The Perfectly Imperfect Journey

Follow Your Bliss with Leslie McGuirk

In this episode we welcome Leslie McGuirk to the podcast.  When she was young, a teacher told Leslie she lacked creativity; she heard this same refrain from publishers years later.  And yet, Leslie knew she had something to say.  With a little nudge from an astrologer that she met when she was 19, Leslie became an internationally recognized illustrator and book author.  That nudge led to a deep curiosity about astrology.  Listen in as we hear about Leslie’s journey, her strong belief that astrology is like an orchestra and with the right guide, all of us can play our most beautiful music.  We are inspired by Leslie’s guidance to follow your bliss, own your gifts and never play small.  

 

“Follow your bliss and don’t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be. If you follow your bliss, doors will open for you that wouldn’t have opened for anyone else.”  ~Joseph Campbell

 

About Leslie McGuirk: Leslie McGuirk is an internationally acclaimed astrologer who is breaking new ground in the world of mental health as she collaborates with western trained doctors to put forth a new vision for holistic healing.  Her book, THE POWER OF MERCURY (Harper Collins 2016)  explains how she sees humans as having an owner’s manual or pattern which is your natal chart showing where all the planets and constellations were at the time of birth.   

For twenty years, she has been a presenter at Rancho La Puerta (the number one destination spa in the world) along with Red Mountain Spa, Paul Gaughin Cruise Line, Campowerment, and many corporations.   Her popular talks on astrology as human design (not fortune telling) have been breaking attendance records for years.   

Leslie’s passion is to instruct people how to read astrology charts.  She is the founder of The Astrology Wisdom Academy where she brings astrology to life using creativity and storytelling.

Links:
Website: www.Leslie McGuirk.com
TEDx talk: The Importance of Being Wrong | Leslie McGuirk | TEDxHollywood
The Power of Mercury: Understanding Mercury Retrograde and Unlocking the Astrological Secrets of Communication: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Mercury-Understanding-Astrological-Communication-ebook/dp/B01B1AFT30/ 

Social Media:
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/luckystarleslie
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-mcguirk-750b728/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lesliemcguirkastrology
Instagram: @lesliemcguirkastrology 

A conversation with Darren Gold on building an extraordinary life

In this episode we welcome Darren Gold, Managing Partner at Trium Group, and author of Master Your Code.  Darren shares his philosophy around building an extraordinary life and some of the amazing lessons he has learned throughout his life.  Our  discussion was full of rich wisdom around paying attention on purpose, not getting stuck in either / or  thinking and finding inspiration in continual learning.  Darren believes we all have a superpower around choosing the meaning we give the circumstances of our life - the perfect, the imperfect and everything in between.  He  encourages us to pay attention both to our gut and to our rational minds, which reminds us of one of our favorite Albert Einstein quotes:  

 

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” Albert Einstein

 

About Darren Gold: I am a Managing Partner of The Trium Group, where I serve as an executive coach to the CEOs of many of the world’s most influential companies. I am the author of the book Master Your Code: The Art, Wisdom, and Science of Leading an Extraordinary Life. The book has received significant praise from the CEOs of companies like The Home Depot, Lululemon, Dropbox, StubHub, Roche, and from experts in the field of leadership and personal development like Greg McKeown, author of the NYT best seller Essentialism. The feedback has been tremendous, with some calling Master Your Code “the most important thing I’ve read in years” and “one of the great personal development books of our generation.”

 

Links:

https://www.darrenjgold.com/

Master Your Code: The Art, Wisdom, and Science of Leading an Extraordinary Life: https://www.amazon.com/Master-Your-Code-Science-Extraordinary-ebook/dp/B07XJ1M4S1/ 

Darren’s recent TedX talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/darren_gold_the_secret_to_an_extraordinary_life 

Twitter:  darrenjgold

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrengold-unlockingpotential/

A conversation with Donna Peek on grit, grace, and finding wisdom in unexpected places

In this episode we welcome Donna Peek for a conversation about her  perfectly imperfect journey. Donna has exemplified grit and grace throughout her life as she has sought to find joy even in her darkest moments, reminding us that joy can be present even when happiness isn’t.  So much of Donna’s story is about actively choosing to see the positive, even when incredibly difficult.   We are inspired by Donna’s ability to find wisdom from expected and unexpected sources, and the way she has heeded that guidance to create an amazingly fulfilled life.  Donna leaves us with strong wisdom about about how setting boundaries is really about loving ourselves, which reminded us of this Anna Taylor quote:

Love yourself enough to set boundaries. Your time and energy are precious. You get to choose how you use it. You teach people how to treat you by deciding what you will and won’t accept. – Anna Taylor

Vulnerability

In this episode, Anne and Sherry talk about the importance of authenticity and vulnerability in the pursuit of a fulfilling life. Sharing one’s more tender side is never easy. Which is why we feel lucky to be joined by a few close friends as we explore the different forms vulnerability takes, as well as the profound impact that “letting yourself be seen” can have on relationships. We also talk about the power of beliefs, reflection and trust. We are so grateful to Michelle Batiste, Bridgette Corridan, Suzanne Beaumont, and Rachel Smith for their insightful thoughts.  And to Brene Brown who has inspired much of this conversation.  We end this podcast with one of her quotes:

Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy courage, empathy, and creativity

Sliding Doors

In this second episode, Sherry and Anne talk about their own perfectly imperfect journeys.  With a little bit of inspiration from the 1998 film starring Gwyneth Paltrow, we discuss how the seemingly innocuous moments in all of our lives can have a profound impact on us, when we are awake and paying attention.  We discuss the power of perspectives, curiosity, “choosing to believe” statements and reflect on the lines from a famous  Robert Frost Poem:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Here We Go

Join Anne Robie and Sherry Essig as we launch our new Podcast.  In this episode, you’ll hear a little about who we are, how we met, how we came up with the crazy idea of doing a podcast together and what a “perfectly imperfect” journey is all about.  Given the fact we have no idea where this podcast will lead us, we are inspired by a quote from Thomas Merton: “You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.”