Center of Long Island (TSCLI), a non-profit agency comprehensively serving the needs of victims of domestic violence and inner personal trauma in Nassau County – and the only organization in the county providing free services to child and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and human trafficking. In addition to helping to raise funds for a Capital Campaign project to build an expanded new safe house, she has also served on the nominating committee for the past two years, with the goal of helping to identify diverse talent for TSCLI’s Board of Directors; she is currently their only African American Board Member. In 2020, Brown was named Vice President of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors. She recently agreed to accept the role of President of the Board beginning May 2022.
Brown laid the foundation for her emergence as an influential first time novelist back in 2009, when she began writing fantasy fiction at night to, as she says, “assuage an undeniable creative itch to write something other than corporate policy and emails chock full of legal advice.” Her choice of genre was inspired by her childhood passion for books, and particularly stories that took her mind far from the day to day dark reality. She wrote seven chapters in six months and received incredible encouragement from her long ago literature professor at Hunter College, where Brown earned her BA in Human Communications. But then, for whatever reason, she got a crippling case of writer’s block and shut down.
As a person of deep faith, the author has come to trust that God sets us on certain paths for specific, sometimes mysterious reasons. In Brown’s case, her creative output was on the back burner for years until a lawyer friend who was running a program at the DA’s office for youth development and community reentry of former felons, invited her to audit a writing program – some of whose attendees were formerly incarcerated felons. Though she attended as an observer, she felt challenged when the facilitator asked, “What is your ‘Day One’ story if you had to talk about a specific time in your life? What is the lightbulb moment your life was changed?’”
She felt prompted to share some of her experiences with the group, and the sense of catharsis she felt led her to write what ultimately became the first chapter of Gifts in Brown Paper Packages that night on the plane en route to a conference. After she had written four or five entries, Brown made the decision that she would develop it into a novel written from a third person perspective, telling parts of her story, with fictionalized elements, through Kyrie’s eyes. For a time, she was concerned about writing explicitly about the domestic violence she endured in her youth, but ultimately decided that the narrative could have tremendous impact on others. She felt it was an important part of her life, even though her life had not historically been defined as a domestic violence survivor.
“For many years, I felt a lot of guilt and shame associated with those stories and so felt like sharing them in my professional circles as a lawyer wouldn’t engender real respect,” Brown says. “Eventually, I realized that my truth is characterized by every aspect of my background, including the terrible, painful memories, which served a purpose and informed what I consider this fabulous end product. I acknowledged that strength and resilience came from my path. It’s not necessary for readers to know the real life experiences versus the instances where I employed creative license or drew from other’s real life experiences.
“The point of the book,” she adds, “is to motivate people to look at their lives through the proper lens, and allow those hard knocks and terrible experiences to ultimately work towards cultivating greatness in them as opposed to defeat. Those lessons don’t always show up beautifully adorned. Sometimes you have to dig through the ugly wrapping to discover the strength within the package. Everyone goes through difficult trials in their lives. The difference between a person who rises above them and succeeds and the one who doesn’t, is perspective.”
“I am proud of the story I tell in Gifts in Brown Paper Packages, and the way I was able to put it together,” the author says. “In line with all the musical references, I truly feel there is a melody in the way it was written. What will make me the happiest is if the book is exposed to the masses and people get something out of it and feel inspired. I am so grateful for all the wonderful feedback I have received thus far, and I want to put myself in the position where I have more opportunities to speak to people who need to hear it. I want Kyrie’s story – and ultimately my own – to touch people and make an important difference in their lives.”
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Mental Health Awareness with Sara Troy and her guest JD Mass, on air from April 12th
RACE FOR WHAT? A White Man’s Journey & Guide to Healing Racism from Within. In 2017, JD Mass earned his doctorate in Organizational Psychology and became heavily involved in white antiracism groups in Los Angeles, and later in St. Louis.
Race is currently a hot topic of discussion. Questions being considered are: Does racism still exist? What does equity look like? How do we achieve justice?
Anti-black racism is real. It hasn’t been corrected and it won’t go away on its own. Aboriginal (Black) and Indigenous folks have carried the burden for far too long. It is time for white folks to take the next step and complete the mission.
St Louis, MO – JD Mass, PsyD, releases his book, Race for What? A White Man’s Journey & Guide to Healing Racism from Within. Mass tells the story of growing up in a black community and witnessing racism firsthand, as well as his successes and missteps in building powerful alliances with the community in which he was raised. Race for What?released March 29, 2022. Part memoir, part how-to, and entirely real, this masterfully woven book takes readers back in time to St. Louis in the 80s and 90s, when Mass was growing up with a circle of creative friends and influences. The talent he bonded with, such as the rapper Nelly, would set the stage for a life of music, religion, culture, community development, and politics.
Mass says, “I have been on a lifelong journey to learn why racism was created and what we can look forward to without it. Change is happening. Will it be the superficial change that doesn’t bring forth justice or the transformational healing that is needed? Race for What? provides a vision for the latter.” Race for What?provides stories with a unique perspective from a white man’s experience and illustrates seven steps to healing. Mass encourages white people to work through the emotional and psychological obstacles in order to repair and heal the harm racism has caused.
The privilege he had growing up around black folks
His white privilege and experiences
Seven steps for addressing the racial divide
Reparations and why we need them
Why the “it’s not as bad as it used to be” argument is flawed
Being Nelly’s business manager
Why and how Nelly brought JD in to help with everything from nightclub ventures to clothing brands
In 2017, JD Mass earned his doctorate in Organizational Psychology and became heavily involved in white antiracism groups in Los Angeles, and later in St. Louis. This work inspired him to write Race for What? A wise thinker and guide, JD hopes for our society to finally correct the harm of racism and help create a humane world.
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Mental Health Awareness with Sara Troy and her guest Michael (UNBROKEN) Anthony, on air from March 15th
From homeless to hero, Michael Unbroken, is the Founder of Think Unbroken, best-selling author, award-winning speaker, podcast host, coach, and advocate for adult survivors of childhood trauma.
At 4 years old Michael’s emotionally incestuous mother cut off his right index finger, she was a drug addict and an alcoholic.
At 6 his hyper-abusive step-father beat and hospitalized him.
At 7 he was molested by a den mother in the Mormon Church.
From 8-12 he was often homeless and in deep poverty and did what it took to survive from stealing food and only bathing at school.
He got high for the first time at 12 and drunk at 13. By 15 he was expelled from school for selling drugs.
At 18 he found himself deep in The Vortex and began chasing money to solve his problems.
By 25 Michael was 350 pounds, smoking two packs a day, drinking himself to sleep, and attempted suicide for the second time.
Then he had his mirror moment and decided to stop being a victim of trauma and to be the HERO of his own Story!
Since 2016, Michael has empowered over 100,000 trauma survivors to get out of The Vortex, learn to love themselves, and become the hero of their own story. Michael has written multiple books including the best seller Think Unbroken: Understanding and Overcoming Childhood Trauma, spoken in over 80 countries, won investments from Undercover Billionaire Grant Cardone and is on a mission to end Generational Trauma in his lifetime.
About Think Unbroken: Our mission is to empower trauma survivors with the tools and curriculum of Think Unbroken to get unstuck, learn to love themselves, get “Out of The Vortex” and reclaim their power. We believe that by creating palatable and practical tools that Trauma Warriors around the world can overcome their past, heal from trauma, and BECOME THE HERO OF THEIR OWN STORY! How to become Unbroken Personal Development Topics: How to get unstuck and out of your own way Why you must educate yourself in order to heal Healing trauma through building a team Changing your life after rock bottom The power of Mentors Business/entrepreneurship Topics: How to own your story and stand out in the marketplace Leadership starts with real vulnerability How to commit even when you are scared You can’t build a successful business without help How to overcome fear to find power in your brand voice I also know the importance of sharing this interview and so if you are kind enough to select me, you can count on me sharing our episode with my entire audience when this goes live.
Do you have a scheduling link we can use? If not, I can send you mine. I have an audience of over 100k subscribers across platforms with who I would be happy to share our podcast with. Additionally, I have free value offers to share with your audience including my self-love course, book, and access to my private coaching group on Facebook. Here is my bio for a little more background: From homeless to hero, Michael Unbroken, is the Founder of Think Unbroken, best-selling author, award-winning speaker, podcast host, coach, and advocate for adult survivors of childhood trauma. Since 2016, Michael has empowered over 100,000 trauma survivors to get out of The Vortex, learn to love themselves, and become the hero of their own story. Michael has spoken in over 80 countries, won investments from Undercover Billionaire Grant Cardone, and is on a mission to end Generational Trauma in his lifetime. Additionally, Michael has been an entrepreneur since age eight, led 500 people in his career, built multiple seven-figure businesses, and has consulted with multiple Fortune 500 companies! About Think Unbroken: Our mission is to empower trauma survivors with the tools and curriculum of Think Unbroken to get unstuck, learn to love themselves, get “Out of The Vortex” and reclaim their power. We believe that by creating palatable and practical tools that Trauma Warriors around the world can overcome their past, heal from trauma, and BECOME THE HERO OF THEIR OWN STORY!
Mental Health Awareness with Sara Troy and her guest Lara Sabanosh, on-air from February 8th
Lara M. Sabanosh, author of the new memoir CAGED: The True Story of Abuse, Betrayal, and GTMO. The wall of silence surrounding domestic abuse in the military and in the government is a high one. In her memoir, Lara talks about the secrecy, fear, and despair of being in an abusive relationship, and hopes her story can be used to change a faulted system.
A searing memoir from the widow of former Marine, Christopher Tur—setting the record straight and breaking through the military’s wall of silence surrounding domestic abuse
On January 11, 2015, one day after being reported missing and three days after he was last seen by his family, Christopher Tur, a former Marine working as a civilian employee at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba, was found dead, floating in the water near the base. Over the months following his mysterious death, suspicion was cast on his widow, Lara, and the man exposed as her lover: the base’s commanding officer, Captain J.R. Nettleton.
In CAGED: The True Story of Abuse, Betrayal, and GTMO Lara M. Sabanosh (formerly Lara Tur) speaks out about what really happened on that horrific night her husband disappeared—and throughout most of their nearly 20-year marriage—as well as her relationship with J.R. Nettleton. Writing from the perspective of both a victim and a victim advocate serving Navy families, she also makes an impassioned plea for change in the way domestic violence is handled within the military and government. “The civilian spouse, the government employee, is not a protected individual,” Sabanosh stresses. “Victims are punished in our current system.”
Lara first met Chris Tur in the winter of 1994. At the time, she was a college sophomore and barely 19. A six-foot-tall Marine full of bravado, Chris swept her off her feet. In December 1995, they were married and she was pregnant. Early on, Lara dismissed the red flags—Chris’s cruel jokes, erratic actions, excessive partying, and strained relationship with his family. A dishonorable military discharge, DUIs, and job losses followed, along with rages of increasing intensity and mounting secrets and lies. In the winter of 2010, Chris shared an employment possibility overseas. After battling loneliness, depression, and fear, and with two daughters to raise, Lara jumped on board, hoping for a fresh start at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station.
In CAGED, Lara Sabanosh recounts how she came into her own at GTMO, finding work she loved and quickly rising to a director role at the Fleet and Family Support Center. With this new career and a newfound self-confidence, Lara found the confidence to face Chris and his outbursts while standing on her two feet, no longer cowering to the abusive tirades. It seemed like they might be able to stay together and live separate lives—until Chris became jealous of Lara’s friendships, particularly with the “CO,” Captain Nettleton. At age 39, Lara had endured two decades with an abusive spouse. Over the years, a number of people had witnessed Chris’s verbal, emotional, and physical abuse toward her. People had heard him call her ugly, stupid, lazy, and worse. People had seen him slap her in the face, slamming her fingers in doors, pulling her hair, and choking her. People had peered at the holes in their walls, pretended not to see her bruises, and listened to his excuses. What happened on the last night of Christopher Tur’s life was not all that different: no one responded when she asked for help.
“Abuse within the military and government is a silent epidemic.” Sabanosh writes. “Domestic violence support should be available to all members of the military, government, and their dependents without the worry of reprisal, without having to fit into ‘someone’s’ quotas for criteria, without the worry of rank, and without issue about whom anyone works for. Program changes need to be made for the safety of those who sacrifice for our country… No one should wait to report abuse. No one should fear freedom. There should be no more cages.”
LARA M. SABANOSH spent much of her adult life as a wife, mother, and student, eventually completing two doctoral degrees. She is currently retired from government service, residing quietly in Pensacola, Florida, surrounded by her loving family, dogs, and grand puppies.
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