Episode #13: Choosing A Beautiful Life with Kara Brandt

Speaker A: Welcome to the Visionary Life, a podcast designed to give entrepreneurs a, uh, behind the scenes look at what it means to embrace all of who you are, to break free from the mold and create your multi dimensional impact by living out your soul's purpose. You'll be witness to storytelling, interviews and true confessions from those who've risen beyond the fold so that you can embody what it means to be the visionary. I'm your host, Megan Rupert, and this is, uh, the Visionary Life.

Speaker B: Welcome back.

Speaker A: Today I have a friend and client jumping in to share her story of really embracing self. Some of the deepest and darkest moments that we experience just as human beings in general, but how visionaries are able to transform those experiences and transcend those experiences to really guide us forward on our path. So Kara Brant is a visionary warrior who is passionate about empowering others, especially women, to stop being the victim and claim their rightful place as a CEO of their minds, their, their bodies and their lives. She's passionate about sharing what it takes to create a beautiful life now, no matter the circumstances. And she has just recently launched her podcast, the Beautiful Life, and I am

Speaker C: just so honored to have her on today.

Speaker A: Her story in and of itself is just enough to just inspire you to go after whatever it is that is,

Speaker C: uh, driving you forward. So, so with that, let's dive into

Speaker A: my conversation with Cara Brandt.

Speaker B: Hi. I'm so excited to be here.

Speaker C: I am so thrilled to have you here today. It's been so much fun watching your journey over the last few months, getting to know you. And as visionaries, there's like this like, kind of like a twinkle in the eye that you're like, oh, I see you, like, oh, there you are doing your thing and like just really like, you have this, like, this absolute knowing about what you are doing. This like, confidence in the way that your moving and the actions that you're taking. You really have this like, mastery that I have really, really just loved watching. It's, it's really just so impressive and honorable and all of that. I'm really excited to have this conversation with you today.

Speaker B: Wow. Well, thank you.

Speaker C: Uh, awesome. All right, so where I would love to start with you today? Like, can you just tell us, like in your, like, from your heart space, like, what are you here to do on this planet? Like, what is the work that you're moving out into the world?

Speaker B: Oh, gosh. Um, I want people to remember who they are and remember that they have something to claim inside of them. You know, they have a purpose, they have a mission. And so Often they allow all the other noise to hold them back from whatever it is they came to this planet to do. And if I can help them shed away all that noise and really come home to center, that's. That's what I feel called to do.

Speaker A: Mm.

Speaker C: Amazing. And, I mean, I guess that's like. What you just said is like a perfect reflection of how I'm seeing you. So you are absolutely, like, walking the talk, which is visionaries sometimes we know so much. So it can be really easy to. To talk about all the things and maybe not be fully living into all the things and. Which is something I've definitely had my own journey with, and I've seen a lot of other people struggle with because, you know, there's. There's the gap between the knowing and the doing. So how did you get to this place?

Speaker B: Well, first of all, thank you for that generous compliment. It's so. It's just nice to get that feedback, because when you're just doing your thing and you're doing your best and inside of yourself, there's always insecurities. There's always, you know, that feeling of, uh, shifting and expanding, and it's sometimes really uncomfortable. So to get that feedback is really, really nice to hear that. So thank you. I feel like it's one of the best compliments anyone could give me, actually. Um, it's been a journey. It's been a journey, and it's been. It's been work, you know? And, um, I remember when I first sort of came into the personal development world, I, um, just was. I was a watcher. I was. I just kind of soaked it all in, and I watched and I paid attention to the people that I wanted to aspire to. As far as the results that they were getting, I really watched. What was the difference between them. Them and the other people who were just talking? And it was that difference of they were living what they were teaching to the best of their ability. Right. Nobody's perfect. We're always gonna. Gonna mess up. And. And they were the people who were boldly just going and doing. They were. They were. They were living. They were really living their lives, and they weren't afraid to mess up. They were also really humble and teachable. So these were some of the qualities that I started to pay attention to, and I thought that's. That's what I. I want to be that kind of mentor, you know? And honestly, I didn't really choose this field. I feel like it chose me. Right. I don't know if this is the Time to tell my story. You can ask me questions.

Speaker C: Go for it. Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker B: But the point is it chose. It definitely chose me. And, um, and I just made a conscious choice to, to go with it. But, um, I was a professionally trained opera singer. I was going to sing on all the stages. And, um, chronic illness pulled that rug out from under me. And it was a circumstance that at the time, I didn't have any control over. It was devastating because my husband is also a singer, and he was going off and doing the things so he could provide for us. And I was at home in the trenches with the kids, sick and suicidal and hating my life and so obviously feeling really disconnected from my purpose, which I thought was my purpose, you know, and I had a. You know, we all have our breaking point. We all have that moment of decision where enough is enough. Um, after so many years of being told the doctors didn't know what to do with me, and so many years of not knowing what to do, so many years of wanting to leave the planet, you know, there was a point where I realized that my kids deserved to have a mom that was really present, that was really awake, that was really living, you know, the life that I would want them to have. I remember I was pregnant with my third baby and I was just like, really pregnant. And I was so, so sick and just having all the victimhood and the feeling sorry for myself and you know how just hitting that rock bottom. And I ended up having a mini stroke. Uh, in that moment, I fell asleep. My other two kids were by themselves and left unattended for probably three and a half hours. And when I woke up from that, I couldn't talk, I couldn't walk, and I was freaking out inside of my head, but I had no control over my body or my voice. And so I couldn't do anything about it. So I had no idea if they were okay. The house was totally silent. Two little boys under the age of six. I mean, you can imagine what your brain does. And. And so I'm panicking. The worst case scenario is going through my head. Eventually I get up and I move. It took me like 30 minutes to get up and able to move. And I find them, they're fine. They found the TV and we're watching cartoon and everything was fine. But there was something in me that just switched and was like, enough is enough. I am not living this anyway. I have to make a choice to either live or be done with this life, you know? And I chose to live and not just stay alive, but to live, to really, like, engage in life, to, like, wake up, to get outside of the box of where I was thinking and being. And. And that just started my journey of really getting into outside of the box of Western medicine and, you know, holistic modalities, energy work, um, mindfulness, you know, all that stuff just started. It's amazing when you make a decision and you just, like, break out of that, that all this stuff just comes to you. It just. It finds you. And I met all these people within a short span who taught me all these different things, and I just soaked it up and. And long story short, you know, I decided to get, like, certified in stuff. I became a Reiki master teacher. And. And I'm like, I'm just doing this for myself and my kids. And then my kids didn't want anything to do with it. My husband thought it was weird. And I'm getting better. I'm like, can you guys not see that I. My body is transforming my. The way I behave, you know, because I was actually kind of abusive to my kids because I was in all my old childhood trauma. I was in all my stuff and old patterns. I'm like, you guys have a nicer mom. Can you guys not see, like. So it was just really funny to see how they were just kind of like, whatever, do your thing, mom. And. And I started getting better and better. And as a result, I started saying, well, I don't want to lose this. So I started working on people and mentoring people. I'm like, gosh, I really have a gift here. And I remember making a decision early on that if I'm going to do this, I've got to be. Well, I can't be sick trying to help other people. And so I always put a priority on my own health and my own stuff. I mean, there were times when I would forget. There was times when that savior complex, you know, I'm talking about, where, like, I gotta fix everybody. All my old stuff would kind of come into my work. And so then I would just. As I would identify those things, I'd work through it. And so it's been a journey. It's been many years of doing the work consistently every single day, making a conscious choice every single day to just shed all the noise, shed all this stuff, and to be uncomfortable, you know, to go to places that are vulnerable and unknown. Um, you know, I'm always. And I was actually doing my meditation this morning, feeling really uncomfortable again, feeling really like, okay, what's going on here? And now I have the wisdom to know that, oh, I'm expanding again. This is so good. And instead of feeling threatened by it, I'm like, uh, like, what is. What's the next, like, place I get to go? That was the long answer to your question. But I appreciate the. That you noticing that. And. And it's been. It's been a journey.

Speaker C: Yeah, for sure. Uh, well, I had chills. That whole story, that's like, wow. Like, I knew parts of that story. I did not know that whole story. And that is just like, just, oh, my gosh, Like, I was. I was there with you, just like, feeling that. And. And I'm sure, you know, like, we all have those moments, I think, like, uh, we visionaries, we all have those moments where we came to this certain point and it was like, no more. And I just. I love how, you know, like, the flip of the switch. And I also was thinking about how, like, you know, all of a sudden, like, you made that decision. All these things started kind of flooding into you, and it's like, did they come flooding into you or was it just that, like, you're like, that part of your brain, that part of your knowing just, like, opens up so that you could allow all of that to come in. Right. Because, uh, my belief is it's all inside of us already. It's just a matter of opening those channels. Right. And giving ourselves the time and the discipline to allow ourselves to, like, to. To come to those next levels of knowing. Um.

Speaker B: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. And then when you're new to all, when you're new to that experience and that feeling, it does feel like, well, where'd all this stuff come from? You know, and. But it really is about when you align inside with what? You know, with truth and, And. And with your higher self. It's really more about awakening and remembering. Because you're right. It is all there. It's always been there.

Speaker C: Absolutely. And I want to come back to this, like, making a decision and, you know, like, the everyday piece. And I. I saw this post yesterday. I think I shared it in my stories. It was like, oh, that magic. Like that magic pill that you're looking for is called discipline. And I'm like, that's it. Like, I want to print that out, post it up on the wall. Like, you know, like, yeah, it's so true. And like, you just. You really painted it perfectly. Is like every day we get to make a decision about how we're going to show up. Am I going to skip my meditation? Am I going to skip getting up early? Am I going to hit the snooze button. Am um, I going to go scroll and get triggered by compare and despair? Like, am I going to go into these places that I can decide to go down that pathway or I can decide to go a different way and um, and really trust and really let and really, um, how. I'd love to hear like a little bit more about your process and like, you know, maybe some of the things that you face on a regular basis and how you manage that, but I'm just going to kind of hand the mic over to you and we'll see where this goes.

Speaker B: Oh, that's loaded. Okay, um, first of all, there's way more going on in here than people ever know. Um, there's still that part of me that I spent years training on the stage. The fake it till you make it. So I'm still, I feel like I'm still shedding the, some of those layers of performance, you know, and in holding it together and stuff like that, I'm a lot more open and authentic about like, yeah, this is still a thing. And just know that in case, lest you think I have it all together, you know, there are often times when I feel like a hot mess inside, but because I have the experience and the wisdom now to know better, to know that the chaos is part of the growth and the expansion, you know, there's chaos in creation and so I have just a different attitude and perspective. So when I'm feeling vulnerable, I don't feel a need to talk about it a lot with a lot of other people. I might say, oh, I might share it with my people, with my tribe. There's times when I'm like, I feel really called to say, yeah, this is a vulnerable moment for me. You're not alone. Everyone's kind of feeling this, but generally it's like I just go inward and, and just say, okay, what's going on? You know? And um, it's kind of part of the process that I teach in the inner guru method that I created is, um, just sort of a really simple process of connecting to your inner guru, connecting to your body. And um, it really starts with that awareness, you know, the noticing what you're noticing. It's like you gotta, you gotta be willing to kind of stop what you're doing because we get in this like, go, go, go, go. Which I'm a recovering over work, recovering people pleaser. All the things really, it's really a moment to moment. It's not this. And it's become, I guess it's become a way of life. It's become a lifestyle of observation and just kind of, oh, gosh. And I feel a lot of things in my physical body, which is why I had chronic illness for so many years. All the emotional stuff was manifesting physically, and so I'm really blessed that way, where I get that signal real quick in my body, and I'm going, oh, okay, let's go. All right. Hi, Bodi. And so I stop what I'm doing. I literally push the pause button on my life, and I just sit with it, and I allow the emotions to come to the surface. I allow myself to feel it. I cry the ugly cries. I don't think it's ugly. I think it's a beautiful thing. Um, and I literally will. Will, like, say, will you excuse me for a minute? And I'll go to, like, the bathroom stall if I'm in public, and I'll sit on the toilet, and I'll ball my eyes out for two minutes, and I'll just get it done and get it out. Where old me was numb. I was completely shut off to all those emotions, and therefore it manifested in my body. In fact, I'll never forget the first Reiki session I had. I'm laying there and, like, she's. Her hands are super hot, and she's like, well, my hands are actually feeling cold to me. And, like, all this stuff is happening. I'm just laying there, and I cannot cry, but I feel all this stuff coming up, and I can't cry because there's just this barrier. And. And so it's just really cool to see, like, gosh, years down the road how far I've come, and. And it. And I want to teach this to people in the sense that, like, emotions don't have to be scary. We judge them. Um, we judge all that discomfort because our amygdala is saying, danger, danger. You know, our brains, like, going off in that fight or flight. Because as a culture, as a society, and, uh, I don't want to make that a blanket statement, because not every culture is like that. Not every society is like that. But what I grew up in, I was programmed not to feel it, to suck it up, to tough it out. It's really unhealthy. And so then you'd have those beliefs about, okay, oh, I feel uncomfortable, so it must be bad. And yet. And that vulnerable place, I always say, is like the. The. The most fertile soil for the best learning and the best growth. And so then I lean into it. So I'm Feeling it. And I lean into it and I breathe into it, and I just let it move. And then the next step is I get to the truth. Okay? I'm feeling all this stuff. All these thoughts are going through my mind about how I perceive is go, you know, what I perceive about what's happening, the stories that I tell myself. And then I say, okay, what can I be 100% certain is true in this moment? But I can't do that until I feel it, right? And so then I get to the truth. All right? The truth is. And then I. Then I can go about my day. And so that's really just a really simple practice that I use on the daily. But I can tell you what I'm. I feel vulnerable a lot. I'm shifting all the time. And I just learned how to flow with it and embrace it. And sometimes I don't flow with it because old stuff comes up that hasn't been healed yet, and it gets clunky. And that's when I'm like, okay, you know, so that's a little bit of a glimpse into my process, I guess.

Speaker C: Oh, I love it. I love it. And I so much. I see so much of myself in that. In, uh, that as well. Because that's. I mean, I think a lot of us women and, you know, and being raised in Western culture is, you know, there's. There's also like the people pleaser too thing too, I think is a really big thing. And that can get really intense. And I'm seeing it too, like inner child stuff as well. You know, raised, we know as moms, like, this really brings this stuff up to the surface. But I love that you're like, really in that process. Like you said, like, if I'm out and I need to go, like, excuse myself and go to the bathroom and go take them minute to like, to get it together. That's beautiful because it's like a part of this whole thing about really learning how to heal the way we work and heal from those, like, toxic, you know, and because the work shows up, it's not just your work. And you have. It's like your work, the work. It's like the journey. And like, where are we trying to achieve healing to get to some supposed next level? I used to, um. You know, something that I used to, like, I would go hand in hand was like, oh, well, once I can heal, I can manifest. Once I can heal, I'll hit a certain level of success once I get to this, right? It was just this, like, this Toxic achievement syndrome of, you know, where we brought it into even something that was so beautiful as actually going in and feeling our feelings and crying and all of that. And so, you know, I think we can see that kind of peak up in. In anything that we're doing. Amazing.

Speaker B: Um, you were saying something about how we kind of want to wait until we get to a certain point to do and to live. And that was totally me. Like, I just really resonate with that because it was like, uh, the fear of being seen imperfect or the fear of messing up or the fear of getting it wrong was really a deep programming with the childhood trauma that I. That I grew up with or that I. I took on, you know, or I chose into inad. And, um, what's been so beautiful about the last couple of years is just feeling like, gosh, I do some of my best work when I'm in the thick of it. M. And learning how. Because what I would do is I'd hit the ceiling, and I'd be like, back pack, back pedal, backpedal, backpedal. Oh, it's too uncomfortable. It's too vulnerable. I need to gather myself. And then when I'm more presentable. But I've learned to just keep. Stay the course, just keep going, keep those routines, keep showing up on some level. And sometimes showing up means I cancel an appointment and I go have a nap. Because it's intentional, right? It's not reactive. It's proactive. So I just love that you said that, because I just feel like so many people, especially the visionaries, you know, visionaries, oftentimes, they have this vision of what's possible, right? And that perfectionism comes in. It's like, oh, this is this amazing vision, and you want so bad for that vision to come into physical reality. Well. Well, then there's that temptation to not actually propel yourself towards that, you know, physical creation and tell or, like, to let the world see it maybe until it's like, it's there, it's done. It's how you envision it. But I would always be like, well, it's never how I envisioned it. And then I would just get. Get so stuck in that perfectionism. And instead, learning how to just embrace the imperfect has actually become a really fun part of the creation process. When in the past, it would be so triggering, you know, so the imperfect, the. Yeah, the chaos of it all would be so deeply triggering to me. And now it's like, well, isn't this fun?

Speaker C: Like, it's like when you're a, uh.

Speaker B: Kid and you're like playing with the paints and you're getting all messy and you're just loving the paint. Paints all over your hand and you're get making it messier. And when you're in that space of just flow of creation, you don't care about the mess. You don't care that it's getting on your clothes, you know, and just channeling that. Anyway, I just wanted to talk more about that.

Speaker C: No, I love that. And it's funny because it has me thinking. There was this day where my kids were playing with the paint and, um, Lucy was painting. And then she starts. So Lucy's two and a half, so she like starts like painting herself. And then Ollie was like, oh, that looks fun. So he starts painting her. And I remember walking outside and like, you know, the adult in me is, oh my gosh, this is going to be a hot mess. Like, this is crazy. And. But then it was like the moment of being like, oh, wait, this is like they're not screaming at each other. They're not fighting over the paint. Like there's, you know, like, it's. It's washable because I don't buy anything that wouldn't be washable. So like, this might. Might require a little bit of cleanup after this. But like, let me just settle in and be. And like, ah, let them really enjoy this special moment that they're having. And I will get to remember this. And maybe they will, maybe they won't. But it's all about this very moment right here. And so that just made me think of that as like, where we have this, um, you know, that there's that being in the mess and then also like feeling the trigger of being in the mess and then reminding yourself, like, no, no, this is a part of it and it's beautiful and it's ok and we can let go. And it's like, as I say each of those words and I feel like this is almost, um. Maybe you can tell me if you experience this too, is. It's like as we acknowledge each kind of untruth, which is, oh my gosh, this is a mess I have to clean up. This has to stop. It's like, you know, we kind of have this, like this tightening. And I always think of it as the spiral, right? We have this like. We have the spiraling up, which is like the positive energy, and it like expands and it gets bigger and then we have the spiraling down, which starts like, really, really tight, and then it starts to get bigger and heavier and like, wider. And it' like, I can almost feel, like, in that moment, walking outside. Oh, my gosh, it's a mess. What am I gonna have to do? And it's like that. That getting deeper and deeper and deeper into that spiral. And then it's like, wait, uh, I can breathe. Okay. Moving back up into the spiral. This is. Okay. They're having fun. This is art. This is beautiful. This is a special moment for me. And we have this, like, expansion moment where, like, with each moment that you're telling yourself what's really true, like, what you said. I love the way you said it. Is we can relax a little bit more. A little bit more. A little bit more. And I know so much of your healing has been, you know, like you said, you feel it in your body. Um, I'd love if you could share maybe this has been a phenomenon that I've noticed, which is, like, so much of my healing is about unwinding and loosening the grip and settling in and letting go and, like, unwinding my nervous system. And so I'm curious, like, how that has, um, played out with your healing as well.

Speaker B: Oh, I love that description. And I've experienced it so much like that. And unwinding. Unraveling would be another word that I would use where I'm literally unraveling from the binds or the bonds of false beliefs, you know, um, limiting beliefs that. The stories about, you know, my experiences growing up, that in my undeveloped childhood brain, you know, I didn't know any better but to perceive them that way. But then I get to unravel all of that, and there's literally, like, uh, my experiences. There's a physical unraveling because the body keeps the score there. The body holds all of that energy in it, and it translates to the cells. It comes through your DNA. It's a very physical, tangible thing. And while not everyone feels it to the extent that I do or other people like me do, it's still in the cells. And so the cells, if you could look at them under a microscope, the CE of, um, an emotionally constricted person, they're very closed m. And there's. They. They deal with circulation issues. They deal with autoimmune issues. They. You know, there. There's a lack of flow going through just the very. On the cellular level. And so as we're unraveling all of this stuff, it will, like, the. The physical cells will begin to open, and the body's ability to regenerate and restore itself will just be kind of a natural Flow and approach helping people with chronic health issues from this mindfulness, you know, emotional perspective. Because it's. Everything's created twice. It had a spiritual creation before it became physical. And so we can look at the symptoms all day long and try to treat the symptoms all day long, but we're never really getting to the root of things and the core of things.

Speaker C: I love that. It's funny, too. I have this, um. I have this book. It's called the Encyclopedia of Ailments. And it is, um, this dictionary that. It's like, anything that you're feeling, like, you can look it up and you can get, you know, the deeper meaning of it. And so, you know, somebody will be like, oh, man, my arm. And I'm like, hold on. And I go run and get my book. And then I'm like, reading them the, you know, what's in there. It is.

Speaker B: It's so true.

Speaker C: Like, if we can. I mean, and not to say, like, you know, if you have, like, a broken leg, that we're just going to meditate and it's going to heal itself, like, no, but, like, let's look at, you know, like, let's take care of the emergency, but also let's look at what's actually happening here. Like, there's so many messages hidden in plain sight at all times for us to be able to tap in and get clear on what might be going on. And I know, like, right here, this has been, like a chronic thing, um, on my shoulder where I get really bad knots in my shoulders. And I actually used to say this. And I'll never forget when I had a massage therapist actually kind of reflect back to me. What I was saying is, like, when, you know, you go to get a massage and they say, like, oh, so, um, you know, where do you need, like, what's going on? Where do you need help? And I'm like, oh, well, you know, it's my shoulders. Like, I carry the weight of the

Speaker A: world on my shoulders.

Speaker C: And, like, I always would just say it. So, like, you know, because I did more or less. But then, like, I. And he reflected back to me. He was like, oh, wow, really? And it was like, nobody had ever kind of pushed back on that before. And so it was in that moment I was like, megan, what are you saying? You know, and this. I was already on my spiritual journey at this point. And so I'm like, here I am manifesting, carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. And so, long story short, whenever I find myself in a moment where I Am. Am holding the weight of my shoulders. I put so much pressure. I'm sure you do. The same thing where we put so much pressure on ourselves, um, as mothers, business owners, wives, like humans, that I will. I end up with some sort of, like a knot or something is out of whack in my shoulders, and it's like, hey, knock, knock. Okay, I gave you some opportunities to

Speaker B: see what you were doing.

Speaker C: You didn't see it yet. Here's the knot so that you can check in and, like, do what you want to do.

Speaker B: The body is so amazing. It's so great at talking to us and giving those. Those signals. You know, a lot of people, especially those dealing with chronic health issues, that they're not really aware of that, uh, mind body connection yet. So the body's really good at talking to us and the signals that it tells us, and they're not. If they're. If you can clue into those signals instead of being in victimhood, you know, a lot of people that don't understand that connection, they're in victimhood and they're like, my body never shows up for me. And that was totally me. My body just, uh, you know, gosh, I'm just dealing with this physical issue and I can't figure it out. And I don't know. And it's really funny because now my perspective is, um, it's right there in front of you. You know, those messages, those signals are here as day and, like, right in front of your nose, you know, and we just don't know how to listen. And so that's why I love teaching those skills of learning how to listen. How do you listen effectively? There's an art to it. There's a skill cultivation in learning how to listen to your body, how to listen to your own inner voice of wisdom and truth. And as long as you're in that victimhood about it, and you're like, gosh, this dumb should. I'm just carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders, you know, and we tell those stories. I love that you, like, finally you're, like, realized, oh, duh, you know, I mean, I've had a lot of no duh moments, and where you're like, oh, that was so simple and right in front of my face. And I've just learned to laugh about it because it's like, okay, my human nature is still there and still is a little daft at times. And I'm not judging. It's just funny, you know? Um, but the body. Body is really designed to support us and work with us. And it just, it really knows how to regenerate and restore itself if it's given the right support. But the best support has to begin with how we're thinking and perceiving and the stories that, that we, we carry and put out into the world. You know, that's where it has to begin. And yes, it's not like, uh, I'll meditate now and my body will. Will suddenly heal. Well, there actually are situations where if it hasn't gotten to a point where it's create dis. Ease in the body to the point where there's physical support needed, it will, you know, if you can identify, it will just melt away. In some cases, it will just go away. But you're right, but it has to start with that awareness. You know, we have to just start noticing those things and being okay with the, the imperfection of like, oh, duh, you know, like, I guess I should. It's really tempting to judge ourselves and be like, well, I should have known that. But you didn't. So that's the truth. You didn't know, but now you do. And that's, that's what we can focus on is like, well, now you know, and you can do something great with that.

Speaker C: Yes, yes. I love that. And there's, um, the saying Ram Dass has that I always love. It's like, why don't you try being human for a little while? Like, we're so busy being spiritual, right? So it's like in those moments where you're like, well done. Oh, right. Because I'm a human being and it's 2023 and this is what it is and like, it's okay and like, let's just forgive ourselves and learn what we need to learn and then move fun. And that's beautiful.

Speaker B: Like normalizing it. Can we just normalize the, the chaos of creation? Normalize the imperfectness? And uh, it's a beautiful part of us. It's not anything to ever judge or shame. It's the, the. The imperfect, the will. The part of us that like a toddler is willing to just learn how to walk without any fear, without any judgment. We can channel that same energy and just be like, embrace. And it as such a beautiful space and a necessary part of the visionary process. Like if we really want to, to live a visionary life, we really want to connect to that vision. We have to be willing to play and experiment. You know, how many times did, um, Thomas Edison fail and he'd never saw it as a failure. He's like, well, I just was practice, you know, it's like I'm just practicing. Well, that didn't work. That didn't work. That didn't work. Okay. We're playing. It's a play. It's the visionary. Life to me is a, it's a playground. And if we can see it that way, it's like we're way more effective in accomplishing what we want to accomplish, first of all. But we're happier doing it. We're more at peace doing it. We're connecting more to other people in the process doing it.

Speaker C: Right. And if you're not, what the heck is the point anyway?

Speaker B: Exactly. Like go get a nine to five, you know? Yeah, go. Yeah, go, go go numb out again, you know?

Speaker C: Yes, absolutely. All right, I want to talk shop for a couple of minutes because you just had an epic launch into a new program I want to hear all about. So tell us about this program. Who are you working with in this program? Like what is it all about? Tell us about the launch. Like I'm just going to hand it over.

Speaker B: Oh, okay. Thank you. I appreciate that opportunity. So, um, launched my Inner Guru Academy, which is a year long deep dive, Mind, body, spirit, transformational experience. And it's really heavily focused on not only developing emotional intelligence and resilience, but learning how to um, listen and trust your own inner voice of wisdom and truth, which I call the Inner Guru, which is why it's called the Inner Guru Academy. And so that, that's what that is. And I've got um, my first group is going great guns and they're getting all kinds of uncomfortable now. We're in like week four or five now and, and they're, they're starting to really feel the discomfort of transformation. And I always tell people like, if you're diving into this year long thing, this is like, this is not for the faint of heart. You have to be ready to invest. Not just like the money part is like the easy part. Anyone can put, you know, money out to invest in something, but are you willing to show up every day for yourself? Right? And so this is really an intensive deep dive. And then I have a little mini inner Guru academy that I'm launching mid February called uh, it's just an eight week and it's just the eight most important principles that I teach in the Inner Guru method, um, that I created that you, in the Inner Guru Academy you learn the Inner Guru method and um, you learn how to facilitate it for yourself and maybe for, you know, your loved ones. Um, and um, so yeah, I'm just feeling really ah, like this is really a huge part of my sole purpose is, is to teach these principles. And I feel like that's the single most important skill that I learned to heal my body to overcome those years and years and years of, of the. Not just the chronic health physical stuff but the depression, the anxiety, the suicidal ideation, the childhood trauma trauma. Um, none. All the modalities that I've tried, all the supplements I've tried, the oils, the you know, there's all these great tools and things out there to use. But this, the tool that I'm teaching in the interview academy I believe is what got me where I am today. Really doing the work, the inner work every single day. So yeah, super excited about it. Yay.

Speaker C: I didn't know you were doing a smaller, a smaller option for it too. So that's to being able to get into your year long. They can still get, get in with you. It's amazing. I also wanted to just like, you know, one of the things that I've really enjoyed, you know, having you inside of, um, the six figure scale system, this program that Athena and I were running, um, it's been so beautiful watching you really just like take a set of tools and completely make them yours. And I love it because like again coming back to what I said in the beginning of this conversation was, you know, you really have shown up in this process in such a beautiful where you're like I'm just doing the work, I'm just showing up. And I think a lot of people get lost in the okay, well this is how it's supposed to be done. This is how it's supposed to look. This is what they told me to do and so I'm going to do it this way. And like, and you really have just been like, okay, I have this model and now I'm going to take this and make this mine and go and run with. You are really in your fullness and really uh, like trusting in yourself and letting that inner guidance lead and doing the work every day, showing up, not being, being in victimhood, really being a massive creator in your own life that it doesn't matter what strategy, what method you use, you're going to get to where you are meant to get to because you're just, you're along for the ride. You're more just a vessel for the information and the transformation than you are, you know, this human, successful business owner, CEO kind of vibe. Right?

Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, and that's the benefit of really being in what I call the being space. I'm not. Not being in thinking or doing. Thinking you're doing has a place. You know, we have to sometimes think through things and we kind of. We're gathering our resources, we're gathering information, and. And sometimes we're like, weighing out the options and then there's the actual taking action part. But most people aren't spending enough time in the being.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker B: Really connecting to their higher self. Being still in the present moment, connecting to what's true in the present moment, what's possible in the present moment. And it's true. You know, that's something that I feel is just really a magic. Um, it's not magic, it's science. You know, the science of. Of just being present and learning those skills of connecting and doing the work, I feel allows us to get outside of the analysis paralysis, get outside of the box of what we saw, what we've always done. And, um, thanks for noticing. It's been a really fun ride. I still feel like there's aspects that I haven't, um, that maybe I'm not getting yet. And that's okay. Okay. But I'm accepting that. And, you know, we're just showing up. You just gotta show up.

Speaker C: That's it. Right? It's. It's just showing up. And like, not just like, okay, well, I'm here today, but like, fully showing up in the process. And I think the results speak volumes. I mean, what did you end up closing your launch out at? Uh, um, it.

Speaker B: Just a little bit over 30 grand.

Speaker C: Amazing.

Speaker A: Amazing.

Speaker C: Yeah, amazing. That's so beautiful. And like, that's it. I mean, that's like, it's. It really, if you fully show up in the process, you know that you are really just an instrument of what is inside and what comes through and what is. You know, it's. It's like, how can I just be in this moment and. And really be open to what is available and take action from that space? And you're just such a shining example of that.

Speaker B: Thank you.

Speaker C: I appreciate that. Absolutely. So, okay, Kara, tell everybody where can find you. How can they connect with you?

Speaker B: Well, there's a couple of different places I would say. First of all, go to my website, beautiful life mentoring.com and there you can, um, learn more about the inner Guru Academy. You can access my free Facebook group, um, where it's just a free community, where I offer consistent, um, content and support. And, um, and you can. That's kind of where you can access my podcast That I have called. That's the beauty editor. It and my blog and all of that stuff. So.

Speaker C: Awesome. Um, perfect. Perfect. Okay, one last question before we wrap here. I always like to ask is like, what would you say is the number one pattern that you get to work through on a consistent basis and is really just kind of like, oh, that old friend there. Hey, what would that be for you?

Speaker B: Oh, the first thing that comes to mind is distraction. Um, getting distracted by the voice, voices saying you can't do it or oh, that's, you know, too hard. Or getting distracted by just the noise of the world. Getting distracted by social media going down the rabbit holes. The little. Just the little pockets of time that, that I allow, I give away freely because I'm allowing distraction to come in. So I would say, like, that's a really fresh one for me right now, is really honing in and dialing into to, okay, what am I trying to avoid? What you know, And I think that's really across the board what a lot of people deal with, you know, being easily distracted and counteracting that with a decision. For me, it's like, I gotta make a decision of like, am I gonna poop or get off the pot? You know, like at some point we have to kind of make that decision of like, you know, I want to live. I don't want to sleep my way through life anymore. I don't want to be in pain my whole life. I want to. I want to be free of all of that. You. And so, uh, yeah, I would say that would be the number one.

Speaker C: That's a. That's a really good one because I, I would beg to. I beg to believe that. I think probably 99.5% of the people who are listening to this right now are dealing with that on some level. Um, distraction is a thing for sure. For sure.

Speaker B: Well, I'm legitimately, like, I've been diagnosed on the ADHD spectrum, combined types, adhd. And so it's something that legitimately was sort of a brain wiring thing too. But I testament that like I'm high functioning now because of the work that I do. And while it's still kind of that little, little thing that keeps coming in, it's possible to. We just gotta squelch it.

Speaker C: Yes, yes, exactly. I am also adhd. And it is, yeah, it's. It's a journey and it's like consistently coming back and making a decision. I mean, I go down that path. How can I leverage this beauty, like this beautiful, you know, acronym that I have and there's like, there's good to it and there's challenging to it, and it's like, how can I ride the wave? And we need down a pathway that's going to take me further away from where I want to go, so. For sure.

Speaker B: It's been honestly such a gift as a visionary because I got this creative genius aspect of my brain that just goes off on these creative tangents. And just learning how to channel that, you know, into really productive ways has been. Been the challenge or been the opportunity to step.

Speaker C: Yes. Kara, thank you so much for sharing some space and time with me today. Um, this has been such a beautiful conversation, and I'm just celebrating you on your path. Um, all that you've created, all that you are creating for those of you listening who are feeling called, everything that, um, Kara referenced is in the show notes so you can get access, um, get in her world. Like, this is. This is such good stuff. There's so, so much beauty to be gathered from. From here. Yeah. So to wrap here, Kara, thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much.

Speaker A: Much.

Speaker C: Thank you.

Speaker B: Megan, it's been a pleasure. I appreciate it so much.

Speaker C: Absolutely. All right, my friends, well, as always, I hope that this has been a valuable use of your time today, and thank you so much, and we'll see you on the next episode.

Speaker A: Ciao.