The secret way to mental wellness

Mental wellness expert Casie Petersen shares her steps that launched her mental wellness (including her rewarding career) and made her a mentor to many who wish to pursue holistic mental wellness (including at work.

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Tools for Vitality: Therapy, Coaching, Optimizing Nutrition and Movement for Mental Wellness

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And I'm so honored to be here with Sarah Holman. And we have Casey Peterson who is visiting with us today. And I'm so grateful to hear from her because her big theme, as I've heard from her before, is the topic of hope. And I feel that that's specifically important in this day and age. And in so even I felt like how we met was a really divine set up to want to say maybe August or September 2019 in the food line, learning about mental resilience. So could you catch us up a little bit? Casey, what are you know who you are, and what you are passionate about what you do? Absolutely. And well, I actually am in Denver, Colorado, and it's a snowy day as to why I'm hope. You're in California. But I'm getting ready to head out I am a mother of for a while i'd my wife first of course, and for 38 years and a mother of four adult children and then I have six grandbabies in one cookin. So seven, I guess I should say. Yes, so. So that's my real passion that I have. God has blessed my life with children and with grandchildren. And that's, you know why I want to be the best I can be for them and for my husband. And so learning how to be my best through the gut brain connection. And what Omari has brought to my life and the hope that is given me, you know, I actually am on a journey for to create a nonprofit that I'm going to entitle hope inside. And that starts with my faith and Christ in dwelling in me. That's my number one first hope. My second hope is what I found through the gut brain connection and how that has really made a difference in my life and actually given me a more mindfulness of the hope that I have inside and really focusing on that and really given me strength mentally. And then to the hope inside my marriage and inside my family, the resiliency that, that focusing on mental wellness has given to my, you know, the ripple effect to my marriage to my family. And being the best me that I can be. Wow, yes. So So yeah. So you mentioned the gut brain access. You mentioned, Amari, so so and I said, I introduced you to Sarah and in each other as being both intrapreneurs. So you've you've you're partnering with with Amari to, to help with your own with your own health, and then perhaps with others. That kind of the best, that's beautiful. Yeah, I've been an entrepreneur since 1993. I actually came into the arena of supplementation through direct sales and network marketing. And when I Well, when God provided a couple of wonderful women in my life, I don't know if you've heard me talk about them civil But no, yeah. So in 1993, I met two women, one that was a mother of four, she was a microbiologist, and the other woman was a mother of six, and she was in the medical field as a nuclear med tech. These would be her exact words that I heard with her as I've mentored with her, and that she would tell people all the time is that she went into the medicine to help heal it help help people. And she saw, you know, she worked with oncologist, so she saw more death and dying than she did healing. And that's what to occur into the more natural solutions. And that's what and so I was mentored by them. I learned so much. I mean, I learned about probiotics when probiotics weren't popular, and through, you know, through the microbiologist, you know, in the early 90s Yeah, my convictions go very strong through the education and the mentorship that I got from a couple of really amazing women that God brought into my life so I know connections really matter Wow. That already brought to brought us to the next question right Sarah? She's like spot on. Yeah, you know, yeah, spot ask just gonna say Yeah. Thank you. Okay, so I'm looking at the experience Yeah, development and yeah, I mean, I I Richmond and you're wondering about his right there's kind of a delay I'm sorry if I've stepped No, no, I think you're good because I think we were just talking about Sarah is also well as they have a lot of snow. So she Have a fade in and out, but just do the best that we can to snore. Where are you at? Where are you located? I am in New York, we are getting a huge snowstorm. Right in the brunt of it. Oh, wow. I cut out in the middle kind of in the middle, kind of in the middle. But I think there you go, you hit on on that question really do feel that the connection and mentoring really brought you to the place where you're at, you know, over the years, right? I mean, that is so amazing to hear that and I'm so excited that you had those divine appointments as well to meet these ladies. So when away, so thinking about then your own pursued your own growth? Is it more that you go with those relationships? Or are you more into taking a class and mastermind any books? or How so? Or it could be just the relational learning? What would you feel is a good resource? Oh, this is a good question. Um, you know, I'm, I would have been really focused on the term self discovery, right. So it's our self discuss, so we can be influenced by people. But when we actually self discover, for our own selves, that's when it goes deep inside. In fact, I just got off of a Bible study that I lead, and I was telling the women that, you know, we can go to church, and we can be taught by the pastor who's done all the research and all the searching, and we can kind of feel satisfied. But when we actually go, and we learn how to search and discover for ourselves, that's when we're really enriched in our faith, you know, and so it was within the conversation. And so I believe that we get influenced by personal connection with people. But we really are solidified by our own self discovery. And I did that. So I met these women who led me to books that I dove myself into, like about supplementation about, you know, how you how you can heal yourself. So there was a couple books that were really important in my first beginnings, in this field of, of health and wellness through supplementation through natural means. One was, I didn't I don't have my props here. Sometimes I'll have that one was by the bulges, and it's natural healing. Oh, gosh, it's a book that I use forever, because I could look up any herb or any, you know, mineral or anything. Did you know so I have that book with me all the time. And I would look at supplements and I would see what you know, the ingredients and then look at that source. And then the other book that the my very beginnings, just because to the root of who I am, was a book called Life extensions. And it's like a book, you know, this thick of MIT geniuses that wrote it, and just really about the natural forms of how, you know, the body is so amazing. Yes. I mean, it's like, yeah, if you give it the right fuel, you don't have to be the pet pet car on the road, you can be a racecar, you know. So it's amazing the difference in what we feed our, you know, our vehicle that we go through this life end, and how that can change. If we give it what it can, the best we can give it to perform the best so and now of course, we know I do have a prop. So this book is what really has made a difference in my life. And that is the mind gut connection with Dr. Imran Meyer. And this is he's really the grandfather in the science of the gut brain connection, you know, how our gut has an influence on our behavior on our you know, our thinking it actually has a difference in our thinking, you know, so, and I've personally experienced that. Yes. And I think once you start self exploring like that, how you describe it, I couldn't say it. As succinctly as you said it, then you really feel it from the inside really coming to your right. And I think it's just getting into the, you know, optimization of our vehicle, so to speak. Yes, I mean, that's so profound. Thank you. Yes. So both, we need people, but we need to self discover, like I cannot, even with the team that I'm building with my business. They'll ask questions and as you know, a good leader will teach people to fight like, what is it the saying is that you can you can give a man a fish or you can teach a man how to fish right? If you give a man a fish he eats for a day, if you teach him how to fish he'll eat for a lifetime, right? So that's how it is you we have to teach people How to do things or to self discover so that they learn how to do it for themselves. Absolutely, yeah. Thank you. I think that I had a lot of experience with that, do you? Yeah. I'd love to hear. Yeah, just like, just as an entrepreneur, you know, like, I've been in the field for about two years now, just learning and listening to other people. And, you know, watching the mentor and guide you, and it's different. When they, you know, provide you information. They're like, okay, here's how you implement it, and then you start doing it on your own, then, you know, teacher, man to fish kind of thing. You know, and that, that sort of guides the path of sort of your own experiences and different things you can pick up along the way. So then you can sort of pay it forward to another person, you know, that's, yeah, it's always a, like, an insightful gift of that. Yeah, the ripple effect of learning. Yeah, that's great. So do you feel that there's other stressors nowadays that, you know, you encounter or hearing from your team? hearing from, you know, the customers? Maybe, like, different from when you started? I mean, you've been in the field for such a long time? You've probably seen a lot. I've seen a lot. Yeah. And, you know, I I just say, you know, I'm, I think there's just in today's world, there's so much noise. And I think it's really narrowing down what we listened to, and really staying focused on our mission. You know, I think that that's really like I told you my hope inside, right, so my vision for my, for my nonprofit. And really, it's to. So my person that I want to help is, is women who have, who want to grow themselves and be stronger for their families, for their marriages, for their children, for their grandchildren, because that's who I am. Right. And I have I have to have victory, I want to say, right, Yes, I think so. That's your mission. Yeah, exactly. And so, I think that, in today's world, that I think this the difference between what was back in the 90s, is there's so much more noise in today's world we have with between all the social media, and there's so much that's grasping for our time. So actually to sit and to self discover and really get it deep inside, and have it change you, you'd have to be very mindful to do that. And so I try and lead, you know, I have young, younger women on my team, and I tried to lead them into that place of, of where I was, and why I'm so strong in who I am. And what I believe is because I self discovered, you know, yes. And I think that is really a change the information technology change the whole idea of discovery, right? I mean, it used to be you have to go to the library and pull a book even by you. So you know, you have like one slice, you know, nowadays, it's just, you have this huge funnel, and you got to always funnel it down and filter. I couldn't agree more, I think the same thing about just looking always to build a filter to have kind of less, less distraction. And so, so let's see that self discovery is probably one of those systems or if we have a process how you personally grow. And is there any other? Let's see, so do you feel it's I because I think it is so hard to turn off the noise? Do you think that as well with your team? Or is it just you know, because it could be just could be just me, right? You know, because we're always with ourselves? Or like, what would you think that that helps me, yourself or others when they when you really see them thrive and succeed? I think connection is really personal or connecting with other people. So the more that we can, people can bond with people if you know you want to change a half to into a want to write. So anything I think success comes from loving what you do and not having to do it but you want to do it. You know you because you love what you do. And I honestly love what I do. I love making a difference in people's lives. I love what it said for me and I and so sharing my story has an impact that can ripple and can inspire. And then for me it's like that makes my life worth living. Like that's gives me purpose. So I think that people need to to know their purpose, if you can discover your purpose and why you're living on this earth, you know, and then you know it, you're unstoppable, you know, you just have to keep going. So yes, that's what I always tell my daughter, I'm like, if we can just harness that passion of yours, right, you will be unstoppable. We just got to harness it, right, we got to just refine it, sometimes even or put away what is not as beneficial, or what we feel could be self sabotaging, or, you know, could be even to the detriment of others. So now, so let's see, if you think now even about this huge span of time that you got to be in the field with the mental wellness movement, so to speak, do you think I mean, is this are we like at a breaking point in terms of solutions? Or how do you feel? Or are we just like on a normal trajectory into more and more, you know, more and more knowledge driven? You know, development of products? Or how do you feel? Is it like more like a spiky development that you feel you're right at the cusp of is really taking off? Well, I bring it up again, you know, I mean, this is really cutting edge science. And I actually hosted a i, somebody shared with me a documentary series, I don't know if you're familiar with it. It's called interconnected. And it's all talking about the microbiome. And it's, you know, I mean, there's so much information, we could be on here for an hour. Yeah. I look that up, you know, yeah. But the, the whole gut brain connection and understanding the power of the microbes, right, and even this time that we're in with the whole COVID thing, right? It's like, this is something that you can't see yet it can have such a drastic effect on our lives, and the power of the microbes. And that's really what Dr. Dr. Imran Meyer talks about. And, you know, and so it's really bringing, again, it's bringing that mindfulness of what does that mean, you know, what this what is the power of the micros mean? What does you know, what does gut health mean? Or, or include, so there's a whole education piece, but if you can make it simple, like our Dr. Sean Who has created our products, and you know, I love the garden analogy, I don't know if you use this one civil, but so if you picture your gut is a garden, right, and it grows, good seed, it grows, you know, good healthy fruits and vegetables, and it grows weeds, like those weeds just happen, right? They just happen because they both did the wind and you can't see them. You can't see no one ever plant seeds for weeds, like does anyone plant seeds for weeks, you know, we don't even know they just come they just you know, do all these weeds come from because of the power of the microbe right? So those seeds and plant, the same happens in our gut, right? And so if our gut is overtaken by weeds, right, and that's a sign of bad behavior, that's a sign of bad thoughts, that's a sign of not being healthy is when the gut is actually unhealthy. It's an unhealthy garden. So you're looking to change that environment, right, we're gonna change the gut environment, to grow healthy, growing, you know, fruits, vegetables, flowers, whatever it is you want to grow in your garden. Well, you got these great new seeds that we have, you know, the good probiotics that have been proven those, you know, those sources of microbes have been proven to create higher levels of serotonin higher levels of dopamine and GABA that happy neurotransmitters and I don't know who we're talking to here. But these are new, you know, if you don't know about this, this is something you can self discover. So and, and you can experience it for yourself. So if you go to that gut that garden, and you see it's full of weeds, you've got these new seeds to grow this wonderful, these wonderful flowers and plants. And are you going to leave those seeds in that in that garden? Or are you going to get rid of the I'm sorry, are you going to leave those weeds in that garden Are you going to get rid of them? generally a good gardener will get rid of the the weeds before they plant the new seeds. You can throw those seeds in with the weeds but you're not going to get the same healthy plants to healthy you know, neurotransmitters that you're doing in your in your gut garden. So I like to call the gut the garden, you know that we choose to fertilize. We choose you know what we eat what what we put in our gut depends on and what produces in our gut depends on what how we take care of it. And so just that simple analogy help this really deep rooted science that came into my life three years ago. You know, I mean, I was in the field of health and wellness, but not in the sense of how the impact that the gut had on the brain. And when I experienced it for myself, I just dove in and self discovered and, and I love to educate I love to help people understand it, and it's so they can experience it for themselves. And I think that is such a key as well, just to experience that, that relief. And I you know, even for me to, you know, to to walk, do that self discovery, it is such an amazing difference what that inner, it's kind of like a different balance in your, in your ecosystem, what that can bring, and how that really can lift you up. without, you know, I mean, it is incredible. I am, I was as probably as blown away as when you started your journey, how significantly you felt it shifting. And I do love that, that it's not any outside distraction, it's not making more money, it's not having kids that are better aligned or less teenager ish. You know, it's really that, you know, the body being able to optimize itself. And I think it's such a fantastic sign of creation, right? I mean, how is that even designed, that our body can just do that work? And we could just, you know, as we can encourage others to optimize? You know, it's, it's amazing. So if people want to hear more from you, and about your journey and things that you've discovered, and I can put the notes about the books you reference, thank you so much for those in the, you know, little description, how can they best talk to you are, how can they find you best? Gosh, you know, I mean, they can contact me, if you were, I think they should go to us civil, because we're just friends that have met through this company. And so, now I actually I have a website that's not yet launched. Like I said, I really have this vision of called hope inside. And I actually am looking to create a podcast where I talk about this, but my heart is really to help. You know, one of the things that you know it within my faith, if you have faith, you have the ability to forgive. And if you have the ability to forgive, then you're able to conquer shame and blame. And that's really what my you know, I was stuck in shame. I was stuck in blame. And through the gut brain connection and being healed of you know, my ability to do those things. My mental ability, because I had the faith, like I had the ability in my faith, but I didn't have the ability mentally, like I wasn't strong enough mentally. And so it's really this combination. And that, you know, you have to self discover, you know, and so hope inside is is my goal to get there. So I don't have that done yet. This might be a little you know, I people told me I need to write a book. The other day, I've been speaking, but I don't have anything official. It's funny, too. I hung out with a microbiologist in a nuclear med tech. And I don't have any letters behind my name, because actually, the letters in front of my name are the most important to me as the missus is actually more important than any PhD I could put behind my name, because it's what really has brought that's right life. And so, so I like to encourage that. And I've gone through a lot, going back telling my whole story here that I can bring inspiration and healing and that's really what hope inside is going to be about. And, and, you know, with Omari, it's gonna be a vehicle to get me to make the biggest splash and the biggest impact that my time here on earth is going to bring so yes, definitely. Yeah, but we have the same solutions, you know, so I'm here. Then we connected and yes, and I always feel so inspired when I hear you. I'm like, Oh my goodness, can I share that with others? So thank you so much. I mean, that's so rich. And it's really I couldn't even say it better if we think about the lens of psychology, it's it's really that piece what you so beautifully described, really, to help the mind and the body and really to, to launch into our fullest, you know, how we were designed, what we were meant, what our purpose is, as we discovered daily, so to speak. So thank you so much for your beautiful time. And it's been so rich, even just to have that share, and I'm sure there's going to be much appreciation of you making that time and your busy schedule with the snow and everything going on. And yes, I I'm excited. And as you have these pieces come in with the podcast and the book, which we can already claim for you, you know, if that's a piece, you know, as a message, you just let me know. And I can forward that as well to my contacts and the ones that are wanting to grow and thrive. So thank you so much for your time. I so appreciate it. Thank you for having me. Absolutely. Okay. I talk to you soon. Thank you so much.