Belly of the Beast Life Stories & Beyond with David All

In thisBeyondstory, we revisit one of our earlier conversations with master healer Artie Wu to help us bring to life the liminal stage in our personal transformation pattern. I know this stage well, and I was able to recognize when I was in it, and how I created a vision board to let my soul guide my next big move in life. I'm sharing instructions on how to make yours and that exact vision board on the website [https://bellystory.com/s3e7]. Recognizing the threshold isn't a new idea. I've selected a poem that may connect to your soul from ancient Persian mystic, Rumi. We read poems dedicated to our listeners instead of advertising shills. Our stories are personal, designed for you to hear pieces of your own true nature reveal itself in every story. Wisdom for our Soul, Courage for your Journey. InBelly, we share our extraordinary life stories of personal transformation to let you know that you're not alone in yours and to inspire you to embrace every ounce of it. And Beyondstories helps us see the big picture, comprehending the patterns coming up. SHOULDER UP WITH US - 100% Advertising Free Your podcast is a safe and judgement free space. It's free of advertising and outside influence -- 100% listener powered. We dedicate a poem to folks in our community shouldering up with us. Consider a $5 donation atBellyStory.com/support [https://www.bellystory.com/support/]. Thank you for listening. I hope you're able to hear something meaningful. Warmly, David All Creator, Storyteller, Producer CO-CREATE OUR PODCAST To submit your extraordinary personal life story or to sign-up for new episode emails visit:BellyStory.com [https://www.bellystory.com/]

In this very personalBeyondstory, I wanted to share why it's so important to me that this podcast is not for sale. Why it matters that you, dear listeners and neighbors of the world, have a safe, judgement free space to listen, and notice what comes up. To do that, I take you back through my own pattern of storytelling; how I learned to tell stories by listening deeply to others tell theirs. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh shares that listening to others, with compassion and without offering advice or actions, is itself a healing instrument that the world needs now. Our stories are personal, designed for you to hear pieces of your own true nature reveal itself in every story. Wisdom for our Soul, Courage for your Journey. InBelly, we share our extraordinary life stories of personal transformation to let you know that you're not alone in yours and to inspire you to embrace every ounce of it. And Beyondstories helps us see the big picture, comprehending the patterns coming up. ENABLE OUR MISSION - 100% Advertising Free Your podcast is a safe and judgement free space. It's free of advertising and outside influence -- 100% listener supported. It's not on the market, it's not for sale. A podcast where you can listen and hear what's coming up. We dedicate a poem to folks in our community shouldering up with us. Crossing the line, letting us know that we're heard with a $5 donation atBellyStory.com/support [https://www.bellystory.com/support/]. Thank you for listening. I hope you're able to hear something meaningful. Warmly, David All Creator, Storyteller, Producer CO-CREATE OUR PODCAST To submit your extraordinary personal life story, to sign-up for new episode email updates, to contact us or support our mission with a donation, visit:BellyStory.com [https://www.bellystory.com/]

In this special New Year's Beyondstory, David All looks deeper into the meaning of that sweet, familiar song, Auld Lang Syne, a poem attributed to Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns. Before you turn the page and burn the book on 2020, turn around and remember the 'Good old days' and all those days in between. Wisdom for our Soul, Courage for your Journey. InBelly, we share our extraordinary life stories of personal transformation to illustrate the nature of personal transformation.Beyondhelps us go beyond personal stories to comprehend the overall pattern of transformation. ENABLE OUR MISSION Your podcast is a sacred space and judgment free zone. It's free of advertising and outside influence -- 100% listener supported. A podcast where you can feel safe to listen and know that you're not alone. Transformation is scary, but not a single butterfly has ever attempted to climb back into the cocoon. To keep us advertising free and support our mission to heal, inspire and shape lives with extraordinary personal life stories, chip-in $5 a month atBellyStory.com/support [https://www.bellystory.com/support/]. Thank you for listening. Warmly, David All Creator, Storyteller, Producer CO-CREATE OUR PODCAST To submit your story, sign-up for new episode emails, contact us or support our mission with a donation, visit: BellyStory.com [https://www.bellystory.com/]

Corey Cepeda's transformation to become a better man didn't happen overnight, but that journey did begin one night in a jail cell long ago. That night, on his knees on the coldest concrete floor in an intimate jail cell, he committed to ending his rough lifestyle, a typical example in the pattern of fatherlessness led him there. In the darkness of that oubliette, his soul noticed the light - his decision to forge checks meant that he would miss his first daughter's baptism. A kenshō moment where he glimpsed his true nature and like a seed that can't be unplanted, would change him forever. He grabbed the Bible, dropped to his knees, and started his process of transformation by surrendering. And asking for forgiveness from a higher power. Corey's determination and commitment to changing his life is an inspiring story of personal realization, clear awareness, and what it really takes to climb up a better man. OUR STORY Hey there, welcome to Season 3 of Belly of the Beast Life Stories with David All [https://www.BellyStory.com/s3e3]. This third season of life is a rare collection of stories of men that grew up without a biological father around. It's helping me comprehend my own life story of fatherlessness, and showing folks that it's a pattern worth breaking to be a better man. At some point during this season, I'll share my own belly story, but until then, good men like Corey are standing for all of us to share their story, to inspire us and give us courage to reveal our own true nature. That's the purpose of this podcast as I comprehend it today: Wisdom for our Soul -- Courage for your Journey. This is your podcast for extraordinary personal life stories. Each story illustrates the nature of personal transformation. A change that forced us down into the dark, gooey stage of life where we found our purpose and climbed up a new person. ENABLE OUR MISSION Your podcast is a sacred space and judgment free zone. It's free of advertising and outside influence -- 100% listener supported. A podcast where you can feel safe to listen and know that you're not alone. Transformation is scary, but not a single butterfly has ever attempted to climb back into the cocoon. To keep us advertising free and support our mission to heal, inspire and shape lives with extraordinary personal life stories, chip-in $5 a month at BellyStory.com/support [https://www.bellystory.com/support/]. Thank you for listening. Warmly, David All Creator, Storyteller, Producer CO-CREATE OUR PODCAST To submit your story, sign-up for new episode emails, contact us or support our mission with a donation, visit: BellyStory.com [https://www.bellystory.com]

At first glance, you might wonder why Christian Long, a man with multiple fathers, would be featured in a series on fatherlessness. Good question. It’s true that Christian has a biological father, but he was out of the picture before Christian was three years old and only emerged again when Christian was 25. Christian also had three stepfathers (and three different last names.) Thanks to his wife, he has a father-in-law… So there is no shortage of fathers in his life. What’s missing, though, was a dad – a safe, constant male figure in his life. The story of Christian’s father-void is still not over. At age 50, he’s still processing how his experience of fatherlessness has affected his temperament, his fears, and his relationships – especially his relationship with his own children. As he reflects, a deep, raw honesty emerges. It’s real. It’s is a place of acceptance. And it’s hopeful. By the way, here's a link to Christian's poem, "Imagining [https://thinklab.typepad.com/becketttobe/2009/02/contextberkeley-to-be-countdown-less-than-a-month-to-goimaginingit-starts-like-spring-lambs-wool-caresses-papaim-im.html]," that we discuss in the story. OUR STORY Hey there, welcome to Season 3 of Belly of the Beast Life Stories. I’m David All. It’s another season of life here at the podcast. This third season is a very rare collection of stories by men who share the golden thread of growing up with an absent biological father and broke the pattern to be a good man. I’ll be sharing my own Belly story later this season. And let me tell you that a year ago, when we launched this show, I didn’t realize this was my Belly story. Wisdom for our Soul -- Courage for your Journey. Extraordinary life stories illustrate the nature of personal transformation. A change that forced us down into the dark, gooey stage of life where we found our purpose and climbed up a new person. Our podcast has a purpose — a mission to heal, inspire and shape lives with extraordinary life stories. Stand with us — Visit BellyStory.com to share your story, listen and subscribe, sign-up for episode updates and chip-in, and enable our mission. EPISODE SUMMARY Part I - Christian reflects on having multiple fathers -- stepfathers and a biological father –- yet he had a dad-void. - Christian’s childhood memories of his biological father are so few, whatever in-person memories exist happened at or before the age of two. - Christian’s first stepfather insisted on adopting him. Years later, Christian realized the adoption was not based on love for him as a child; it was nothing more than a negotiation, a poker move of sorts. - Once a year, Christian visited his paternal grandparents, and once while he was there, he spoke with his father on the phone, though at the time, he didn’t know who he was. - Anger, often suppressed or masquerading as sarcasm, has been a constant companion of Christian’s. - The threat of violence from his stepfather left Christian on edge, scared, and looking for outlets away from home. - Christian describes a difficult time in his marriage when he moved out for a couple of months and how the responsibility he felt as a father helped pull him back home. Part II - Christian shares why he believes his children are what held his marriage together through a rocky time. - Christian reflects on the lines of a poem he wrote for his daughter, Berkeley. - Christian articulates why feeling love is so difficult. - Christian describes the work of healing from being fatherless. - Christian describes his online community of men who choose to be honest and vulnerable with one another. Part III - In some ways, Christina feels like he’s just beginning -- just beginning to discover himself, to feel. It’s never too late to start. QUOTABLES “The first thing that Christian said to me about his story was that it might not be a good fit for this season, because he still feels the deep wound of fatherlessness.” “The idea of thinking of who was my dad in an intimate, emotional, close way is a moving target for me.” “I was in a constant state of discomfort and also trying to protect my mother but doing it through sarcasm or one-liners.” “While I didn't take that violence out on people I cared about, that violence becomes passive but just as detrimental in other ways.” “My kids were my salvation. When I wasn't sure about me and I wasn't sure about my career, my skills, I wasn't sure about my marriage, whether I was lovable or could love in return, my kids, even at a young age, were my salvation.” “if there hadn't been kids, I don't think there would have been a way back. I don't think, for my wife, I would have been enough to bring back, and I don't think I would have felt there was a place to go back to.” “What I felt deep, deep, deep is that those kids were the way back, that my wife and I, our relationship was possible because those kids would bring us back together as a family.” “It was like I didn't know how to exist until they arrived.” “I have spent a lot of my life assuming and feeling that the people that I was meant to love or I was meant to feel their love were going to disappear.” “I look at the kids and I'm still in awe that my daughter really deeply loves me. And I'm still super intimidated and feel a pain, like a breaking, when my son doesn't need his dad.” “That just to be in a space where good human beings will talk deeply about what guides them and what they're challenged by... It's also just a helluva lot less lonely. You're not stuck in your lane. So I keep showing up. I keep welcoming them back.” “This is the moment. The past story doesn't have to be the next story.” “Identity, I think it's out in front of me. It's time to go lay claim. It's time to feel good. It's time to say this is the life that was meant to happen.” LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST -"Imagining [https://thinklab.typepad.com/becketttobe/2009/02/contextberkeley-to-be-countdown-less-than-a-month-to-goimaginingit-starts-like-spring-lambs-wool-caresses-papaim-im.html]" poem by Christian Long discussed in story - Founder / Host of the "Oh, Sh*t" Sessions: a virtual gathering of 'good men' from around the world who come together each month to explore the "Oh, Sh*t" moments in their life -- now and in the past -- as well as to define the ways they are seeking to make a purposeful impact in their future. Interested to learn more / participate? Reach out directly via: longchristian@gmail.com - TEDx Indianapolis talk -- "Wonder, By Design": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R68Yhd--RY - We Are Unusual talk -- "Creating the Conditions for Wonder": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsA6LZpoJ3w - The WONDER Project (work) website: https://www.wonderproject.org/ - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianadamslong/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianlong/ ENABLE OUR MISSION Your podcast is a sacred space and judgment free zone. It's free of advertising and outside influence -- 100% listener supported. A podcast where you can feel safe to listen and know that you're not alone. Transformation is scary, but not a single butterfly has ever attempted to climb back into the cocoon. To keep us advertising free and support our mission to heal, inspire and shape lives with extraordinary personal life stories, chip-in $5 a month at BellyStory.com/support [https://www.bellystory.com/support/]. Thank you for listening. Warmly, David All Creator, Storyteller, Producer CO-CREATE OUR PODCAST To submit your story, sign-up for new episode emails, contact us or support our mission with a donation, visit: BellyStory.com [https://www.bellystory.com/]