Episode 2: Mind and Spirit: The Inner Pull of Your Circle

How Nature Awakens Your True Self Embracing Aesthetic Emotions

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1765925/fan_mail/new]     Nature's beauty awakens our deepest, truest selves through aesthetic emotions, urging us to shed ego, fear, and judgment so we can fully embrace our authentic humanity and live with open-hearted wonder—reminding us that this beauty is always here, inviting us to open our senses to it without resistance, fostering vulnerability, connection, and a renewed sense of presence.  SHOW NOTES Quotes: Everything in nature invites us constantly to be what we are. —Gretel Ehrlich Social Media:  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/soulpodstudio [https://www.facebook.com/groups/soulpodstudio] X @SoulPodcastShow  Check Out The Soul Pod Video Channels: The SoulPod on Rumble [https://rumble.com/user/TheSoulPod] The SoulPod on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheSoulPodStudio] Spiritual Coaching - For free 30 minute Discovery Call https://www.stacey-wheeler.com/ [https://www.stacey-wheeler.com/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1765925/support] Has the show made a difference for you? Click this link [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1765925/supporters/new] for ways you can support the show.

Episode 2: Mind and Spirit: The Inner Pull of Your Circle

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1765925/fan_mail/new] Series: Keep the Keepers: Building an Honorable Circle for Joyful Living (A 3-Part Series on The Soul Podcast) Episode 2: Mind and Spirit: The Inner Pull of Your Circle In this episode: I explore why it's so hard to leave friendships or groups that quietly diminish us—even when we sense it's time. I cover the psychological roots of belonging and common reasons we stay stuck, like fear of loneliness and sunk costs, while blending in the spiritual side—how misaligned connections affect the soul. I use stories to show how change works: from Tim Allen’s turnaround -as well as my experience in The ManKind Project circles- to show the power of choosing uplifting bonds.  Key Takeaway: Struggling to let go is human; awareness is the gentle first step toward better circles.  Reflection Tool: Notice how you feel after time with friends—expanded or contracted? Just observe, no judgment. New episodes drop weekly. Share with someone feeling that quiet pull. SHOW NOTES Quotes:  “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” -Jim Rohn “The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.” – Epictetus  “Hang around funny people, because humor is contagious—and if you're surrounded by sourpusses, pretty soon you'll be the one making the funeral arrangements for your own joy.” - Garrison Keillor  “Nothing cheers the heart as much as the images of excellence reflected in the character of our companions.” – Marcus Aurelius More Information on The ManKind Project Worldwide: https://mankindproject.org/ [https://mankindproject.org/] USA: https://mkpusa.org/ [https://mkpusa.org/]  Social Media:  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/soulpodstudio [https://www.facebook.com/groups/soulpodstudio] X @SoulPodcastShow  Check Out The Soul Pod Video Channels: The SoulPod on Rumble [https://rumble.com/user/TheSoulPod] The SoulPod on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheSoulPodStudio] Spiritual Coaching - For free 30 minute Discovery Call https://www.stacey-wheeler.com/ [https://www.stacey-wheeler.com/] NOTE: Links to recommended reading material are affiliate links. You will pay the same price but a portion of your purchase will go to support The Soul Podcast Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1765925/support] Has the show made a difference for you? Click this link [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1765925/supporters/new] for ways you can support the show.

Episode 1: The Roots of Influence Why Your Circle Matters

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1765925/fan_mail/new] Series: Keep the Keepers: Building an Honorable Circle for Joyful Living (A 3-Part Series on The Soul Podcast) Episode 1: The Roots of Influence: Why Your Circle Matters In this opening episode, we explore a timeless truth: the people we surround ourselves with shape our character, our choices, and our joy far more than we often realize. Drawing from ancient wisdom—Stoic philosophers like Epictetus, Seneca, Pythagoras, and Marcus Aurelius, as well as the millennia-old concepts of Satya (truth) and Dharma (righteous path) from Hindu and Buddhist teachings—I show how honorable friends create a mutual ripple of growth, where we become both mentor and mentee. Through a personal childhood story about his mother’s simple yet profound advice—“Keep the keepers—and know the difference”—and a teaser of Tim Allen’s powerful turnaround, this episode lays the foundation for understanding why vetting our circle with integrity is essential for a joyful life. Key Takeaway: Awareness of who we let in is the first gentle step toward deeper alignment and authentic joy. Reflection Tool: List three qualities of integrity in your closest friends—then ask: Do they inspire me to grow? Do I feel like both giver and receiver? Listen now and begin curating the circle your soul deserves. New episodes drop weekly. Share with someone who might need this reminder. SHOW NOTES Quotes: “The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.” -Epictetus “Associate with those who will make a better man of you. Welcome those whom you yourself can improve. The process is mutual; for people learn while they teach.” -Seneca “Friends are as companions on a journey, who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life.” -Pythagoras “Nothing cheers the heart as much as the images of excellence reflected in the character of our companions.” -Marcus Aurelius Social Media: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/soulpodstudio [https://www.facebook.com/groups/soulpodstudio] X @SoulPodcastShow  Check Out The Soul Pod Video Channels: The SoulPod on Rumble [https://rumble.com/user/TheSoulPod] The SoulPod on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheSoulPodStudio]  Spiritual Coaching - For free 30 minute Discovery Call https://www.stacey-wheeler.com/ [https://www.stacey-wheeler.com/]  NOTE: Links to recommended reading material are affiliate links. You will pay the same price but a portion of your purchase will go to support The Soul Podcast Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1765925/support] Has the show made a difference for you? Click this link [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1765925/supporters/new] for ways you can support the show.

What Good Can I Do Here? A True Story of Land, Legacy, and Spiritual Emergence.

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1765925/fan_mail/new] One 72-year-old man quietly asked, “What good can I do here while I’m still on this earth?” — then donated nearly 900 acres of family land to the Kalispel Tribe instead of selling to developers. This episode explores Gary Verbrugge’s inspiring act of stewardship as a living example of spiritual emergence. Opening with Desmond Tutu’s wisdom and the Native proverb “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children,” it invites you to reflect on your own daily choices and the quiet legacy you’re creating. Little bits of good really can change everything. SHOW NOTES  Quotes: “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” -Desmond Tutu. Social Media: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/soulpodstudio [https://www.facebook.com/groups/soulpodstudio] X @SoulPodcastShow  Check Out The Soul Pod Video Channels: The SoulPod on Rumble [https://rumble.com/user/TheSoulPod] The SoulPod on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheSoulPodStudio]  Coaching - For free 30 minute Discovery Call https://www.stacey-wheeler.com/ [https://www.stacey-wheeler.com/]  NOTE: Links to recommended reading material are affiliate links. You will pay the same price but a portion of your purchase will go to support The Soul Podcast Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1765925/support] Has the show made a difference for you? Click this link [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1765925/supporters/new] for ways you can support the show.

What is The Great Emergence -Encore

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1765925/fan_mail/new] This is an encore episode which first appeared in Feb 2024.  We're entering a new period of spirituality. Some have called it the Age of Aquarius. It's an exciting time, And it turns out, this new age is a recurring cycle. Today I talk about The Great Emergence -what it is and how it will change our lives. SHOW NOTES My Videos The SoulPod on Rumble [https://rumble.com/user/TheSoulPod] The SoulPod on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheSoulPodStudio]  Links and References: The Great Emergence: How Christianity Is Changing and Why [https://amzn.to/3tSzII5] -Phyllis Tickle  *  Thank You- Pastor Dan Spacek, First Congregational Church – Auburn, CA website [https://www.1ccauburn.org/copy-of-about]  Quotes: “Anyone who thinks sitting in church can make you a Christian must also think that sitting in a garage can make you a car.” ― Garrison Keillor “Religion, whether we like it or not, is intimately tied to the culture in which it exists. One can argue—with only varying degrees of success, though—that private faith can exist independent of its cultural surround. When, however, two or three faith-filled believers come together, a religion—possibly more of a nascent or proto-religion—is formed." -Phyllis Tickle Music Attribution: In this episode I used Vlad-Gluschenko-Stars-Extended No. 3 by The Denotes | https://thedenotes.bandcamp.com  Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com  Creative Commons / Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US * I use affiliate links. A portion of your purchase from this link supports the show <3 Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1765925/support] Has the show made a difference for you? Click this link [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1765925/supporters/new] for ways you can support the show.