Imagine facing PTSD, chronic pain, and a relentless head injury all within a span of four years. Now imagine, within that same period, discovering a profound joy amidst your challenges. That's the incredible journey of Robin Shear; international keynote speaker, bestselling author, and joy coach who joins me in today's episode. We delve into her inspiring story and her book, 'Messy Joy: How Joy Can Begin Before Your Difficulties End'. She shares valuable insights into the power of connection and forgiveness, and unearths the beauty in obstacles and the importance of knowing your 'why'.
Robin's story is not just about overcoming adversity but also about connecting with people from all walks of life. Growing up in a small town with a single mother who showed her the power of sacrifice, Robin learned early on the power of connection. We explore her journey of moving beyond the familiar and exploring the world with a curiosity and eagerness to learn.
As we reach the crux of our conversation, we consider the contagious nature of joy and how it can spread from person to person. Robin emphasizes the importance of serving others, expressing gratitude, and trusting God's plan for our lives. The power of her words is a testament to the strength and resilience we all have within us. Join us as we explore these enlightening topics and more in this candid conversation.
Website: https://www.joytotheworldcoaching.com/
Messy Joy: https://www.amazon.com/Messy-Joy-Begin-Before-Difficulties-ebook/dp/B0BNWCH5YJ
Want more joy in life? Robin would like to gift you with 30 days of Journal Questions from Messy Joy to help you have it: joytotheworldcoaching.com/messyjoyquestions
@joycoachrobin on LinkedIn, Facebook, IG, YouTube
https://bamboolab3.com/
Imagine facing PTSD, chronic pain, and a relentless head injury all within a span of four years. Now imagine, within that same period, discovering a profound joy amidst your challenges. That's the incredible journey of Robin Shear; international keynote speaker, bestselling author, and joy coach who joins me in today's episode. We delve into her inspiring story and her book, 'Messy Joy: How Joy Can Begin Before Your Difficulties End'. She shares valuable insights into the power of connection and forgiveness, and unearths the beauty in obstacles and the importance of knowing your 'why'.
Robin's story is not just about overcoming adversity but also about connecting with people from all walks of life. Growing up in a small town with a single mother who showed her the power of sacrifice, Robin learned early on the power of connection. We explore her journey of moving beyond the familiar and exploring the world with a curiosity and eagerness to learn.
As we reach the crux of our conversation, we consider the contagious nature of joy and how it can spread from person to person. Robin emphasizes the importance of serving others, expressing gratitude, and trusting God's plan for our lives. The power of her words is a testament to the strength and resilience we all have within us. Join us as we explore these enlightening topics and more in this candid conversation.
Website: https://www.joytotheworldcoaching.com/
Messy Joy: https://www.amazon.com/Messy-Joy-Begin-Before-Difficulties-ebook/dp/B0BNWCH5YJ
Want more joy in life? Robin would like to gift you with 30 days of Journal Questions from Messy Joy to help you have it: joytotheworldcoaching.com/messyjoyquestions
@joycoachrobin on LinkedIn, Facebook, IG, YouTube
https://bamboolab3.com/
Hello and welcome to the Bamboo Lab podcast with your host, Pete Performance Coach, Brian Bosley. Are you stuck on the hamster wheel of life, spinning and spinning but not really moving forward? Are you ready to jump off and soar? Are you finally ready to sculpt your life? If so, you've landed in the right place. This podcast is created and broadcast just for you, All of you strivers, thrivers and survivors out there. If you'd like to learn more about Brian and the Bamboo Lab, feel free to reach out to explore your true peak level at wwwBambooLab3.com.
Speaker 2:Well, hello everyone and welcome to this week's show. I gotta tell you, folks, we have an amazing guest on today. So a few weeks ago I had the distinct pleasure of sharing the stage with Robin, who our guest is today in East Lansing, michigan, and afterward we got to talking. I was so impressed by just her ability and this vibe she gives out that just made when I was talking to her I felt like I was the only person in the room of 200 people, and so afterward we got to sit down. She came to our table and sat down and I'm like, hey, I need to put you on my show and despite her busy schedule, she said yes. So today, folks, we have Robin Sheeran.
Speaker 2:Robin is an international keynote speaker, bestselling author and a joy coach. What she does is she helps depleted givers feel good again so they can give from a place of fulfillment and fullness. She's spoken at a TEDx, detroit National Head Start Association, national Organization for Human Services, disrupt HR and the Michigan Health Care Association. What she really does and I got to see here in action she really ignites the audience. She's got an amazingly fun, just this vibrant spirit where, when you're listening to her and watching it, she makes learning fun. In the next few months she'll be speaking in Minnesota and in South Africa I mean many other places.
Speaker 2:She went through a difficult time at one point. Within a four year time frame she coped with PTSD, incurable chronic pain, an unrelenting head injury and a lot more, but yet joy. She fell in joy within that mess and because of that she wrote this book that is called Messy Joy how Joy Can Begin Before your Difficulties End. So I want you to think about that how joy can begin before your difficulties end. And what it does is it helps readers like you know how to find joy in your own life despite your circumstances. Amazon ranked it a number one new release, so that's pretty fantastic.
Speaker 2:But here's a really impressive thing as well. Robin has been interviewed in Time Magazine, the Wall Street Journal and one of my favorite periodicals, psychology Today. She's an ICF certified life coach and has been a dietitian, a youth pastor and an activity director for Seniors with Dementia. Currently, despite her busy schedule when she's not jet setting and speaking and writing and coaching, she and her husband find joy in making memories with their two adult children and their spouses, and those six make up their six pack, which I love. They live in Michigan with their attention star Golden Doodle, who we might hear in the background today, and their Golden Doodle likes to get on camera and steal the show, so hopefully that little Golden Doodle does today. So my new friend from the last six weeks, robin Shear, welcome to the Bamboo Lab podcast.
Speaker 3:Brian, it's so hard to be quiet when you're reading that because there's so many things that made me laugh, not just the intro, but you know, when you talked about oh, it actually kind of touched me when you said that I had the ability to make you feel like the only person in a room full of 200 people. That means a lot to me. My daughter once said something similar to me mom, you know how to make people feel important and you have no idea. You know sometimes that you have different abilities or whatever, until someone else points that out and that one means the world to me. So thanks for having me oh, you're welcome.
Speaker 2:I remember walking. You know, before you and I were both on stage. I was walking from the front of the stage to the back of the stage, so I always like to go up and then kind of come back and look at what the room looks like from that angle before we go up on stage. And I was walking, you stopped me in the hallway and said I know you Okay, from LinkedIn. I'm like yeah, okay, yeah, okay.
Speaker 2:And then we talked for a few moments and of course we had to depart so we could both get ready. But it was like you know, it was just I felt like man, that woman makes you feel like you're, like you're walking on water. I got to go talk to her after we're done and luckily that we were right. You know, you and I were right. I think we were, I was right before you or you're right before me when we spoke. So we got a little chance quote unquote backstage to communicate as well. So then afterwards, you know, I always think that, you know, they always said Bill Clinton was really good at making people feel like they are the only person in the room when they, when they, I was like you know, but whatever you think, people think of Bill Clinton, it's one good thing he had man, he had some decent leadership skills.
Speaker 3:So he really did, and I think that anybody who has felt like they were the only person in the room like appreciates what a gift that is to receive. So, having received that, you want to share that. You know how good it feels to be heard and seen and valued. So, yeah, that really matters to me and as a joy coach you know we'll dig into this later, I'm sure about you know what brings people joy, but one of the things that most of us can relate to is the joy that's felt through connection, and you know whether you're receiving that or giving that, it just fills us up. You know you feel unstoppable when you've connected with somebody.
Speaker 2:You know, robin, I don't know if it's due to the, you know the quarantines, or the COVID, the pandemic, or what, but I have heard so much in the last three years, two buzzwords that I've heard from incredibly strong you know, ceos, executives. I've heard two words vulnerability and connectedness, and connection. People talk about that so much more. We've had guests on who've talked about that, where five years ago, I didn't hear as much about that in the business world anyway, and I think they're connected.
Speaker 2:Well, going back to what you said, though, having that ability to make a person feel like they're the only person in the room full of 200 is, I think it's one of the greatest skills, because the vast majority of people, when they go in there, they don't really think they're anybody, they don't think anything special about them, and I you know, I always tell my clients and you know myself and my kids and things that our country, our world, is really starving for a sense of self worth, the people we are. You can give a person that sense of self worth, man. That's the greatest gift you could give somebody. They can take that and change the world with it.
Speaker 3:You're right. If we were on video, you'd be seeing my head about to fall off. I'm nodding so much to that. So it's just so true, right, and I think that you know, when you go through something really difficult like we have, you realize what really does matter. And I don't want to be a broken record. I know that this is discussed often, but when you feel invisible and you're just a number in the business world and then all of a sudden, everything comes to a screeching halt and you realize it's about relationships, it's about helping each other and like getting stronger collectively, and there's so many good things that come from figuring that out and I love that we're still talking about this years later. I'm glad it wasn't a flash in the pan. You know, so often when there's like a silver lining, we get excited and then we sweep it. You know behind us and we move on, whereas you know connection and vulnerability. These are things that you're right. We are still digging into those, we're still finding value in those things and I'm so glad.
Speaker 2:I am too. I just want to say one thing before we get started, though, is for bamboo pack members out there. We have one goal today, and that's to make Robin laugh so hard that she snorts.
Speaker 3:I thought you were going to say the goal is to please Dolores, hi Dolores, and the other goal is to get somebody on Antarctica.
Speaker 2:Those are the two goals you have is to get somebody from Antarctica so we can say we're on all seven continents. And you have to please my mom, dolores, because she's the first one who gets a copy of this podcast before it goes live or before it streams out to the world. So if she passes her some, mom, this is on you tonight. When I send this to you, you're going to get it tonight. Make sure you give me some very good feedback.
Speaker 3:That's what Dolores likes people who snort when they laugh.
Speaker 2:My mom's going to love you because you said her name on air. She's going to love that, trust me, mom, oh God, okay, let's get started. So I've gotten a little bit about you and we sat at the table together at the end of the event in East Lansing last month, but I still want to learn more. But can you please share with me and for the audience member out there about yourself, your childhood, where you grew up, who or what inspired you, your family, whatever you want to share.
Speaker 3:Well, it all started when my mom met my dad. I'll never go back that far.
Speaker 2:In a log cabin.
Speaker 3:I grew up in a really tiny town. We had lived in the Metro Detroit area where my parents both had grown up, and when I was a little girl and my sister was a couple of years older than I was, my parents decided to move out into the farm country and so they moved out into an area with lots of lakes and hills and cows and all the beautiful things, and so we've pretty much been in that town ever since. It's a village, actually, we don't even qualify for the word town. It's tiny, and we're still working on our first comma and our population count. So everybody knows everybody. You know everybody's dogs and grandparents. It's awesome, so I love the connection that I can have there and get later in life, you know, I started to realize, wow, I love this town, but I really want to know people who are different than me. I really want to get out and go to other places and just see what life is like. It's not like I was, you know, trapped in a tent or something, but I didn't really, you know, explore much beyond vacations with my mom. And so, yeah, after, after college and, you know, starting my career, it was just really about getting out and seeing what was going on out there, and so now I'm I'm honestly just really hungry for it. That's funny.
Speaker 3:I was thinking about a trip my mom took, took us on. We were on one of those bus trips, you know, like filled with senior citizens. We were all looking for Broadway shows, you know, and so it was. It was my mom and my two kids, who were teenagers, and myself on the senior citizen bus trip to New York City, and you know, you go from a map dot to the big Apple and it can be really overwhelming.
Speaker 3:But I was just really wanting to talk to every single person on the sidewalk, because people had different accents and they were all immigrants, you know. Everybody had a story and I just I wanted to hear every single one and I just felt like life is so much richer when we know other people better. And so I bring that into my coaching, you know, because I feel like there's a lot of joy that is found in connection and in being seen, and I feel like, you know, the more people I meet on different corners of the planet, you know, the richer my own life is. So I guess in some ways it's kind of self-serving. I absolutely love just knowing people who are different than I am.
Speaker 2:That's fantastic. I mean, so many people don't want to do that and you're right. And I think it's so interesting when you I wasn't surprised because you had told me this in September that you grew up here. You were raised in a smaller town. I'm so shocked, robin, by the number of guests that I bring on who are doing amazing things. You know ordinary people doing extraordinary things who grew up in small towns. I mean, I had a guest on a couple of weeks ago, a fantastic lady, lynette Fitzpatrick, out of Grand Rapids, michigan. Oh yes, and I think she said and I can't remember it was like 10, 15 people. Eight people were in her graduating class. It was a small amount anyway, mine was like 73 and I thought that was small.
Speaker 3:I listened to that episode and thought I think she had five.
Speaker 2:Was it five? That's amazing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we had 130 and thought we were small.
Speaker 2:Wow, you had twice as many as I had. I think we had 73 in my graduating class, wow, so okay. So you got this personality. You want to change the world. You want to connect with people, learn all about them and hear their stories. I've inspired that, that gift when you were growing up.
Speaker 3:I don't know that I could answer that. I feel like that's just kind of how it's done. I just I have love knowing people. I have love being known, and I guess it was born from that.
Speaker 3:My mom was a single mom and I still, to this day, don't know how she did it all. Like the number of hats this woman had to switch on and off in any given day just blows my mind. She did it all and yet, like we, you know we had a great life and it was simple and you know we didn't have a lot of money. She was a high school teacher for kids with special needs and we reuse paper plates until they had holes in them. You know, like it wasn't about the money, but we had everything we needed and we were raised to be grateful. It was always about gratitude and church was a huge part of our upbringing. I mean, we just knew that we were loved and we were wanted and there's so many people that don't know that or haven't felt that and I guess I just want other people to have what I had.
Speaker 2:You know, I'm just going to say right now, let's give a shout out to all the single moms and dads out there, because, I mean, your mom obviously raised an amazing lady. You know, my mom, my father, passed away when I was four and a half. She raised me as long as my four siblings on her own, especially me, because I was the baby by many years. You know, I just think there's so much power in the ability of one person to play both those roles, no matter what the gender is. I mean, it's just, it's a challenge all the way across.
Speaker 3:It is and to think of the sleepless nights and the worries that they had and their own issues. And yet how much have they sacrificed so that our needs were met. And you know, we are the people that we are because they were willing to make all those sacrifices and to be so present. I, as a mom who had, like we have kids who are young adults now and you mentioned the six pack and I mean my husband, has been only supportive from day one, very involved, very much a part of our family life, and I still struggled so much. So I don't know how people that were totally alone ever did it.
Speaker 2:I couldn't agree more. I love what you said earlier when you were talking about your mom being single and what you you know the paper plates and the holes and then. But you said we were loved and we were wanted and you can just see that right there. I mean that could be your tagline is what you do for other people. That what, from what I can see, is you want to make them feel loved and wanted and you do that through connection. You do that through your stories, you do that through your speaking and your writing and sharing your own journey. I mean that's a great, that's a. That's a powerful, powerful tool for you to feel as a young person and then to carry that onto adulthood to be loved and wanted. It's like I said earlier, it's increasing other people's, other people's sense of self-worth. I mean it's just that's a beautiful thing to give others.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much.
Speaker 2:All right. So let me ask you I'm just going to pick a timeframe one year, two years, three years what has been in the last couple of years, anyway, been your biggest learning in life?
Speaker 3:Oh man, Ooh well, I started my business like right before the pandemic and I thought it was gonna be.
Speaker 2:Great time to start a business, by the way, I know right, great time Robin.
Speaker 3:It's focusing on joy, right, and I thought it would be really easy. You know, you just kind of tell everybody, hey, I'm doing this thing, and then the money would just flow in and you know, everything would be really simple. And and I've learned that it takes so much behind the scenes and you know the social media posts are so much fun to put out there about the good things that I get to do as a result of persevering. But there were so many times I almost walked away because it was just so hard. And so you know, I think one of the greatest things that I've really learned is I'm capable of a whole lot of hard stuff.
Speaker 3:And you know, when I look back on the awesome things that I got to do professionally before I became a joy coat, I'm not gonna say that any of those things were ever easy. I think I don't know anybody has an easy career but they were more natural. You know, they were just, they just kind of flowed, whereas creating a business from the ground up and making it sustainable and just getting the world to believe in it was hard. And yet, like it's happening, there are people that want this now and it brings me so much joy because I get to do what I feel I'm called to do. But I know too like there are a lot of other people out there who are wondering all of the same stuff. They've got this crazy idea. They're wondering if they're suited for something new, something different, and they just if they knew that they were capable. What difference would that make? I've learned that I'm actually capable of hard stuff. Does that make sense?
Speaker 2:Makes a lot of sense. So if I'm that person out there and I know there's a person out there right now listening who is wondering they've got an idea. They've got you know this side hustle, they wanna start, or this idea. They've been playing with them, they're so a little bit for the past few years. What would you say to them?
Speaker 3:I would be so critical to dig into why they wanna do that so bad. You know what drives them. What would the end goal be? You know what would they say in three years would be a mark of success in that chosen direction. You know, would it be having a book with your name on it, or a certain number of clients, or you know whatever. Like, what is this thing that you feel you're called to do? You know name it. You know put a label on what success would look like.
Speaker 3:But don't forget why you're doing it, because it is hard, and especially if you're building something from the ground up. I don't remember when I was first getting started, I went to all these meetings that were put on by SCORE, and SCORE is like a, you know, part of the Small Business Association and they had all these classes about, you know, building up a business, and I think that at that time they were saying that 85% of new businesses fail within the first three years. I mean, you've got a lot of people with a lot of ideas that don't come to fruition because it's hard. And so if it is hard, then know your why and hang onto that thing for dear life. Like, do not stop. Until you've achieved it and you've experienced this thing, you know let it come to life and be the thing that you've called it to be. But it's not gonna happen, as you forget why you're doing it in the first place.
Speaker 2:I think that's powerful. You know, when I started my coaching practice and speaking practice, I would say for the first 12, 15 years maybe, my why was making money, and that's not really a good why. That's the outcome of a why, that's the what, maybe. And it wasn't. Until I really came and this is I agree with you so much and I wish I would have had somebody tell me this 27 years ago, because it was about making money and of course, I always had a heart to help people and I was a financial advisor for a few years prior to that to help people. But even then it was about making money and it really wasn't until I dug into my soul and realized why is this not working the way I want? I would have ebbs and flows, I'd make really good money for a few months and have a couple of months of really down months and blah, blah, blah. And it wasn't until I realized why are you really doing this Really? If you at that point and I was in that time maybe 40 years old I started when I was 29. So, yeah, maybe when I was late 30s, I started thinking if you were independently wealthy, brian, would you still do this? And I answered right away I would, without a doubt. And then I said so, it's not about the money. And you've been chasing the money all along and the money kept.
Speaker 2:Overall, the big money kept eluding you and it was. And it still took me like five years to really come up with my why. But I was searching for it and it finally came when I was probably early to mid 40. So it's only been maybe 10, 12 years that I've really known my true why. But I had a guy on Robin, oh my goodness, maybe in the spring or winter of last year, and his name is Jimmy and he was talking about. He said something to me, not on air, but when we were talking in the pre-interview. He said something to the effect of all my life I chased money and money always eluded me. But as soon as I realized what my true calling was, money found me to be the sexiest man alive and, like it, turned on and started chasing him and I'm like it's so true and it's such a good piece of wisdom to share with somebody who's newer in their journey, like somebody in the audience right now who's kind of considering doing something new and exciting. So I thank you for that.
Speaker 3:You're so welcome. I think it really matters and I'm so curious what your why is.
Speaker 2:To help the world to strive, love and live.
Speaker 3:Love it. Look at you, you just like.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what I was telling you before the show that I have this. I'm gonna change the intro and have the gentleman Record because I doesn't have that in there and I did. I don't know why I didn't have it in there at the time. And there's a story behind strive love and that's been with me for the word, the term, not the term strive love a little, but the idea of that has been with me since before I started. It's why I started my coaching practice in 1996, but I had a different term for it. It wasn't strive love, live. That's. There was the end.
Speaker 2:That was the inspiration to get me to leave the company I was with and start my own firm was because of something my little nephew said to me when we were walking one day in Grand Rapids, michigan, at the Amway Grand Plaza and we were eating a box of Junior men's, walking to the halls, and he said you know, uncle Brian, life was all about. He was like four years old. He said life is all about walking, talking and eating Junior men's, isn't it? And I'm like it arrived and it was so cool because that right away, I'm like. I looked at him. I said you nailed it, buddy, because to me walking meant striving, it meant getting going, moving forward in life. Talking meant loving, kinship, relationships, communication, and eating Junior men's meant meant living, like sucking the marrow out of life in the moment. So I always said walking, talking, eating Junior men's. In fact, when I used to speak sometimes when I would speak they would the, the, the host or the company would have everybody would have Junior men's on the table. Because I was the Junior men guy for a while, I didn't really like that. Then it didn't hit me. Tell several years later that it's actually I. Really it came down to strive, love, live. No, that's my motto in life. You know, the life is all about talk, walk-in, talking and eat and Juniors. And I actually have this, probably a four by three Framed matted that my friend got me, of a little boy looking out into the sea and Underneath that it has written life is all about walking, talking, eating Junior men's. Keen Parker I think he was age three, because I think it says keen Parker, who is my nephew, age three at the bottom. Yeah, it's really cool. So so I want to have you share the story in a moment about that embarrassing moment. But but in fact let's go to that because I want people to realize so be everybody.
Speaker 2:Before we were taught we aired. Today. I asked Robin. I said you know how do you connect with your audience when you speak? Because she has such an amazing gift. And so she said well, here's a story. She's she shares a story, so can you share the story?
Speaker 3:Sure. So actually this time last year I was driving up to Traverse City to speak to a group of nurses at the Michigan nursing summit, and it was the day before my Presentation and I got really dressed up and you know, I just most speakers like to have that day before to just get your head in the game. It's like your pregame. And so I'm all dressed up, I'm driving up the state totally by myself and I'd get out to get gas, you know, and people are just really smiling at me and you know, later I'd get out of my car to get fast food and yeah, and people are friendly. It's like the farther north I go, everybody's just so kind up here. This is really great.
Speaker 3:So I get to the hotel and Traverse City check my stuff, and I'm hauling all of my stuff, and so I was in and out of the lobby several times. So I decided I'm gonna go out for a really nice dinner, and so just before I left my room I happened to check my reflection and that's when I realized that the bottom half of my dress was completely see-through. Everybody's just so kind. And what happened was I ordered it online. I had never worn it before. I was saving it for a special occasion, which it clearly became, and I didn't check. Before I left the house in the morning, holy cow and I went to this really nice restaurant for dinner. Of course, I had to change my clothes before I could leave the hotel room just a gas.
Speaker 3:So then the next day, you know I'm up on stage and all these great nurses were asking me questions beforehand, like are you a nurse? No, where did you get your dress? And I said well, I got it online. And so when I got up on stage, I said well, you know, since so many of you have complimented this dress, let me tell you that I can't shop in my own town, because it's a one-horse town. We don't have places to buy clothes. So pretty much everything that I wear to speak comes from the internet. And here's the story about the thing that I wore yesterday. And this is exactly what happened to me when I got out to get gas. And I said you know, I'm not sure if I gave these people a quick hit of joy or a quick hit of trauma, but I'm sure that they'll remember it for a long time. I know I'm not gonna forget it.
Speaker 2:I'll guarantee there's a lot of northerners talking about that. That lady they saw walking in the gas station with half dress on. Yeah, or you learn the lesson. Looking in the mirror before you leave your hotel.
Speaker 3:I know.
Speaker 2:I had a similar experience I wanted to share with you two. Robin is, this was probably 18 years, I don't know. It was more than 15 years ago. I think my son was little, or maybe he was just born, and I was in Phoenix to speak at at a convention and I so I was, I was the last speaker of the day, but in the morning all the speakers had to meet. They had to leave their hotel room, go meet and then They'd call everybody on stage. You know, kind of everybody was up there, so to speak, and then mr Bozies at this time, blah, blah, blah. Then we all left. Well, I was the final speaker that day.
Speaker 2:So I went back to my hotel room, took the cab back to my hotel room and I thought, well, I'd like four hours to kill, I'll just relax. Well, when I got looked, got to my room, I looked down, my pants run zipped the whole time and a part of my white t-shirt was hanging out. So I'm in my hotel room and I'm just, I'm mortified. So I I'm thinking, oh, I've got three options. I Can go back on stage in a few hours and pretend nothing happened and you know they're all talking about it or I can get on stage and make a story out of it and make a joke out of it, or I can get back on the damn next flight and get back to Michigan and not even speak and pay back the money. So I'm like, and trust me, that third option seemed pretty, it was seemed pretty reasonable, so I decided, okay, I gotta get up there, so, and I got back up at I don't know what it was three o'clock to a client and I'm like all right, everybody, before we get started, let's address the elephant in the room. I did go back to my room, I did zip my pants up and tuck my t-shirt in, and then the room just erupted because they were just waiting to release.
Speaker 2:That. You know, I had to, you know, and so then what would I learn, though? That's why I asked you before the show Today is how do you connect? Because I found that that was my way to connect is, sometimes I would purposely wear a tie that had coffee on it so I could make a joke about how, how Clutsy I was on the plane, or I mean, I would sometimes purposely do something so I could connect, because back then I wasn't really, I Couldn't connect real well, naturally I didn't have the skill set so I would do something clumsy to connect, you know. So make them feel like, okay, this guy's just like me, he's a, he's a goof. Just like he's a day. He's normal, just like me. You know, trip going up on stage or whatever. You know, I'm not good at telling jokes. I figured I'll just make a fool of myself, or at least tell them I made a fool of myself that day.
Speaker 3:If you think I'm going back on stage and I have see through dress again.
Speaker 2:No, I would not have done that and I wouldn't. And I did have my pants zipped up when I got back on stage because I know, I'm sure when I I'm sure they were just waiting for that final speaker to get back up on stage, I'm know they were. They all were looking.
Speaker 3:They probably taking bets on it.
Speaker 2:They probably were, and so it just released all the pressure and it was fine after that.
Speaker 3:So I think the connection is just so important.
Speaker 2:It is, it's you know it's not just on stage but on the phone call. You know this you and I have in our chat today or face-to-face. Whatever it is, and and I see that that's some of the problem with, like, the texting and social media and email is you have to work very hard at making a connection because it can. It can seem so you know so almost surgical and so much you know, so precise, and it's very sterile at times and it's it's hard and I don't like to talk on the phone. I'm, my friends and my family are in, like I'm not a. I talk on the phone to clients all day and I find myself texting a lot. But then I realize now that it's a connection but it's not the same connection.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know, by any stretch of the imagination.
Speaker 2:So I like. I like when people say will you just pick up the phone if I call you? Like, yes.
Speaker 3:You mean, this thing works for phone calls too, right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I thought it was just for social media and texting.
Speaker 3:I Think that there's so much to be said for being able to look somebody in the eye, like when you have that option, take it, because there's a lot that can be shared just Silently, just by holding somebody's gaze and looking them directly in the eye. I mean, you don't want to be a creep or anything, but you know, back in the day one of the things that I was Professionally was I was a youth pastor and we used to do all kinds of mission projects. We really wanted to get our hands dirty and contribute and and share love, and so you know, the church had a long running relationship with a local soup kitchen and so you know it was easy to plug into that and take the kids and and serve food. But you know, I wanted the kids to be fully aware that it was more important that they look people in the eye and hold the gaze and give them dignity, as it was to scoop out whatever the food was that day or to like. Sometimes, you know, the the food serving spaces would fill up quickly and the rest of us would go out and sit and Chat with people while they ate.
Speaker 3:And to me, like those Conversations were so meaningful and had so much potential to bring Hope and joy into a really difficult time for somebody. But it was really, you know, something that had to begin with the eye contact and you know if you're gonna Hand somebody, you know, five dollars when you pass them on the street. You know to do that with or without eye contact makes all the difference in the world to stop and chat, to ask their name, you know, to hear their story, then it really becomes a moment of meaning. But I think that with texting and social media, you know it's helpful but it sure isn't a replacement for good old in-person eye contact and conversation.
Speaker 2:No, I think you know, think about you, know you're talking for the soup kitchen. I Find that and I still do this, even though I've worked with homeless people in Grand Rapids years ago. I Find that when I'm driving by a person with a sign or walking on a sidewalk with a homeless person, I tend to avoid eye contact and I'm always I always feel a little shame for that Like this person is a human being, no worse and no better than I am, and yet I'm avoiding eye contact with that person and it's probably because I don't want to be asked for money or you know. So I'm, you know, I probably just trained by living in Grand Rapids, in Detroit.
Speaker 2:You know my adult life, but it's at the same time I always have this sense of who do I? Who in the hell do I think I am? You know, and that is, you're right in 90% of time. If you just looked in the eye, made somebody eye contact with somebody, maybe a homeless person, and you just said hello or something, it's gonna make their day. They're not gonna ask you for money, they're. They're just going through their day, just like we are, you know.
Speaker 3:They're just as hungry to be heard and seen and valued as they are to have their physical needs met.
Speaker 2:You know they want to be loved and wanted just like everybody yeah. All right, this is a question I'm gonna ask you, a Robin, and this is Always the hardest question I ask everybody, so you don't have to answer it. But if you do, the question is in your life, what is one of the most difficult things you've gone through? What in how? What did you do to overcome that? I know you write about it in your book, so I know you're pretty.
Speaker 3:I Definitely do, and you know writing that book was such a stretch. Messy joy is a collection of stories that I have kept hidden from the world at large for years. I don't tend to share the negative. It's more about hearing people's stories and building them up and and To, like we all know, that person who over shares the difficult.
Speaker 3:Yeah and there's never an end to it. So yeah, so all of a sudden, I'm writing this book, you know, out of obedience to God to share these awful, painful stories. And so there's hope, though, like in each one of these, it's about you know where joy was found, despite the messes, and you know what, where the silver linings are, and and how to train yourself to look for that stuff, because we're never gonna be free Of problems, and so let's mix joy right into the mess. Right lost the title, so you would think I would probably share one of the stories in the book, and I'm not gonna, because the book is there for the taking. But Another thing that I experienced I think most people will really relate to this is I lost my grandma Really early in her journey.
Speaker 3:I mean, she was almost 91, but she lived like a person who was in their 40s. She was very independent, so involved in our family life. She was widowed for many, many years. My grandpa was also just an amazing part of my upbringing and you know so my grandma had to do so much after he passed away that again like she could do hard things. You know, I guess that's the theme right now, but she really surprised us all and and just blossomed after she was widowed and man. She was just such a central figure in our life and she lived Thanksgiving on a daily basis, like Thanksgiving is more than just a day in her book, yet like it's my favorite holiday because it is her encapsulated. She was just so grateful for everything all the time and she was a war bride from World War two. She came over on a big cargo ship From Northern Ireland. You know my mom was a baby, a little baby basket, and all these brides came across the ocean to be with their New American husbands and I adored her. She was just huge in my world and when she was Hospitalized very suddenly at the age of almost 91. She was, she was like strong as a horse. She used to come back from her doctor's appointment it's just bragging like, oh, my doctor said I'm as strong as a horse. And and one day she was making food for my birthday party actually and she got this weird pain in her abdomen and it got worse and worse and she ended up getting hospitalized and she never came out and it was a blood clot that just kind of stopped all the blood flow to her intestinal system.
Speaker 3:And what I struggled with the most was, you know, the doctors, the people at the hospital didn't know the pre-hospital Version of her. They saw the sick old woman who is in pain and they treated her as such and I wanted them to treat her as the vibrant soul of life, grateful for every breath. You know, vivacious woman that I had always known and I felt like they dismissed her because of her age. And so, you know, when she died I had so much resentment build up and, like I'm a person of faith, I'm a Christian and you know, I know that. You know God puts a Number on each of our days. He knows, before we're born, how many days we're gonna have, and and that was his plan for her, and you know that was part of how he brought her back home to him.
Speaker 3:And so I wrestled with it because I knew from a faith perspective, like it's, it was gonna happen. But then, from a human perspective, I was really mad, really upset that they dismissed her and didn't really help her, because I felt like she should have easily made it to 110, easily a hundred, no question. And so to suddenly get sick and be gone in 12 days was just Unthinkable and I Definitely sunk into depression after she died. In fact, you know, I talked about her frequently. You know she was such a big part of our life that we couldn't help but bring her up all the time, and and I thought that that was enough. And yet, like three years after she died, you know, I was still really bitter, and Talking about her with family wasn't enough, and so I sought professional help and I got a therapist and that was the beginning of my personal journey with a therapist, and I'll have a therapist until the day I die.
Speaker 1:Like I don't.
Speaker 3:I don't benefit from seeing this. I'm not getting a kickback, but I walked into my current therapist's office and I said I'm gonna keep you busy for a long, long time, but I love having that outlet. It's important to have somebody who is there just to hear what's on your heart. You know, and yeah so losing my grandma was definitely one of the hardest things I've ever gone through.
Speaker 2:Now, when did she pass away?
Speaker 3:Oh, it was 2010 so okay, so spend some time.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry to hear that.
Speaker 3:Thank you, and I'm really sorry to hear about your dad.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was a long time ago. Yeah, he's a good fella. No, did so. The therapy has helped you with that forgiveness aspect.
Speaker 2:Tremendously so good, that's it. It's so powerful. You know, I I've always thought that I had forgiven certain people for my past and I had a. I got to meet this gentleman, or at least by a phone, and he was a guest in the podcast, dr Fred Luskin, at a Stanford University and he wrote a book called forgive for good and Fantastic book, and that's what a specialty is forgiveness and we were talking. I think I think we talked.
Speaker 2:After that, we had a phone call after the podcast one night, or maybe it was before, I'm not sure and and he was, you know, he made me real. He made me realize, just through the things he was telling me and sharing with me his wisdom, that I have not forgiven. And it's been a kind of a journey. That was six months ago. It's been probably. It's been a journey of mine to really dig in, dig into why I haven't forgiven certain people and it's it's kind of open that it's cracked that door a little bit in my heart so I can start seeing the light again. I thought I had, because because I say I forgive or forgive you, I forgive this person, but in reality it's just saying the words wasn't enough. It's so powerful.
Speaker 3:That's huge right, because I think that a lot of us are wondering why I did that and I don't feel better. Yeah, you know what's what's wrong, but I think that what you're saying really gets to the heart of the matter. It's funny because Just a couple weeks ago, I was asked to speak from the red dot of Ted X Detroit and I was ecstatic to have that opportunity. And yet, in the moment when they called to give it to me, I knew that the story that I needed to share was a different story, about the power of forgiveness and about the joy that we find both when we forgive others and forgive ourselves, Even if we never even are able to tell that person that they've been forgiven. When we really truly Experience forgiveness, it does change us and you cannot help but feel joy. So my encouragement is to keep praying on it, keep working and thinking on it and, when the time comes, the joy that you will feel will help you to know you have truly forgiven Yourself for that person.
Speaker 2:I love that. Okay, so question when can we listen to the work? Can we see the Ted X talk?
Speaker 3:They're working on the videos.
Speaker 2:Let me know as soon as you please.
Speaker 2:I want to make sure I post that and Thank you and share it with with the followers of the podcast and so bamboo pack members. So remember, the book is messy joy by Robin Shear. It's got a 4.5 star rating on Amazon. We'll include a link to it here in the show notes. Please click on it. By the book. Listen to Robins journey, her stories and her wisdom. Please, please, please, please.
Speaker 2:I know so many people right now. So many of you tune in because you're going through something, or you have, or you're gonna go through something. What I think the I heard somebody say recently the average person goes through through crisis a year. In between that were sprinkled a bunch of little emergencies that we go through. We're all going through conditions and difficulties and you can't wait till those difficulties and before you find joy. Find joy in the mess.
Speaker 2:Robin, I'm gonna ask you a question. I asked this to a lot of guests. Have you read the book by Ryan holiday? The obstacle is the way you? No Good, I'm glad you have it because I'm going to send you a copy as a gift. Thank you, yes, okay, I got to send it out to our previous guest, lynette Fitzpatrick. I think she's traveling this week, but I think, but I know the book arrived at her place yesterday or the day before.
Speaker 2:That's a great book. So it's about the philosophy of stoicism. We're epictetus and all these historic stoics. The philosophy of stoicism is really the philosophy of through every difficult to be go through. There is beauty in that, in looking for the beauty. Looking for the obstacle isn't the obstacle, it can be the way to the next level of life.
Speaker 2:And Ryan Holiday is a younger thought leader. He's written a ton of amazing bestsellers and I know we've tried to get him on the podcast. We've had listeners try to reach out to him to say, well, you need to be on this podcast, so hopefully one day he'll get on here. I know he has listened to it, which is good. That's one thing. But his books are amazing. But this was his first flagship book and I've read it. I read it once a year. I think I read it six times now because it just puts you in the place of realizing you're going to go through some shit and it doesn't have to be bad. I mean, the stuff you're going through is not fun, it's negative, it can be really troubling and grueling, but yet there's beauty in that. And find something, find that silver lining in that cloud so that you can take that obstacle to the next level. I really appreciate that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you're going to get a copy.
Speaker 2:I'll order that copy today. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3:I would like to ship you my book. I was thinking before our call like, oh, if I were a cool guest I would have shipped that to you already. You're an AM confessing to the world.
Speaker 2:We booked this so quickly. It wasn't until yesterday I realized I was traveling back to Lansing. I'm like I didn't buy messy joy yet, so I got on today. I'm like, oh, do I have time to read it on my Kindle?
Speaker 3:Yeah, A lot of people will read it in a day. So yeah, if you've got it on your Kindle, get through it, but I would still like to send you a real copy of it.
Speaker 2:Please. I want a signed copy though.
Speaker 3:Gladly Thank you I appreciate that.
Speaker 2:In fact, I'm going to do this for the first five people who send out their heart letters this week. For Robin, I don't know if you put a heart letter as any letter email card text. I get from any listeners saying what the podcast episode meant to you. For the first five this week that send out a letter, I'm going to send you a free copy of messy joy. So make sure to get out those heart letters, man I love. I want to hear what you guys think of this episode. You're going to love it. I know you are. So I want to know for the first five, hurry up and get them out there to us by email text or however you want, to social media, and I will get five copies. The first five will go to the first five heart letters that we receive.
Speaker 3:So, oh, my heart is so full. Thank you so much for being willing to do that.
Speaker 2:You have such a unique way.
Speaker 3:Brian, I just have to stop and like thank you, because your questions are fun and you care so much about your listeners and it just shows it. Just it makes it so much fun to be a guest here. I hope that you're aware of, like, what an amazing job you're doing.
Speaker 2:Oh well, thank you, I appreciate that.
Speaker 3:It's true.
Speaker 2:I really appreciate that. You know I do. This is a I'll share with you. Before we aired today, this is a. This became just a pet project for me almost two years ago. Now it's become such an integral part of my life and my journey. I just I learned so much from you, from my other guests, from the listeners, and I just it's a journey of love for me. At this point it really is. I mean I could, I will never not do this podcast.
Speaker 3:I love that. As long as I have a voice, as long as I have a voice, I'm still with you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there you go, yeah, Okay, so you're, you're, you're. This business years is obviously really expanding. You're reaching more people and you're, you know you're, you're finding your place in the circle which we all, that's all we ever want to do. What's a win for you in your life right now? What do you consider a victory to be?
Speaker 3:When I hear from somebody who has been in one of my speaking audiences after the fact and they share something specific that blessed them to me, that's what it's about. That's what I want, you know it's. It's about making those connections that we've talked about. It's about helping people feel less alone and when they can say, because you said this thing, it has this impact on my life, because I know that it's not going to stay there, like, the thing that I love about joy the most is how contagious the stuff is. So you know, anybody who's received it is going to give it away, and I know that the people who are going to stop life long enough to say, hey, this really bless me, those people are especially going to be giving it away. And so it's like all part of the plan for world domination, in a sense, the joy hijack of the world. But when I get those little nuggets that it mattered, that's a win for me.
Speaker 2:Oh, I love it. Well, I know your, your, your, your speech is one of the featured speeches from the eight just are disrupt, hr, hr, disrupt. I always say that wrong.
Speaker 3:Disrupt HR.
Speaker 2:So great job it was so awesome and I you know, to the audience out there I was, I feel I got to watch it later on. I I I was like um, the the tape, the video of it, but I was not able to see Robin speak because I was in that little backstage area and I couldn't see her and I couldn't see the audience. And I was getting my mic set up because I, like a dork, I brought my own microphone and had to have a clip on versus a handheld and I was trying to get that set up and I didn't get to see her speak. And I was so disappointed because it was the one speech that I wanted to hear, because you know, I only met a handful of the speakers before we all went on and that was one I really wanted to hear. But, uh, and the fact that you went up with it was a grant. You had Grant's jacket on.
Speaker 3:The jacket was way too cool to not ask him if I could walk out in it.
Speaker 2:Oh, that was definitely an LSU Tigers jacket. I mean it had to be. I mean everything about it. It was so cool man, it was so colorful.
Speaker 3:That thing weighed like 50 pounds. It was covered in paint. It was so heavy.
Speaker 2:That's a dress you could have worn when you'd spoken Traverse City, because even if the bottom part of it was see through, it was so long on you, it wouldn't have mattered, I would have gotten away with it. You would have gotten away with it for sure. All right. So this is. I love this question so much because it gives so much insight to the, to the audience member out there who's really listening. For it is if I have a time machine, I drive over today to your one horse town and we sit down, we jump in this time machine, we go back to, I'm going to say, when you're 20 years old, you know, or somewhere in that time frame of life, and you get to go back and sit down at a park bench and talk to your former self, your much younger, more inexperienced self, and I'm just going to sit back and take notes. What would you say to that person, that younger Robin?
Speaker 3:God knows what he's talking about. Oh yeah, and my belief system? I mean, it's really about staying so connected to God that you hear his voice when he speaks in one way or another, you know, through nature, or through scripture, or music or a person. It could be, it could be any number of ways, but he wants to guide us to fullness of life, like it's about having the life that he has always intended for us to have, not that it's without problems, but fullness. And you know it can be really scary to just get out of the way and trust him.
Speaker 3:And you know, so many times in my life I would pray for guidance and pray for wisdom. That path I should be on and you know I would try to hear and I would try to obey if I, if I heard. And the times that I stuck to what he told me to do are the best times in my life. Those are the best decisions I made. You know getting married and you know when to have kids and you know what to do professionally. But also, just, you know some of the little things. You know. Get out of your car at that light and talk to that gentleman holding the sign you know, ask for the story. Those were all God whispers, little nudges, and, oh my gosh, like I really did get to have the fullness of life that Jesus promised. And. But it starts with tuning in and obeying and trusting that he knows what he's talking about and there is a God and I'm not it.
Speaker 2:I am a God. That's another good one. There is a God and I'm not, it Well, so you know, when you look at God and God speaking to us, what are your thoughts on manifestation? And you know the book, the Secret and all that, but what are your thoughts on that, on manifestation?
Speaker 3:That's such a good question and I love that, like, everyone in your listening audience has a different view on this, and so the more we can listen to each other's views, the more we can learn. But I feel like, you know, manifestation is an interesting philosophy. I like the idea of you know, putting it out into the world. I want this thing and then, you know, it just kind of comes to you but again, like within my belief system, the reason that it comes to you is because the Lord wants you to have it, or he doesn't. He has something else in mind for you, but it's not.
Speaker 3:You know, I personally don't believe that I'm responsible for the good things in my life. I believe that, yes, I've worked very hard because God has given me the ability to do so and because he knows that my heart is chasing after his. He is going to bring certain things to me, he's going to bless me in certain ways, but it doesn't mean that I get everything that I ask for. I mean, I'll tell you a quick story about that if you want to hear one.
Speaker 2:Please.
Speaker 3:So TedEx Detroit is something that I have wanted to do for a number of years, and I didn't apply to speak until a year ago and I didn't get accepted, which, you know, that's fine. It was a first time application. And why would they? You know, of course they had lots of applicants. So I went to the event and I volunteered and I got involved and, oh my gosh, I loved everything about it.
Speaker 3:And so a year passes and I and I go to apply again, and this time I applied with a prayer, and the prayer was Lord, if this message that I'm applying with has value, you know, please make this happen. If it doesn't have value in your sight, lord, I don't want it. I want somebody who has a message that needs to be heard to be on that stage. And so I applied and didn't get chosen. I got a rejection, I don't know, a couple months later, and so to me, the hardest part of that rejection was, you know, does this mean that my message doesn't have value? Like, does this mean that needs to go deeper? Does this? What does this mean, you know? So I really wrestled with it, brian. If I'm being honest, you know, I'd love to say, oh, I was obedient and I was thankful. Well, that came later, but at the beginning I was really crushed because I really thought that I was going to be called up and that my message was valuable. That's what matters to me. I mean, anybody could get up and entertain, but what's the meat? And so, yeah, I didn't get accepted. And so I put it out in social media like, hey, this is this thing that I'm struggling with and you know, this is how I got around it and this is where I found the joy again. And actually, that day, I ended up just laying in the yard pouring rain just beating on me like coming down all over my face and body, and I'm laying out there doing like snow angels in the rain, while my dog, molly, is just watching from under her tree like, is she okay? But I felt like, okay, I need to just get this out of my system.
Speaker 3:Well then, 12 days before TEDx Detroit, I get a phone call from one of my friends who happens to be one of the producers, and he said hey, we have an opening. Do you want eight minutes on the dot? And I just fell apart. I started crying. I was driving the car, I'm honking the horn and banging on the steering wheel and snorting and all those things are happening like all at the same time. But I knew like, okay, that's when that story rose up in me about the forgiveness that you know you can read about in the book or see when the video comes out.
Speaker 3:It was really hard to share that story without completely crumbling on stage. But I felt like, wow, god is giving me this chance and this story. I couldn't deny it and I kept trying to. You know, tell God. No, I don't want to tell that story and then bloop there, it would rise up again the same story for about 24 hours after I got the call. So I'm like, okay, this is stupid. The same God that I prayed to for having a story that's valuable is giving me one and an opportunity to share. I need to know that I'm not God. Get out of the way and share the dang story. So I did.
Speaker 2:I didn't realize you got to call eight days before the event.
Speaker 3:Well, no, it was 12 days.
Speaker 2:Or 12 days, okay, wow. Wapping 12 days Wow yeah, that's a lot better. That's a lot more time to prepare. Yep, yep. Well, I cannot wait to watch that video.
Speaker 3:I didn't want to share that story, but I'm with you. I can't wait until it's out, because it was necessary and I do feel like it has value. I do.
Speaker 2:Well, I think what you do there where I like the style I like about you, robin, is when you're on stage. It's not about me. Me, it's not about Robin. You're up there to give a message for at least one person in that room to take and impact his or her life. So it's not about you, it's about the message and how it impacts the person there.
Speaker 2:Where I see a lot of speakers, where they're on stage, where it's all about look how good I am, look how let me teach you something based on my extreme wisdom and experience and incredible intelligence and intellect, where your style from watching your video later when they came out from our mutual talk that day is it's all about I want to help you. This is not about me on stage. It's about the 200 people in the room and it's especially about that one person who's going to walk away with a major impact that I can make on his or her life, and to me, that's your conduit man. You're a. I call everybody man and dude, so don't be offended. That's right, bro. Yeah, right, you can call me ma'am if you want.
Speaker 2:I like the fact that our emails today were sir and ma'am, by the way, if you notice that. I didn't notice that and you said something yes, sir. Then I said great, ma'am, or something like that. I do. Do you say that? And I called you ma'am back. No, I think that's so powerful and I know for me. It took me many years and I still struggle with it. I do, in fact, before I speak, whether it's on stage or whether it's in a training session for a client or a group or events virtual, which I can't stand doing I always have the same prayer I say to God, and I've changed it over the past few years. It's not about make me be this and help me. It's help the audience that one person that I'm meant to connect with. Please help that person to receive the message that he or she needs to receive and to use it to help his or her life in the way needs to be helped, and again the bobblehead nodding exactly.
Speaker 2:The bobblehead nodding. We have to do it when we start doing our video, our podcast talks next year you're gonna come on, so we can see that and we wanna hear those snorts though.
Speaker 3:And Molly wants to get on camera. She just came in the room. She knows that there wasn't video. She turned around and left. I just want you to know you've left down my golden gold.
Speaker 2:Oh, molly, I'm sorry. Next year, molly. Next year I just had a cat who doesn't like me one bit come up in meow and jump on the chair next to me, so I don't know how that happened. I tried to pet her but she kinda looked at me like I'm gonna scratch your fingers here if you don't let go of me. Got a lot of cats, oh gosh, yeah, this cat does not like me very much, or at least I don't think so. Okay, so you got all the stuff going. You got the book, you got the talks, you got the coaching business. Your family's doing well. You got the six pack. You got Molly. What's next for you?
Speaker 3:You know, whatever God wants, I didn't think any of this was gonna happen, like none of this was scripted. So I know that's not the answer. People wanna hear what's your five year plan? And then you have all this stuff carved out and there's nothing wrong with those plans and I'll say, like when I, a year ago, I went to a vision board workshop and I said in the next year I wanna do this and this and this, and I put it out there and then I worked toward it, I prayed about it and God made those things happen. But it's according to what he wants. So my five year plan, my next year plan, is just to listen and try to obey and to find the joy in it and to serve. However I'm asked to serve, I love that.
Speaker 2:I think that's what people do wanna hear, because if you gave me your five year plan, your three year plan, nobody else can really relate to that plan cause it's so different than yours. But why can't everybody say my next step is to listen, obey, find the joy and serve. Everybody can relate to that one. Even if you are an atheist, you can still believe in that because you can believe in listen to the universe, obey the universe, find the joy in what the universe is telling you and serve the universe.
Speaker 3:I mean it doesn't matter Absolutely. So I think everybody you definitely are not trying to eliminate anybody here, no, no, I don't that's a message for everybody.
Speaker 2:That's what I'm saying. Your advice is universal. I mean, I agree with your advice. I'm on the same path you are, but that's the kind of answer that everybody can connect with right there.
Speaker 3:Good. Well, that's where I parked my heart, because I know that that's what makes me feel like most like me. If I'm just trying to impress a bunch of people with some big fancy answer or a big long list of accomplishments like, what's the good in that exactly? I haven't figured that out. I feel most like the person I was born to be. When I just do whatever God wants me to do, I feel fully alive. And if people receive it in that way and wanna adopt that, then that would bring me so much joy to know that that had impact on somebody else.
Speaker 2:This show, this episode, is going to have a lot of impact. I have no doubt about that. Have you ever heard the quote about Michelangelo and the angel in the marble?
Speaker 3:What is the quote?
Speaker 2:Well, it's in. This is kind of where I this is my favorite quote so that Michelangelo had sculpted this angel outside of a cathedral and it was a marble angel and they asked him how did you create this out of this block of marble? And he said I saw the angel in the marble and I sculpted until I set him free. And when you're talking about, what you're talking about is serving and you feeling like this, the person you were meant and born to be. That's that angel in the marble and so many of us over the course of our lives, rob and I firmly believe this we allow society, our families, our friends, teacher media, now social media we allow our own beliefs and experiences and our own habits to sculpt this, this marble, around the angel that's inside of us, and then we become a part, we look in the mirror, we become a person we don't even recognize and I've done that several times in my life and it's always a journey that that journey and adventure to always keep sculpting away, because an angel is in there and we got to scrape away the excess marble and it's in there, and I call it a true peak identity. What is your true peak identity? And I think that what you said is exact.
Speaker 2:When you said that, I thought that's the angel in the marble, and now her angel in the marble is set free and it's the person who I was designed. It's one of my favorite quotes. All right, so last question before we get to wrap up this amazing conversation is during the course of the last hour, robin, was there anything that any question you wish I would have asked that I didn't, or anything you'd like to share as a final parting thought to the bamboo pack members out there oh, wow, I know I don't think that there's a question that you missed.
Speaker 3:I don't think you're capable of missing a question. You have such a great style. No, I love this conversation. I think the main thing that I hope your listeners walk away with is just knowing that life isn't perfect for any of us, no matter how we make it look, and everyone has a story right. Everyone that you pass has a story that's worth listening to. Look people in the eye, listen to what they're saying from a place of wanting to understand and to know them better and to just give dignity and connection. You will find joy in doing that, and we don't have to have a perfect life to implement all of that stuff.
Speaker 3:Joy can be easily and beautifully mixed into the mess. I think that if we waited until everything were in order first, we would never arrive and look back on life and have a big list of regrets. And so you know if people want to mix it and know. Just imagine the difference that that could make in your situation, even if your circumstances don't change and you're still stuck in the mud. But you've got joy in the mud with you. You're going to want to share that and I think that's a great way to bring that away to other people who also feel the same.
Speaker 3:You know, stuck in the mud, feeling, and I think that you know after all that we've experienced as a nation and as a world lately. We need that. We need that. We don't see it as foundational. You know, we talk about needing food and shelter and those things, but joy and feeling like you matter are so foundational and when you have that, you cannot help but want to give it away, and so that's what I would encourage. People is like where can you find it? Where can you mix it into your mess and how can you give that away to other people who are so hungry for it?
Speaker 2:I okay, I usually try to encapsulate what you just said. I can't, I think you, I couldn't improve on what you just said, so I'm going to leave it at that. Perfect, perfect. I just you know the fact. You know, when you said something, you said the way the world is lately and I think we, we tend to want to change the big things and are we tend to want to. You know, we have activists and we have all these big, massive movements, but when you really break it down, if you want to improve the world, it comes with really one person at a time, showing them that they are loved and they are wanted. Yes, it's all it is. It's it's. It's the eye contact on the street, it's the pulling the car. We're talking to the person holding the sign. It's just showing, like you said, showing dignity, one person at a time. That's how we change the world and we get enough people to do that. That's a movement.
Speaker 3:Could you imagine, brian? Oh, my gosh.
Speaker 2:Could you imagine? No, I can't. I can dream it and I can, I can imagine it and I and I hope, I hope and I pray to God that that's the route we're taking and there are little things like you and I are doing today. If we can make one dent in that, we're doing our job. I agree.
Speaker 3:I love that it can be little things. We all you know get overwhelmed and think, well, there's only so much one person can do. And yet what if, as an individual, we did take those small steps and everybody got on board? But just showing goodness to other people, oh my gosh Talk about a world takeover.
Speaker 2:That's a world takeover right there. All right, my new friend and my now I can guarantee my friend for life. I just want to take the time. You're amazing human being. You are an amazing human being with a gift from God that it's designed in your to do this and your destined to change the world. You are, you are, you are Robin, there's no doubt. So, everybody out there, please click on those links below. Look at Robin's websites for social media. Please go online, buy that book. Send in your first five heartletters. We'll get a free copy of the book directly from me. And and when the TEDx talks, I want you to please listen to her TEDx talk. I will be posting all over all of the social media platforms and I'll maybe even go back and read it to the show notes of this podcast, if I can do that. I still technically challenge a lot, but anyway, please do that, okay, so, robin, I just want to take the time to officially thank you for being such an amazing, inspiring and such a heartfelt guest on the bamboo lab podcast.
Speaker 3:Oh, Brian, thank you so much. I want to thank you and the whole bamboo pack and Dolores. I want to know what you think.
Speaker 2:I hope this pleases you too. You're just. You're sucking up to mom right now.
Speaker 3:You told me her story. I just wanted to hug her, so bad.
Speaker 2:She definitely deserves and appreciates a good hug. She's a good hugger. She's my mom's only like five foot tall, oh okay, we're practically twins. Yeah, she's very small. She's very small, but she gives a massive hug. Her hug matches her personality for sure. So, robin, if you could stay on the phone with me for a few minutes after that'd be great after we sign off on the show, if you have the time, okay, thank you again my friend, Thank you.
Speaker 2:All right, Bamboo pack audience out there. Please know how much I appreciate each of our, each and every one of you. Please get out there, share this story with three people you love. Please rate us, review us, smash that like button, continue to subscribe and listen to each show we're going to be back to once a week now. We have a lot of great guests coming on. This one here is going to be tough to beat, but I want to tell you all I appreciate you all. I love you all. Love and live.